Am I Crazy ?.... For preferring bamboo cores over foam?

[Tyler C. Moore]

I have shot just about every type of limbcore out there, and I always come back to bamboo or natural limb cores. I can appreciate the speed and durability of foam and carbon, but LOVE the forgiving feeling of natural cores.

I have two sets of identical zipper limbs, both #58@28  60''. Both bocote veneers and red micarta tips. One set Foam core, one set Bamboo. They bareshaft the same arrow, yet the bamboo core just feels "better".

[ron w]

I'm with you......bamboo may not be the best, but it feels good to me! I had a set of foam core limbs for a while.....sold 'em!

[joe vt]

I only have one experience with foam core limbs. To me they were more noiser and felt more harsh. I could not see any difference in performance. Sold them.


I'm a wood core guy  

[LongStick64]

There is probably a technical reason to choose foam over bamboo but I can only go by feel and for me wood and bamboo just feel better.

[Rick Wiltshire]

Love bamboo and yew for limbs.

[Brock]

I think the foam is suppose to be lighter therefore quicker recovery of limbs with less felt hand shock...

I prefer bamboo...but only half my bows have bamboo..the rest primarily have maple lams except of course the selfbows.

[Chromebuck]

I never quite got over the strange flimsiness the limb tips seem to have with foam cores and carbon.  If you stand the bow on the ground (with tip protector of course) and push even slightly the opposite nock flexes dramatically compared to wood cores.  I'm sure that doesn't effect the functionality of the bow, but I found it's physical properties just strange.  They are two different animals all together.

Not to hijack your thread Zippercurve, but my question of limb cores would be actionboo versus bamboo cores.  I've got a bow coming that the bowyer uses actionboo exclusively in all his bows.  My understanding is that actionboo is a laminate and is considered a great core material, but I wonder if being a laminate makes it susceptable to delaminating more than actual bamboo and since it has more glue lines if it is considered stiffer/faster than natural bamboo?

I can take replies as a PM if too far off topic of original post.

~CB

[owlbait]

I like bamboo and walnut cores. Foam is OK when it is the only core option and doesn't "feel" different.

[Derrick in Missouri]

with foam core weather conditions dont affect limb performance. same true for carbon but i say shoot what you like and are happy with thats why bows come in all shapes and sizes. most of us wont notice performance changes in most hunting situations.

[Bill Carlsen]

I've been shooting the same set of Winex foam core limbs on my DAS riser for 7 years. Never shot a better bow. And they are the quietest recurve limb I have ever "heard".

[Izzy]

No, Ill choose boo any day. Had foam and, ehhhhhhh.

[Danny Rowan]

tried the foam cores, did not like the sound of them or the feel, prefer wood cores, my Quest has custom wenge cores and is so smooth and fast,my Blacktail is bamboo cores, same story, and my Schafers have Dave's standerd core material, not sure on the wood but same story, smooth and plenty fast. My only longbow is a Cari-bow SLynx with bamboo cores and I love that bow also, same smoothness and very quick.

[Friend]

Maintain your mental soundness while allowing your definitive personal experience guide you.

[sawtoothscream]

my dryad epics with the bamboo core are so so smooth, love the feel of those limbs. Yew is also pretty nice

[wtpops]

I love the smooth draw of the bamboo core.

[Mike Mecredy]

I like walnut or red elm better than either foam or bamboo, myself.

[Glunt]

I shot a very smooth feeling recurve recently.  It was a near twin to another the guy had which I knew had bamboo cores.  I was surprise when I looked and it was all bocote. I had assumed it was just veneers. They are both 49# and they both read the same on the chrono.

[BWD]

I've heard talk that some of the top Korean target shooters, who shoot thousands of arrows per year, are going back to wood cores. Don't know that to be the truth however.

Are you crazy? Now that's an all together different question.   :D

[Swinestalker]

I've had several foam or carbon cored bows, did not keep any of them. Just did not like them as well as wood core bows.

[Troy D. Breeding]

Some folks like the foam, some don't. Just like recurve to longbow.

Personally, I'll take natural materials in my cores. Shot the foam after giving it a consider and wasn't impressed enough to spend the $$$ for it.

Troy