carbon vs. bamboo

[m'gobo]

What are some advantages if any using these for limb material?

[Kevin L.]

Carbon has been a bit faster in the bows I've tried, but bamboo isn't far behind in performance and feels much nicer during the draw, IMO.

[Orion]

Carbon is faster and lighter than fiberglass for the back and belly of the bow limbs, though it may be just a tad less smooth.  Bamboo is lighter, and in my opinion, faster than wood laminations for the core of the limbs.  It's not necessarily one vs the other.  Can have them both in the same bow.

[Jesse Peltan]

Well it's actually carbon vs glass and bamboo vs other lams. From my experience carbon is lighter, faster, smoother, and more stable than glass. Also my experience is that bamboo is smoother than any wood laminate except for yew, and is one of the fastest laminates. This is why I like bamboo back yew belly bows.

[Curveman]

What Jesse said.

There will also be less hand shock with carbon than glass in a longbow as it is lighter than glass-40% so I believe. I have a glassless Border Griffon lb and from what I understand it is about 8FPS faster than the old Black Griffon glass model.

[ron w]

I have several "BOO" core longbows and recurves and they are as smooth as butter, Carbon I've heard is good but I like the natural look and smoothness of bamboo!!

[TheFatboy]

My bow has a carbon limb core, between the actionwood maple, with bamboo on the back and yew on the belly. Besides just the performance... it looks quite fine  

[Curveman]

I have boo as a core wood as well as the carbon. I also have Indonesian Rosewood as the veneer, top and bottom. Slows it down a couple of fps but of course it looks better.

[m'gobo]

Very good info here. My favorite lb is a 56" cocobolo riser with bamboo limbs, thought it is not as quiet as my Texas mesquite lb. Both bows shoot good, but the 57 and 58 #'s are catching up to me quick. Looks like I will have to go lighter to stay in the game.