When it comes to recurves...how quiet?

[Bonebuster]

Figure out where each particular recurve likes the brace height, some catwhiskers or the like, maybe some wool to pad the loops from Bow Hush, and an arrow of decent weight. This should get most recurves pretty quiet.

From what I have seen with longbows, the quietest recurve is about the same as a longbow WITHOUT much added to silence it.

[ron w]

Some recurves are just easy to get silent...some are not. I have a 40# @ 28' Rivers Edge,2 woolie puffs and brush buttons and its silent. An old Bear Grizzly took a bit more work with the brace height but I got it. I had a Great Plains SR Swifft that was silent. Every bow is different and needs to be tuned and that part of the fun!!!!!

[elkken]

I have a Bill Stewart recurve that is as silent as any of my longbows and it has FF string. My quietest longbow is my ACS with hush puppies.

[Soilarch]

I only have a "relationship" with 4 bows. 2 recurves and 2 longbow. One is a cheap factory longbow that stacks like crazy, the other is a Sentman Longbow.  The recurves are a Pittsley Predator and 70s Bear Kodiak.

That last bow is the only rh bow I have (got it to try and get dad hooked) and is the quietest bow I have, or have ever been around.  Of course, I shoot a ridiculously heavy arrow out of it since all my other bows are 15# heavier.  It works out to over 14gpp.

[Steelhead]

All those techniques will make for a quieter shooting recurve.Heavier arrows(I like 11-12 grains per pound),appropriate brace height and nockpoint.Padding the end of string with bowhush or padding the string grooves.Velcro works well for that.The right string.Some like a certain material and strand count more than other materials and strand counts.I have come to like an 8-10 strand Astroflight string with padded loops to 16 strands.Some will be very good with a 12 strand B-50 or B-55.

Some will be even quieter with vibration dampeners from sims and also a quiver attached can help.

I usually use 2 sets of string silencers on recurves.Some need it more than others.I like bowhush and also muskox wool or my homemade ones from fleece.Heavier Wood arrows can be the quietest to shoot.

A good release always makes for a quieter shooting bow.Cant forget that.

The quietest recurve I have had is a Toelke Chinook followed by a Frederick 50s style and GN Ghost.The Frederick has extemely narrow and the deepest cored recurve limbs I have ever seen on a recurve.Makes a super ghost look like a wide limb.It dampens out very quick.Some of my GN ghosts have been quieter than others.These 3 are as quiet as most any longbow.

[James Wrenn]

Short answer...NO.    

You can never get any recurve as quiet as you can a straight limbed longbow.As long as the string contacts the limbs on release it will never be as quiet.Not saying you can't get one quite enough for most hunting but it will never be as quiet as a real longbow.jmo

When I layed down the compound and switched to a longbow it was not for all the reasons many post.It was not for the challenge or because killing animals was too easy ect.It was because the longbow is a better weapon for hunting the spooky whitetails in my area.I have since used recurves some as well but if you hunt spooky deer nothing will be as quiet or be better than a simply longbow for whitetails and you will never see any recurve as quiet.jmho

[Terry Green]

Email me your address and I'll send ya a free set of BowHush for you to try.

I developed it for string contact dampening on recurves.  Yep, it does make a difference if you address string slap.

[email protected]

[vtmtnman]

Wrapping the ends of the string with yarn is a must on a recurve.You can quiet them down alot but you'll never get them longbow quiet.

Proper placement of the silencing material,whatever it may be is also key.I can't tell you how many people I see have thier cat whiskers or wool puffs shoved right down towards the tips...it does something but not all it can way down there.12" from where the string leaves the curve of the limb will usually be the best place for them on MOST recurves.

[ChuckC]

Longbows are quiet like the King of Sofa's
ChuckC

[BEN]

My 62# Ancient Spirits recurve is quiet enough that when I shot a gobbler last fall, the remainder of the flock (25+ birds)just stood there, looking at the dying bird. I was only 5 yds from the bird I shot, and only about 10 ft. from a large hen.

I have played with my brace height some to find the "sweet" spot. I also, use the Hush-Puppies and Bow-hush----both are GREAT products!!        

[wapitimike1]

SBD bow string make a huge difference. A bunch of us have them and they are just incredible.