Bow String for an Asbell Built Bighorn

[zagil30]

Hey folks, my dad gave me his 65 lb Bighorn recurve built around 1990 by Fed Asbell. My question is, can I use D97 string on this bow or do I have to use a B55 type? Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Terry Green]

I personalty would NOT use any FF string on that bow. Bows from that era were not built for FF.

Got any pics?

[Bwidowma3]

Please do not use a D97 string on your bow! Early in my traditional journey (before I knew better) I bought a used Bighorn recurve with no knowledge of the difference in the strings. Long story short the tip overlay on the upper limb cracked in half and the string snapped down the limb! I would definitely use a B55 string on your bow. Hope that helps you.

[zagil30]

Thank you both for the input and guidance. I will use the B55 sting material. I will post some picture of the bow later today.

Zach

[Orion]

I dunno.  The Bighorn tip overlays are quite substantial.  I shot D-97 on my Bighorns when I had them and never had a problem.  12 strands padded to 16 in the lops.  It's important to pad the loops if the string material is small diameter.   

[Honest Jon]

I doubt if you'll have trouble with the tips using D97. With the added tip layers, and one possibly being phenolic, I think you'll be okay.  However, D97 doesn't stretch like B55 so the stress on the limbs will be greater.  That's a special bow you have there and for that reason I probably would just go with B55.

[Terry Green]

I dunno.  The Bighorn tip overlays are quite substantial.  I shot D-97 on my Bighorns when I had them and never had a problem.  12 strands padded to 16 in the lops.  It's important to pad the loops if the string material is small diameter.

What year was yours?

[Tater]

    Why take a chance for a few feet per second, that bow can never be replaced. Accidental dry fire or arrow nock breaking can put more stress on the tip than shooting. I personally wouldn't chance it. JMHO.

[zagil30]

Thank you everyone for your input. I ordered a B-55 string to be safe.

[zagil30]

I’m trying to upload picture that are a responsible size.

[zagil30]

I can’t upload photos

[Orion]

Terry.  My Bighorns were built in the 80s.  Curved bed.  They came with dacron strings, of course, an I shot them that way for years.  Don't know exactly when I switched to D-97, maybe 15-years ago. I didn't do it for speed gain.  I did it, and continue to use D-97 on older Bear TD limbs, for example, because it reduces limb vibration at the end of the shot, making for a more pleasant shooting bow.  Makes the bow feel less spongy and more solid at release. The extra fps is just a side benefit.

I do pad the loops to fill out the string nocks, which greatly reduces the possibility that the material will saw into the glass there. Too, D-97 is not as thin or as hard a fiber as some other low stretch strings.  It's primarily the very thin diameter, hard material low stretch strings that occasionally cause problems, particularly skinny, low strand strings without padded loops.   

[zagil30]

Trying again

[David Mitchell]

I would not risk it at all on an irreplaceable bow. 

[Bwidowma3]

 It would seem as a newbie i used a D97 string on my Bighorn it was a skinny string 12 strand but the loops were not padded that my have caused the overly to crack. The wood piece of the tip broke right off at the string groove. Now I know better I guess live and learn.

[Terry Green]

Thanks Orion, got any pics?

Yeah, I know about the spongy feel.   

I use FF on my osage selfbows.  Anything short of a grenade isn't going to harm them. 

[Orion]

Terry.  I sold my last one several years ago.  Don't think I have any pics, but I'm in the process of cleaning my photo files.  If I find any, I'll post some.  In the meantime, there are three bows out there with my name on them -- two curved bed and one straight bed. Maybe someone else will post a pic or two.   

[Roger Norris]

I would not put FastFlite on an original Bighorn.


Our Bighorn Legacy reproductions are indeed FF compatible.