# Border HEX6 limb tests and discussion



## DK Lieu (Apr 6, 2011)

Great data, Hank. I've been following those threads. I'm expecting delivery of a set of 35# Border HEX 6H longs very soon. It will be fun comparing them to my current Hoyt 990 TX's. If the engineering data are correct, there should be a notable increase in speed with the HEX 6's.


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## BLACK WOLF (Aug 26, 2005)

Hank D Thoreau said:


> I am running a series of tests on the new Border HEX6 limbs.


I'm very impressed...with both the limbs and your effort in testing these limbs!

It would be nice to have that info also posted here. 

Is there a reson why that info wasn't posted here but was shared with 2 other seperate archery websites? Just curious.

Ray :shade:


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## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

I had chosen the Border forum on Archery-Interchange.net because it generated the biggest response to my tests on the HEX5 limbs about a year and a half ago (currently somewhere around 11,000 views). There are a lot of FITA shooters there. Tradtalk was to hit the traditional community. Border recently setup a sponsor forum on Tradtalk and there has been a lot of interest in the HEX6 limbs there.

As expected, my most up to date post is on Archery-Interchange.net. I need to update the Tradtalk side. I will put something together for Archerytalk. What makes the tests valuable is the dialog from Sid Ball at Border. It is not often that you get this kind of dialog going with the designer of the equipment. The HEX limb geometry is interesting to test because it behaves so differently than a conventional geometry -- and the difference is measureable. The difference in the behavior is easy to see in the First Derivative Curves (Smoothness) and corresponds to what I feel when I shoot them. It seems that there a lot of folks trying out the HEX6 limbs that have not used Border limbs before. I will be interesting to see what these folks think.

My latest update included tests with limb bolts in and out, at 7 and 9 inches of brace height. This info is on the Archery-Interchange site along with Sid's comments.


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## Acehero (Nov 2, 2007)

DK Lieu said:


> Great data, Hank. I've been following those threads. I'm expecting delivery of a set of 35# Border HEX 6H longs very soon. It will be fun comparing them to my current Hoyt 990 TX's. If the engineering data are correct, there should be a notable increase in speed with the HEX 6's.


To be fair, I think youd find a speed increase with any top of the range limb over the 990's. As nice as they were, I and some others found them a little slow.


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## Harperman (Sep 3, 2006)

I will check out the links later, but in the mean time, I'd look forward to seeing the arrow speed differences in the Border limbs, VS. the top end Korean limbs, Samick's, Win & Win's, Kaya's, etc..etc.....Thanks for the links.................Harperman


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## DK Lieu (Apr 6, 2011)

I've received my Border HEX 6H limbs. Put everything together, and clocked my arrows: 990TX vs. HEX 6. Exact same set-up (check my AT profile), exact same arrows (McKinney 2). Adjusted so the final holding weight at anchor was the same (at 38 lbs). HEX 6 needed a little longer string because it spec'd a lower brace height. 990TX was 194 ft/sec. HEX 6H was 212 ft/sec. Very impressive increase in speed. Equivalent to around 6.5 lb increase in draw weight. The force definitely felt different while drawing. When starting the draw, I could swear that the limbs were heavier than marked. Once I get to anchor, the holding weight is very comfortable.


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## rsarns (Sep 23, 2008)

Where did you purchase your Hex6h limbs?


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## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

I got them from Border in Scotland. Check out their website www.borderbows.com. The website is out of date and a new one has been in the works for some time. You can also post over on the Border forum Archery-Interchange.net. Additional tests and discussion is going on over at Archery-Interchange. I am a bit delayed in some of my tests due to a back injury that is making it hard to string my bow... and the next tests require that I string it many times.


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## Borderbows (Apr 4, 2009)

DK Lieu said:


> The force definitely felt different while drawing. When starting the draw, I could swear that the limbs were heavier than marked. Once I get to anchor, the holding weight is very comfortable.


A little lower in the brace height range should solve this.

Lowering the BH, means you drop the inital string tension. You still gain the preload, its just you kinda average the initial weight over more draw inches.

I would suggest the BH for a 68" bow can drop closer about 7" before it starts to get loud.

here is the hex6 on a 17" riser, but here is somneone elses experience.

"UPDATE....I'm still having fun playing with my HEX 6 limbs. After exchanging several emails with Sid I decided to try the 6.5" brace height. I was pleasantly surprised that the bow actually seemed quieter to me and I picked some noticeable arrow speed. Bare shaft was better, as well, even out to 20 yards. I shot two 5 arrow groups at 20 yards and got that "arrow going where I look" feeling....and the groups were much better than what I had been experiencing...and after I shot I realized that my shoulder wasn't fatigued. I shot some 400 spine arrows and it looks like if I play with the plunger tension I could be shooting those with 200 grains up front. The lesson is, listen to your bowyer."

http://www.tradtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31431


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

DK Lieu said:


> I've received my Border HEX 6H limbs. Put everything together, and clocked my arrows: 990TX vs. HEX 6. Exact same set-up (check my AT profile), exact same arrows (McKinney 2).



Out of curiosity, Have you tried bareshafting the same arrows?


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## DK Lieu (Apr 6, 2011)

Greysides said:


> Out of curiosity, Have you tried bareshafting the same arrows?


I haven't had a chance to do a full tune. But I did shoot several bare shafts with the HEX 6's at around 5 m when I measured their speed. Bare shafts landed straight, as did the vaned shafts, and pretty much where I aimed. At 18 m, the left-right placement of vaned shafts was pretty much in the same place with the HEX 6's as it was with my 990 TX's. When I get around to doing a full tune, I have every reason to believe that the HEX 6's will tune to the rest of my current set up with only minor adjustment. This is nice, because it means I won't need to get new arrows. The only "problem" I had was that, at 18 m, the arrows were landing higher on the target with the HEX 6's than with the 990's, and I couldn't move the aperture on my sight up any more. Don't know what to do about that.


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## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

I am back shooting again after getting over a back injury. I shot my HEX6 at 7 1/2 inch brace height for a 70 inch bow. The limbs are remarkably smooth, especially evident after moving from my indoor bow. I have not tuned yet. I am still getting some noise so I will need to adjust the brace height a bit more. I plan to test speed and noise (digital sound level meter) as I adjust the brace height from about 7 1/4 to 8 1/4 inches. I am using a 68 1/2 inch 16 strand D97 string to get the low brace height on a Bernardini Nilo. I also hope to shoot some FITA distances this weekend if I get a chance. 

I did have one interesting incident when it sounded like a part flew off my bow during a shot. It turns out that my brass nock locator came off and landed somewhere in my garage, never to be found again. I guess I forgot to clamp it down. It did not seem to affect the arrow flight. I guess I will have to go to tie ons next time.


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

Thanks Dennis. I went from Samick Vision 36# to Hex 6 H 36# and found I needed to lessen the preload and change points from 80 to 110 grain.

I was expecting to have to move in the opposite direction. Your TX's being higher end limbs are probably at less of a disadvantage in a comparison.

Hank, for a 1 3/4" crawl, I found a tiller of -5 and a BH of 7 7/8" with a low grip to be reasonably quiet. It also helped that the limbs are turned down. 

I've not finished tuning but the BS and fletched are shaking hands at 18m.


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