pretty specific Bamboo vs Carbon question

[Brian Gillispie]

Hey all,


My 14 months is winding down soon and I need to start making some of the Hard Choices.  I have my heart set on one of Ron's Deluxe Super Shrews.  I want it in a one piece and I want it in either the 58inch or 60 inch varity.  My draw is 27 inches and I want the bow to pull 45 lbs at my draw.

Now that those details are out of the way we can start chewing on the real question.   For this discussion we need to first throw out all discourse about Performance.  Dont Care.  I am concerned with the Feel of a bow that I hope to shoot for the rest of my life.  

I have shot a morrison with carbon foam limbs.  My experience with them is a bit lukewarm.  The draw was nice and smooth but at the end of the release there was a soft THUD.  Didn't feel natural.  I am sure there are many terms that describe this and that have Many meanings to many folks.  Lets just say it felt odd to me.  Is this just the morrison or all carbon foam limbs?

I have shot a 53# shrew with bamboo limbs.  The feel was much more springy and what I would call Natural.  No odd THUDS on the release.  My experience is mostly with my Red wing hunter with maple cores so I feel that my sampling pool is a bit shallow.

So,  All of you folks who have experience with Bamboo cores, Carbon Foam cores, Morrisons (R/D Longbow and recurve limbs) and Shrews of both configurations please chime in and let me know what your thoughts on one vs the other would be.

Thanks much

Brian G

[vermonster13]

AMAR911 has both and would be a good source of info for you.

[David Spear]

It seems you like bamboo,you can't go wrong with bamboo. It seems by your post you made your choice, I think you will be happy. Read what Rons says about the Samuari.

Dave

[R H Clark]

I've shot both but they way the bow feels is very subjective.There is no way someone else can make that call but you.If there is now way for you to try both and decide for yourself,I would suggest you just go with what you already know you like.

[Bjorn]

Some folks have had less than stellar longevity from bamboo/carbon combos. I'd go with carbon/ actionwood or carbon/foam. JMHO

[Brian Gillispie]

I guess I am asking about folks' subjective observations.  I am wondering if my limited exposure is a good example of what everyone else has experienced.  Or is my experience unique and perhaps my observations are limited to the 2 bows I was comparing.

Bjorn,  I am not sure what you are talking about

Brian

[RRock]

I haven't shot every limb design that uses carbon/foam or glass/foam. But, the bows I have shot, here is my impression.  Glass/foam, they may have felt smooth but they have also felt "mushy", not really that impressed with the limb performance. With carbon/foam, again, the bows I shot didn't really feel all that smooth to me. Not really sure I noticed any real impovement in performance, at least not enough to warrant $100 to $150 more per bow for carbon.

Now, that could just be because of the limb design of the bows I've shot.

I'm still a big fan of Bamboo or Actionboo and glass limbs. Just like the way they feel on both the draw and the release. I also like static tips on recurves with that limb combo. Just my opinion.

[JC]

Completely subjective Brian....I would suggest shooting a lot more bows to develop your own opinion. In my opinion, it's a dangerous proposition to go with someone else's recommendation on a purchase that costs that much money and time (waiting). What you may love, another may hate...and vice versa.

That said, after having many Morrisons and now only having Morrisons on my bow rack, I could never see myself going back to bamboo in any form. Carbon/foam/glass is definitely superior in all aspects to me. I have had shrews with boo cores but not carbon so I can't speak to that particular question.

[leatherneck]

Originally posted by JC:

That said, after having many Morrisons and now only having Morrisons on my bow rack, I could never see myself going back to bamboo in any form. Carbon/foam/glass is definitely superior in all aspects to me. I have had shrews with boo cores but not carbon so I can't speak to that particular question.

x2!!  

[Brian Gillispie]

Any other opinions?

[larry]

haven't shot a Shrew with carbon, but I've owned a bunch of Bob's Dakota's, Cougars and Shawnee's with longbow limbs, and all of those bows ( both bamboo and carbon/foam limbs) have a soft thud at release...doesn't nesseserily mean that the shrew will.

[Brian Gillispie]

Thanks guys,


This is kind of what I have taken from all of these posts


Carbon lets you make draw wt without extra material.  with 45# bow i dont
think Mass is a problem.

Carbon isn't subject to environmental changes like bamboo.  Which is
important when making 90 meter shots.  I am NEVER going to make a 90 meter
shot.

Now these are Reasons,  With the emphasis on Reason.  I am still digging for someone who has shot both and really Loves one over the other for something other than its ability to exceed specs by 1000% instead of a piddling 700%

Let me hear more guys
this is Great Stuff,

Brian

[amar911]

Brian,

I have 11 Shrews, and three of them (all three being Classic Hunters) have foam cores, with two of those foam core bows also having carbon backing. I like bamboo core bows, and all my bamboo core Shrews are very nice bows. But the foam core Shrews feel and shoot better in my opinion. My latest Classic Hunter has foam/carbon/uni-weft limbs and to me is easily the best feeling and shooting Shrew I own. Each individual has his own preferences, and what feels better to me might not feel good to you. The foam core bows, especially those with carbon backing, seem to have a somewhat more noticable, higher-pitched sound when shot than a bamboo core bow, but that sound is effectively reduced by string silencers to the point that it is fairly comparable to a bamboo core bow with silencers. That difference in sound in the foam/carbon limbs versus the bamboo limbs is not significant to me, but some people have commented that it bothers them. I am more concerned about the effect of the sound on game. Out of three shots I have made at game with my foam/carbon Shrews, I have hit all three animals (deer) and killed two of them. The two deer I shot at Solana Ranch were really jumpy, but in general none of the three deer I shot with the foam/carbon bows seemed to react any differently to the sound of those bows than to bamboo and other bows I have.

I agree with JC about the Morrison foam/carbon limbs being superior to the bamboo limbs. Bob Morrison says the same thing. I have 7 Morrison bows and some extra sets of limbs, so I have as much experience with comparing those limbs as I do with the Shrews. If you don't like the Morrison foam/carbon limbs, then you will want to try the Shrew foam/carbon limbs before you buy them because there is a definite similarity. That is understandable, because Bob Morrison has been a very valuable resource to Gregg Coffey in developing the Shrew foam core limbs.

Allan

[Cool Arrow]

I too am facing this decision soon, and I have truly appreciated this thread. I simply cannot afford to buy and try numerous bows to see what i like best. I think unless I learn something to the contrary my next shrew will be bamboo.
        Larry