# Metal vs. wood recurve riser



## wseward (Mar 7, 2013)

I have a Hoyt Excel 21" riser with several sets of long limbs for a 66" bow. This is probably my favorite AP (All Purpose) bow. I also have a 25" Hoyt Horizon Pro with the same long limbs for a 70" bow that is a little more accurate and much more steady in the hand due to the additional weight. I have a Samick Recon 15" that is mostly Phenolic with some laminated wood with the same long limbs for a 60" bow that also shoots very well. I do not have any comparable all wood riser.

For bow weights in the range of 30 -44#s the risers above are great. The ILF system is real nice.


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## bowhuntrmaniac (Jan 22, 2012)

I have both. A TT Titan I and a heavy Dymond wood Dryad Epic 17" . The Titan is just "dead in the hand" bomb proof riser. The Epic is prettier (Cocobolo middle stripe) with a short stab. shoots very nice too . Both have slim grips for my small hands. Won't be given' up either one.


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## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

For woods I shot a Sage, Ridgefire, and Imperial. For metal I shot an Excel and just bought a Titan II. Only been shooting about 6-7 months. I think it depends on the bow. Between the Omega Imperial and Titan II (with limbsavers) I do not notice a difference. Both feel dead in my hand. I had some hand shock with my Sage that gave me some elbow pains. My Ridgefire has a little shock, but not bad at all. Excel was also a little.


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## GEREP (May 6, 2003)

It really depends on the riser, the limbs, the tune, and the archer. I've owned and shot a bunch of risers, metal and wood, and without a doubt, my 17" Titan is by far the most "dead in hand" riser I have ever shot.

I also currently own a Hoyt Excel (it's my daughter's actually) and while it's a nice riser, it's not nearly as dead as the Titan, especially with limbs over 40 lbs. 

Bows I used to think were really smooth are annoying to shoot now because I am so used to what the Titan feels like. It's truly spoiled me, that's why I've been shooting it for so long.

Of all the limbs I've tried on my Titan, from 80.00 to 600.00 per set, I have only found 2 that didn't feel good to me.

KPC


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## handirifle (Jun 9, 2005)

I went to the LAS website to see what the Titan was, boy they don't give those away do they? I love the look of it though. Thanks for the replies, it does seem the metal has enough mass for the dampening effect I was wondering about. I think the Titan is well above my price range, but it does tell me what I needed to know.

Another question, how wide are the base of limbs like those for the Samick Sage etc? I have an old riser I might experiment with, but it's a youth model so I need to know if the limbs will fit before I disassemble the bow.


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## Roger Savor Sr (Feb 16, 2014)

You asked about "shock", and my experience with a plethora of both metal and wood handle bows tells me it really doesn't matter at all. It's my opinion that you should think in terms of mass......in that the more you have of it the less of anything the bow will do at the shot. Properly designed and tillered limbs also have much to do with how the bow behaves, and along related lines here, so does tune. A big aid for me in this department was when I switched string designs to low strand count modern Flemish - less vibration and more efficient energy transfer equals a better behaved bow too. It's a system and each of it's components needs to work with the others.


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## MrSinister (Jan 23, 2003)

sounds like you have decided on metal at least for now. If this is your first rig I would keep it simple. A very inexpensive ILF riser and limbs. Ask Viper 1 on here to give you some links he posted some on a thread on here just a while back. The reason I say you have decided is you come from compound and said you like the ability to attach things to the metal riser. That isn't my game at all but that is what I see in what you are looking for. There is over all little difference in how the bows shoot. There are heavy takedown bows in both builds. Many of them cost serious coins for sure but you can put together an ILF setup as cheap as any used compound bow.


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## handirifle (Jun 9, 2005)

No it's far from my first. AM 61 and been shooting, mostly recurves, since I was 8. I know FAR from everything though. I have a compound now and recurves but the recurves I have owned have ALWAYS been one piece, so the takedown system is new to me.

I know my current recurve is not tillered correctly for either 3 under or split, and there is a ton of shock. I have built a few takedowns, but never owned one. Can't say I was good at building them, which explains why I no longer do.  Just being honest here.

I have owned bows that were properly tillered and it does make a difference, but I do know that mass absorbs energy, but there can be overkill.

As for attachments, it's primarily a quiver, but if string stoppers make the string thump even less audible, I am not opposed. Anything to keep a deer from reacting to the sound.


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## MrSinister (Jan 23, 2003)

Okay that leaves the door back wide open. How are you looking to shoot off the shelf or elevated rest? Mind you either way can happen on either riser type also there. Hunting, targets or both? Something like a starter titan is about a 600 dollar deal. There are plenty that will fall into that range and they are nice. Most well set up and tuned recurve bows will not be a hand full in terms of shock on the shot. A good quality string, silencers and such should cure most any of that. Tough to say I have not had any of the olympic style set ups.


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## handirifle (Jun 9, 2005)

Well as an experiment, I have my daughters old Hoyt compound she shot as a young girl. Her daughter prefers the recurve I got her. I measured the limb pockets and they are 1 11/16" wide, and I read somewhere on the net that the Samick Sage's limbs are 1.54" (or 1 7/32") or something close, so those ought to fit.

Might be worth a disassembly to see how I like it. It's also RH riser, and I am a lefty, but right eye dominant. Have shot all my life LH but this will be a good time to try RH, and the Sage's low cost limbs will help me build up in draw weight without breaking the bank.
Use? Hunting mostly. Targets, only to get ready for hunting. I suppose if there was something local, target wise I might, for kicks.


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## handirifle (Jun 9, 2005)

That reminds me. The riser is 17" bolt to bolt, so would that make it a 21" riser? I'd like a bow to be 60-62" long, tops, so what limb length should I get?

I would like to be able to shoot off a elevated rest, but that makes it tougher for hunting, so odds are it will be off the shelf. Is there something special folks use to get rid of the slight downward slant of these shelves?


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

What compound is it?

Sage limbs are the shortest of the bolt-down cheapies and I believe they would make a 62" bow on that riser but don't quote me, it could be 64".

-Grant


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## handirifle (Jun 9, 2005)

Not sure the exact model, it's a Hoyt youth bow from about 20 years ago.


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## sawtoothscream (Apr 19, 2008)

I like both as long as the grip is nice

That being said, I loved my tradtech titan. Wish I never sold that set up. Will own another someday


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## bwd (Dec 6, 2013)

I have only owned two metal and seven wood or wood phenolic takedown/ilf risers, but have never noticed any shock from them with any limb combination used.


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## j.conner (Nov 12, 2009)

I suggest an Excel riser. You can also add a weight to the stabilizer hole to improve balance and add mass.


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## handirifle (Jun 9, 2005)

The weight idea would work on most any metal riser, at least from a compound. Money wise I will convert the little Hoyt and see how I like it from there. Yea the issues I have with my current bow (nothing fancy, an old Shakespear from Ebay) is the limbs seem to be reaching their stop at slightly different times, and this causes some interesting gyrations, and noise.


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

A metal riser will normally be heavier and stiffer and cut way past center for better tuning options over wood risers but if you shoot IBO distances it makes little difference to what riser you shoot, this short range shooting it's more about the archer than the bow, only when you get to the long range Field shots does the metal riser really shine and show it's advantages.


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## Long Rifle (Dec 8, 2011)

If you're considering metal and use to shooting recurve grips a well-built WARF might be the best of both worlds for you. I own several now and after trying many of the factory risers I've come to believe they're the best shooting value in archery.


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## handirifle (Jun 9, 2005)

Yea no real interest in long range, except for a "Hey ya'all watch this," kinda shot. I had considered a warf conversion, but need to assess the cost. this is a "gee I wonder what" type of experiment.


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## deadquiet (Jan 25, 2005)

Roger Savor Sr said:


> You asked about "shock", and my experience with a plethora of both metal and wood handle bows tells me it really doesn't matter at all. It's my opinion that you should think in terms of mass......in that the more you have of it the less of anything the bow will do at the shot. Properly designed and tillered limbs also have much to do with how the bow behaves, and along related lines here, so does tune. A big aid for me in this department was when I switched string designs to low strand count modern Flemish - less vibration and more efficient energy transfer equals a better behaved bow too. It's a system and each of it's components needs to work with the others.


That's kinda' what I was thinkin'. With newer compounds the hand shock went away because the limb angles were changed....ie parallel limbs. I don't think you will ever get a recurve to be "dead in your hands"..........too much forward motion. The mass will help a bit I'm sure but heavier arrows, silencers, etc will help too. My 65 pound compound jumps much less in my hand than my 45 pound recurve does but I think it's more about the limbs and less about the weight.


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## wseward (Mar 7, 2013)

"this is a "gee I wonder what" type of experiment."

One of my favorites, especially if it does not cost to much.


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

What everyone else said...

My own thoughts of emphasis.

In terms of shock, it really depends. Getting a bow tuned, and arrow weight, will have a whole lot of effect on that. I have some wood/phenolic risers, which are more or less 17", and shooting 8 gpp, they are as dead as anything I've ever tried. 

As far as stiffness, I have never really noticed. However, I think it makes more of a difference in that regard if you're going with longer risers. If you like a long riser, I think the metal, or carbon fiber based risers begin to pull away, and when you get really long, I haven't seen much of anything else as an option.

Something that becomes also more possible with metal or carbon fiber, is cutting farther past center, allowing you to get your arrow either very close to center shot, or actually sitting in center shot. Whether or not that's of benefit to you, depends on what you like, the options you like to have for a tune. My newest bow I had cut past center to allow the user of a plunger, and as I narrowed down my arrow selection, during playing around, I decided to simply go with a leather strike plate instead, just because it worked so well, and I didn't want to start dinking around all over again. The arrow sits pretty close to center shot, and the bow shoots well that way. So be it.

On the front of mass, aluminum may be heavier than wood, or it may not. My Predator Velocity was lighter by far than my Classic risers, particularly the Phenolic ones, but even the impregnated Futurewood riser seemed to have more heft, and more importantly, better balance. I ultimately went with adding mass to the riser through a combination of JB weld, a purple eraser, a bolt, and a few washers, to get back the feel and balance I wanted.


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## MAC 11700 (Feb 22, 2011)

Handi 

For a knock around take down you will be hunting with out in the woods, you can't beat a warf. They are plentiful and usually moderately priced. 

The older Bears and the Hoyt Rambo are the better choice and you can also find them in Ilf or Das too. 

For quietness the Das has always seemed to me to do better (personal opinion) but aren't as plentiful and you can convert most Ilf limbs over to it. 

Like Barney said about center shot, very true and with most warfs on the Bears the shelf area can be built up to shoot off of too if you want, but for a all around rain or shine weather bow you can shoot both flexible vanes and feathers with a Center Rest.... Been doing that for ever............ 

Mac


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

steve morley said:


> only when you get to the long range Field shots does the metal riser really shine and show it's advantages.


Interesting. Why is that?

Something about a metal riser that I also think attractive, the ability to change grips relatively easily.


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## handirifle (Jun 9, 2005)

Yea I kinda want to tinker with a centershot riser, and maybe a rest but like you I am on the fence with that part. 

Part of my thought process in the whole matter comes from something most will never (hopefully) run into. I am left handed, and have shot bows all my life that way. Problem is, about 20 years ago I discovered I was right eye dominant. That also explains why I bat RH and swing golf clubs RH, I don't golf though. Anyway, I have a slight astigmatism in both eyes, even AFTER Lasik some 8 yrs ago, AND a slight but growing cataract in the left eye, making it nearly impossible for complete lens correction.

I can shoot handguns or rifles or shotguns equally well from either side and strength wise I am about equal on both sides as well. So, after all these years I am thinking I may be forced into shooting RH, thus all the questions and concerns, and the possibilities since this is like starting out new. I also want to start out with about 40lb limbs and move up to my hunting weight in time, thus moving to a takedown bow. As mentioned, I have my daughters old compound out here and it's a short riser, and the limbs from a Samick will fit (width wise anyway) so I thought why not.

Getting ready for a few day on the road with the 5th wheel, so I will decide when I get back, whether to go Samick all the way, Samick limbs on the compound riser, or what?

All the feedback has been much appreciated.


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## DDSHOOTER (Aug 22, 2005)

Simple really, the metal is more durable. No more wood for me.
Dan


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## JINKSTER (Mar 19, 2011)

I'm very "wood biased"...then again?...Neil M. (my acronym for "Not Evereyone Is Like Me")...and I believe the reason for my bias towards wood is because my very first vision and memory of a bow came when I asked my father "What's That Dad?"....as he sat at the kitchen table installing bleeder blades in his bear broadheads..and he told me...

"It's a Bow Son."

and the reason I asked was because I had never seen such a beautiful wood anything before....the grain...the curves...to me?...it was prettier than Karen Foster (my next store neighbor sweetheart)...and no one was prettier than Karen! ...but that bow was! :laugh:

Wood...it starts as a living growing thing...and to me?...it has warmth, soul and a certain humble demeanor and often times "unique character" all too its own.

It wasn't beaten and heated in the fires of mans will to best others...God grew it and gave it to us....as no man could possibly create something that beautiful.

In the cold woods?...a wooden bow retains and holds the heat from my hand...a metal one steals it...and then some.

If my wood bow accidentally strikes a metal object such as a tree stand strut or arrow shafting?...it yields a subdued, dull "thud" sound...where metal goes..."TINK!"

A favorite point of debate against wood bow lovers from metal riser aficionados is "Yeah but Fred Bear came out with his Magnesium Riser Bow he affectionately named Maggy!".....and that's true...but another truth is...in 1968 Fred Bear sold Bear Archery to the Victor Comptometer Corp. (even though Fred remained as president) and it was just 3 years later that the corporate owned Bear Archery came out with Maggie in 1971...some feel this was more a "Corporate Driven Decision" and more aimed at profit rather than passion driven as Fred had certain constraining business related obligations at this point.

But hey...nothing against the archers who prefer such....just not my cup of tea and not for me....I love bows made of wood and if you're going to call it a stick bow?...I figure you ought to start out with a stick and not a molten pot of metal! :laugh:

Just my 2cents and L8R, Bill. :cool2:


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## Bill 2311 (Jun 24, 2005)

I started with a Pinnacle I I but switched to the Titan I I I for the weight. As a plus, I was as be to get a high grip fir the metal riser. I did not notice any difference in vibration between them. Like so much rlse,it is personal preference based upon feel.


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## ben911 (Sep 3, 2012)

I try vpa 13'' (more weight feeling) dalaa 17'' and 15'' riser and at this time is with tribe halo 18'' riser.
the best feeling is with this riser!
very small metal grip no plastic.
Perfect match with TT longbow limbs.


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## Rick Barbee (Jan 16, 2013)

I do not shoot one bit better with a metal riser, or with ILF rigs than I do with bolt down wood risers.
If you know how to tune, and aren't afraid to take the initiative to change things up a bit on the wood
risers, one will tune & shoot just as good as the next.

I have never experience the* "cold feel"* in my hand that some say about the metal risers.
They feel pretty much the same as wood to me.

I prefer a metal riser for two reasons: 

(1) I have more confidence in them that they won't break.
After having a few wood risers explode on me at full draw, I am a little gun shy with them at the draw weights I prefer.

(2) I seldom have to get out the file & sand paper to get a metal riser where I want it to be. 

Rick


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## rattus58 (Jul 9, 2007)

handirifle said:


> On those that have both, or have shot both, do you feel the metal (thus heavier) risers on recurve bows, absorb shock better? As mentioned in another post am looking into a compound conversion or just buying a metal riser bow altogether. Short story is I want a takedown bow, but am on the fence over metal or wood riser. I don't mind the extra weight as much as I would having a lot of hand shock.
> 
> I am "considering" an ILF riser for the tenability, but they are a lot more $$$ so that is a big factor.
> 
> I like the ability to mount accessories on the metal risers, and their lack of perceived flex.


The configuration of the bow riser, in my estimation, reflex/deflex have more to do with handshock than the material. I've a Wendt longbow that is brutal... a few shots and you enough of a headache and muscle pain to last a bottle of ibuprofen. I've several wood recurves and a Dorado (metal) that hardly have any hand shock at all and all are somewhat deflex. I prefer wood risers but I'm coming around to the Dorado because its pleasant to shoot. Try the bow first before you buy it probably would be the thing to do.

Aloha...


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