Does Rawhide help cast or hurt?

[bigcountry]

I have always wondered if it helps cast or hurts your cast or neither, just for safety?  

I have never rawhided a bow before.  Still working on my first sinew job.

[shamus]

Rawhide adds mass. So if two bows are equal in all things (wood, design, string follow, tiller profile, etc) then adding rawhide to one of them would add more mass and slow down the limbs somewhat.

Sinew also adds mass. A sinewed ELB would have a lot of cast-robbing mass, but put sinew on  short bow and things get better.

But it's all about choosing a design that compliments your materials. There isn’t simple answer since so much depends on the design of the bow itself.

[bigcountry]

I have seen sinew improve my cast significantly, and have seen it not do much.  The one it improved was a bow that had alot of string follow and it put a nice reflex back in it.

I was just wonderin if rawhide was springy like sinew at all?

I have a yew longbow, I am considering rawhiding.  Its a D crosssection design 1.2" wide fades going to 1/2 tips.  1" wide handle but 1.5" deep handle so its sorta a semi bend in a handle bow.

I figured a bow like this, might be good to have some safety built in.

[shamus]

nope. rawhide is not springy. It's just a good backing for safety.

[bigcountry]

Hey, your not the slippery elm guy in PrimA are ya?

[Pat B]

The only time I use rawhide is if there are questions about the soundness of the back ring. No other reason to do so unless for decorative reasons.

[bigcountry]

Well, on my yew bow, its for soundness unfortately.

[Pat B]

This is a yew bow I built to hunt with this year. It pulls 47#@26". It is a self bow with grain violations to the sapwood ring on the back, because the rings were quite thin. I opted to not use rawhide because of the interesting back and just to see what would happen.You can see it has some character also with knots, branch stubs and hoop tee doos. With yew some grain violations are acceptable unlike other bow woods.
 
 
 

[bigcountry]

Hey Pat, i know on PA, you said you were going to do alot of huntin with that bow.  Was you able to connect with it this year?  Looks real good.  I think I would have given up on all those flaws.

[Pat B]

Those aren't flaws. They are character!!!  d:^)
  I didn't have a shot opportunity this yeas but I didn't get to hunt as much either. I ha a doe at 10 yards but she knew something was up and turned and walked before I could get a shot. I was hunting with cane arrows with  a modified 2 fletch and stone points.    Pat

[Roy Steele]

Raw adds mass to your limbs in turn slows your bow down.So if your not putting it on to keep your bow together don't.
  Other backing can help cast sinew,bambo is the best followed hickory,elm,ash,mable on down the line.