FPS loss with limbsavers?

[pdk25]

Anyone actually have any test data with arrow speed before and after placement of limbsavers(not sure if that is spelled correctly)? Inquiring minds want to know. Also the location that they were placed would help.  Thanks in advance.

[Dan Adair]

I used to have a set half way up my 60 pound limbs on my Schafer Silvertip.  I finally shot one off after 6 years and a couple hundred thousand times dumping the string.

If it affected the FPS of the bow, it got lost in the numbers.  That set of limbs has always chunked a 518 grain 2018 about 183 FPS at my 27" draw.

It did get a whole bunch louder.

[mark land]

I tried them at all points along the limbs and actually found them to work better at the limb tips and did not notice any appreciable speed loss.
You loose more arrow speed shooting big strings and big, puffy string silencers then anything else.
I changed out the factory string with  double limbsaver silencers on my Buffalo with my own 18str 8125 string with 4 cut down catwiskers placed at 10 and 14in from the ends and picked up 8fps and had to drop 25grs of tip weight to get my arrows to spine correctly again.

[Hummer3T]

Here where mine are not sure about effect on speed but my bow is deadly quite.

 

[ermont]

I've got them in the same location on my Black Swan. No other silencers required. They work great.

[Dirtybird]

Pat the loss is very minimal and I would suggest 8-10 from limb tip for best performance.  It will really help silence the shot.  As the saying goes," silence is golden".  Good luck and try them out to see for yourself.

David

[WJackson11x]

I had them about 10-12 inches from the tips on my Bear recurve and the bow was super quiet. Then someone told me that they needed to be a lot closer to the riser for performance reasons. I moved them down and now the bow is much louder. I would rather the bow be silent than be faster, so I will be moving them back towards the limp tips.

[BobCo 1965]

Depending on the bow, if I use limbsavers it is on the inside of the fade outs. It is not the working limb, so there is no loss of speed.

[Dan Adair]

There's no loss of speed if you put them mid limb either.  If there was, you CAN make up about 4-5 FPS on average using crank bait tails instead of cat whiskers.

At least I didn't lose any speed on my setup, with and without them.  The difference in noise was substantial.  That was shot through two Shooting Chrony's in tandem, in my indoor 22 yard range with good artificial light BTW.

What kills me is how many "speed freaks" chronograph all day at the back of the bow, and never see how much a radical helical on 5 1/2" nanners at 120 degrees slows down an arrow at 20 yards.

[stujay]

Placed on the fadeouts, no loss of speed with my Dryad limbs.

[JParanee]

I use them on all my hunting bows

The direction say about an inch or so from the string  on the curve  and that is what I do

Can't see a difference in speed but they definitely quiet a bow and do what they are called   Save limbs

[S C Mercer]

I have them on all my hunting bows now.  I use the smaller version designed specifically for recurves (but can be used on any bow).  They really work very well as taming vibration and silencing a bow.  My Morrison Shawnee LB has them at the ends of the fades.  Teamed up with a 'skinny string' with padded loops, this bow is virtually inaudible at the shot.  The speed I am getting is still very respectable (192 FPS with a 29" draw and 500 grain arrow).  

I think an overlooked variable is that they do cut down on allot of vibration. Even the vibration that is occuring at an imperceptible level.  I don't know this as a fact, but beleive this dampening effect will also help add longevity to the limbs and protect them if a knock breaks at the shot or you have an inadvertant dry fire.  

The 'recurve' Limbsavers are much smaller than the standard size too which makes them less of an eye sore for those that are concerned with that stuff.   ~Steve

[sagebrush]

I think they're about the ugliest thing ever put on a bow. I just can't get past their looks. Gary

[motorhead7963]

I too have been contimplating the limb savers, how do you move them and keep the adhesive in tact?

[Steelhead]

Thier not pretty but thier functional.They will make any bow quieter and take out residual vibration after the shot.

I dont like to mount them way down the limb toward the tips personally.I dont like the extra weight toward the tips.I think it adds a little handshock mounted at the ends of the limb.I do mount them about 4 inches up from where the fadeouts end.That works well for me.

I put some on a bow today that I have been getting set up.I tried like 3 strings and all the other stuff.Bracehieght adjustments and heavy arrows.I got it shooting very well and pretty quiet with 8 strand D-10 strand string and puffs.Not quite perfect so I got out the old Limbsavers,walla.Applied the 3-M and put them on and got a super quiet bow with no vibration and shot real nice groups.It was great to finish tuning this bow out and get it shooting so well and with good overall manners

Your not gonna want to stick them on tight if you want to move them around and see where you eventually want to mount them.I use a credit card to get them off an reposition.

I use spray on 3-M-45 general purpose spray adhesive to refeshen them up if necessary.Spray on and let dry for about 10 minutes and your ready to apply them.The 3-M also works very well for Arrow rests and strike plates!Some guys use double sided sticky tape.

[Guss]

Good info. Eric...!!

[Rod in SC]

I put them a couple of inches up from the fade outs on my widow so as not to cover any of the writing on the bow.  They made a big difference and now I wish I would have gone on out towards the tips a little more.  Ive always used them on the fade outs and they helped but not nearly as much as on the working part of the limb.

[Hippie Chris]

I use them on all my bows. My widow seems to like them almost in middle of limb the best. My Zipper I put them about 5.5 inches past riser. Almost center. I found that if you have any limb vibration it kills it and I believe enhances the accuracy because the follow threw is much smoother if the bow Shakes less.