FastFlight Tillering String Question

[ishoot4thrills]

I see now where the traditional archery catalogs are offering tillering strings in fastflight only. I like to shoot my osage bow as I am tillering it with the tillering string on the bow. Then, after I have finished the bow, I get a custom length dacron string made for it.

My question is this: Will an osage selfbow, made from a stave, be okay by shooting it with a  fastflight tillering string installed on the bow? Or will it damage the bow by using such a low-stretch material for a string?

Thanks,
Doug

[Eric Krewson]

I shoot DF-97 strings on all my osage bows, no problem.

[ishoot4thrills]

Eric,

That's without reinforcing the tips with another material?

[frank bullitt]

Doug, I have shot f.f. strings on selfbows since 1991, without any problems. I currently am shooting 450+ on a black locust bow made by Gary Davis. My reasons are 1st- performance with a heavy hunting arrow. I have d-97 on a John McCullough bamboo backed osage, and f.f. on two of my own osage bows. If you ever split osage, you know how tough it is! Solid wood.  No reinforcing on these bows.

[ishoot4thrills]

Yes, I have split osage. In the middle of summer on a hot day, too. Not for the faint of heart! I guess I should've known.  

[soopernate]

I think there is a lot of old fashioned guys who have a lot of old fashioned ideas about fastflight damaging bows that keep diseminating old fashioned information that is just not true.  I use B50...cuz its what I have.  My next strings for my selfbows and boo backed bows will be made of D97....not a doubt in my mind

[ishoot4thrills]

Well that answers that question. FF it is!

Thanks a lot, guys.

[broketooth]

doug are you making another bow and not telling us?

[ishoot4thrills]

Naw Ruddy, I'm wanting to reduce the draw weight and mass on an osage bow I made several years ago.

[broketooth]

you gotta show pics of your work doug, pleeeeeeeez

[ishoot4thrills]

Okay, I hope to start on it asap.

[George Tsoukalas]

I am definitely old fashioned. Selfbows are pretty old fashioned aren't they? I use old B50 strings for tillering.    Jawge

[Glenn Newell]

I have been shooting fast flight and all of the other low stretch string materials on my selfbows since the mid-90's. I think dacron strings are hard on bows, any bow, especially when you can feel the bow vibrating after the shot.
The bow tips do not need to be reinforced, the string needs to be made properly with the string loops being reinforced with extra strands of dacorn  and I only make 2 lay strings this helps to keep the loops softer again...Glenn...