Why I like ILF hunting bows

[Bill Carlsen]

A few years ago i was one of the guys who lauded the arrival of the DAS ILF hunting bow. It was controversial but I was sold on its benefits. Recently I have proven to myself that I was pretty much on target with my assessment.

I had been shooting Winex limbs set at 60#. At the end of last hunting season I noticed that as the weather got colder my ability to shoot the 60# was getting to be difficult. Long story short...I decided to go down to 55# and did my research on the best limbs. I decided on Border HEX 5 wood core limbs. They arrived about a month ago and I was anxious to shoot them. However, they just did not feel right. I mentioned this on the Muzzy thread and on the thread about foam limbs. Since then I have been in touch with Sid at Border and I got a lot of information about bow geometry and lots of technical stuff I probably will never make practical use of. Of interest  to me was his statements about how the DAS geometry was different than the Border bows. Putting 2 and 2 together I decided that I would set my new limbs at zero tiller (like my Winex limbs) to see if I could get the "feel" i wanted. The original tiller on the Border limbs was 1/8" positive on the upper limb. When I made the change and shot my first bare shaft I was awe struck with how straight it flew. I then shot 3 fletched arrows and they all hit each other in the spot I was shooting at and were actrually touching one another. Then I shot several broadheads (bear hunt is less than 3 weeks away). They centered the target perfectly and the limbs magically quieted down.

This may not be headline news to too many of you but there have recently been questions about ILF bows and I just wanted to let those of you who wonder about them know about my recent experience. Just two days ago I was wondering about the new limbs but the adjustability of the ILF system got me to the place I wanted to be. The Border limbs proved to be as good as Sid and others had told me they would be. I shoot the same hunting arrows at 5# less weight and I am getting what appears to be better or equal speed but unreal grouping and consistency. i just wish I had done this before the Muzzy shoot. Those close misses might have been hits and I can say that any doubts I had about the Border limbs have been resolved. If you shoot an ILF bow and are thinking about new limbs I would get in touch with Sid at Border. He's been great to work with and, as I have said, the limbs have proven to be as good as I expected.

[Hot Hap]

Sounds like them bears are in real trouble. Good luck-Hap

[aroadik]

Could not agree more ! I am ageing and I hurt, switched to ilf then das, went down in weight,bow performs better, shooting improved dramaticaly and I hurt much less now. no brainer really ! cheers Pete.

[tippit]

I shot JC's ILf Morrison at the Blade Show and really like they way it shot.  Just picked up a Morrison ILF set up.  I'm anxious to give it a go...Doc

[koger]

I have been playing around with them for a year, finally traded for a Tradtech Titan and TT Black Max Carbon limbs. Smooth as any bow I have shot, quick and dead quiet. I will still hunt mostly with my Quinns, but the Titan will be hitting the woods. I can honestly say, I can not shoot near as good as it does. On a good day, I am astonished at the accuracy, even to 40 yards, with me shooting, and was probablly the easiest bow to tune that I have shot to date. Several of my buddies that have shot it aggree, and are looking at them, and they have some very high dollar bows.

[todd smith]

ILF is awesome.  There are a bunch of bowyers working on them now.  Bob Morrison is crafting beautiful ILF risers and limbs, Jim Belcher's Sky offerings are s-w-e-e-t.  

I especially like that I can get longbow limbs and that not only is everything so adjustable, but that when you set it up right you have a no-tools-needed T/D system.

Now I just need to decide on just the right one...        todd

[2 Barrels]

I've been into the ILF thing about three or four months now.And really love the whole concept.I think alot of guy's kinda look down on it as to techy.But i think it follows the traditonal doctorin of keeping things as basic and simple as possible.By this i mean your arrow selection is much simpler with ILF.And you dont have to buy limbs from any one bowyer.Depending on your riser selection you can have a bow from 54"to 70" all with the exact same grip.That seems pretty simple to me. Not to mention the weight adjustability up to five pounds.Lord knows were all getting older and five pounds is alot of weight.And ordering a set of limbs five ponds lighter for my Widow would cost me $640.00 plus shipping.I think in the near future we will have alot more hunting weight ILF options.And then alot more folks will realize how good this system is.Just my two cents.Thanks,Jim

[Bill Carlsen]

I think the change in attitude towards the ILF type of bows is great. When I first signed on here about my new DAS I was treated by some as a heretic. Now that those who have taken the next step and actually shot one have seen how these bows have raised the bar on performance, tunability and overall efficiency I expect to see improvements as time goes on, particularly with hunting bows in mind.

Todd, Dryad bows are making longbow limbs that are getting rave reviews on Tradtalk. Perhaps you should check them out.

[1bjd]

David Soza was a pioneer in adjustable limb ILF type riser development. His work and the idea from Bob Gordon (WARF) have changed the thinking about hunting bows for a lot of people. I know it sure has mine.

[sswv]

never thought I'd even consider ILF but, I'm shooting an ILF set-up right now and liking it. I've been trying different risers and limbs and really like the 15" TT riser. I have both recurve and longbow limbs and am surprised just how smooth, quiet and fast these set-up are.

oh well' guess an ol dog can learn a new trick.

[LongStick64]

I'm loving my Morrison/Sky ILF setups. Personally love the Morrison Mini Metal 13 paired up with Sky ILF recurve limbs. Add my Morrison ILF Carbon/Foam longbow ilf limbs, my soon to arrive Sky ILF longbow limbs and throw in a pair of Samick ILF limbs and I have enough bow to really work for any situation I'm in.

[Ravenclaw]

Can the hoyt dorado riser be converted to ILF? Love the looks and feel of the riser.

[1bjd]

Yes the Dorado will accept ILF limbs but will still not have the adjustability.

[L. E. Carroll]

My Morrison Mini [ zebrawood/phenolic] ILF riser and my older C/F Hoyt long G3's are working real well for me !! I'm a Believer Too...

Gene

[Ravenclaw]

Thanks 1bjd

[bmb]

i have a hoyt excel and aside from the riser being 2" longer than my dorado. the risers are almost identical. but with short limbs on the excel i have a 62" bow, same length as my gamemaster2......can you tell i love hoyts:)

[Turkeys Fear Me]

Originally posted by Ravenclaw:
Can the hoyt dorado riser be converted to ILF? Love the looks and feel of the riser.

ILF limbs can be modified to work on a Hoyt Dorado riser but the Hoyt Dorado riser  cannot  be conveted to use ILF limbs.

Just wanted to make sure there was no confusion there Ravenclaw.

[Margly]

Hi Bill!
I had the luck to get my hands on a DAS hunter riser, and was searching the net for a good set of limbs to attach to the riser.
Long story short, I also did contact Sid@ ****** Bows Archery and bought a set of ILF hex v h core limbs 50@30,5" Because of my long drawlength they made them to be a 64" bow. I had never shot a ilf bow before but wow what a bow.
I shoot instinctively and when I started to shoot this bow I was very positively surprised of the "feel" I got with it.
Now I have tuned it to 58@ my drawlength(real short to 31") and made up a set with Easton fmj 400 full length total weight 600 grains.
And this bow throws the arrows at ca 190 fps!!
A really great bow to play and hunt with.

In fact there is very few bows I have the pleasure to this accurate with on any distances I shoot.

My DAS Hunter with ****** Black Douglas  ILF hex V H core has come to stay on my bowrack    

[Bill Carlsen]

Margly....love my DAS. By the way...my grandfather was born in Oslo so we  have something more in common than DAS bows and ****** limbs. We are both Squareheads.

[Margly]

Squareheads?