# How to quiet a recurve



## OregonBlacktail (Nov 1, 2011)

What can I do to quiet this bow. It is much louder than the long bow. It has some string silencers but that's it. 
Thanks
Mikr


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## reddogge (Jul 21, 2009)

To start with what kind of bow is it?


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Mike - 

1. Make sure you have the right arrows (spine and weight, in that order)
*2. Make sure there's nothing loose.
3. Tune the bow.*
4. Use addons - silencers, limbsavers, etc as a last resort. Each has pluses and minuses, so pick your favorite. 

Viper1 out.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

Vipers got it in the post above. Can you determine what is causing the noise? My favorite recurve is longbow quiet, but only if my form is on. I can tell if the finger pressure in my string hand was incorrect just by the extra little buzz from the bow after the shot. When I do everything right I can barely hear the shot. 

If it's string noise the yarn puffs and yarn wrap on the ends of the string where it contacts the limbs will do a lot. Heavy arrows also go a long way toward minimizing noise.


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## northern boy (Aug 25, 2010)

For a recurve some are loud because of string slap on the limbs. Try felt or soft side of velcro on the limbs where there is string contact on the limbs. But the best is wool yarn wrap on the string where it makes string contact if you are not worried about a little speed lost use both that will make the bow pretty quiet.


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## sharpbroadhead (Feb 19, 2004)

Make sure your arrows are tuned to the bow - tune with the brace height at the highest recommended by the bowyer.

If the arrows are excessively light - you can use a heavier arrow

Do as northern boy says and take some velcro (soft side) and place it at the limb tips in the string grooves.

Position your silencers based on tune

Try Recurve limbsavers - if it is an ILF bow mount them at the fadeouts - if it is any other type of recurves mount them so that they are one inch from touching the string (when strung) at the limb tips.


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## sharpbroadhead (Feb 19, 2004)

one more thing - get a new string if the string is old - I have found that as strings get near the end of their life they get louder


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## Eldermike (Mar 24, 2009)

All good suggestions.
I hunt with heavy arrows and don't notice much noise on any of my hunting bows. I shoot about 7 grains of arrow per pound of draw at targets and there is always noise, but targets don't seems to care. Before hunting season I switch back to wood arrows with heavy heads and all I hear is that quite little thump sound that's so pleasing I don't want it gone.


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## thorwulfx (Sep 26, 2011)

Heavy arrows help calm the bow down a lot. Yarn puffs and mountain mufflers together will really cut the sound down to a minimum if the bow tends to be loud. 

Silencer placement can have a strong impact on how they work. There's a thread called "Hetrodyning" from yesterday that might help.


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## OregonBlacktail (Nov 1, 2011)

The guy gave me arrows that are tuned to the bow. However they are on the light side. I think that it's is mostly sting noise, kind of a woomp sound but I'm not sure. I fiddled with the brace height but ended up not making a change. I don't have a bare shaft and I really shouldn't make one so I cannot check the tune. The arrows fly stright, but I'm not working on accuracy anyway. I just wanted to quiet it down a bit
Mike


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## OregonBlacktail (Nov 1, 2011)

The guy gave me arrows that are tuned to the bow. However they are on the light side. I think that it's is mostly sting noise, kind of a woomp sound but I'm not sure. I fiddled with the brace height but ended up not making a change. I don't have a bare shaft and I really shouldn't make one so I cannot check the tune. The arrows fly stright, but I'm not working on accuracy anyway. I just wanted to quiet it down a bit. Mike


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## rembrandt (Jan 17, 2004)

My ILF bow makes some noise, quite a bit louder than the Excel I had but the Excel had silencers on the string and I didn't want them on this SF bow. I don't mind the twang and I'm use to it now. I think I read or heard RangerB say he didn't add silencers on his string because he wanted the added speed and he enjoyed the extra twang on release!


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## sawtoothscream (Apr 19, 2008)

I use yarn and put 20 strands in the top and 20 in the bottom. takes awhile for them to puff up but they work pretty good and dont cost much at all. play with the brace height also


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

Make sure the brace height is right - a little to low or high and it will make more noise.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

If you don't want to buy a whole skein of yarn, this is pre-cut and very good quality:

http://www.bowhush.com


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## Mo0se (Sep 24, 2002)

OregonBlacktail said:


> What can I do to quiet this bow. It is much louder than the long bow. It has some string silencers but that's it.
> Thanks
> Mikr


I know what you mean..I just acquired my first recurve...been shooting longbows for years..The first time I shot it I cringed! Wow! what a noisy thing..then I began moving silencers around so many times in different locations..1/4ths 1/3rds moved the brace height through its entire range with little to no sucess. I'm shooting nearly 10gpp..and my arrows are matched and paper tuned. I was about to pull my hair out with it..it's quite a distraction and annoyance when you are used to longbows...affected my confidence in the equipment..so I put a 14 strand endless loop b-50 (dacron) string on it, and voila! It's a quieter world behind the bow now. I cannot stand a loud bow..just a personal preference. The loss of speed is negligible..and now I enjoy shooting the recurve. Never underestimate confidence in your equipment..that D97 string had me considering selling it...I'm glad I didn't now.


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## OregonBlacktail (Nov 1, 2011)

Made a set of my own bow hush scilencers and it is much better. With hunting weight arrows I think it will be good.


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## guyver (Jan 3, 2012)

Using steel rods/rebard for arrows would quite it down. Personally don't mind if my bow is a little noisy even for hunting. 

I find it comical when someone asks "What's wrong with your bow? Something come loose?" while at the range


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