Advantages of ff strings?

[moleman]

Maybe this is a dumb question,but what are the advantages of a fast flight string other than a few fps in arrow speed over b-50.
Ive always used b-50 and has always been quiet , reliable and served me well.
From what im reading, it sounds like ff,because of its lack of elasticity could be hard on a bow thats not rated for it.
I need a little education on this subject please.  

[Bjorn]

Do a search, this has been discussed many times.

[Ragnarok Forge]

Definately make sure your bow is rated for ff before using it.  A search will give you hours of reading.

[John Nail]

only real advantage is they last longer

[moleman]

Thanks guys ,appreciate the info.  

[Glunt]

My observations are that they can add a little speed, they can reduce handshock, and they settle to length faster. They sound different - not necessarily louder (can be), but higher pitched.  I have a couple bows that didn't seem much different and a couple that you can really tell the sound and feel changed.

I mostly shoot B50, its served me well for many years.  Something inbetween seems like it would be a good choice.  Never tried B55 or a blended string.

[mikebiz]

I put 8-strand D97 strings on two of my limb tip reinforced Hill style bows.  They did seem a bit faster than the B-50 strings, not sure if they were "harder" on the bows.  However, they were harder on me.  I didn't notice any handshock, but after shooting them for about a month my bow hand elbow and forearm ached horribly.  I couldn't understand why, but the little increase in speed wasn't worth the aches and pains.  Went back to B-50 and my bow arm is pretty much back to normal.  I assume that the lack of stretch in the fast flight material was translating some sort of vibration to my arm.  In my opinion the elasticity of the B-50 must dampen that vibration, thus reducing the shock energy to the arm.  B-50 or its relatives on my Hill style bows from now on.  Once they stretch they are very consistent in length and are quiet as can be without any silencing material.  

Anyone else ever encounter pain in the bow arm with fast flight materials?

[30coupe]

Originally posted by mikebiz:


Anyone else ever encounter pain in the bow arm with fast flight materials?

Just the opposite for me. My Mahaska was a real thumper with a B50 string. I went to a 10 strand padded loop D97 string and can shoot it all day. I could care less about the speed, and I doubt it's enough to be noticeable anyway.

[LBR]

These can vary depending on string construction, string material, strand count, tuning, etc....but generally speaking HMPE ("Fast Flight" type) materials are:

Much more durable
Stretch/creep much less
Transfer much less hand shock

Those are the "biggies" for me.  

Are the faster?  If the string is lighter, but generally the difference is minimal.  I'd shoot them if they were slower.

Are they louder?  That can vary, but in general I don't think so.  Different pitch, but a little tuning can go a long way, including proper silencer placement.

Are they harder on your bow?  I wish I had proof one way or the other.  I had one bow fail on me when using a FF type string--a BBO, and the bamboo had a bad place in it.  I don't think it had a thing to do with the string.  I've had several other bows, selfbows and laminated bows, fail on me while using dacron strings.  I don't think the string had a thing to do with those failures either.

I've never seen any kind of actual proof or test results that show FF type strings shorten the life of your bow, as long as the bow and string are made properly.  I've been shooting my favorite bow for at least 15 years and it's never had a dacron string on it--it's shooting as good as the day I got it, and when I had it weighed at the IBO Traditional World Championship this past summer (had to have it weighed to shoot in the HHW class) it hasn't lost even one pound of draw weight.  I know some folks that, when in training, shoot more arrows in a month than most will shoot in years who have had no problems with FF type strings.

Seems to be that if a bow fails and has a FF type string on it, the string automatically gets the blame.  If it has a dacron string on it, something else gets blamed.  That's about as extensive as any "testing" I've heard of gets.


   

Just the opposite for me.  

Same here--I've never heard of a FF type string imparting more shock, and I have a few bows that I simply won't shoot with dacron due to the shock--Dynaflight or 8125 calms them right down. I've had tons of feedback that said the same--but I reckon stranger things have happened.

Chad

[kat]

Mikebiz,
     You are not alone in your findings. I also had the same experience with FF over B50.
I just recently bought a new bow that is FF compatible, and just plain hated the feel. I switched to a B50 string because I knew the discomfort in my shoulder was coming again.
It may just be in the way I grip the bow. I don't really know why, but I can tell you that B50 is much more comfortable for me on several bows that I have tried both on.
Different strokes I guess.  BTW, I really like the feel of the new bow with B50 on it.

[Jeff Strubberg]

100% with LBR on this one.  If there's a problem with a bow, folks blame the string if it's FF.  

Every bow I have taken Dacron off of and replaced with a lower strand count FF string has LOST hand shock and gotten quieter.  That's three longbows and two recurves.  

FF is stronger, which means you can use less of it.  Less string mass means less moving mass, which means less handshock and less oscillation.

[ron w]

B-50 was good enough for all the old timers years ago, I guess it's good enough for me now.     Just use what you like and have a good time!

[BCD]

I like the feel of ff much better. I hate the vibration you feel after shooting B50 I have much less pain when shooting FF. In every bow I've ever shot both types of materials with, the FF was much quieter as well.

[sheephunter]

My bows that were designed for FF shoot quieter and with less handshock. Tried switching over to B-50 on one of my longbows and my flatbow and wasn't happy. Switched back to FF. My personal preference is FF when I can (two of my bows have to have B-50).

[Zradix]

bragging rights...and scorched arrows    

My very limited experience showed me that I could tune out some vibes when using a ff type string that I just couldn't seem to get rid of when using b500 type.

[Jack Whitmire Jr]

No advantages I have found .

[Ben Maher]

I still shoot B 50 a bit , mainly because I oro lots of it ! But in my experience lowstretch strings will tame any handshock that a bow has . It may not get rid of it , but it will lesson it .

I know a bunch of guys who shoot low stretch on self bows , and saw noted english ELB bowyer and archer form the UK , Steve Stretton use low stretch on his 120# plus longbows ... he told me he wouldn't use anything else but low stretch .

I also think that Chad [LBR] [probably knows more about strings through actual testing than most of us put together , ditto rod Jenkins back when he was making strings ... If they tell something about strings I listen , they know their stuff .

[Swamp Yankee]

FF strings are lighter than dacron; therefore allow more energy to be transfered to the arrow.  Same deal as lighter limb cores, smaller limb tips etc.  If you're concerned about efficiency and getting the most from your bow, FF strings help towards that end; to what degree depends on the setup.  FF also generally has less creep; therefore less tuning required.  An overbuilt (14-16 strand) FF string will have less stretch as well, which may be harder on the bow.    It may be "traditional" if the world started in 1950; but dacron is just another modern material like carbon and fiberglass and FF.  A six or eight strand FF string is the only way to go in my opinion.  It probably doesn't really matter a whole lot, but I have a hard time finding any reason to use dacron.

[Rob DiStefano]

imho, the benefits of using hmpe (High Modulus PolyEthylene, or "fast flight") bowstring fiber far outweight polyester (dacron) bowstring fiber.  if yer bow is "fast fight approved", use hmpe bowstrings and don't look back!
 
the most important reason for using hmpe bowstrings is their minimal stretch and creep.  this means once you shoot in an hmpe bowstring for a few dozen shots, your bow's brace height doesn't move much if at all.  hmpe also allows dropping down considerably in the strand count, since most hmpe fiber strands will have 100# tensile strength as opposed to less than 50# tensile strength for polyester (dacron) bowstring fiber.  lower strand count bowstrings can offer some stick bows a quieter shooting bowstring, as well as somewhat faster.  

almost all modern bows built within the last 20 years or more are capable of handle hmpe bowstring fibers.  if yer unsure, check with the bowyer or manufacturer.

[jhg]

Not all FF strings are the same- they don't sound the same, feel the same at the shot, so to lump them together as if they were all the same is not really accurate in describing the performance. One formulation mightr be better for a given bow than another.
My fav is 450+. Feels very "soft" or forgiving on the shot with great feedback and is very quiet. More quiet than some other FF strings I have tried, but not an expert on all the formulations by any means. The difference was obvious when I first went from the other FF string to the 450+. But then after a few shots I forgot how the the string felt and just enjoyed my bow.
BTW, I think any performance gain, even if it is only mental, is a good thing.

 My advice is to talk with Josh Sowerby.

Joshua