String silencers and wrist slap?

[NBK]

Haven't worn an arm guard for years and haven't whacked my wrist even with low braced D bows.
Recently I've been playing with different strings and silencers trying to get my r/d longbow as quiet as possible.  I put 4 string leeches on a 16 strand ff and started to get some string slap!  Adjusted the brace height several times and didn't seem to matter.  I had the leeches at the 1/4 and 1/3 points.
Anybody else ever experience this?
I also noticed that despite the abundance of silencer, the bow actually seemed louder and had more vibration on release.  Just seemed counterintuitive.  4 leeches weigh 80 grains, same as two wool puffs I was using previously.

[Bladepeek]

The only bows I get string slap from are low braced longbows and I found the heavier the string, the more string slap. I think it was actually getting me on the "rebound". Have you ever tried an 8 or 10 strand FF? Don't know if that would make any difference for you, but it did for me.

[NBK]

I have an 8 strand SBD.  I will try that one today.  I didn't have this issue with wool puffs or cat whiskers, just the four leeches.

[MCS]

I think your putting to much weight on the string with four silencers. Take two off and use a little heaver arrow. JMO I could be wrong.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by MCS:
I think your putting to much weight on the string with four silencers. Take two off and use a little heaver arrow. JMO I could be wrong.

Bingo! The tension on the string at brace has to stop the limbs from continuing forward. The added weight on the string is definitely the problem. I'd recommend a 12 strand Rhino string with cat whiskers and ditch the string leaches..... a heavier arrow will help, but may effect your trajectory depending on how carried away you get...

Another big one that has helped many guys with string slap issues is take a good look at how you address your target, & possibly open your stance up a bit more. Also, by simply rotating your wrist on the grip a bit more and adding a bit more elbow  rotation will give you much better clearance....

Just some ideas there....

[NBK]

Thanks guys.
Never had this problem until the added string weight.  Turned around and shot my liberty d bow braced at 6 1/2 and shot a bunch of arrows with nary a glance.
This bow is 51 lbs shooting a 600 gr, surewood.
I hear what your saying Kirk.  I like bows without a lot of preload cause I put a good bit of tension on the string long before I shoot but I've noticed those same bows tend to have a bit more play after the release.
I will go back to the cat whiskers and remind myself to stop fixing what wasn't broken!

[Uncle Buck]

Just a side note.I always wear a wrist guard while shooting. I didn't used to because I never got slapped. One day due to a slip in form I got stung good. After that I found myself anticipating it and flinching on release. No amount of willpower could stop it until I put an arm guard on. Now I always wear one

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by NBK:

I hear what your saying Kirk.  I like bows without a lot of preload cause I put a good bit of tension on the string long before I shoot but I've noticed those same bows tend to have a bit more play after the release...

Too much pre-load at brace can cause premature stacking, and put more stress on the working limb than it's designed for. Guys that twist that string up higher than the recommended brace height of the bowyer or manufacture, are  shooting themselves in the foot. The archers that prefer an 8" plus brace height should purchase bows designed for that brace height rather than over stressing a bows limb designed to shoot at lower brace.

The reason you are seeing that string flopping around more on a bow with less preload is because the tension on the string at brace height is not adequate to stop the mass weight of the limbs forward motion.....

A good example would be a Straight D shaped Hill style D design that braces at 6" . If you have a 70# bow you'll find the hand shock and limb & string oscillations are much less than a 40 pound bow of the same exact design..... More tension on the string stops the limbs quicker.

The R/D long bows have much higher preloads for just that reason. They shoot much faster with a lot less hand shock and string slap issues because that energy is being transferred to the arrow and not wasted..... Ya don't have to pick your dentures out of the dirt either....