Strings and Things

segolden · Strings and Things

This subject came up on another site, and I wondered if anyone up here has run into this phenomenon.

Recurve target shooters have a concept in mind when making strings called "stability", requiring that their strings be 16-18 strands thick. Other competitors and hunters have mentioned that a string with a minimum of 12 to 18 strands (fast-flight materials) achieves better accuracy. I personally use 12-strand strings with mufflers, and noticed a decided improvement in accuracy over non-muffled strings of the same size and materials. It appears that resonance has a great effect upon arrow grouping, and there's at least two methods of achieving better "stability" and accuracy. Anybody else run into this?

Dawn

I use an 18 strand string on my recurve.

I find that any less and it does loose stabilty, never tried 'mufflers' (we call them string silencers) they are maily used by compound archers.

segolden

Well, I call 'em mufflers when they're made out of those fuzzy fur/wool fluff balls, just my weird name for them. The strings I'm ordering are padded endless-loop versions of these:

Still not sure if I'll go with more than 12-strand, though, that's why I'm asking about it, Dawn. I like flemish versions, but the endless seem a little more durable.

Windknot

I like catfish whiskers- they are waterproog, and they don't slow things down too much.

If you find your Flemish strings are wearing out at the loops carefully burnish the string grooves with a piece of cotton twine. I have a Ragim Impala that used to EAT strings 'till I did this.

segolden

Quinn limbs are wider than most at the tips, and the string groves are carved a bit shallow, so I saw the same problem, Windknot. A bit of such polishing solved it. The main reason I like padded endless is the noise factor and inherent durability, but it's all a matter of fashion I suppose.

Nobody in their right mind goes out in storms around here, the rain almost always being accompanied by lightning, so I've had little problem with wet string silencers, but I can see it being an issue elsewhere. Local people who hunt up in the snow country use those catwhiskers, or some combination of rubber string buttons and adhesive felt on the limb-tips.

Bushy

16 strand fastflight very fast

kae

One of the main reasons that recurve archers do not do this in the UK, is that they aren't FITA or GNAS legal for target archery.

You can only have nocking points and a kisser on a recurve string (compounds can have more attachments, and do).

Kae.