Odd results with Hill Style bow...

[Str8Shooter]

I thought I'd post this up here as I know there are probably more Hill-style afficionados concentrated on this site than anywhere else. With that said...

I've been dealing with some tendinitis in my bow arm elbow. It's not related to Hill bows, more like overuse from work but it's bled over into some solid discomfort with my shooting. As a result I dropped down to shooting a bow that is 40 pounds at my draw (a sweet vintage Root recurve). Now, over the last few weeks, the tendinitis is starting to become more manageable and I can shoot my heavier bows with more frequency.

So tonight I pulled my Whippenstick Classic off the rack because I really, really want to hunt with the bow. I haven't done a lot of broadhead tuning with it because of the tendinitis over the last few months. I shoot an 8 strand high performance string on the bow. I was getting pretty good results with my .600 spine carbons at 30" and 200 gr. tips but not perfect. I have a bunch of strings floating around so I started trying different ones to see if I could get a better tune. I accidentally put the string for the vintage Root recurve on the Classic and I'm a bit stumped by the results.

The string off the Root is 12 strands of B-50 dacron. The first shot came off the bow extremely weak. I tested for an overly stiff arrow causing a weak reaction and that wasn't the issue. In the end I dropped the tip weight down 75 grs., the arrows are flying fantastic, the bow is quieter (already very quiet) and, the real kicker, it's shooting softer in the hand. The bow has very little thump compared to most Hill style bows (really comparable to most R/D longbows) but I was mystified as to why the dacron string seemed to reduce the amount of felt vibration with a significantly lighter arrow.

I'm curious to hear if anyone else has had a reaction like that. In my experience it's pretty much always been the opposite. The FF type strings are faster, quieter and reduce handshock.

Either way, I'm really pleased with the results and looking forward to making meat with the bow now.

[vtmtnman]

My results have always been the same as yours,I'd be stumped too.I would have thought you'd have needed to up point weight.Part of my tuning process sometimes is to "dumb" down the bow with a thick dacron string in order to use a particular arrow/point combo.

Maybe because of the light weight training of your muscles you are drawing farther or releasing cleaner?

[Bud B.]

In all my FF compatible bows I find B55 Dacron is quieter and has reduced handshock. I'm not sold on the FF material even though so many reports indicate my results should be the opposite.

I'm not shocked by it. I just accept it and move on. I make my own strings from the B55, twisted by a lefty. Not sure if that has anything to do with it.

[LongStick64]

I also recommend B55, being a softer string than the less stretch string materials, I find it almost always works to settle down a bow. I don't have any scientific facts to prove it but it is my perception.
To be fair there has been only one longbow that has rattled me and it was a Martin ML-10, nothing could tame that beast.

[ron w]

I have had the best results with B-50 or B-55 from my longbows.I understand all the things that make modern strings "better", but good old Dacron just seems to work for me.....heck of a lot cheaper to! Just with puffs, almost silent!

[Ric O'Shay]

I've gone back to dacron on some of my Hill style bows. Even though performance and feel is better with 3 bundle 15 strand TS Plus. At 20 yards I was shooting 3 to 5 inches higher with the TS Plus. Changed over to 12 strand dacron and with my cedars I'm putting everything in the boiler room at 20 yards. I can feel the bow a little more, but accuracy has really improved.

[dragonheart]

B50 for me.

[Knapper]

The hand shock is due to the design of the riser.  The shock as the bow is released is directed to the handle instead of flowing toward the limb tips.

If you take that same bow and make it a take down the shock flows to the tips and hand shock is greatly reduced.

I purchased and Big Five that has been made into a take down by Jack Harrison and I was totally amazed when I first shot it.  I was also puzzled as to why this bow had so little hand shock until I talked with Rick and Jerry at great Northern and they explained how the energy was direct through the bow and to the tips.

So it would seemly reduce hand shock if you went to a string that streatchs more.

[dragonheart]

Did you get that big five from me?  Brown glass?

[Frank V]

I shoot a HH 60lbs, & I have B-50 string & arrows in the mid 600gr weights. I have found even on recurves, for me at least, B-50 strings are quieter & my chrongraph says the FF strings are only about 5fps faster than B-50.
Frank