Are some limb core woods more quiet than others?

[Bald Spot]

I've been shooting a pile of different bows lately with just about every core wood you can think of.  All other things being equal (tuning, gpp......) I'm starting to think that some woods are more quiet!  I've got several bows with Red Elm cores that are great shooters but seem to make more noise than identical bows with other core materials.  Let'r rip cuz I want to hear everyone's opinion no matter how wrong you might be.

Bald Spot      

[Doug in MN]

Interesting question, I do not own any thing with Red Elm cores.

I do have more than a few bows with Boo Cores they all are quiet and fast.

The quietest bow I own is a Pronhorn Ferret all glass limb bow. It is also just a bit on the speedy side.

[Rob DiStefano]

in a word - NO ... limb core woods have nothing to do with bow noise (on release, or otherwise).  

bow noise comes from the string (on release: its audible pitch and contact with the limbs or archer, if any), the arrow, the contact of arrow and bow, the archer's string fingers.

[olddogrib]

And just to save a few bruised foreheads, don't rule out nock fit.  I was at my wits end trying to figure out why one of my favorite recurves had inexplicably gotten noisier.  I spent a length of time that I won't confess to changing silencers, relocating limb savers, wrapping loops...dadada.  I knew the serving on the string was causing a tighter nock fit than I liked, but the light didn't come on until I replaced it.  I expect alot of credit that's given to some string materials being so much quieter than others may actually have more to do with this. It's a nasty little "snap" sound different from the usual "whump". You'd think there'd be a uniform standard for nock throat diameter and design!  Didn't mean to wonder off in the bushes....just had to rant.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by olddogrib:
And just to save a few bruised foreheads, don't rule out nock fit.  I was at my wits end trying to figure out why one of my favorite recurves had inexplicably gotten noisier.  I spent a length of time that I won't confess to changing silencers, relocating limb savers, wrapping loops...dadada.  I knew the serving on the string was causing a tighter nock fit than I liked, but the light didn't come on until I replaced it.  I expect alot of credit that's given to some string materials being so much quieter than others may actually have more to do with this. It's a nasty little "snap" sound different from the usual "whump". You'd think there'd be a uniform standard for nock throat diameter and design!  Didn't mean to wonder off in the bushes....just had to rant.

an excellent point!  

way too many folks use a tight nock-to-string fit - a big no-no!  you want a loose fit, where the nock will barely hold onto the string at best.  tight nocks cause SO many problems!!!

[Bald Spot]

It strikes me that all of the Yew core longbows I've had seem to be quieter than the others....even when shooting the same string and arrow.  They also seem to make a slightly different sound than the other core materials.  Maybe it's just me.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Bald Spot:
It strikes me that all of the Yew core longbows I've had seem to be quieter than the others....even when shooting the same string and arrow.  They also seem to make a slightly different sound than the other core materials.  Maybe it's just me.

it's you.  there ain't much to audible wood limb vibration, particularly when it's compressed 'tween glass.

[Orion]

I agree with Rob.  Bow design and tune (or lack of it) and all of the other characteristics Rob mentioned affect bow noise.