Wildwood Archery - JUST ARRIVED! Stratton English longbow

[White Hawk]

Hi all,

I am pretty excited to announce that the first shipment of bows from renowned UK bow maker Steve Stratton have just arrived. I am proud to say I am the Australian agent for this line of Steve's bows. Also can I add that Steve partner in the business Richard Tonge has contributed to these and is a top notch bowyer in his own right and one to watch. Both these men can be seen in the DVD series they produced called the "Longbow Series". Steve is also a prime mover in the warbow shooting fraternity in the UK, many of the heavy bow users in the UK and indeed Europe hold one of Steve's bows in their hands.

They are a beautiful bow and that's not a sales pitch it is a fact. They are 'D' profile English style longbows and have lamination's of Lemonwood and Hickory. They are historically accurate looking and fantastic to shoot, combining the aesthetics re-enactors require along with the performance a target archer seeks.

They bend "full compass" providing maximum cast from the full working limb, and this also creates that beautiful arc we associate with English bows. Steve builds an inch of reflex into the staves when they glue them up to negate string follow.

I haven't got them up on my website just yet (waiting for the rain to stop so I can photograph them!) but I will shortly. I have attached a few pic Steve sent me of one in his workshop that will give you an idea of what they look like.

I am expecting them not to last in fact a few are earmarked already, so if you want a top notch longbow made by one of the best email me at
info@wildwoodarchery.com.au to find out more.

weights: 30#, 40#, 45#, 50#
horn insert pass mark on both sides for left and right handed archer
max draw: 28"
Bow length: 80" from tip to tip
Price: $480.00

cheers
Gav

[kerrille]

a nice lookin bow mate leanne is thinkin of gettin one do they come in lefthanded versions sorry mate just kidden an email will be on its way

....nev...

[Trad Bound]

yeah Nev they move the black dot to the otherside. For you special price

[Mick Smith]

Many of you will know that Gav and I are friends, but this is not the reason that I will now tell you that these bows are the 'bee's knees' for people looking for a really good shooting 'historic' bow at an affordable price. I'm simply passing on some good news.

I have shot a 45# version of these bows and I was very impressed with it. It shot very hard compared to almost every other ELB that I've ever shot. Not only that, it looks every bit as nice and as well finished as any other bow that I've seen too.

If I was going to buy myself a new ELB, these bows would stand out as being worthy of the most serious consideration. I think they're excellent value at $480.

Mick

[White Hawk]

Hi all,
some better photos I took that show the bow in more detail. These will be up on the website hopefully by next week.

cheers

Gav

ps: I would actually like to thank quite a few of the senior club members from the Black Griffins (Mick being one of them) for assisting me by providing feedback on these bows when I got a test one in. I liked it but I wanted an even opinion on it so I passed it around to fellow members. So thanks to you guys for your positive feedback this it was of great benefit in electing to get them in knowing that all who shot it were impressed with it.

[kerrille]

thanx for the better fotos hopfully i'll do a good indepth unbiased report next week .

....nev..

[Stephen Georgiou]

now that's a longbow.
Beautiful in it's simplicity.

[ichiban]

they look very nice, what are the timber combinations available, do they come any shorter since 80" is over kill for a 50lb at 28"? very pritty though...

[kerrille]

well my oops leanns new stratton bow has just arrived ordered it monday cant get any better sevice than that. now i'll be bizzy makin arras for it, it seems everything gavs sed it is, a lovely bow, now ive got the weekend to play oops i mean to test and shoot it in ...what things we have to do for our better halves

....nev...

[Mick Smith]

Hey Nev, I nice bow like that one, should have authentic looking arrows, like the one's in Gav's excellent photos.

It's a hard life mate.

Mick

[kerrille]

thanks alot mick yeah i sed about them but she sed she'd be to scared to use em.... whew well ive shot the bow in and between leanne and i we've shot over a hundred arras threw it and its everything gav sed it was, easy and nice and smooth to shoot so far ive only shot it out to 20mtrs and it hits where you aim i could easyly fall inlove with this bow so id better start saving and buy my own in 50# now back out to the shed to make some arras up for it


....nev...

[Mick Smith]

I wouldn't mind one of 'em myself.

Mick

[aroadik]

After the Leongatha shoot, I'm lookin ! cheers Peter.

[Brumbies Country]

As some of you might know, I'm a bit of a Historic bow nut these days. I've made a few American Indian bows and have a good English long bow made by Len, a bow which I've gone back to recently. When one is looking to shoot historic bows there is a NSW preference for American Indian flatbows. However the longer American ash Elb has shot straight and honest when I've done the same.

I figured these Stratton bows offered by Gav looked good from a couple of points of view. They are lemonwood with a hickory backing. Lemonwood historically was used by British bowyers alot. Not as expensive as yew, but a good bow. Correspondence with an English archer shooting yew Elbs indicated performance drops off a bit with higher temperatures. Lemonwood (Degame) on the other hand is grown in South America. I figured it would stand up to higher Australian temps so I ordered a 45 lb Stratton ELB from Gav.

It arrived Friday. I shot 70 arrows with shorter draw length in Friday night under lights in the cool ( getting more like freezing) air that is normal life here at this time of the year. It's good to break these bows in with a shorter draw length initially. Set off to the South Coast for an ABA shoot longway before sparrows Saturday morning. Short drew during the practice and mosly short drew during the ABA round. Shot the ABA 3D today at fuller draw length. Shot a PB in the 3 arrow, eqalled my PB in the 1 arrow; I'm wrapped!!

The 80 inch length in bush is a potential problem, but this was heavily wooded country and I had few problems. Like Ichiban I pondered that 80" might be too slow. It is not that!! My misses were mostly high. The 80" contributes to a nice smooth draw. For those that like to shoot an ELB and for those that like bows off their fingers these are good.

Simon

[hue]

saw one of Gav's new bows on sat. and was more than impressed by it.
the finish is a delight, i should've asked if i could shoot it. kicking myself for that missed opportunity.
it is the goods guys!

Hue

[Chase N. Nocks]

This may sound like a dumb question but do they need a special stringer?

Sorry but in 30 years of archery I have never had the slightest interest in owning an ELB....until (maybe) now.

And How much is freight Gav? Factoring what's available in the bank.

Also do you sell a shooting glove? I'm a sook. I absolutely hate shooting off my hand.

What spine wood shafts for a 45lb ELB? Most of my bows are centreshot and I am mostly used to alloy and carbon.

Cheers mate.

[Brumbies Country]

This may sound like a dumb question but do they need a special stringer?

Sorry but in 30 years of archery I have never had the slightest interest in owning an ELB....until (maybe) now.

And How much is freight Gav? Factoring what's available in the bank.

Also do you sell a shooting glove? I'm a sook. I absolutely hate shooting off my hand.

What spine wood shafts for a 45lb ELB? Most of my bows are centreshot and I am mostly used to alloy and carbon.

Cheers mate.

Gav will answer these questions better than me, but a couple of observations: I started shooting off the hand wearing a glove. I use various knuckles for siting over 35 m and I found the glove was obscuring my clear view of the relevant knuckles, so I went a bit of sticking plaster over my index finger. Then I found with fletchtite, small blob at the sharp end of the fletches, I didn't need the plaster. You do need to spend a bit of time making sure your nock height is optimal too.

Re the stringer it comes with one and Gav has special recommendations. I found my stringer with a small leather pouch on each end worked well also.

Re spine they need to be a bit lower for the poundage because you are shooting round the handle. One recommendation is 5lbs less than the bow. I actually have alot of arrows 30-35lbs and I found they shot well out of the 45lb Stratton ELB over the weekend. A handfull of arrows 35-40lbs spine also shot well.

[Chase N. Nocks]

Thanks Simon,

Yep Gav has given me a heads up on some of these questions....

They certainly look like lovely bows and if it wasn't for a number of people here saying how well and smoothly they shot I probably wouldn't be tempted. Also the pedigree of their manufacture doen't hurt either.

I guess I will have to learn a little about the care of this type of bow as in the main, I only have an interest for laminated bows. My D/Howart Hunter stayed strung for 10 years.

I like the bow glove having taken skin off a few times I like not having the distraction of worrying or developing a flinch. Yes I understand that the nocking point is crucial. I've tried bows that were so badly set up that even with a shelf the back of the arrow was hitting the top of my hand.. I do have fat hands though...

Yes I am looking at probably a 45lber, and it just seemed funny to be talking about 35-40lb spine wood arrows as most of my hunting bows handle wood arrows anything up to 20lb overspinned..

I will be delaying a set of DALAA limbs if I go ahead.....THAT's how much these little bows have caught my attention...

Cheers

[Chase N. Nocks]

Gav is likely not in the habit of posting other people business, so I'm making it official.

I have ordered one of these bows..80" and 45lb@28....one of laminated bow's strongest devotees has succumbed.

These do look beautiful and the good opinion these bows have recieved from Gav, Mike and Simon to only mention a few give me confidence that I will really enjoy this bow. Now just waiting for me to raise the balance of the funds and I will be shooting it very soon..couple weeks tops I hope.



BTW Gav, my new Toelke "Classic" Whip arrived this morning...58" and 44@28" very nice..

[Lochmoy]

If you think these bows are good, you should see and shoot one of the Steve Stratton Warbows. They are truly awesome. Thanks for bringing them into Australia Gavin. This guy is a master craftsman and has helped to revive an ancient art form in all its splendour.

[Chase N. Nocks]

Hey Lochmoy, I look forward to seeing one in the flesh and in action. I have of course seen them before but paid little attention to detail..my first love still being modern laminated bows.

I'm sure shooting one of my own ELB's will influence me, people with special equipment tent to gravitate toward each other to compare equipment and swap stories.
As for shooting and even pulling a Warbow back...those days are way past...both in what I think I can draw and what I can actually draw.

The little 45lber will be just fine...

Gav, I have been promised the balance of the funds for the 24th, so have it bundled and ready to go mate....want to shoot it weekend of the 29th/30th.... You will have the funds 20 mins after I do. LOL.

[Chase N. Nocks]

Hey Gav, been so flat out today have not had a chance to reply by personal email but The bow has arrived in good nick...one end of the tube had come untapped but you wrapped the old girl so well that it would not slid out of the tube without a bit of effort. Well done.

It's beautifull mate. And Bloody long...2 feet longer than anything else on the bowrack....my wife is just NOT going to believe the "Oh that's an old one, you've seen that one before.... "

Gunna take great care to shoot it in and may take it to the IKAC shoot with GrahameA on sunday but arrows may have been a problem...at the time I was rushing this purchase through I did not have the $$$ for any arrows otherwise I would have got them as well.

I notice that you sell the POC shafts but I don't know what these are like anymore..have they been performing well?? A lot of guys are talking Sitka Spruce/scotch pine and german pine as good options.

I'll post a little review/feedback soon as I give her a decent go.

Thanks mate.

To all that may not have dealt with Gav yet, It has been a pleasure!

[Brumbies Country]

Hi Troy

You are really going to enjoy it. It's likely a combination of the length, the construction and the timber, but I have to say that mine is the sweetest drawing bow pound for pound that I have shot and I echo your comments of the excellent service provided by Gav.

Simon

[kerrille]

once again gav has done a top job my new 50# stratton turned up safe and sound and another top bow nice to look at and better to shoot


.......nev....