Cores, cores, cores

[olddogrib]

I apologize in advance, as I know this field has been plowed "ad nauseum" and it largely comes down to personal preference. The limbs will be recurves with a pronounced tip radius.  Options are carbon with maple, 'boo, or foam cores, what are the relative strengths of each?  From talking to several bowyers I generally gather:

The foam will be the lightest, possible giving a few fps speed increase, but really shine on being the smoothest drawing, i.e. consistent #'s/inch of loading throughout the draw cycle. May percieve a bit of after-shot vibration(buzz) at least more so than other options. Impervious to temp. changes, more expensive.

Maple will provide the "deadest" stop regarding residual vibration/hand shock.  Comes at the expense of possible percieved slight increase in #'s/inch towards end of draw(stacking).

'Boo is 'wood' and actually the heaviest of the three, but offers a good all-around compromise of the other's positive attributes.

What am I missing?  I know this is over- simplification and these attributes can be optimized with design. Looking for bowyer input and hopefully those that have been fortunate enough to shoot all three in the same config.

[Rick Richard]

If you are looking at a combination of carbon and foam, then checkout Bob Morrison's Max1 limbs.

I have a set in ILF and can't say enough good things about them.

[olddogrib]

RR,
That's what they will be, or possibly the Max 2 if that config is available for a Shawnee in time. He still offers your choice of cores and has to build his new shop, so I've got a little while to think about it.

[overbo]

IMO,

Bowyers are going to tell what they think you want to hear! It's a trade w/ a lot of pride invested w/ both builders and owners. As I'm sure you have already figured out. The best way to find the answer to your question is to shoot them for yourself.
Having owned and shot all you mentioned above. I personally wouldn't spend the extra money on any of the carbon and this and carbon that stuff unless I find it 2nd hand at a much reduced price from new. Boo, maple, yew, and other wood cores will usually be w/in a few fps to most carbon stuffed limbs and for me, the wood core limbs are easier to quiet.

[subsonic]

My preference is maple.  It has been around for a long time.  There are reasons  that bear, Pearson etc... used maple.  Performance is about as good as anything else out there.  It is stable, easy to work, and easy to obtain in quantity.

[KentuckyTJ]

Foam for sure, carbon if you want to spend the extra, but for $30 foam upgrade its a no brainer for me. Foam is my favorite core material bar none. I have owned the same Morrison limbs at the same poundage one with maple and one with foam. The foam cores put the maple cores to shame on all accounts.

[Bjorn]

My fav is a carbon bamboo sandwich with maple as a close second. Tried a carbon foam sandwich a few years ago and found it wanting. To each his own, try as many bows as you can-spend several days with each to determine what your own preferences are. It is hard work but gotta' be done.  

[TexasStick81]

I know some get annoyed by these kinds of posts because they think it's a right or wrong question, but I really appreciate them.  I like hearing people's experiences.  Thanks for starting the thread  olddogrib and I'll be following.

[WildmanSC]

My Max 1 carbon/foam limbs by Bob Morrison are the best of the 200+ bows I've owned over the past 13 years.  That is true whether talking about smoothness of draw, quietness in shooting, deadness in hand or quickness.

Bill

[Ron Roehrick]

Bill 200+ bows in 13 years wow might be time for an intervention. LOL Best of luck on your quest for that perfect bow.

[WildmanSC]

Originally posted by Ron Roehrick:
Bill 200+ bows in 13 years wow might be time for an intervention. LOL Best of luck on your quest for that perfect bow.

The intervention has already happened.  It's called retirement and fixed, and reduced, income!    :(    

Bill

[Ron Roehrick]

Bill I have been there done that so I know the feeling so many bows so little time. Enjoy the mystical fight of the arrow my brother. I settled on Hill Style longbows after 38 years.

[olddogrib]

The irony here that nobody realizes is that Bill's Max 1 limbs were built for me.  I would have never sold them to him if I realized he was in such need of a 12-step program, lol! Actually, the only reason they still aren't mine is that they were for my Cheyenne.  The limbs weren't available for the Shawnees at the time, but they are now.  I'm a "beware the man with one bow" kinda guy and, unlike what I'm sure is the consensus, I just prefer my Shawnee to the Cheyenne. It's a grip thing and the riser wasn't even built for me.  Those that are lucky enough to find "the one" that fits like a glove know what I'm talking about. It just slides into your hand the same way every time. I'm just glad it didn't take me 200 bows to find it or I'd be in divorce court instead of shopping for spare limbs, lol!

[katman]

If your looking for max speed foam core. Limb  design and tuning has a lot to due with feel. My question to a bowyer is usually what is your favorite core for this limb design and why.

[WildmanSC]

Originally posted by olddogrib:
The irony here that nobody realizes is that Bill's Max 1 limbs were built for me.  Those that are lucky enough to find "the one" that fits like a glove know what I'm talking about. It just slides into your hand the same way every time.

Richard,

I loved shooting the Max 1 limbs on my previous riser, but the new, low grip riser I just bought from Bob is "the one" for me.  It's heavier, quieter and shoots where I'm looking.  Thanks for departing with them for me.

Bill

[non-typical]

foam
I outfitted my Shawnee with foam limbs 3 years ago, haven't bought another bow since then.

[Orion]

Just a couple of observations/corrections on what you've gleaned to this point.  Maple is not lighter than bamboo, it's heavier.  However, given that a thicker bamboo lamination is needed to achieve the same weight, it possibly could be heavier in the total limb stack, than maple, but I doubt it. Given that maple is also heavier than foam, I don't see how it can "stop" the limbs faster. More weight in the limbs means they don't stop as fast, regardless of the material.

Regardless, if you use carbon, there will be very little performance difference among the cores you're considering. They'll all work very well. For me, the foam core limbs were a bit noisier, maybe just a different, higher pitch noise vis-a-vis the other materials.  I like the carbon and bamboo combination, but wouldn't hesitate to use carbon and maple.

Good luck on your quest.  All good choices.  Just a matter of what you like to look at.

If one looks at bows that are very core dependent like a Hill longbow, the maple core was the slowest in my experience. It shot fine and I do not know that a deer could tell the difference.  I have found a couple of yews that were very fast, but a couple of bamboo models were better in speed and feel. This all makes me very curious about what could be done with a carbon/foam limb in a Hill style bow.

[wingnut]

This is the best thing I could say about this subject and it was already said:

"My question to a bowyer is usually what is your favorite core for this limb design and why?"

The limbs are designed with a core in mind and takes a lot of work to get it right.  So the bowyer that did the work is going the know the right choice.

Mike

[myshootinstinks]

Over a ten year period I've bought & sold probably 30 different bows to include the three  above mentioned core materials. I can't tell much difference in maple & bamboo except that in a couple of bows I've owned with maple seemed to have stacked a little more. The main difference I notice in the foam cores is the very even, consistent draw, they are nice to shoot.
   Having said that I no longer own a foam core limb.  Most of the bows I now shoot are '50s style recurves w/ maple cores and I'm completely content with them.