How my set-up has evolved! New arrow, New string

[b.glass]

I shot a 550 gr. carbon arrow out of my 47# Fox longbow with 5 1/2 in high backed shield 3 fletch for quite a while. The shafting was a Cabelas brand, "Outfitter" shaft. The heaviest I could find and still spined low enough to work for me.

I shot the buck in my avatar with that set up. 150 gr. up front, Woodsman with a glue on adapter.

The string was Fast Flight, probably atleast 12 strands. I don't know for sure. And beaver fur silencers.

With that set-up I shot 15 yds. point on.

I switched to C.E. Heritage 150's., 400 gr. up front. Ashby/Adcock 4 fletching, 700 gr. total, and started shooting point on at 20 yds.

I then changed the string to a six strand D 97 with padded loops and one layer of serving. Tonite, I was shooting this set up point on at 30 yds!

Now, doesn't that sound like a amazing increase in preformance? I was quite astounded!

   

[katman]

I have also seen an increase in performance with switching to the skinny string , had to retune. I did not compare point on with the adcock vs 5 1/2 shields but the adcock 4x4 would hit same point with 3 3" parabolics at 40 yards.
I agree that is a quite an increase in arrow/bow performance, good for you.

[katman]

Are both arrows the same length?

[Oregon Okie]

Very cool. I got lost on the A & A fletch thread and now that it's almost 40 pages it's a bit daunting. Could you summerize what the final design was / is?  Maybe help me find a pic of it or something. Also interesting with the smaller string. Never thought that would make such a big difference. Did you have to mess with all of your nocks with the skinny string or just use a larger diameter serving?

[ron w]

After gaining that much performance is your set up still as silent as it was or is it louder. Just curious!!!   ron w

[Chris Surtees]

Good for you Bona    sounds like quite a setup now!

[katman]

Ron, Bow was quieter after switching to the skinny string, that's the reason I did it. On OL's 4 string thread many reported decreased bow noise. I am also using 6 strand D97.

OO, The fletch is basically a right triangle 2.5" long and 0.5" high. I took a 5" shield measured 2.5" from the tip and cut at 90 degrees yielding 0.5" height, fletch 4 feathers, I use 90 degrees.

[b.glass]

I am all about quiet. That's why I decided to try and make the changes. It is very quiet. Here is what I believe to be the ideal quiet combo:  
 
STRAIGHT LIMBED BOW (for the most part). The bow in this example is slightly R/D. It's braced profile doesn't show the R/D that it has.

HEAVY ARROW   Best accomplished by putting most of the wt up front.

SKINNY STRING   Decreasing string mass with a stronger tensile strength string material and using fewer strands.

SMALL FLETCHING   Take a shield cut feather and cut 2 1/2 in off the "front" of it. The end closer to the point. Glue that on to your arrow. Listen to a flu-flu in flight. Then listen to one of these arrows fly for the two extremes.

Katman, I would have to measure, but I believe the new arrows are shorter because of all the up front wt.

O.O., I hope the discription above explains how it looks. If you go to that thread about the fletching and search through the pages quickly you will come across some pics. Probably around pge 20.
I didn't do much with the nocks. I'd actually had trouble with nocks being too tight so this solved that problem. I tried double serving but the second serving didn't hold, so I just started shooting off the one serving. Nocks are a little loose, but that's better than too tight.
I now prefer to splice in some strands of B50 instead.

Thanks Chris! Can you tell I'm excited?
I hope it wasn't a fluke. I will shoot it some more and make sure I wasn't dreaming.

[vermonster13]

May want to beef up to an 8 strand string after the results from some of the skinnier ones breaking. Some of the D97 only tested out in the 30#s for breaking strength and OL had a string break on a strung bow that was just sitting in the corner.

[b.glass]

I found the Ashby thread on EFOC and decreased fletching size, and brought it to the top. The pics you were asking about O.O. IS on pages 19 & 20. I don't know how to post a link.

[Orion]

B.Glass, I think what Katman was getting at with the question about arrow length is that part of your increased point on range is caused by a shorter arrow, which would force the bow to be lifted/pointed higher in comparison to a longer shaft held on the same point.  In short, not all of the increased point on distance is due to the increased efficiency of your set up.  Still impressive results though.  

[JOKER]

I have been using an 8 strand 8125 string on my recurve and longbows. It is great. I have not checked the performance yet but noise level and handshock are very low. I like the 8 strand 8125 because it is about the same size as a 6 strand DF97 but a little stronger and more durable (with 2 extra strands). Steve

[b.glass]

Ah yes, I see now Orion! It would come into play wouldn't it. But I only stepped back 5 yds when I started shooting the new arrows. I doubt I stated in what order I made the changes. But I thought going from 550 gr. to 700 gr. and still having to back up 5 yds. was significant.

V13, I just read where someone had one strand break "like it had been cut" which he noted after unbracing his bow. But I hadn't heard about O.L.s string breaking. Thank you.

Joker, thanks for that info. I admit the read of the string thread had become a little labor intensive and I hadn't kept up very well.

Bona

[b.glass]

V13, I just read the last couple of pages of the string thread (sounds like a pun to me). The 6 strand string on my <50 lb. bow should be more than sufficient. They are figuring if the D97 is actually breaking at 50# instead of the advertised 100#, 6 strands would still be more than enough.
The one that broke on O.L. was a 4 strand on a 50#ish bow. I didn't read about any tests where the string was breaking at 30 lbs.

Bona

[vermonster13]

The individual strands tested as low as 30#s

[Bjorn]

Bona, you rock! I had been looking for a pic of the turbulator by paging backwards thru that long EFOC thread. Never woulda' found it without your help!

[b.glass]

Glad it was of help Bjorn!

Thanks again V13. It's hard to keep up with all that info.!