# Limbsaver Position On My Recurve Limbs



## 1canvas (Mar 29, 2009)

I was trying to quiet down my carbon foam limbs on my hunting recurve bow and was wondering if anyone installed Limbsavers on their limbs and where did you place them? I’m figuring about midway not wanting to put them too close to the ends.


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## marcelxl (Dec 5, 2010)

On the limb fades. Usually 3-4" from the riser. I use them on most of my (ILF) bows


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## GCook (Aug 22, 2016)

Just far enough down from the limb curve as the string clears them. Worked well on my Widow and Tall Tines.

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## 1canvas (Mar 29, 2009)

I have an ILF bow.


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

One of two points where the limb vibrates the most, but moves far less than the other. the wrong point would be at the limb tips. the point left over is roughly halfway between the fade outs and where the string lifts from the limb when braced. Keep in mind, this only reduces noise related to vibration of the limb itself as a result of energy leftover from limb movement after the shot. You can get a pretty good idea also by holding the bow by the limb on the flat sides with one hand, and plucking the string, and move positions and you can feel where it has the most vibration.

If you're looking to eliminate string slap, you can either wrap the end of the string in yarn for 1/2-1" centered on where the string leaves the limb at brace, or stick a small square (or round) piece of soft side velcro in the same position. This will slightly lift the string away from the limb where it would otherwise slap and buzz.

I like minimal string silencers at 1/3 and 1/4 points (as measured from the string lift positions at brace, not the full length of the string).


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## 1canvas (Mar 29, 2009)

I’m sure it’s the limbs, that’s why I think the Limbsavers are the way to go. After that I’ll just settle for what I have. I was just wondering about people’s experience on positioning. The string (FF Flemished) with Dynapuffs is ok. I also have soft sided Velcro on the limb tips.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

1 - 

Limbsavers, or silencers, for that matter are a last resort. First, try to find the cause of the noise and "tune it out". Yes, tuning in this case is a factor. 

Basic rule of thumb, the closer to the limb tips (without string contact) the greater the effect on sound/vibration, with the great loss of performance, and the closer to the fade-outs, the least effect on sound, and the least effect on performance. 

To be honest, Barney's advice is spot on, but when I've had to use them, I just put them where they looked the best.

Viper1 out.


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## 1canvas (Mar 29, 2009)

^^^^ As far as tuned I would say it’s semi tuned with a button and flipper. Being this will be for hunting I’m thinking I would go in a different direction, I would like to try off the shelf. I am going to try the accutune adjustable strike plate.
From almost 50 years of bowhunting I know what sound I’m looking for.


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## 3finger (Mar 29, 2018)

What Viper and Barney Slayer said. I use limb savers on all my recurves, Face of the limb top of the fade (NOT on the working part of the limb). I use them to dampen limb vibration for two reasons. 1. The dampened vibrations make to bow more pleasurable to shoot. 2. Dampening limb vibratoin makes sence from an equipment maintenance/care perspective. (I usually use a spray wax once a week during breaks on the bow so maybe a bit anal). Good idea to do some research on recurve bow noise levels from an efficiency standpoint including the effect of light arrow weight. Oh almost forgot if you use limb savers it's a good idea to keep some good quality double stick tape on hand.


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## 1canvas (Mar 29, 2009)

I have used Limbsavers for over 20 years on my compounds and xbows and they always reduced noise and vibration somewhat, being new to recurves I’m only concerned with placement. My Samick Sage is very quiet so I see no need their.


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## Toxalot (Nov 17, 2019)

I have them just off of the fades on the tip side. Seem to work fine there, and as Viper said, they look better there .


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## 1canvas (Mar 29, 2009)

I took the flipper rest and button plunger off and put on an Accutune with a bear hair on the shelf today and that quieted it down quite a bit.


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## 1canvas (Mar 29, 2009)

I positioned the Limbsavers where BarneySlayer suggested, added a Sims S Coil, between that and removing the flipper and button my bow is plenty quiet now. I think it’s as quiet as it gets and surely quiet as needed for a hunting bow, I couldn’t be happier.


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## Bill 2311 (Jun 24, 2005)

Try placing a piece of velcro on the limbs where the string contacts the limb while at rest.
You can also wrap the string with wool yarn along the same contact area.


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## GEREP (May 6, 2003)

I put mine right at the fades...or in the case of my Uukha limbs, were the fades should be.

In my opinion, the closer to the limb tips they are, the more potential they have to rob performance and actually cause shock.

KPC


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## 1canvas (Mar 29, 2009)

1canvas said:


> The string (FF Flemished) with Dynapuffs is ok. I also have soft sided Velcro on the limb tips.





Bill 2311 said:


> Try placing a piece of velcro on the limbs where the string contacts the limb while at rest.
> You can also wrap the string with wool yarn along the same contact area.


Everything is in place and the bow is quiet now.


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

GEREP said:


> I put mine right at the fades...or in the case of my Uukha limbs, were the fades should be.
> 
> In my opinion, the closer to the limb tips they are, the more potential they have to rob performance and actually cause shock.


I think that if you take it to the extreme, like _near _the string contact areas, most certainly, no doubt in my mind. When you add mass to an area that moves, it requires energy to move along with the rest of it. Key elements are... how much mass, and how much movement.

The 'Recurve' versions of limb savers are smaller than the standard ones, perhaps in relation to that, as it would seem to be more appropriate when putting mass on a limb that requires far more movement than a compound bow with cams providing extreme mechanical advantage on high-power pre-loaded limbs.

However, I ran some arrows with a chronograph before and after, and it didn't seem to make any discernible difference, maybe even slightly faster by 1 fps or a fraction, at least locating them where I put them, halfway between the lift point and the fade outs, with perhaps a slight bias towards the fade outs.

But, it of course mileage will always vary. Bows are fundamentally simple, but in reality complex. There is a whip going on between multiple elastic components where added mass _may_ actually improve performance if it contributes to better application of forces by changing the time/resonance relationship between the parts, and actually improve efficiency. I know... "WHA?"

Doing that intentionally is way beyond my pay grade, but I believe that is the reason that many compound bows intentionally weight the bow string with speed beads. It is very counter-intuitive, but if done well, obviously works.






Results I got were my bow, and being a super recurve, the string lift points are far closer to the riser than a conventional recurve, which means that the the position halfway between the lift point and the riser is closer, which by itself means less movement. I used the smaller versions, which have less mass. Also, the limbs, by design, flex much more at the end, which means less movement of the limb as you approach the riser. You can have somebody draw your bow, and bring it to rest, and you can see how much it will move the area where you have your area of placement in a shot. The worst case scenario for limbsavers located for maximum limb vibration absorption would be with a long bow, where the distance and movement required for that placement would mean a very substantial amount of movement.

On a different recurve, I had some 'Tradtech' strap on dampeners, which I thought were really cool, because I could easily try different positions, and see how they affected sound and performance. They actually made the bow LOUDER if moved much at all from the fade outs, and did relatively little or nothing at the fade outs from an acoustic standpoint. It took awhile to figure out, but it turned out that if they were located where any limb movement actually took place, the limb would move away from the little 'mushroom' faster than the mushroom could follow, and when it finally caught up it would slap the limb. Kind of a cool concept, but in practice useless.

The other thing to consider is that limbsavers will only effectively damp limb vibration, which depending on the bow, may not be the primary offender, or may actually be absolutely unnecessary. When I put the 'recurve' versions in the more controversial, but more effective positions for _my _bow, the bow wasn't loud to begin with, but it did have a low frequency 'Thrum' after that shot that, because of the curve of the limbs, was focused like a parabolic dish at my ears. People standing next to me didn't hear anything at all. But the limbsavers halfway between fade outs and lift points turned it into a quieter subtle 'Thud', and that made me happier, but I can also see how many would be perfectly happy ditching that element of damping altogether. Six or half a dozen i guess. Like a lot of stuff, I think we can collect information, theory, and the experience of others, but ultimately we try, see, and keep what we like, and shelve what we don't and move on. One of the quietest bows in my personal experience was a Bear Montana longbow at 10 gpp with a Dacron string. No limbsavers, no silencers, nothing. Combination just worked out really well. Go figure. Maybe that suggestion of paying attention to tuning is worthwhile. 

If anybody really wants to know, they have to try and see what happens in the real world. General rules have a habit of finding exceptions.


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## GCook (Aug 22, 2016)

I just put mine where the manufacturer said they'd work best. But I can see the logic in closer to the fades. Interesting discussion. 

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## ArchAnon (Feb 27, 2018)

marcelxl said:


> On the limb fades





BarneySlayer said:


> the fade outs





Viper1 said:


> closer to the fade-outs





3finger said:


> Face of the limb top of the fade





Toxalot said:


> just off of the fades





GEREP said:


> right at the fades





BarneySlayer said:


> towards the fade outs





GCook said:


> fades


For a term that seems to be common knowledge, I am missing out.

What is a limb fade?


I Googled and even the archery glossary didn't help me any...

*Fadeout — The tapered piece of wood that fades out into the limb from the riser. *


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## dougmax (Jul 23, 2009)

Right where the limb center fades into the limb veneers


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## GCook (Aug 22, 2016)

Over the past few months I've spent some time and money on experimenting with this.
Turns out they are most effective out on the furthest part of the limb where the string won't hit them.
I've gone through almost a dozen pair on three bows to get to this point. 
Thinking I should buy stock in the company . . .

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## 1canvas (Mar 29, 2009)

GCook said:


> Over the past few months I've spent some time and money on experimenting with this.
> Turns out they are most effective out on the furthest part of the limb where the string won't hit them.
> I've gone through almost a dozen pair on three bows to get to this point.
> Thinking I should buy stock in the company . . .
> ...


I agree, if you think about how they work it only makes sense. I too have tested them over many years and there use to be a video showing that the more movement of the limb the more dampening the LimbSavers do. I have mine midway between the fade outs and where the string touches the limbs


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