# Quieting a recurve



## shawnsphoto (Apr 13, 2007)

Hello all,

How do you quiet a recurve where the string hits the limb? I have heard it before on a lot of recurves. Thoughts?


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## thejake254 (Jan 22, 2008)

*3 rivers*

adhesive backed calf hair from 3 rivers. works like a charm


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Shawn -



shawnsphoto said:


> Hello all,
> 
> How do you quiet a recurve where the string hits the limb? I have heard it before on a lot of recurves. Thoughts?


Are you sure that's what's happening and did you try tuning the bow??? 

Typically a smacking sound is caused by an over spined arrow's tail hitting the riser.

Viper1 out


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## bulldog42 (Dec 19, 2009)

or you can use neoprene that have adhesive on one side. you can buy it in good sized squares and it doesnt cost but a few bucks. plus you can probably get a little over a dozen pairs out of it. we used it for my dads recurve and it did wonders. -Nick


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

I'd start by making sure your shooting a properly spined arrow, then start changing the brace height until you find the 'sweet spot'. When you find it the bow will smooth out on release, loose viberation and be quiter without adding anything. Once you find that, I've had great luck with string leaches. Those couple things usually get the shot down to a low thump.


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## Eldermike (Mar 24, 2009)

Noise comes from shooting the wrong arrow spine/weight and/or incorrect brace height. Given these things are correct the noise you hear can be handled with cat wiskers or something of the sort.


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## vtmtnman (Aug 3, 2008)

Get some yarn and wrap the ends of the string with it down till about one inch past where it leaves contact with the limb.I do this to all my recurves and it helps,along with cat whiskers.Tuning the bow and brace height are a given...


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## Floatsum (Jan 14, 2010)

Twist her up until you hit the quietest brace, then match the arrows to it.
Tune from there using point weight.
If the weight doesn't do you within 25 gr,, change spine / spline of arrow (or change spine anyways to match).


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## alanraw (Feb 18, 2005)

vtmtnman said:


> Get some yarn and wrap the ends of the string with it down till about one inch past where it leaves contact with the limb.I do this to all my recurves and it helps,along with cat whiskers.Tuning the bow and brace height are a given...


X2. I have also found that yarn wrapped around the string ends where the string contacts the limb is fairly effective in reducing the "slap" of the string hitting the limb after release. 

I know some respondents to this thread have suggested placing some sort of material on the limb where the string contacts, but I personally avoid that as I don't want any material on the limb and also, if the material placed on the limb is placed in the string grooves, there may be a problem with string alignment and string tracking


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## Floatsum (Jan 14, 2010)

alanraw said:


> X2. I have also found that yarn wrapped around the string ends where the string contacts the limb is fairly effective in reducing the "slap" of the string hitting the limb after release.
> 
> I know some respondents to this thread have suggested placing some sort of material on the limb where the string contacts, but I personally avoid that as I don't want any material on the limb and also, if the material placed on the limb is placed in the string grooves, there may be a problem with string alignment and string tracking


Plus it robs speed.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

alan -

The trick with a thin pad over the string groove area is over 40 years old. It can't interfere with string tracking and really doesn't affect speed any more than the lightest string silencers. The problem with it is that it may be masking the real issue. It's literally a band-aid fix. 

Quite honestly, it's the same thing as wrapping the ends of the string with yarn or whatnot. Really have to think of that as a last resort, not a general "thing to do".

Viper1 out.


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## GEREP (May 6, 2003)

Viper1 said:


> Quite honestly, it's the same thing as wrapping the ends of the string with yarn or whatnot. Really have to think of that as a last resort, not a general "thing to do".
> 
> Viper1 out.



String slap on a recurve can be an issue regardless of how well you tune. The idea that it is a "band-aid" is simply not accurate. No matter how well your rig is tuned, the string is still going to return to the string groove. In a large part, why do you think D-shaped longbows are so quiet? Simple, the string doesn't touch the limb.

String slap and string noise are two totally seperate animals. Whiskers, leaches, puffs, etc. won't do anything for string slap.

Wool yarn at the contact points will eliminate most noise and won't affect performance in a noticable way.

KPC


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## Runningbuck (Mar 11, 2009)

In my experience with a noisey recurve a few things come to mind, the wrong spined arrow striking the riser, the wrong brace height(too low) will allow more string to come in contact with the limb, arrow weight less then 8 grains per pound. Assuming this is your hunting rig because your concerned about noise, weigh your arrows, you want to be in the 9 to 11 grains per pound range to get the most out of your bow. Shoot some of the arrows you are using bare shaft to verify correct flight. If you have wool or yarn silencers on the string, measure the string and put them at the quarter and third points for the best results. 

RB


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## alanraw (Feb 18, 2005)

GEREP said:


> String slap on a recurve can be an issue regardless of how well you tune. The idea that it is a "band-aid" is simply not accurate. No matter how well your rig is tuned, the string is still going to return to the string groove. In a large part, *why do you think D-shaped longbows are so quiet?* Simple, the string doesn't touch the limb.
> 
> String slap and string noise are two totally seperate animals. Whiskers, leaches, puffs, etc. won't do anything for string slap.
> 
> ...


Why do I think D-shaped longbows are so quiet? Simple---they send all the noise inducing shock to the elbow of the shooter. *JUST KIDDING!* God and Christ Bless!


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## GEREP (May 6, 2003)

Actually, there are silencers designed *specifically *for D-shaped longbows. 

I've never tried them but from what I hear they are pretty effective.

:wink:

KPC


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## alanraw (Feb 18, 2005)

*lol!*


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## vtmtnman (Aug 3, 2008)

LOL!!!Now that right there is funny...


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## vtmtnman (Aug 3, 2008)

GEREP said:


> String slap on a recurve can be an issue regardless of how well you tune. The idea that it is a "band-aid" is simply not accurate. No matter how well your rig is tuned, the string is still going to return to the string groove. In a large part, why do you think D-shaped longbows are so quiet? Simple, the string doesn't touch the limb.
> KPC


Thank you....


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## Apex Predator (Jan 27, 2007)

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=712964

This works for alot of folks!


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## shawnsphoto (Apr 13, 2007)

I believe I have things pretty dialed in. The sound has been there since I first got the bow with the stock string. It now has the string from Sandsquid on it and does the same thing. I have the 1916 that Viper1 suggested. They shoot very straight, I do have an occasional flyer, but attribute that to the greenhorn behind the bow. The braceheight is sitting at 8 inches or so. On my compound I have a string stopper. I know that made a significant reduction in string sound. Is there something like that for recurves?


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Shawn -

People have tried to use those on stickbows, but I don't think it's a good idea; it's the "not getting in the way" principle. Also depends on when the slap is actually occurring., if it's before the string passes it's resting point, then the "stop" would only affect vibration, not the actual "slap".

If you believe it's string slap then either the groove pad or wrapping the string might work, and the more you think about it, the more obvious it becomes that both methods do the same thing - cushioning the string to limb contact point. (You can test it by using a layer or two of masking tape. If there's any difference at all then you can go for a "real" pad or wrap.) 

Viper1 out.


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## shawnsphoto (Apr 13, 2007)

Viper1 said:


> Shawn -
> 
> People have tried to use those on stickbows, but I don't think it's a good idea; it's the "not getting in the way" principle. Also depends on when the slap is actually occurring., if it's before the string passes it's resting point, then the "stop" would only affect vibration, not the actual "slap".
> 
> ...


I have some very heavy old aluminum arrows and Carbon. Should I try shooting those to see what the difference might be?


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Shawn -



shawnsphoto said:


> I have some very heavy old aluminum arrows and Carbon. Should I try shooting those to see what the difference might be?


You could try them and that *might* prove that the 1916 are too "light", but you'd be quieting the bow at the expense of keeping it tuned. (I'm not buy the "too light" thing, yet). If you know the bow IS tuned correctly, and that pretty much implies bare shafting has been done, then you have to use some kind of add-on to counteract the property of the bow that's causing the sound. 

There really are only two reasons for a TUNED bow to be noisy. 1. You've successfully tuned the wrong arrows or 2. the bow is inherently noisy - and that usually means a poor limb design.

Viper1 out.


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## shawnsphoto (Apr 13, 2007)

Viper1 said:


> Shawn -
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well being a greenhorn here there is a little learning curve. I wonder if other Jaguar shooters are hearing the same thing? I have not personally played with moving the rest left or right to make sure that I am not hitting the riser. So that could be a possibility. I also really don't know how silent the shot should actually be as I am a compound shooter first and have been able to get my bow to be very quiet at the end of the shot. It will be interesting to try a heavier arrow to see what happens.
In terms of left/right arrow-rest position what should that technically be?


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## newbwithabow (Oct 18, 2009)

Hey Shawn,

I have 2 Martin Jaguar Take Downs, their the first bows I've ever bought. I don't have any other bows to compare them to. But in my opinion they shoot great. What I did to quiet them down was to move the brace height to 7 3/4" and that seem to do the trick for me. I hope that helps.

newbwithabow


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## Demp223 (Feb 3, 2010)

I've got my whisker biscut centered on riser to string. Have a pair of string grubs about 4 inches down from where string rest on riser. Brace height is at 7 1/4",appx 1/4" of string groove is exposed. Shooting 28"5575 Gold Tip XT Hunters with 100 tips=396grain. All you hear is a nice low deep thump and it's pretty dead in the hand.


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## Jack NZ (Apr 7, 2006)

GEREP said:


> String slap on a recurve can be an issue regardless of how well you tune. The idea that it is a "band-aid" is simply not accurate. No matter how well your rig is tuned, the string is still going to return to the string groove. In a large part, why do you think D-shaped longbows are so quiet? Simple, the string doesn't touch the limb.
> 
> String slap and string noise are two totally seperate animals. Whiskers, leaches, puffs, etc. won't do anything for string slap.
> 
> ...


Sorry buy Viper is perfectly correct.
As anybody that is actualy good at tuning recurves can in fact prove.
Before the internet I personaly only ever used string silencers,as did most people I know.
While setting up my current recurve I found the thing very noisy out of the box so I did place neoprene on the string grooves.
Well after getting the thing virtualy silent,I removed the ugly things because I simply didn't like the look of them,,,nothing changed,,she's still as quiet as any recurve I've ever owned.
Your comments are just an example of your own limitations,and the fact your trying to project them onto others.
A simple fact is if you really know what your doing,you don't need a lot of this stuff,,,and string contact on the limb tips makes less noise than a poor release anyway.
Get good at using a glove rather than a tab,and most of your string slap noise will instantly vanish.

Just because somebody tells you "they" can't do something is no reason to belive "you" can't either,,,you might just be better than them,,,,never forget that,,it's what separates the champions from the also rans.


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## BLACK WOLF (Aug 26, 2005)

There are a number of reasons that cause a bow to be noisey or noiser than others.

Think of the whole bow as a tuning fork...where vibration travels throughout the whole bow to some degree or another. Some bows are designed with efficientcy and dampening in mind.

The new Formula RX is a bow designed for improvements in those areas.

How to reduce bow noise?

First place to start is developing a good release and tuning to the best of your ability.

A perfect release is still going to cause vibration throughout the bow because not all of the energy is translated to the arrow.

Depending on the bow...an archer can use string silencers, limb savers, limb pads, etc. etc. to help quite it even more if they need to.

Not all bows are created equal. Some will be louder or vibrate at a different frequency than others and there are techniques to quite them down even more than just tuning or improving your release.

Ray :shade:


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## mark_vogt (Aug 10, 2007)

*BEST ADVICE: When you hear hoofbeats... think "horses", not "zebras"...*

C'mon guys, 

I own a number of recurve bows, some short (47") and some tall (60"), some nearly reflex-deflex, and some bent into almost a cursive "E"...
I've read everyone's cool, exotic explanations, and have the following comments which are common-sense and irrefutable: 
1. Like several others have said, long bows are quieters because their strings do not - CAN NOT - slap the backs of the limbs. Period. 
2. Recurve bows all will be noiser because their strings DO slap the backs of the limbs. Period. 
3. Different recurve bows display varying levels of string slap due to several factors - string tension (directly related to brace) and amount of rear limb contacting string. Period. 
4. Much (never all, but close) of recurve bow string slap-related noise can be reduced by proper string selection (length & width), as well as proper brace. Period. 
5. Much (never all, but close) of recurve bow string slap-related noise can be reduced by various forms of silencers. Period. 
6. Any form of silencer added to the limbs will cause them to be heavier and less flexible at the tips, slowing the bow down. Period. 
7. How much the bow slows down depends on the material used - their mass (even a little can have a surprising effect) and stiffness. Try by all means to AVOID this technique. 
8. The better technique is to increase the brace to its maximum before losing arrow performance. This minmizes the limb area contacting the limb, and hence noise. Period.
9. The better technique is to use fluffly (choices are endless) but reasonably-waterproof padding materials on the string, as close to the ends as possible while still padding the remaining contact area (contact area AFTER the arrow is loosed - this is surprisingly large if you saw it in slow-motion!). May call this the 1/4-1/3 area, but the real explanation is that the entire string moves FORWARD of vertical after arrow release, and literally wraps itself around the limbs for literally 1/4 the length of the string or more - now you know where those numbers came from. Period. 
10. The combination of loose-wrapping thick yarn very close to the loops, and puffy yarn balls at the 1/4 points are quick, non-permanent, adjustable, and VERY effective. This very technique can be seen on even ancient recurve bows from many many cultures in Europe, the middle east and the far east. That's because it works while minimizing the effect on bow speed. 

$2.00 worth of thick yarn and 15 minutes work, and you'll have quieter, smoother recurve bow. And you'll know WHY. 

Good luck. 
-MV 




BLACK WOLF said:


> There are a number of reasons that cause a bow to be noisey or noiser than others.
> 
> Think of the whole bow as a tuning fork...where vibration travels throughout the whole bow to some degree or another. Some bows are designed with efficientcy and dampening in mind.
> 
> ...


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## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

Floatsum said:


> Twist her up until you hit the quietest brace, then match the arrows to it.
> Tune from there using point weight.
> If the weight doesn't do you within 25 gr,, change spine / spline of arrow (or change spine anyways to match).


This...brace height tuning. twist up and down til you find the quietest, least vibration bow. After that you can add some beaver balls to the string or velcro to the limb ends (that's the soft side of velcro)

Velcro- What you'll do is add it to the limb along the string grove...works great.

Also, heavier arrows with the proper spine...almost silent (quieter than my compound)


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## crazymoose (May 17, 2005)

I use the padded side of velcro on my limb tips along the string grooves and it works for me.


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## TheLongbowShoot (Mar 23, 2012)

Very best http://www.stiktamer.com/Stiktamer_Product.html


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