COLD Weather Bow Choices

[Tim]

It's been pretty darn cold around home the past week, in the middle teens each morning and evening.  With only a few weeks left in the season, every chance I have to get out there and sit I go.

Hunting in cold weather definitely has it's challenges, between being over dressed and trying to be as quiet as possible getting to stand.  Frozen ground and snow crust makes it darn near impossible when hunting small patches of timber.

The one thing that we can't afford to have this time of year is a "noisy bow" and COLD weather definitely multiplies every little sound.  I've found the quietness of a longbow really helps with late season hunting.  As much as I try to silence my recurve, what sounds quiet in the basement is anything but the last 15 minutes of shooting light in the woods.

I'd love to hear your input on what makes your bow quiet....or what makes it noisy!  Every bow is different, every string type and bow quiver can either make or break a good quiet setup.

So what's your choice of a COLD weather bow!

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

Shorter length bows are good in the cold as the string angle matters due to the amount of clothing worn.

Padding the string grooves seems to help in the cold.

Remove brush buttons if being used as they seem to freeze and lit the limb too hard.

Wool puffs over rubber help a bit.

Fleece the rest...as arrows get louder in the cold on the rest.

Thats a few...hope it helps!

[Hummer3T]

I have recurve limb savers on my limbs, padded string groves with felt or velcro (female side), whiskers and muskox balls on the string, and my bow is really quite even when -30'C, my only complaint with bow noise is not shooting but drawing, I do get a little creaking.

[Over&Under]

Originally posted by Manitoba Stickflinger:
Shorter length bows are good in the cold as the string angle matters due to the amount of clothing worn.

Padding the string grooves seems to help in the cold.

Remove brush buttons if being used as they seem to freeze and lit the limb too hard.

Wool puffs over rubber help a bit.

Fleece the rest...as arrows get louder in the cold on the rest.

Thats a few...hope it helps!

Excellent ideas  

[maxwell]

static limbs seem to be very quiet for me-

[ChuckC]

I actually like longer bows, that same string angle makes for painful finger pinch when my fingers are cold already.  I don't seem to have issues with clearance of clothing.

Waxed strings tend to make noise coming off recurved limbs at any season, especially in the cold.  I like longbows, in part for that reason.

A much lighter bow will allow you to actually pull it when you are cold.

Not the bow, but the arrow... a design with more space between the nock and end of feather allows a bit more room for gloved fingers with no noise brushing against the feathers.  Move them up a half inch.

ChuckC

[Tim]

Maybe a string maker can voice their thoughts. I've found that some string materials or maybe the type of wax used to make it tends to get harder with cold temperatures.

I've always preferred my strings be made with Dyna 97 and held together with Bohning tex-tite wax.  Recently I tried and Ultra Cam string that was pretty darn quiet, that was until I took it out in cold weather.  I was amazed out how much noise the bow picked up when the string hardened up.

Just my findings....