Quiet this old bow... New info 8/21 AM

[Huntschool]

Need some help and advice...

1969 Bear Super Mag 48.. 46#@28"

I have been tinkering with trying to quiet this bow down a bit.  As of right now it has a "tinky thump" to it. with four cat wisker bundels set at 8" from loop and 12" from loop on both ends of string.  String is three bundle flemish from Champion in B 50.

Brace height is 8.5" which falls within the suggested height.  I shoot three under and the nock point is at 3/4 inch.  I am shooting AD trad Lites with + 165 grns up front and the arrow flies like a dart.

Any ideas ????  I know a heavier arrow (the trads weigh in at 9.6 gr./lb) might work but I really do not want to lose the speed.

Thanks in advance

[reddogge]

Try wrapping the loop ends of the string with wool yarn down to where it stops meeting the string at relaxed postition.

I also prefer homemade woolies midway between nocking point and where string meets the limb. I trim them to the size of a beer can bottom.

Shooting 3 under is noisier for some reason so you may have to live with some noise.

[crosseye]

i used to have a kodiak mag that i finally quieted with some wool yarn wrapped around the string at the loops. it padded the string where it contacted the string grooves and made an incredible difference. it was called bowhush, and i got it here at tradgang...great stuff.

[Rod in SC]

I just got some Stiktamers from 3 rivers today.  They work very very well and they doudle as a brush button and string silencer.  They are very lightweight as well.   I've been shooting Trad bows for 23 years and these things help quieten the bow about as good as anything I ever used with the added benefit of keeping brush from between the string and limb and will make it easier to get the bow off of a bow hanger too.  I bet you would be able to even lose some of the cat whiskers to pick up speed and still be just as quiet.
   Are they Trad??  They look as good as the big round rubber brush buttons that Me, Fred Bear, Paul Schafer and many other trad greats used!(I had to include my self in that last sentence--no one else would have)8^)

[chopx2]

Make sure your nocks aren't too tight. I had what sounded like a contact noise once and it turned out to be the noise of the nock coming off the string.

[joekeith]

I just tried some of thos Stiktamers today.  Impressive, they really do a good job of eliminating excess noise.  I ordered some Bow Hush and Hush Puppies today too.  I'll wait till I get the Puppies and Hush before going full time with the Stiktamers.  We'll see which does the best job before mounting either permanently.
  You might want to give them a try.  

[hvyhitter]

Did you play with the brace height to were the bow is quietest, or just set it and got good arrow flight and left it alone?

[Huntschool]

I am going to do he loop wrap thing and see what happens.  Then brush buttons or stiktamers if I must.

I should also mention that with the old string with two BW Spiders on it the bow was a bit quieter.  That was an old model continuous loop string.

Reddogge.. Three under does make more noise but I have been shooting that way since the late 60's and can usually get em quiet...

Chopx2.. I think the nocks are OK but I'll see if opening one up helps....

Joe.. I would like to stay away from adding stuff to the limbs... just me... may have to go there anyway...

Hvyhitter.. yea, I have played with it some but will try letting it down if I can.  This is a new string and has likely not "stretched in" yet. It had me right at 8.5 when I started.  The rec BH is between 8 and 9".

What gets me here is I don't remember my orig. in 1969 making much noise.  I cant say there is a huge amount of noise but its sounds strange to me.  Not just a med loud thump but some kind of
"twangy tinky" sound.  Not shooting alu shafts so its not that....

[Pat B.]

I know this old Bear isn't fast flight compatible
but with other bows, in that weight range, that are FF compatible I've gone to 10 strand 8125's and noise reduction is just one of the benefits...

Skinny strings ---- in moderation ..

[Friend]

Bruce, Please keep us informed of your progress.

I remember those bows well from the mid 70's. Two brothers which I often shot with, each had Super mAG 48'S. I still, well recall hearing the 'tinky thump' and they were shooting split.

May you achieve success.

[Friend]

Two other possible options which present possibilites:

1. May consider utilizing cross bow silencers

2. Consider Limb Savers - Don't like limb savers on my trad bows, however have used them in the past with success to reduce the personally annoying tink sound from a Dalaa.

[Huntschool]

Pat.. you are correct.  this string is B 50 and has three bundles.. strand count is at least 15...

Scott... yep, thats the sound but I still do not remember it on the one I had back then.  I did have "brush buttons" on it though.... It was more of a true "thump".

I am not going to get to do the loop padding until this evening as wife and I are going to Thresher Show in Pinckneyville, IL.  

The more I think about it the more I think the padded loops will fix it... or "brush buttons"....

We will see.

[Night Wing]

A pair of yarn wool puffs will quiet the bow down upon arrow release.

[Bud B.]

I have to agree with Night Wing. I have a Bear Super Grizzly from the 70's and it was l-o-u-d.

I increased the brace height to 8.5. I do get more quiet releases with the old Mercury nocks but they don't like my two under shooting. Using Classic nocks and 16 strands two bundle B55 and the home made yarn puffs I got it rather quiet. If I shoot over 10gpp wood I get it dead quiet. I have minimal drop difference in my carbons vs. my woodies at my hunting range which I like at 15 or less.

[Killdeer]

Dangit, my buddy went to the Threshermen's Reunion in Kinsers, PA today. (Rough and Tumble).
I hadda work.

Nothing like seeing the giant Fricks, Rumley Oil Pulls and Buffalo Springfields at play!

 

Killdeer    
Smile for the Camera!!

 

[Huntschool]

OK... back from the American thresherman Ass. show... good time.  The featured tractors this year were the Olivers... way cool

On to the bow... I wrapped on, Bow Hush style string wraps and it reduced the noise some... I am now convienced its the string itself. That being said, and the fact that I have always had good luck with "Wooly" pufs, tomorrow I will cut off the cat wiskers and install a double set of wool....  I guess I will also try to increase BH if needed but I am about maxed out now...

I'll let ya all know what happens.

[Huntschool]

Here is the up date:

I removed the cat wiskers and replaced them with one set of wooly puffs.  These are 18 strand and made of 2.5" dbl twist 100% wool carpet strands... located at 8" from the loop base on each end of the string.

This reduced the sound a bit but not there yet.

I can now better describe the sound... it is like plucking the string hard or tapping (hard) the front of the limb 1/3 the way from the tip. (I did this)

Do you think increasing the length of the "wrap" off the loops might work?

I also shot several very heavy arrows with no difference...

[bentpole]

Try Super String Leeches. I know they look crappy on a Trad Bow but they do work. I have found out over the years the silencers have to be inserted into the string to quiet a noisey bow. It sounds like your getting bad string slap on the upper limbs too. I found some mole skin where the string lays on the limb helps too. Mark where the string sits on the bow, take off the string, put on mole skin, replace string and try it. If I feel the bow is still noisey and you want to really hunt with it aim low. The deer will be ducking the string for sure. I have sold a lot of bows that didn't make it to the woods because I couldn't get them quiet enough for my taste.

[Rob W.]

Beaver balls do wonders for my recurves.

[kuch]

Lots of opinions and suggestions. I shoot padded skinny FF and it helps along with yarn silencers and heavy arrows. The string is less mass than the dacron and I have had zero problems with old bows(60s and 70s).