LOUD Black Widow PSA II

[Stick n' String]

I made the apparent mistake of posting this question on the shooter's forum and was promptly deleted. Hopefully I am now in the correct spot.

I have a Black Widow PSA II that is, and has always been, a very loud bow. I have gone through the same incremental brace height adjustments, have switched to arrows weighing in excess of 10 GPP and have added both Limb Savers and Llama wool puffs. I am currently braced at 8 and 5/8 inches and have tried everything from 8 to 9.5 inches without success. The shorter I go, the more of a crisp "thwack" sound occurs. The longer I go, the more a reverberating "boing" sound occurs. 8 and 5/8 (measured from the string to the throat of the grip) seems to be the magic number in terms of shootability and performance. However, it is still annoyingly loud and I cannot help but think this is related to something I am doing wrong.

Here are the specs:

The bow is 62 inches and is built to 47 pounds at 28 inches. At my draw (26 inches), that equates to somewhere around 42-43 pounds. I am shooting wrapped Axis FMJ 500 arrows (9.8 GPI, I believe) cut to 29 inches with standard HIT inserts and 175 grain points. The string is fairly new (less than 200 shots on this new string purchased from BW).

Thoughts? Advice? Suggestions? Criticism? I am still learning, but am otherwise lost for where to go next.

Thanks,

Don

[Rob W.]

There are a lot of things I can live with when it comes to a bow. Loud is not one of them.

Is the string fast flight? A different string material might help. I use b50 on all my bows. Never felt the need to switch.

Also, a GN quiver or similar full of arrows does wonders sometimes to help quiet a bow.

Rob

[OBXarcher]

Don, you may want to look on the widow wall too. Lots of quieting discussions over there.

I have had 4-5 PSA's. All where noisy (to me), some more than others. I tried every string material out there, most in different strand counts. Every silencer material, padded limbs, limb savers etc.. nothing got it where I wanted. I finally settled on B-50, 12 strand for a 50# bow, rubber cat whiskers and it was as quiet as a long bow. It can be very frustrating but the darn things shoot so good and smooth.

I do truly believe they have a different sound. I know I have missed my share of deer with PSA's but I never had one spook. Most jumped in their tracks and stayed for a second shot (which I connected on several times)

[Zmonster]

Don,

I have experienced this with the PCH, and a good buddy Tradganger KAT may chime in. Change to a B50 string, Add a silencer of your choice to the 1/4 and 1/3 points on the string and pad the ends with wool. It WILL be quiet.

Casey

[Sixby]

Check your tiller. should be about 1/4 plus on the top limb.
God bless you and Good luck, Steve

[Stick n' String]

Great suggestions! I am going to order a 12 strand, B50 string and have already ordered new wool puffs. I have simply been dumfounded with this bow. It is the best shooting bow I own, by a long shot. It is almost automatic... however, I find myself very reluctant to take this bow into the field for fear of spooking string jumping whitetail. The one deer I have killed with the PSA happens to have been my best archery buck ever. It was a seven yard broadside shot on a calm deer and he turned and spun so fast I swore I had missed. Turned out I got lucky and hit a major artery in the leg, leading to a great blood trail and quick recovery.

I can handle a number of obstacles life throws at me with grace - but I hate wounding animals.

[Flingblade]

I bought a Black Widow PSA II last year and mine was loud as well.  My brace height was at 8 5/8".  I was not happy with how loud it was and was thinking of trying the bow hush but didn't want to wait the 3 weeks to get one.  On another thread someone mentioned there was a thread in the how to section called "how I quiet a bow" or something like that and there were instructions for how to wrap the ends of the string that contact the limbs with wool yarn.  I bought some 100% wool yarn and tried it and it made a huge difference.  Just wrapping the string also raised the brace height to 9" but I left it there so if you try it you will want to check your brace height when done.  My Widow with fast flight is now more quiet than my Bob Lee.  I'll do this with any recurve I hunt with from now on.  It's cheap, easy and very effective.  Also, there was an article in TBM at one time where they tested decibel level reduction with different string silencers and the rubber cat whiskers worked the best.  I still have the spider silencers BW sent with the bow but when I replace them it will be cat whiskers.  Good luck!

[cacciatore]

I have 3 different PSA and the quietest is one without phenolic,2002 last year before PSA.What I do is to use a good skinny string padded loops,many people here are using the same sistem.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

You can take yarn and wrap the top 6" of the string, or put mole skin or felt on the belly side of the limb tips where the string is slapping.


Hey Steve, Are you saying those widders are running negative tiller? or just the tiller measurement a 1/4" longer on top?

[LV2HUNT]

I would go with cat whiskers which I have found quieter than anything else. Split them and place them equally across the top and lower section of your string. You should end up with four total (two originally). Use mole skin in the string grooves and find the quietest brace height.

[ranger 3]

What I do is to use a good skinny string padded loops,many people here are using the same system.

[Sixby]

Kirk , I was saying that it sounds like the limbs might be out of time  without actually saying that. the top limb should measure 1/4 in or so plus,(further to the string when taken at a 90 from the end of the fades than the bottom limb. Not be as strong.

There have been several threads concerning this and you might bring some of them up and find an answer. I believe getting a new string was one answer I remember.
God bless you all, Steve

[Al Dean]

I put my wool yarn puffs at 11" (60 strands of yarn about 2").  Try adjusting silencer location, more or less, for better noise reduction.  Also I have found great difference in noise according to which shooting glove or tab I use, also which glove I need to use changes from bow to bow.

[Dave Lay]

Originally posted by LV2HUNT:
I would go with cat whiskers which I have found quieter than anything else. Split them and place them equally across the top and lower section of your string. You should end up with four total (two originally). Use mole skin in the string grooves and find the quietest brace height.

I do the same, then play with your brace height i also have moleskin on my limb tips to stop any string slap. this bow is as quiet as any recurve i have owned.
 b50 will take that even farther,

[Friend]

A wrapped SBD 8 strand with puffs ~2 1/2" each side of the 1/4 points have resolved my issues.

Your set-up would be fine with a 6 strand D-10 string. Pierre's guidance is great!

[xtrema312]

SBD 8 strand, Velcro pads under the string near the tips and 1/2 width strips of cat whiskers at 1/3 and 1/4 points worked well for me. I tried the wool on the string and puff silencers and didn't get much out of that.

[kennyb]

S n S-I'm with Friend and bought a SBD 6 stranded string and it really improved the quietness of the bow! This 6 strand string on the lower poundage bows is great! Pierre does give good guidance! Thanks.

Kenny  

[Swamp Yankee]

In addition to all the good points made above, while I initially put the string silencers at the 1/3 points, I the pluck the string like a guitar and move them around for the best silencing effect.  Yarn wraps and a 6 strand skinny string worked wonders for my 42# PSA along with 550 gr arrows.

[Kituwa]

You might try removeing your quiver if your bow has one on it to make sure it is the bow thats noisy and not something to do with the quiver or the arrows in it.I had a bow the other day that made noises like a moonshine drinkin banjo picker until i took the quiver off.

[Mr.Magoo]

I just went through this with my Bob Lee takedown.  I've had it for years and it's usually quiet, but this year I started to shoot it and it sounded like it was going to explode.

I tried everything; wax the bolts, new string, check brace, remove quiver etc, etc ...  Nothing seemed to work.  Then I just started moving the yarn puffs around (they had been at the quarters and thirds).  Voila! Problem solved.