Can't get over the sound of recurve vs my longbow

[bgremill]

I'm really struggling with this.  I started shooting a Roy Hall Caddo longbow about 3 years ago.  Love it.  BUT  It's a one piece and I wanted to get a bow that would be a lot easier to travel with.  So I bought and started shooting a Bob Lee recurve.  The recurve is 62" 50#@28 and the Caddo is 62" 54#@28.  I draw 29 1/2" and I'm shooting 30 1/2" 2117 aluminums that weight 550gr or 30" Hexpines that weight 650gr. I'm very confident in the performance that I'm getting with both bows because I've taken game with both and only had one arrow stop in an animal, spined doe.  All others complete passthroughs. Both bows are tuned perfectly and shoot the same arrows in the mid 180's, although the recurve does shoot a few feet faster than the longbow.  I gave all of this info to get to this.
The longbow is about as close to silent as I can imagine.  I've have people tell me that they can hear the feathers in air on the way to the target more than they can hear the bow go off.  It's a very faint thunk sound.  I've even shot at deer, missed, and had them look at the ground at the arrow as if it were an acorn that fell from the tree.  FATAL MISTAKE by the way! :")
The recurve has a distinct slap then bong sound. Not loud! I'm not saying that.  But, there is certainly more vibration and sound than the longbow.  I've tried braceheight changes, multiple silencers, sometimes more than one at a time, different strings, etc.  
Am I hearing the string hitting the limb which is just what shooting a recurve is like?  It's not a slapping sound.  It's almost like the sound you hear when a bumble bee flies by your ear, just more dull.  
The reason I'm asking is b/c I shoot the recurve better; but, I always grab the longbow to head to the woods b/c of the difference in sound.  Get over the sound?  Sell the recurve and get a takedown longbow?  Don't worry about the sound? Give me some feedback here.

[BowHuntingFool]

I went from my compound to a longbow and I can't hear my Longbow when I loose an arrow! It amazing! Personally,  I wouldn't worry about the sound!

[dorris]

try some limb savers some bows are just louder than others .

[bgremill]

thanks dorris, why didn't i think of that.  that sounds like a great idea; but, is that not a major traditional faux pas?  I don't know, never seen it!  Bet it works though!

[SuperK]

I think ya need to get any bow as quiet as you can for hunting.  I don't know about where you hunt but around here the deer get spooky quick.  It seems like you have tried all the "normal" fixes.  Have you tried BOWHUSH?  I haven't used them yet (just replaced my old string and haven't installed them yet) but lots of folks have and swear by them.  (Do a search on them.)  I would sure give'em a try before getting rid of that Bob Lee.  If your Bob Lee is a takedown, can't you get longbow limbs to fit your riser?

[bgremill]

SuperK,  no I have not tried Bowhush if that's the wool that goes on the limb tips.  I do have the Hush puppy woolly balls instead of the normal cat wiskers and find that the wool did the best of all that I tried.  Rob says in the care video to soak the string tips in paint thinner to remove the hard wax hitting the limb and that helped too.  
I tried the longbow limbs and just could not make friends with them. Another very good idea!  Unfortunately, I've already tried that too.

[Jedimaster]

You can put some felt or calf hair under the string at the tips. 3 rivers sells some that's self-adhesive. Bowhush works real well or wrap the ends of your string in wool yarn. You should be able to tell the difference with any of those options. I've seen many guys with limb-savers on their bows that swear they work.

More often than not I find I like a little more brace height than what's recommended. Monkey with that some more if your still not satisfied after doing the rest. Also is it possible that you have an extremely quiet longbow to compare to and the Lee is not as noisy you perceive?

I've been exactly where you are at. Even gave up and shot longbows exclusively for awhile. Now I'm shooting curves and have them very quiet, just takes a little extra time but it's well worth it. Not nocking the longbow! Some of us just shoot recurves better. Good luck.

[bgremill]

Also is it possible that you have an extremely quiet longbow to compare to and the Lee is not as noisy you perceive?
Jedi, that's exactly what I'm hoping; but, I'm not sure.  No doubt, the longbow is dead quiet.  I can't figure out if it is the amount of sound that's throwing me off, or the difference in the frequency of the sound. Does that make sense? Let me reiterate that the Bob Lee is NOT loud by any stretch.  Like I said, I've hunted and taken deer and hogs with it; but, it bothers me that it's not as quiet as I'd like.  Maybe I'm asking too much.  I'll try the bowhush and/or limbsavers.  I'll be honest, I'll have a hard time putting limbsavers on my bow.

[chrisg]

I agree with jedimaster, the string slap on the curves is almost always the cause all else being equal. Your recurve is also likely to be centrecut and the arrow spine may be too soft, you'd need to go up one spine range. If you are happy with the way it shoots maybe not. But pad those limb tips, I use strips of soft leather or sealskin, it's very effective.
chrisg

[Apex Predator]

Go to the local craft store and buy a package of the heaviest wool yarn you can find.  I serve the ends of my recurve strings with it.  Split the string and start first tag end.  put some tension on the string and serve it to the loop.  I run it through the loop and then reverse directions and serve it back to the first tag end.  Run it through and trim both at about one quarter inch.  This goes a really long ways to silence a recurve, in addition to your preferred silencers.  I just use the same stuff to make puff balls.  The served ends still track well in the string grooves.  Give it a shot.  It works really well and is cheap and easy.

[Rob DiStefano]

Yeah, that nasty recurve limb slap.  What drove me to longbows.  

However, BowHush goes a long way to quieting that *smacking* sound.  And, the real NZ wool used in BowHush is so much more durable and quiet than any synthetic "wool" - plus it can handle the elements better.  Just telling it like it is.

[d. ward]

A set of rubber brush buttons will really help too.Kinda provides a little rubber shock absorber,and stops string viberation.bowdoc

[Eastern fisher]

I guess the easiest thing to do about bow noise is just not miss your first shot.  LOL  Make a good one.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Eastern fisher:
I guess the easiest thing to do about bow noise is just not miss your first shot.  LOL  Make a good one.

If yer bow makes even a subtle noise, that's enuf to have a deer "jump the string".  During the recent Solana Texas bowhunt, you learned to aim where you thought the deer were GOING to be 'cause they were so spooky wired they all ducked down (or jumped up!) at the sound of a well silenced longbow string.

Can't have a quiet enuf bow upon the arra release.

[Shawn Leonard]

Use the Bowhush or put some velcro in the string grooves. Stay away from the limbsavers, i have yet to see a bow that really needed them, ya should be able to quiet it without them. Adjust the silencers on the limbs as well, usually on Lees if ya go to 1/3rds. on the string you will be good. Shawn

[Caranthir]

What Apex said, works well for me, can hardly hear the bow go off now.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Caranthir:
What Apex said, works well for me, can hardly hear the bow go off now.

But you'd be surprised at what a whitetail can hear!  :D

[jon]

I have a 52 pound Palmer, very similar to the Bob Lee in design. I had trouble silencing it too until I went to a 12 strand endless loop string made of TS-1. It got as quiet as my longbow. I was looking for a few more fps with heavy arrows and the silencing was unexpected.

Jon

[kingrider]

I love my Widow but can't get it quiet enough--had some string jumpers.Now when I go into the woods it stays home and I take my Toelke Whip R/D longbow.I shoot it about as good and it is dead quiet.I would rather aim where the deer is as opposed to where I think it will be.

[Jedimaster]

I agree with Rob about jumpy deer. It's why I gave up on recurves for a while. Where I'm at the deer are extremely jittery, people hound them year round. They seem to know you are there and are on a hair trigger. Silence is the only way to get them.
I also agree with Shawn. I didn't know the limb savers don't work but I'd rather have a tooth pulled than stick them on my bow.
Changing strings is a good suggestion too and one I forgot, I've done that to good effect before.