DIY Bow Quiver
I figured if I was going to find the right piece of wood for a bow, make the bow, find the right piece of wood for the arrows, make the arrows, then I should make the quiver as well. Here is what I came up with. I know it will take a hunting season or two to determine it’s success, but we’ll start here.
I started with this.
DIY Leather Back Quiver
7 – 9 oz Veg-Tan Shoulders Leather
I wanted something That would hold six broadheads. The old one would hold six, but it was a little tight, so the new one is just a little bigger. I didn’t want it bulky either, so I tried for as small as the six arrows fit comfortably. A few field or blunts will fit easily as well.
Ever since I started making self bows, I’ve had problems deciding on a hunting quiver. In the past, I’ve always hunted with a quiver on my bow, but making the self bows had me liking the bow without one.
Also I almost always hunt with a day pack, so a back quiver never seemed to work.
With the back pack, a strap wasn’t the answer either, so I also wanted a belt clip. This meant having the split (or opening for arrow retrieval) on the top of the quiver like some designs would not have worked. I knew if I tried with a clip on a strap over a top opened quiver it would hang lower than I wanted. So I decided on this design.
I find this Leather Side Quiver great for walking through the brush. You can guide it with little effort. I’ve been in and out of standing corn, through brush and weeds, and over blow downs and it seems to work like a charm.
It’s also easy on and easy off.
Died with Fiebing’s Leather Dye
I like to still hunt and I always hunt from the ground. With my DIY Tree Seat **Improved Version** hanging off my day pack and this style quiver everything works together. I can walk and sit wherever I want, and easily retrieve an arrow while crouched behind a tree or bush.
It also works well for target or 3D shooting.
I Made this hophornbeam selfbow from a tree or sapling about 3″ at the base. American Hophornbeam, sometimes called American Ironwood or HardHack has a Specific Gravity of .63 and Janka Hardness of 1,860 making it one of the native northeast hardest woods.
The String is braided 15 (3 – 5 strands each – red/black/orange) strands BCY B55 Polyester Bowstring with .030 BCY Halo Serving.
This has been sitting in my shop for a few days waiting on my wrist to heal. It’s been killing me not to be able to shoot it. Today it felt good enough to get a couple shots in.
It’s 66 1/2″ tip to tip with limbs 1 3/4″ at the widest just outside the fades
It tapers starting about halfway on the limb to 1/2″ at the tips.
I may add some kind of arrow rest, but I’m still undecided. Recommendations certainly welcome.
Handle is wrapped with jute twine (this)
This is from an elm tree from my back yard. It was slowly dying so it was taken down. When I sawed it for lumber, I saved a couple of the slabs but was a little leery since it was a dying tree, and the bark almost just fell off it. My fears were semi justified. The first 2 bows I tried blew apart on me during tillering.
A fourth just went to firewood, i wasn’t going to risk any more time. But this one has held together, although it’s light. It’s just over 30# @ 28″. I gave it a slight reflex deflex when I heat treated it, which probably helps.
I’ve probably got 300 arrows through it at this point, so maybe it’ll hold together. I don’t have any light arrows but it’s still shooting the 550 grain arrows about 120fps. I’m not sure if the bow is accurate or with the light weight, I’m more accurate, but I hold a tighter group than anything else I have.
Name: 397 Gr Arrow Elm Reflex Deflex
Shots: 5
Average: 131 ft/s
SD: 2 ft/s
Min: 129 ft/s
Max: 134 ft/s
Spread: 5 ft/s
Barometric Pressure: 29 in Hg
Temperature: 80 F
