Skinny string on a recurve?

[shortstroke 91]

Anybody have experience with skinny strings on Recurves? I built an 8 strand and 6 strand D-97 string for my #46 Black Onyx with Black Max limbs. After putting on Bowhush and Hush Puppies I really haven't noticed any performance gains or quietness. (coming from a 14 strand D-97) I didn't expect any major performance increases and have never chronoed the bow so it might be too subtle to notice but I had hoped it might be a tad quieter.

Anyone else with a similar story?

[vtmtnman]

From my experiences the smaller you go with strings the faster the arrow goes and the louder the noise will be.

[smokin joe]

I have experienced big performance gains over B-50 dacron strings. My skinny strings are SBD strings, and I am very impressed by the speed I get from the SBD 6-strand strings. I have SBD make my strings with their recurve wraps and string silencers, and that is well worth the extra cost for the quietness I get --they really quiet things down a bunch. When the brace height is right my recurves get "spooky" quiet with the SBD skinny strings.

Joe

[MikeS]

I tried an 8 strand SBD string on a Predator and did not gain much in speed (1fps).  It was a purdy string though!
Mike

[doug77]

I put a SBD skinny string on my BW wasn't looking for speed but got exactly what I wanted.

A quiter bow.

doug77

[shortstroke 91]

I'll try the 6 and see what I get.

[Preston Lay]

Been shooting a SBD 8 strand on a widow all year and have been impressed. Just got a new Morrison and it came with a SBD 8 strand string. I really never thought a string could make much difference but I was suprised!

[S.C. Hunter]

I have never really cared for a skinny string. That was until recently when I received a new to me Fedora xcellerator that came with a SBD 8 strand string. I am really impressed with this string my bow is absolutely quiet and quick. Silent but deadly.

[JGoemaat]

I think you will find that opinion vary widely. I purchased a 6 stand skinny string for my 56 lb BW. Yes it was quieter than the 12 strand FF, however I felt very uncomfortable using the string for hunting. My bows take to much abuse, and I did not want to constantly be fretting over my string. It wasn't realistic for me.

I have been most pleased with Dacron, yes it's slower than FF, but using my  52 lb kota bow, I buried a telephone pole of a cedar shaft to the fletching this fall on a deer. It made me a believer. That's my experience.

[Bjorn]

I have been very pleased with the 'skinny' strings on my bows-more quiet with way less silencing material, and bowyers are getting with it too. A&H, Ron LaClair, and Morrison, and perhaps others too, send out their bows with 6 and 8 strand strings.

[cacciatore]

I am been very pleased mee too using skinny string that made quiet my Black Widows and Blacktails.For your poundage 6 strand is enough,remember to pad the loops up to 14 strand.

[AdamH]

Put a 10 strand D97 on my dads Widow Curve, padded to 16 from Chad @ Champion Strings, MAN WHAT A DIFFERENCE !! Quieter than its ever been in 22 years !!!

[xtrema312]

I don't know about speed, but every bow I have put a SBD sting on has been quieter without question.

[Rob DiStefano]

you'll need to experiment a bit, but for the most part, most folks are getting quieter bows with skinnier strings.  sometimes there's a perception of more speed and flatter trajectories - i get that, too, but for longer distances (35 and up) where i will rarely take a shot at big game.  

i use 8 strands of dyneema on a 55# longbow, and some folks go down to 6 strands.  

with modern hmpe fibers, most strands are at least 100# in true tensile strength, some are closer to 120# per strand.  

i use the very safe formula of 12 times a bow's holding weight.  so, for a 55# bow that equals 660#, or a string with enuf strands to hold that much weight.  

8 strands of dyneema'02 equals at least 800# tensile strength.  lots to spare.  life is good.  my bow and i are happy campers.   :D

[Joshua Long]

What xtrema said!

[SS Snuffer]

"Skinny" is not the hole answer to quite. Try 450+ or like Rob said dyneema for a skinny string.

[Over&Under]

I think it really depends on the bow, I have had some that made big differences, but others not so much.    Inb most cases though, it did help quiet things down pretty good.

[Night Wing]

I'm not a fan of skinny bowstrings. The safety factor for me.  Accidentally cut 2 strands on a 12 strand string and I'm not worried. But, cut 2 strands on a 6 strand skinny string and that makes me highly nervous.

[shortstroke 91]

If you cut any, I'd be nervous. that's why I always carry a back-up on me.