I'm curious to know if anyone has actually done any tests, kept records, etc. of whether or not newer string materials affect the "life" of a bow. I've heard of a few bowyers that have concerns, but no actual proof--just opinions.
I'm no bowyer, and don't pretend to be, but here's my simple take on it. It's a proven fact that low-stretch materials reduce hand shock. They do this by imparting more of the bow's energy into the arrow--therefore less resonates down the limbs to the riser (hand shock). Since you have less vibration rattling the limbs at every shot, seems to me that if anything the low stretch materials would be easier on the bow in that respect.
I've broken a bow or three, and seen/heard of a bunch that broke or delaminated. Most, if not all of the ones I know of had a dacron string on them. I'm not blaming the string, but I have no doubt that if these same bows had been wearing a FF type string, the string would have been blamed in most if not all cases.
I don't shoot as much as some, but I can say my longbow has NEVER had a dacron string on it. It's
[email protected], and I've been shooting it a dozen years or so. It's my #1 bow--I use it for tournaments, hunting, playing, etc. No idea how many thousands of arrows I've shot from it, and it shoots as good today as the day I got it. I've been shooting a Dynaflight string on my osage selfbow for going on my third year, and it's still going strong. Some selfbows don't last three years period, especially with my draw length. It doesn't see as much action as my longbow, but it does get shot quite a bit.
Rod Jenkins has shot more arrows in a month than most of us will shoot in a year. He uses low-stretch materials on his bows. I'll try to remember to ask him how many years/how many arrows he has on his bows.
FWIW--the opinion of a non-bowyer, non-pro, hillbilly nobody from MS--if the bow AND STRING are properly made, you won't be hurting it one bit by using a FF type string material.
Chad
Topic: Hill Bows and TS-1 (Read 423 times)
