are silencers really needed?

[kevshin21]

So I am looking at the archers all around and they seem to have some kind of string silencer or limb saver on their bows. I remember Joneil told me something about transfer of energy and deaden the sound, but would you really need it for shooting at targets only? I plan on hunting way down the line but do not like those poof balls or whiskers, but if I absolutely need them I would put them on. Did they have anything like this way back than?  Thanks guys!

[McDave]

If the "twang!" doesn't bother you or the people you shoot with, then by all means leave the silencers off.  I have a longbow that is quieter without the silencers than one of my recurves is with them on.

[Ragnarok Forge]

For target, no reason at all to use them unless they will help tune your bow to your arrows.  If you decide to go with them try out Muskrat silencers.  I like the look of them and they are very effective.  They just look trad to me.  I never have liked the look of whiskers or the puff balls.  They look out of place to me for some reason.

[Stinger]

Not sure how far back 'way back when' is to you, but 40 years or so ago we used to cut these little triangular shaped things out of old tire inner tubes and they worked just fine.

[Bill Turner]

I started shooting recurves in 1970 and silencers were being used back then. If your only shooting targets, no big deal. If you start pursuing game that bleeds get yourself a good set of silencers. I've seen deer inside 20 yards turn inside out at the sound of feathers scratching across my pants leg. The slap of a bowstring at release is magnified in the quiet confines of your local wood lot. Deer respond accordingly.

[COMPOUNDLESS IN CONCRETE]

If you have a cheap recurve like I do, then yes they are necessary.  They help to an extent, but what I found to be the most help was I switched to a flemish fast flight string and not only did the bow pick up a few fps, it quietened it down a bit too.  I made little rubber gaskets out of bicycle innertube and put them between the limb and the limb pockets.  I like to take the catwhiskers and tear them down the middle and make 4 smaller silencers instead of 2 big ones.  I space them equally apart and it seems to work well.  Heavy arras help too.  All this helped turn a really loud cheap recurve into one that is now what I consider to be "hunting quiet."

[Eric Krewson]

Where I hunt they are totally unnecessary and only slow my bows down.

No matter how many silencers I put on a bow string the abnormal tang of a bow string on release is still picked up and reacted upon by the deer I am shooting at no matter how faint the sound is.

Some deer react more than others but they all know something is up and it is not a normal sound of nature from their surroundings.

I only shoot selfbows and they are pretty quiet. When I shot recurves about 15 years ago I used silencers because I didn't like hearing the string noise.

[bolong]

They make my bow quieter which makes me feel better so I use them. I need all the help I can get.

[Hoyt]

Originally posted by Eric Krewson:
Where I hunt they are totally unnecessary and only slow my bows down.

No matter how many silencers I put on a bow string the abnormal tang of a bow string on release is still picked up and reacted upon by the deer I am shooting at no matter how faint the sound is.

Some deer react more than others but they all know something is up and it is not a normal sound of nature from their surroundings.

My feeling also..only reason I put anything on the string is to just scare them a little bit. I'm not going to put much on there though..need all the speed I can get with low poundage bow.

[BWD]

I'd use a little just to decrease that twaannnggg sound. Don't care to hear or feel it, but then again, that's just me.

I have one bow that shot faster and quieter with a 16 strand bonnyl than a padded fast flight with with fur silencers. It did have a little more bump with the dacron, but not enough to matter. I have always wondered if silencer weight and position can effect the forgiveness of a bow one way or the other.

[eric-thor]

i just dont like the string vibrations after the shot . and it seems to be a bit nicer for me to shoot with . ive allways had them and i like fur it looks right&feels right. to me.      

[Ground Hunter]

I prefer to call them suppressors.  H

[kevshin21]

is there a suppressor/silencer that does not look fluffy, whiskery or anything that is still effective? like almost a marble or what not?

[John Scifres]

no

[LBR]

I look at them like camo--probably don't do much of anything as far as the animal is concerned, but it makes me feel more confident.

Chad

[Brian Krebs]

If your bow string is hitting your arm guard- I am not sure how a silencer would help?

 I use string silencers- but right now my new dacron string is all stretched out; and the nock is set perfectly- and the bow is shooting perfectly- and its not making any noise...
 So I am not going to take a chance of changing anything on the string right now- and I am actively bear hunting right now.

 It is an option .

[Bill Carlsen]

Don't need them for targets but for hunting I think they are essential.

[Ben Maher]

On a D shape longbow ... i don't use them . On a recurve ...always .

string leches are pretty small if thats what your wanting, i prefer fur.