New string, shot flight...

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

All I did was change a string! Even added the same silencers in the same position!!

NOW I can't get decent flight to save me. I've tried reducing point weight and even went so far as to switch from 3-under to split-finger shooting. Nothing... And this is using ADTrads which are supposed to be forgiving. WHAT GIVES? Am I going crazy?

[Jerry Wald]

Put you old one back on.....is it the same type - same strand - same brace height - same nock point?

jer

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Well, it looks the same, but I didn't count the threads, etc. The old one blew at the loop and scared the beejeezus out of me.

[Jerry Wald]

I always buy two of the same and shoot them in and then put one away.

I have never had a string blow on me but I dry fired mine once - I pulled and must have creeped the arrow off the string and it went off like a shotgun...scared the heck out of me too.

JB

[Bjorn]

Nock point location and brace height are the main culprits when changing strings. Number of strands does not make that much difference. Also check you bow over carefully, sounds like you had something resembling a dry fire?

[Tim Fishell]

Like has been said above check the string type, brace height, and nock placement.  I have found that the string type can make a big difference for me.  Also check nock fit on the serving.

[LBR]

All of the above.  The two things that came to my mind first were nock fit and see if the bow was damaged when the other string broke.

If the nock  fits very tight, it can really mess up tuning.

Chad

[Ragnarok Forge]

Lots of great advice above, let us know how it works out.  Tight nocks make a huge difference in my shooting, I would check that first.

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Thanks guys! I LOVE tradgang!

I'll work the nocks over when I get home, and inspect the bow more carefully. Luckily there was an arrow being pushed when the string snapped. It got off o.k. so I assume the arrow left with most of the bow's energy when the string failed.

I bought two new strings and as a precaution I served the loops. I'll start all over again by baring the shafts I have and seeing if they need a little more off the ends. I did notice the shots got off a bit faster so perhaps that translated into a weaker spine (but I thought that would have improved with a lighter tip, which it didn't...)

[Danny Rowan]

By serving the loops you may not have correct nock fit on the tips, just a thought. Check your nocks real well, if you had a string wear out at the nocks you have something abrading the string, not a good thing, may have to sand or file the nocks with a fine nock file.

Danny

[Covey]

I had a bow that had a burr in the string groove. It would shoot the first few good with the new string and then go to pot. I finally found the culprut and filed it down, no more problems! All bowyers are human, sometimes they might BooBoo!! Just a suggestion, Jason

[Jeff Strubberg]

You serve the loops on a flemish string?

Maybe it's just me, but that sounds like a recipie for disaster.  Since flemish strings aren't a consistent diameter around the loops, you would have to either be leaving the serving loose over the low spots (the crease between twists), or the peaks where the twist are have to be very, very tight!  

I can even talk myself into an overtight serving cutting that loop...

[frank bullitt]

Well Jeff, I don't think serving the loop was the problem. It would be pretty tough to serve to tight, threw a small loop by hand, in my oppinion.

Actually, alot of the oldtimers use to serve the necks, to reinforce it. And as Jerry Hill mentions in another post, to tighten up the lower loop on the nock.

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

The culprit was a sharp edge in the string groove. A light touch with a round file corrected that.

Thanks for the input folks!