# Fast Flight string questions



## sharpbroadhead (Feb 19, 2004)

I use 16 strand Angel Majesty with Angel Majesty serving - I have found it to be very quiet and fast. I asked the makers of Angel the reason for using more than 12 stands and they said that it makes the string more stable and forgiving and that skinny strings do not add enough speed to make it worth while. 

Fast flight string once settled in - does not stretch or creep (i forget which is which in the terms) - in other words you brace height never changes.

Fast flight is faster.

Fast flight transfers more energy to the arrow - and is akin to adding 10lbs of draw weight

Fast flight feels better to most of us - it is a thump instead of the spongy feel of dacron.

oh - btw - by fast flight I mean any of the dyneema, spectra, etc... strings


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Bowford - 

Couple of reasons. 

Generally: Less mass = faster acceleration
Generally: Less stretch on shock = faster launch (less energy lost)
Generally: Less creep during a shooting session = greater consistency over a course of fire (more evident over longer distances and longer shooting sessions - that's why most Oly types won't consider a "skinny" string)
Generally: Newer limb designs and materials have too much shock for Dacron. Not that Dacron won't hold up, because it does, but in some cases, it causes more vibration on shock than the "harder" materials. 

Next all FF type strings aren't created equal. 8 strands of 450+ has close to the same diameter as 14 strands of D97, and IIRC about the same diameter as 20 strands of 8125 (could be off on that one). 

I've yet to meet a modern string material that wasn't reliable. As far as quiet, can't really help ya there. Most of my hunting bows are Dacron only and the few ILF rigs get D97 and I haven't had one I couldn't quiet down, if I had too. The trick is to remember that different material may require different tunes.

BTW - one reason why some folks find skinny strings quieter than their full size counterparts is because the lower strand count allows for more stretch on shock. That where the sound goes. 

Now notice all the qualifiers? Combing different string materials, bows, arrow weights and tuning parameters anything is possible, so it's kinda hard to carve any rules in stone, so it just "generally speaking".

Viper1 out.


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## Bowferd (Dec 15, 2007)

sharpbroadhead, thank you! 

Do you build your own strings? I'm string illiterate to a degree, about 85%. 
When I need strings I've always relied on bearbowmans expertise to fill my needs.


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## sharpbroadhead (Feb 19, 2004)

Yea I built my own for the first time - they are endless loop - with Angel they have to be endless loop because they impregnate a plastic resin in them and you burnish the string and it sort of coats the entire string in this plastic - you never have to wax Angel Majesty - just burnish it once in a while.

If you remind me after Christmas I would be happy to make one for you to try - right now I am too busy - with hunting and wreath making - I should be doing that right now - but had a few other things I had to do and could not make it.


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## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

I just started building my own strings. I built a number of small practice strings out of B50. I have now build two for use: a B50 string for a Wilson Blackwidow and an 8125G for my FITA barebow. I also have some D97 material. Now I am able to experiment with different string designs without spending a lot of money. Strings can be made fairly quickly once you know how.


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## Bowferd (Dec 15, 2007)

Viper1, I appreciate the answers.
Is there a chart available where you can do a comparison of ff materials as to thickness and strength? Although I've made my own arrows for years, and also grind my own turkey primaries, I've never gotten the string bug until recently. I'd like to start building a few of my own strings.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Bowferd - 

Both the BCY and Brownells websites have the string material diameters and breaking strength and serving diameters. String materials also have slightly different feels to them, and the only way to figure that out, unfortunately is to try them. For guys who are into this stuff for the long haul or have a larger number of bows than they'd want to admit to (ahem), making your own strings is just a logical thing to do. Granted, if a guy needs one string a year, it might not be worth it. 

Like hank said, with very little practice, a good Flemish or endless loop string can be spun in less than 1/2 hour. Guess the first thing to do is decide if you want to make Flemish or endless loop strings.

Viper1 out.


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