snake skins affect limb performance?

[Scott Barr]

I have two pair of BF Extremes.  Thinking of putting snake skins on the faces.  I just like the look of skins better than dipping.  Anyone know if skins have any affect on performance? Noise? Thanks.

[Jwilliam]

It shouldn't change a thing.


Bill

[A.S.]

I put skins on an ACS CX a few fears ago.  checked the performance before and after. My bow lost 1 fps after the skins were applied

[Orion]

I've skinned more than a couple dozen bows over the years.  Never noticed any change in performance.  But in truth, I never chronoed them. That being said...

A.S. To notice a 1fps change, you would have to use a shooting machine, a very accurate chrono and keep all other things constant, which is difficult to do.  More likely caused by minor form differences.

Even a change in temperature/humidity acting on the limb cores or weight of a wood arrow, a few grains in arrow weight or length if you used a similar but not the same arrow, a minor change in brace height if the string untwisted or twisted a little while off the bow, etc., can change things that much. In short, any of a number of things can lead to a measurement variation of 1 fps.

[Kris]

Agree with Orion.

Snake skins will NOT enhance performance if you wanted to take it from the other direction.

Anytime you add mass to the limbs that is not adding to their stiffness, you are in affect, decreasing the quickness of their recovery.  That is a very simplistic explanation but essentially the whole of it.

Kris

[Hermon]

Originally posted by Kris:
Agree with Orion.

Snake skins will NOT enhance performance if you wanted to take it from the other direction.

Anytime you add mass to the limbs that is not adding to their stiffness, you are in affect, decreasing the quickness of their recovery.  That is a very simplistic explanation but essentially the whole of it.

Kris

I agree with this.  Won't help, but you will not be able to perceive a noticeable difference.

[Scott Barr]

Thanks gentlemen.  I figured it would not change performance. Folks have been adding skins onto bows for years. But it just seems to me that when you add mass that it should alter performance more than it does. Glad to learn of your chrono comparison Allen.

[Sixby]

Moccasins are the heaviest skins I have used and next to them timber rattlers. I took a new Steppe Eagle that I just added moccasins to and shot it today. I could barely follow the arrows when I shot it. My first five shots at almost 30 yards were in the 6 ring and last shot just outside left. It is probably the best I have ever shot a bow that was brand new to me in my life. I tied the knot on the string just before I shot it. I will say this. If those skins made a difference then its a difference I like and this bow or one just like it is going hunting with me this year, Lord Willing.


God bless, Steve

[2fletch]

I agree with Orion also that snakeskin can't make enough difference to be noticeable. I have found that shooting through a chrono will give different results almost every shot. Shooting the same arrow, same bow, and as much as possible the same form and draw length, there may 5 fps difference between the two extremes.

Another approach would be to see what % increase in weight is incurred. I just weighed about enough rattlesnake to cover a bow and it was about .3 oz. Assuming the glue will weigh about the same as the skin, we are now at .6 oz. The weight of an average hunting bow usually between 2 and 3 lbs. so lets use an average of 40 oz. Processing that further will give us a weight increase of about 1.5%. If we ignore a lot, and just divide a theoretical 180 fps by  1.015% we will get about 177.4 fps. Hmmm..., maybe A.S. is on to something. Lol  

[A.S.]

OK, maybe you guys misread my post. I tend to be short winded at times. I simply meant that adding skins made very little-to no difference in performance.

When I test stuff like that, I use the same arrow, same string, same brace height, with a clicker set to the same draw length. I test everything. I know that there are variables out of our control. I guess I just didn't use enough words the first time.

[Fisher Cat]

IMO, there are other things to consider.  I won't buy a used bow with skins because you don't know what's hidden underneath.  Just a thought - John