# Loud longbow



## Greenarrow1 (Jan 17, 2008)

I have a 55# @ 29" longbow that is very loud when I release an arrow. I am using GT trads 3555 they are 31" long and have 100 grain tip. I shoot 3 under. It sounds like the arrow is slapping the riser hard. The arrows should be a little under spined for the bow. I have put soft material on the tips of the bow, but the bow is still loud. Need help.
Thanks,
CB


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

Whats your total arrow weight, too light arrows will make it noisy, try and borrow a heavy arrow to see if it helps eliminates the problem


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## Greenarrow1 (Jan 17, 2008)

steve morley said:


> Whats your total arrow weight, too light arrows will make it noisy, try and borrow a heavy arrow to see if it helps eliminates the problem


Total arrow weight is between 418 and 422 grains. The string material is B450 I believe. Brace height is 8".


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## thejake254 (Jan 22, 2008)

IMO, That arrow is way to light, for a longbow to get along with it. It always seemed to me that longbows are quite unfriendly until you get the arrow weight at or above 10gpp. In your case, at least a 550 grain arrow.


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## reddogge (Jul 21, 2009)

Although not a longbow shooter i tend to agree with the above poster. 3 under isn't quietest way to grab the string either.


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## vinfoto (Feb 23, 2010)

I shoot 5575 Gt trad with 125 grain from my 45 pound Longbow and it is really silent 

Verstuurd van mijn HTC Desire HD A9191 met Tapatalk


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

How did you determine that the 3555 was too weak? What tuning method are you using?

The first thing you need to do is eliminate the arrow slapping the riser. I agree with you, I think the arrows you are using are too weak. If you are using 31" arrows I'm assuming you're draw length is in the 28"-29" range. With my recurves, I need a .340 arrow to tune properly with that length arrow (31" arrow, 175gr. point). Your longbow might be similar or might be better off with a .400, both of which are stiffer than the .500s (3555) you are using. If you want to stick with carbons and get a significantly heavier arrow, a heavy point would help, but then your spine requirements go even higher. I used to shoot my longbows with arrows that weighed in the 500 grain range with no problem, but a heavier arrow will make your bow nice and quiet.

Once you get the arrows to clear the riser, other ways to quiet down a bow are string silencers and a good tune. Three under is a great way to shoot, but it has always come at the expense of a slight increase in bow noise for me (noisier that split finger).

I'd make sure you have the right arrows and do your best on tuning. You don't say your experience level, but if you are relatively new to the longbow your tuning ability will be limited by your shooting skills. But you don't need to be an expert shot to tune your bow either, just do your best. Here is a good link...http://bowmaker.net/tuning.htm


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## Greenarrow1 (Jan 17, 2008)

I have string silencers (mink fur). I used the bare shaft plaing method to tune the arrows and my bare shaft group with my fletched arrows. But I am still getting a shelf or riser slap. It seems to be on the shelf closest to the string. I have tried using a finger sling to eliminate torque but I'm still getting arrow contact.
Thanks for your help.



Easykeeper said:


> How did you determine that the 3555 was too weak? What tuning method are you using?
> 
> The first thing you need to do is eliminate the arrow slapping the riser. I agree with you, I think the arrows you are using are too weak. If you are using 31" arrows I'm assuming you're draw length is in the 28"-29" range. With my recurves, I need a .340 arrow to tune properly with that length arrow (31" arrow, 175gr. point). Your longbow might be similar or might be better off with a .400, both of which are stiffer than the .500s (3555) you are using. If you want to stick with carbons and get a significantly heavier arrow, a heavy point would help, but then your spine requirements go even higher. I used to shoot my longbows with arrows that weighed in the 500 grain range with no problem, but a heavier arrow will make your bow nice and quiet.
> 
> ...


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## Bowbodger (Apr 7, 2011)

I had a similar problem with my hill style longbow when I first started tuning it I was getting fletching contact with the shelf/riser so much so that it was ripping the feathers off of the arrows after only a dozen to twenty shots. My arrows were spined right too. The solution to my problem was raising my nock height to about 1/2 to 5/8" high that solved the fletching contact problem. So you might try raising the nock point and see if it helps.

Jeff


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## Greenarrow1 (Jan 17, 2008)

Bowbodger said:


> I had a similar problem with my hill style longbow when I first started tuning it I was getting fletching contact with the shelf/riser so much so that it was ripping the feathers off of the arrows after only a dozen to twenty shots. My arrows were spined right too. The solution to my problem was raising my nock height to about 1/2 to 5/8" high that solved the fletching contact problem. So you might try raising the nock point and see if it helps.
> 
> Jeff


The nocking point is already at 5/8", should I go any higher.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

Greenarrow1 said:


> The nocking point is already at 5/8", should I go any higher.


5/8" is not overly high for a three under shooter, when I've tuned my bows for three under I end up higher than that. A low nock point can definitely end up in contact between the back of the arrow and the shelf, but you usually get a little bump of the back end sending bare shafts lower than fletched with the nock high (giving you a false indication of too high of a nocking point). If your bare shafts are grouping with your fletched I'm surprised you are getting contact.

It can't hurt to move the nock point higher and work your way down. Start at an inch or so, where you can assume you will be too high. Then work your way down with bare shaft tuning. Correct for horizontal first, then move the nock point down. Make sure you have two nock points, one above and one below the arrow. It's possible, especially for a three under shooter, for the arrow to slide down the string at release which could result in riser contact.


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## JINKSTER (Mar 19, 2011)

Greenarrow1 said:


> The nocking point is already at 5/8", should I go any higher.


EK is correct and for future endeavors?..here's yet another thing i re-learned/remembered the hard way...again..

when it comes to nocking points?..start high...rediculously high...like 3/4-1" high...and work your way down..this way you KNOW that the nock high flight "is expected"..and you also KNOW that it SHOULD reduce as you work your way down...whereas?..if you start low and work your way up?..you don't know what to expect until ya get there and the results will often times make no sense..leaving you wondering which way to go as neither way seems to work...for awhile..until you get there by luck and accident.


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## Greenarrow1 (Jan 17, 2008)

Thanks Easykeeper for your input, I will try raising the nock higher tomorrow and see what happens. I do have 2 nocking points on the string. And thanks to all who responded to this thread.


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## Greenarrow1 (Jan 17, 2008)

I finally quieted the longbow. What i did was to shoot split finger and the bow is very quiet. Tried 3 under and the arrow hits the shelf or riser very hard.
Thanks to all who gave me tips.


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## rsarns (Sep 23, 2008)

If split finger works, and 3 under doesn't then it is because 3 under requires a higher nocking point, and it could have to do with your release.


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## Bowbodger (Apr 7, 2011)

rsarns said:


> If split finger works, and 3 under doesn't then it is because 3 under requires a higher nocking point, and it could have to do with your release.


Makes Sense along with off the shelf longbows requiring a higher nock point than a recurve or longbow shot off of an elevated rest. I shoot split finger and had to go to 5/8" on my hill to eliminate my fletching contact. With 3 Under I Imagine I would have to raise it even more.


Jeff


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