Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Wudstix on July 20, 2020, 07:19:47 PM
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Let’s get this in one place. Started out with SS on the 1/4’s and was happy with that on my 64# 60” MOAB. Tried it on my Big River LB that I recently had a horn tip replaced (thanks Brian). There was a slight buzz, and I feared the worst. Then caught wind of a 1/4 and 1/3 SS placement option. The bow was quiet and the buzz was gone. Hurrah! Then breeze came from another direction and heard about a L/6 and L/10 option that was supported by mathematical formulae and science. L is the string length from touch point on one end to the other. Bow was just as quiet or maybe better, based on my ears. The arrow speed was a noticeable improvement. Based on my eyes and arrows slamming into the foam at 10/13/15 yards. I’m sold !!!
:coffee: :campfire: :thumbsup:
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I just did the L6 and L 10 thing as well. Definitely quieter than on the quarters. Can't say as I notice a difference in speed.
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Could you explain the L6 L10 thing ?
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The length of the string between the nocks (or from where it touches either limb on a recurve) divided by 6 and 10. For example, say the string is 60 inches long. The silencers would be placed six and 10 inches from the ends. That's a lot closer to the ends than most folks put silencers.
The other harmonic dampening formula says to place them at 1/4 and 1/3 the string length. That would be 15 and 20 inches from the ends on a 60-inch string.
Some folks just put their silencers a given distance from the string ends. For example, I used to put mine about 12 inches from the ends, regardless of string length.
They all silence the string some, but so far, the L6 and L10 positions seem to work the best for me, and they're pretty much out of the way of everything else.
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I started at 14” from both ends for 56” string length. it was kinda Ok, but there was a light buzz that I couldn’t get to go away switching quivers or arrows to change mass weight. Moved to 14” and 18.667” (1/4-1/3) and the buzz went away, happy the bow didn’t have damaged limb. But I noticed a “slight” drop in speed. Still good arrow flight and tight grouping. Moved to 5.6 and 9.33” (L/6-L/10) which seemed very weird. Got a tad quieter, as best as my ears could tell and the pop (speed) came back up. Enough that I could notice it. Arrow flight was the best and penetration into foam was better. This all from a 66.5# Big River 60” D/R Longbow with 650-725 grain arrows. May tweak my 71# D-shape Kota. Reduced Noise was measured shooting at target in the dark between a 6’ privacy fence and my house, makes for a pretty good sound test tunnel. Eventually I’ll try the same process on my MOAB and Big River recurve, all 60” AMO.
:coffee: :campfire: :thumbsup:
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Okay I saw the 1/4 from the top and 1/3 from bottom formula recently.So I gave it a try on my 60 inch longbow string that is on a 64 inch Widow PLV.Wool puffs 15 inches down from top and 20 inches from bottom.I really thought it shot quieter than my more typical placement.Which would be about 15 inches down on both ends on this Widow.It actually did appear to be almost silent.The string is an SBD 8 strand.
I had been tuning this bow up quite a bit playing with 2 strings and the brace height and silencer movement up and down the string.It was a new bow about 1 month ago.
It shot very well and was quiet.Then I did the 1/3 and 1/4 thing and it was quieter to my ears for sure.Seriously its almost silent.Like a Self bow.Very impressive for a hybrid with good reflex/deflex.I notice no handshock.
The bow does have a Selway slide on rawhide mini quiver
I will now try the L-10 and L-6 thing.Its nice that I can slide the wool puffs up and down the string easily to test silencer placement.
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My recommendation for SS material is in another thread.
:coffee: :campfire: :thumbsup:
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One more option to test. Relying on my “calibrated” eyes to “feel” which is faster.
:campfire:
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Put a couple dozen arrows 2219 and 2315 through with SS at 10 1/4”. (18.3%) After a couple arrows to get the PC SS settled the quiet is great with quick, as well. The GN 5 arrow strap on quiver provides a bit of mass weight. Bow likes 2315 @29 1/2-30” (92.1#) with an aluminum broad head adapter and a 190 grain tip. Have a couple 2219 (93.5#) shorter, but heavier. Would like to use 2219 as backup hunting arrows to my tapered wood. I’ll start tuning these.
:coffee: :campfire: :thumbsup:
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Wudstix:
So, with all this moving the SS around and your ears saying there is a definite sound reduction you have not shot through a chrono to verify there is in fact a speed difference between the SS placements right ?
Just asking.
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I have not chrono’d this bow at all. Just know it is noticeable faster than my MOAB which was 189 fps with 640 grains. The 18.3% measurement has a visibly smoother, straighter flying arrow that punches through the soft spot in the foam. At 66#+ it is pushing the arrows plenty fast for 680-700 grain arrows.
:coffee: :campfire: :thumbsup:
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Is the L6 on top and L10 the bottom
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I did L/10 on top. Don’t think it matters much.
:campfire:
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I shoot one of my bows for form practice several times a day in my office from 5 yards. I find that it's fairly noisy shooting in such a small space with the sound reverberating off 4 walls. My wool silencers were set at 1/4 string length from the top and 1/3 from the bottom. I moved them to L-10 top and L-6 bottom and immediately noticed a substantial decrease in the sound generated. I will now do the same to the bow that I shoot at the local 3D range frequently and report back. I'm amazed that just moving the wool puffs made that much of a difference in sound. I'm curious to see if I notice any arrow speed difference too. Thanks Wudstix for the tip.
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I found 18.3% was the quietest and quite quick.
:campfire:
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Harmonics differ from one bow design to another, it is fun to experiment. YMMV!
:campfire:
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I experienced great sound dampening using the 18.3% measurement with big wool puffs from my Kota D-shaped Red Elm longbow drawing 71# for me. @650 grain arrows smoked out of this bow with several great tight 2 1/2” groups in the dark by the light of the bedroom window. Can’t wait to shoot some heavy hardwood shafts through this bow.
:coffee: :campfire: :thumbsup:
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Is the 18.3% measurement placement the same top and bottom? Example 81/2 top and 81/2 bottom according to formula.
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A single string silencer method that has, thus far, been working well for me is to position a single large puff ball silencer between the 5th and 6th node position from each end.
Ex:
60" string from top limb string contact area of upper limb to string contact area of lower limb
60"s divided by 6 equals 10"s
60"s divided by 5 equals 12"s
(10"s + 12"s)/2 = 11"s
Note: 11"s = 18.3% of the total sting length
Installing large single puff ball 11's from upper and lower limb string contact
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Black Velvet;
Yes
Friend;
How does that correspond to 18.3%?
:campfire:
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Let's get this in one place. Lee Robinson found it 15 years ago on Tradgang providing video proof!!!!!!!!
1/3rd is BEST!!! 1/4TH IS 2ND BEST!!!
FPS??? REALLY???? SHOOT A COMPOUND!!!!
END OF STORY.
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Yep... Lee did a great test via video years ago.. ..before youtube, snap, insta, fb, and even at. What he found solved the issue once and for all. No need for any further testing as his findings are etched in stone.
I use 1/4th on all my longbows and 1/3rd on my recurve. No need for fiddling at all,....Thanks to Lee.
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I have some new silencers on the way. I appreciate what everyone has shared here.
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"I noticed a slight drop in speed." Im not buying that. I want to see the chrono numbers and all the stats written out. All else being equal etc. For a puff ball silencer to cause a difference in speed you can see with your eyes? Are you Steve Austin?
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I guess what I was trying to say was with other silencer locations I could see the arrow as it approached and hit the target, with the latest location I only see the arrow after it’s in the target, possibly due to smoother flight/less arrow wiggle or increased speed. But it is quieter for sure and that is what counts.
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If you guys would of worked on jets like me in the Navy for 22 years, y'all probably couldn't tell the difference. I just slide them out basically as far as they will go, almost to the hard twists and everybody tells me how quiet my bow is. Fun to tinker with though, maybe I'll give it a try.
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On my longbows I put them at 13”. Seems to be the sweet spot for me.
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So I have scallops and one was close to the right spot for the L6 spot. I then moved the other out to the L10. I noticed to perceivable speed difference or bareshaft tuning difference. What I did notice was a quicker quieting of the longbow string on my PLX. I would guess that has to do with the harminics/soundwave being changed
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wudstix...the 18.3% positioning was established by the middle distance between the 5th and 6th node. Note: the sting oscillates each side of the node position. If placing a string silencer at the node position, little dampening will occur as this point is the stationary point.
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As you can see I've tried some options over the years. 18.3% of string length from touch point to touch point works with para cord sheath material silencers. Don't know much about the physics of silencing, but know what works.
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire: :thumbsup:
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My bows are absolutely silent hardly a sound, then when I put my hearing aids in things really change !!
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:campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire: :laughing:
As I mentioned before the 18.3% works with all my bow lengths.
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The 1/3rd and 1/4th positions have been around here for years.
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Yes Sir!
Lee Robinson did a test years ago where he filmed the plucking of his bowstring in front of a static channel on TV. He paused the film several times to to find the high points of the wave lengths on the string.
He found that the 1/3rd of the string from where is touched the bow for your silencers was the most effective followed by the 1/4th position for quieting a bow.
I normally use the 1/4th on my longbows, and used the 1/3rd on recurves. So thanks to Lee I've been doing this for over 20 years.
Unfortunately that thread doesn't exist any longer due to having to prune threads in the early days.