Are R/D Bows quieter then traditional longbows?

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

Has anyone noticed if you can get an R/D bow like a MOAB quieter then you can a bow like a Howard Hill either straight or deflexed? and to get quiter do you need to give up some speed?

[Mitch-In-NJ]

I have a Stewart R/D.  I can't say that I can tell the difference in sound, but it is faster and shoots smoother that other bows I have shot.

[eric-thor]

yes i shoot a D/R longbow and hill guys often comment on how quiet my bow setup is and how fast as well. i shoot 9.5 -10+ gpp and ultracam flemish string with rabbit on the string. i love it !!!

[Apex Predator]

You can get them quiet, but not as quiet as a straight limbed bow.  At least this has been my experience.  There is a trade-off for that extra performance.

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

Apex,
So do you mean a straight limb with no backset?  Would a string follow be even quieter?

[Wannabe1]

I just passed along a Jay St Charles Pacific Yew Classic that was the quietest longbow I've shot to date. And that was without string silencers. There's something to be said about a traditional "D" shaped bow.  

[Ragnarok Forge]

I have found D shape bows of all types to be quieter when tuned than R/D longbows.  Not enough to make me give up my R/D bows but definately a bit quieter.

[kennym]

My experience matches Apex.

There is a trade for everything,and a lot depends on arrow weight,silencers,not to get into tillering! LOL

[Sixby]

I can't tell the difference except that the D and Rs are faster and smoother to pull. As long as there is no string slap a well designed D and R should be as quiet as a D bow and that has been my personal experience.

However All wood D bows and D and Ra are quieter than glass ones.

[cahaba]

I have owned both. I could shoot the straight limbed with better accuracy and it was quieter. I think it might vary with different bows but it would have to be might quiet to be any quieter than my Northern Mist Classic. Quiet as a mouse fa*t.

[Bjorn]

No way is the R/D quieter R/D makes a 'twonk' sound,
which can be reduced but not eliminated.

[Ben Maher]

String follow mat even be quieter but it is all relative . I have shot deflex reflex bows that were whisper quiet and what i would consider hunting quiet even without string silencers.
Having said that, I'll stick with my Hill bows !

[James Wrenn]

In general the straight bows will be quieter.All wood bows and selfbows are the quietest.Mild r/d bows can be quiet like a straight bow but the more radical ones tend to get noisier as they go away from the d profile when braced.

[Rob DiStefano]

imho, all stick bows are different and each needs to be approached for the unique entity that it is.  

i do not believe that one longbow type is essentially quieter than another - that's far too broad a statement.

the bow's design, materials and craftsmanship, along with the string build, spex and materials, along with the arrow weight and spine, and your shooting form, are all contributing factors to how well the bow will perform for stability, speed, efficiency and quietness.

[BigJim]

I think the quietest bow ever made was still loud to a deer! However, get the noise level down to where it is not offensive and they will almost disregard it.
I get comments all the time about how quiet my RD bows are yet I had two deer completely drop out from under my arrows last year only to cassually walk off. Had two more accept an arrow that ended there days and stop  to look around after a 10 yard run. One then fell over dead the other (not the same day) slowly walked out of site.

bigjim

[LongStick64]

MY Hills are very quiet, just a thump, amazing how great beaver balls work.