Black Widow Recurve setups

[Zbearclaw]

I am about to finally have the pennies saved away to get the wood chips flying on my PSAII and was wondering what everyone else was setting their BH to, as well as what arrows.

I am currently shooting a Ben Pearson Mach One @27" and #57 and will most likely get my BW to be built at about #60 @27", or there abouts.  I am leaning towards getting carbon to start with as hunting season is right around the corner and then tinker wtih wood arrows this winter when I have the time to "play".

So, what are folks shooting their black widows BH @, and what kinda arrows are you shooting?

thanks,

Zeke

[McDave]

Note that the recommended brace height range for each BW bow is shown on their website in the same place the bow is listed for sale.

I like to set my SA at about 8 1/2", which is about midrange.  I can tell when the string stretches to 8 1/4, because the bow gets noisier.

I shoot Gold Tip 5575's in a bow similar to yours.  I use a 145 grain point (or 150 grain broadhead), a supplemental 50 grain weight up front and 2 supplemental 20 grain weights in the back.  This gives me an overall arrow weight of about 570 grains, or about 9.4 gpp.

[jbuck9]

I have my brace set at 8 5/8" and split finger 5/8" knock set, I also shoot 5575 gldtip trad. weight at 550 which is 10.25 GPP very quiet and plenty fast when bow is tuned with arrow, good luck and have fun, jbuck9

[medic77]

I shoot my ma @ 8 3/4 with 5/8 nock set also.  I use Carbon Express heritage 250's 29" with 250gr up front (150 broadhead, 100gr brass insert) out of 63lb limbs

[Zbearclaw]

Thanks guys, The specs listed on the PSA show a BH range of 8 1/4-9".

Medic, what is your draw length?  I see your two bows are 27" and 28".

Jbuck I am currently debating about Gold tips or CE for my carbon arrows.  I know the GT weighting system has a lot of fans.  Once I place my order I will tug the ear of those at BW before I decide.  

I am hoping to shorten my "tuning curve" once it gets here as I am chomping at the bit to get that thing in my hands.

[John3]

When your new widow arrives brace it 1/2" high and let it "stretch" in for a couple days.. Then find your sweet spot on the brace height.

Every one of my Widows "liked" stiff arrows. They perform very well and shoot hard. I'm sure some of it is like you my draw is less than 28"..

You will love your PSA..

John III

[Yellow Dog]

The sweet spot on my 60" SAll, that I've had since 97" is 8 3/8. My 62" MAlll that I bought in 98" is 8 5/8. Once you find that spot you'll say "WOW". Like McDave said, if it creeps a little bit you'll know right away. I've bought and sold a ton of bows in the last 15 years, and my "favorite" has changed many times but these two Widows are the bow's I'll never sell. Must be why I still have them.

[medic77]

My draw is just a little over 27

[k9jones]

With my MAII, I like a 8 3/4" brace height.  Yellow Dog is right, once you find the sweet spot, you will say WOW!  I shot mine for years at 8", because I wanted the extra speed.  The owners manuel didn't list the recommended brace height.  It just said the lower the brace height the faster the arrow, but less forgivening.  Then one day I decided to increase it for an experiment.  Man I couldn't believe how much better I shot with the bow.  Just goes to show you that tradition archery is a constant learning process.  I have been shooting bows since 1979, and couldn't believe that 3/4" could make that much difference.

[SL]

I shoot mine at 8.5 inches. Its 61#@27 inches. I shoot cx350's at 29inches with 275 grain tips. I draw 27inches and shoot off a bear weather rest. Its a great heavy arrow combo.
SL

[Robertfishes]

I like 8 3/4" plus or minus a 1/16", I've broke in a few new BW D97 strings, install silencers and like stated above brace bow arround 9 inches and it will settle in arround 8 1/2 after a few quivers of arrows. I have a PSA X Kingwood 51 @28. BW calf hair rest,homemade alpaca and sheep wool silencers, I'm pulling 26 1/2", hunting arrows are 30 inch 5575 GoldTips camo with 125 grain points. congrats on the new bow!

[hockey7]

-PSAII, 56", 52#'s, 8 3/4" brace, 28" draw. This bow loves GT Ted Nugent zebra stripe arrows. I cut them to 29", use a 50 gr brass insert, fletch with four white bananna cut feathers, 125 to 175 gr tips. Love watching these arrows fly.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Been shooting MA's for over 20 years, 64 inch mostly, low 50lb's to high 60's at 28 inches growing to 29 inches over the years.

Always carried my brace around 8 3/4, for sure above 8 1/2.  Closer to 9 don't even hurt.  Once in a while I start to get some flyers and almost invariably my brace has crept below 8 1/2 for some reason or the other (usually taking apart/putting together bows and losing twists).

Right now shooting 63lb @ 29 inches, Vapor Vmaxx 5000's (the real stiff ones) with 285 gr up front (160 Snuffer + 125 adaptor) for around 680 grains.  Haven't chronyd it, but like to keep my arrows between 10-11 gpp to quiet the bow down some.

R


R

[hunterbob]

my sa111 likes 8 3/4 bh and 5/8th nocking point and its 58#@28" 60"

[pseman]

My PSAII is ~51#@30"(45#@28 limbs) and I have the BH set at 8 3/4". I shoot .500 spine carbons 31" long with 125-150gr tips, or .400 spine carbons 31" long with 225-250gr up front. Anywhere from 425gr to 575gr depending on arrow selected.

It is the most forgiving bow of arrow spine that I have shot that has a wooden riser.

[artifaker1]

I have several sets of limbs for a couple SAIII risers. I like to shoot them at 8 1/4 but with very heavy arrows. They are touchy about brace height. I started shooting mine without the tip protectors and the performance picked up (up a half arrow size) and the noise went down. I was shooting next to a wheel bow guy a couple of weeks ago and he said what a quiet bow. I new it was quieter but I didn't think that would happen. I just have catwhiskers out toward the tips left untrimmed with just a half on the lighter limbs. I think that they have less wind resistance left long. The woolies work pretty good too.

[Zbearclaw]

Finally got my PSAII ordered today, hopefully it is glue covered and making dust!

Though I had planned on gett it built @ about #60 @27 I was talked down to #55, his point that I would not always be a 30 year-old triathlete rang true as I plan on hunting this thing till I hit the happy hunting grounds.

Decided to go with a 29" CE Heritage 250 with 200gr points.  Hopefully they fly well.

I also got the Great Northern side mount quiver, and the masters of the barebow series to chew on while I await my new bow.

thanks for the replies fellas!

[ron w]

8 1/2 brace, 51# @ 29" 60-65 cedars 31" long or laminated birch,shoots great and its almost silent. Have shot Carbon Express also, but I like woodies better.

[Zbearclaw]

I will be tinkering with the woodies this winter, however given I am trying to get this thing ready for our early CA archery seasons I was betting the Carbons would be ready to hunt much faster than me putting together a batch or woodies, but I will be huntin with woodies next year!

thanks again

[Steel]

My PSA-X is 56" 47@27" I set BH at 8 3/8 and shoot 29" AD lites with pefect arrow flight. I also replaced the factory string with a custom 10 strand 8125 string and Musk Ox wool puffs its quieter and faster than the factory string setup.