QUIET Recurve?

[Straitshot]

John,

I hope you don't think I am trying to be smart for I don't intend to be. I thought Sid's response as to why recurves make string noise and how the recurve limb tip design will help to eliminate it was in part an answer to your question. He said, and I quote, "The newer XP30, HEX4, and HEX5 limbs have been designed to significantly reduce the pre and after string slap." It makes sense since most responses to your post have been bows that have radical recurve limb tips. Sovereign bows have static limb tips that bend radically, Horne bows have semi-static limb tips that bend rather radically, and Border XP30, HEX4, and HEX5 limbs bend radically at the tips. Now that I think of it I used to shoot a Chastain take down that was really quiet and they have radical recurve limb tips. If the string has to wrap it cannot slap. I would think that would be an answer to your design question would it not? I don't know if there is a recurve that is totally quiet with bare string. Longbow strings do not touch the limbs much, if at all, when braced and therefore do not have as significant string noise problem as do recurves.

Louis

[carlr2s]

Two weeks ago at a shoot, everyone said my Arroyo was quiet. It also has static limbs.

[UK Bowman]

You could always shoot a longbow? just a sugestion

[James Wrenn]

I agree the Ballist and other statics like it are pretty quiet.I don't have a problem useing silencers on my bows however and the quietest I have seen or shot is my Morrison ILF with glass/foam limbs.I can get most quiet if they don't have carbon in them with a handfull of wool.I don't want any recurve with carbon if I plan on hunting with it however.

[johnnail]

UK: I have shot a longbow for 45 years. That's why I insist on a quiet recurve.
Louis: I understand the tuning and silencing involved, I own and have shot Bear bows for many moons. Just trying to find one that doesn't need it. I understand the Physics involved.
I know everyone is trying to help. Maybe I didn't offer enough information to begin with.

[Cutty47]

James brings up a great point about Carbon in recurve limbs...and he's shot most everything out there.

You hear a ton of guys talking about how they can quiet down their ILF limbs with carbon in them...

...but the plain and simple truth is...

By the time you get those carbon limbs quiet they're slower than the maple glass ILF limbs (don't know about the glass/foam like the Sebastian Flutes).  And, carbon produces a higher sound frequency that is more apt to spook game, even if you can't notice it.  (Think dog whistle)

I can remember Limbwalker (John Magera) talking about his preference for glass/maple ILF limbs on his "Frankenbows" years ago.

Now, the glass/maple ILF longbow limbs that Lancaster is coming out with as part of their "Tradtech" line should be very easy to quiet down.

[bear1336]

My RER Arroyo is very quiet without any type of silencers on it.

[beachbowhunter]

My Zipper's are "naturally" quiet but my Thermal is hands down the quietest recurve I've ever shot. It's longbow quiet.

[Steelhead]

I like the Great northern Curves for quiet shooting.I think the narrow, deep cored limbs dampen out noise and vibration pretty effectivly.I had 2 of them.1 was particularly quiet..Its also a nice recurve for a guy who shoots longbows as well.Has a longbow feel to it.

[bentpole]

The quietest recurve I ever owned without a doubt was my Kohannah 58" Kurve. The quietest recurve I ever shot was a Robertson Peregrine. This being said I only shoot hybrid longbows now.

[Woodduck]

An old Zipper (non fastflight), is my quietest.

[Diamond Paul]

My W. Wallaces, Robertson Visions, a Morrison and some Foxes I used to own were all very quiet recurves.  That said, I don't think any true recurve would be quiet enough for hunting without some kind of silencers on the string, as I've heard some longbows are.  I only use the mini woolie whisper silencers on mine, plus some moleskin in the string grooves.

[Shawn Leonard]

RER Arroyo gets my vote. I have shot lots of bows as most of ya know and with its static limb design it is very quiet and smokin' quick. I actuall put two sets of silencers on it to slow it down some to get the arrow flight I wanted with the carbons I shoot and braced it a tad higher as well. It is a whisper now. Shawn

[JC]

My Morrison's are the quietest I've shot, especially Bob's newest limb design. I do wrap the contact point of my string with bowhush to help minimize the slap. Coupled with a TS+ string, I think it's about as quiet as a recurve can get..so far.

As for fita limbs being noisey, I've shot a bit with a warfed W&W carbon limbed recurve and didn't find it hard to quiet at all. I've also shot around some fita limbed fellers and properly tuned, I think they are as quiet as most conventional limbed recurves.

[Cutty47]

I'm not quite as extreme as James...but no carbon for me in hunting 'curves...

I've got a Turkey Creek Lb that double carbon, though, and EASILY among the top five quietest bows I've owned...and that includes a number of Hill's and Hill Style bows...

...and I really do think there's something to the higher frequency theory...

Though the day after I put one of those gimmick "deer whistles" that are supposed to protect your truck from collisions, I had a doe leap out in front of me.  Scientifically inconclusive, though, lol...'cause maybe the whistle just caused her to panic...

[Cutty47]

As for the quietest wood recurve I've ever shot...I'd say the Dale Dye Trail's End 'curves get the nod.  Pretty darn easy on the eyes too.

I know Dale shoots his own bow with just one set of those 'widder spiders...

[vermonster13]

I had Tippit and 4runr here last week shooting the new Swan Hybrid(I know not a recurve) with nothing on the string but a nock. Adjusted to 7.5" brace and they were amazed at how quiet that carbon bow was.

[eagle24]

My Horne Mountain bow is whisper quiet.  DF97 string with beaver fur silencers.  I could have almost shot it without silencers.

[BD]

My Marriah Thermal is the quietest bow that I have ever shot.

BD

[Sid]

Just one other academic crack at this.

Pre-slap occurs as the string meets the limb just at and under the nock. The part of the limb with the least curve. The arrow is on the string and accelerating. No noise from vibration is possible at this stage.

Post-Slap occurs as the string is going past brace height and decelerating and the arrow is only now just leaving the string. No noise from vibration possible at this stage.

String starts to rerurn from it's over-travel and heading back to Brace height and goes beyond like a pendulum. No vibrational noise at this stage either but oscillation has already began.

While the string movement in distance is great then little or no noise is generatied. As the amplitude of back and forward movement of the string reduces the frequency increases and noise from oscillation begins and noise is produced.

String silencers break up this oscillating system lowering and dampening the string movement and hence kills the noise as it is reducing the time that oscilation takes place.

A lightweight string and limbs will oscillate naturally at a higher resonance and will stop quicker due to the lack of weight/momentum in the oscillating system. In theory it will take less of an interference from silencing systems to slow the system and stop it as there are less forces involved in the lightweight vibrating structure to keep it going. This means a higher output in arrow performance as silencing systems are smaller. (From another argument normally associated with arrow weight but the same issue really KE can be high but momentum is low and it's the momentum that takes the stopping)

The heavier limb and string set-up does the oposite.

Since the frequency of oscilation (not related to noise levels that being a volume issue) is what dictates the frequency and silencers either due to wind resitsance, light weight puff-balls, or vibrating interference such as cats whiskers will slow the speed of oscilation then the frequency can be controled to any level and the amount of silencing material/influence is often less for the lightweight system.

The greatest noise problems with recurves is pre and post slap. Both longbows and recurves suffer equally fron frequency noise as the string comes to rest. As testified by quite a few owners, many bowyers have already adjusted their recurve designs to substancially resolve the noise issue. Some bowyers have not. Some archers have a technique and bow tune that creates more noise than others. The greater the energy in the sytem draw weight or draw length the greater the residual energy that is left in the system and the greater the noise level.

All can be noise reduced but at what cost? Good bows are good bows and the others?

Done my bit and I'm sure that some of the generalisations use will be misquoted.

Sid