Dynaflight 97 vs. Fast Flight

[eagle24]

For those that have used both, which do you think is the fastest?  Which is the loudest/quietest?  Which is harder on the bow?  I twisted a fast flight string for a bow that had a df 97 string on it.  It seemed faster, but also seemed louder.  I've had folks tell me the df 97 is slightly slower than fast flight but less harsh on the bow.  I've also had folks say the df 97 is faster than fast flight.  So which is it?

[Eric Krewson]

I started experimenting with fast flight on my selfbows first then gave DF-97 a try. Fast flight might have been a tiny bit faster but was harsh, like shooting with a steel cable on my bow. DF-97 went thunk instead of twang(does that make sense) and didn't have the harsh feel of fast flight. I decided DF-97 was what I wanted on my bows.

[LBR]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the new FF is the same material as Dynaflight '97, just processed differently.  Old FF was the same material, just a lower grade (Dyneema 65 vs. Dyneema 75).

I don't know which is faster--I doubt there's enough difference to make a difference.  I prefer the feel and sound of Dynaflight.

Chad

[JRY309]

I prefer D97 to the old FF.I think the per strand strength for FF was 95# and D97 is 125#.I have found also that D97 was quieter then FF.I sometimes would get a twang with FF but with D97 it was quiet.I don't know which would be harsher on a bow FF or D97 if both bows were made for it.D97 strands are a larger diameter then FF which I think helps it to be less noisy then FF.But for me I don't shoot D97 over FF or dacron because it is faster,it gives me a more solid feel to the bow.Plus if you don't make alot of strings D97 can be bought in 375 ft. rolls.I have gotten 6 to 8 strings out of a couple of 375 ft. ?rolls.

[Longbowmark]

I used to build strings on the side.  Both flemish twist and endless strings for compounds.  All the materials have unique qualities.  You can can go to BCY's website they have an explaination of the properties of each material.  In regards to your issue on FF vs DF97.  FF has a tendancy to creep more than DF97.  Creep is often called stretch.  DF97 is a stronger material, if I recall correctly the break strength is around 120lbs per strand and the strands are very thin.  The thing that really effects speed is the thickness of the string.  Simply the thicker the string the slower the arrow.  The problem with very thin strings is that one needs to pad the loops and the serving area.  For my money, I will take premium 450 plus.  The string is bulky quiet and once it takes a set there is almost no creep.  I used to shoot FF and I was always twisting my string to keep brace height.  Not so with P450 plus.

[dino]

Old FF was made of Specta which Brownell could no longer get after the Iraq war started because it is a component of flack jackets that soldiers are wearing.  Most of the remaining Spectra availability was left for the fishing line industry, almost none was allocated to the bow string material industry.  If you have a spool that has been sitting around over a couple of years, it is Spectra.  They could act and sound different from D97 because they are diffent materials (I personally never saw a significant differnce other than the string creep).  The new FF and TS-1 are made of Dyneema same as D97.  This change was made a couple of years ago.  I have not tryied the new FF against D97 but I can't see how there could be any difference any longer because they are both made from Dyneema.  I have noticed that from the old FF to the new FF that there is almost no string creep anymore.  dino

[eagle24]

I heard the same thing regarding the Specta from a Brownell dealer at a local archery shop.  I also believe that mine (which is about 5 yrs old) may be the Specta FF.  I traded a 3-pc ACS-CX for a lighter weight ACS-CX this weekend.  My new CX also has a metal riser.  I built a new string from the FF material that I have and installed beaver fur silencers (which are not going to do the job on this bow).  With the new string the bow has a real prominent "harmonic" twang.  I had one of Rod Jenkins DF97 strings on my wood riser CX and have one for the new bow as well, but was trying to set up a new string.  I'm going to experiment with string silencers on the FF string, but also wondered if it is louder than the DF97.  I ordered some hush puppy silencers yesterday and plan to try them.

[Gator1]

Interestingly I just got (2) DF97 Strings, both 18 strands, one with padded loop and one without..

I'll post an update when i get a chance to shootem..

[LBR]

Spectra and Dyneema are trade names.  Both are HMPE, which comes in different grades.  You can do a search on any of these and find gobs of information and products.

BCY and Brownell have different methods of manufacturing the materials into bow string--I believe this includes heat, stretch, number of fibers in a strand, etc., so it can make a difference, although probably not much of a difference for most.  Several string materials also incorporate other materials such as Vectran.

Some here probably remember PENN-66 and B-75.  Those were both dacron (polyester), but manufactured differently than B-500 or B-50.

The only way to know for sure what's going to work best for you is experiment.  Some bows seem to "like" one material over another.  Different strand counts, different silencer materials, silencer placement, nock fit, brace height, etc. etc. etc. can all make a difference.

Ray at BCY has always been helpful when I've had any questions--shoot him an e-mail and he'll address your questions better than I can.

Chad