Hand shock in bows??

[Straitshot]

What are the contributing factors for excessive hand shock in recurve bows, take down or one piece, and or longbows also?

Thanks, Louis

[Tim Fishell]

The one main thing that comes to my mind is brace height.  If the brace height to low the string will tend to vibrate causing "hand shock"

[Frenchymanny]

Too heavy tips can be a factor too

F-Manny

[Jeff Strubberg]

Bad tiller.

Big tips.

No R/D.

Light arrows.

Poor form.

[Straitshot]

A while back I purchased a bow which after receiving and test shooting I felt it had excessive hand shock. I have owned and shot numerous recurves and some longbows, old and new hybrid styles and have shot archery since the late sixties, so I am somewhat familiar with how many bows shoot. This particular bow was great looking and very stylish. The riser was composed of heavy dense exotic woods. The bow however had excessive hand shock. I attributed the shock to limb design, but since I am not a bow maker it is only an opinion. My point being, other than brace height, what aspects of design can hand shock be attributed to.

[Longbow Tom]

Weight slamming forward when you release the string is hand shock.

Limb Weight:  The heavier and longer the limbs, the more weight you have slamming forward.  This is the main culprit.

Tiller:  If the limbs aren't slamming home at the same time you get a double whammy as each limb slams home seperately.

Arrow weight:  The heavier the arrow the more energy it will "absorb" from the limbs.  It actually slows them down so the slam isn't as great.

Weight of the riser:  This will also absorb some of the forward forces.

[Straitshot]

Thanks guys. I appreciate your input. I believe it confirms my suspensions.

Louis

[LBR]

The string material and how the string is made will also play a role.

Chad

[Dingus]

Louis: I had a similar problem with a bamboo-backed hickory.  It had pretty good tiller and was at the target weight, but knocked the snot out of my hand.  Tried different arrows, different brace height.  Nothing worked.  Asked on Tradgang just like you did and someone suggested getting some weight off the tips.  Took weight off the sides (narrowed the last 8-9 inches) and the shock started coming off.  I kept playing with it and eventually took the length down also (one inch off each tip) and this brought the weight up.

With a “purchased” (finished) bow, you might not want to try all this, but...

Worked for me.