# String stop necessary?



## hunterduke (Jan 6, 2010)

I was wondering how many of you feel like a string stop is important when looking for a bow? Do they make a difference in noise when you have one? I see most manufacturers have some bows that do and some don't. I guess the low end bows don't.


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## Dale_B1 (Jan 31, 2004)

I find them an excellent tool for any bow.


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## Ybuck (Apr 21, 2007)

hunterduke said:


> I was wondering how many of you feel like a string stop is important when looking for a bow? Do they make a difference in noise when you have one? I see most manufacturers have some bows that do and some don't. I guess the low end bows don't.


They will make your bow more quiet, and also eliminate the need for string silencers.(which will increase your speed slightly)
Another plus is better arm clearence especially while wearing bulky hunting clothing. May even take a bit of vibration out of certain bows.
Do you need one? No, hunted for many years without, and did just fine. But i have to admit, it is a user freindly device.


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## bow_hunter44 (Apr 20, 2007)

When I became active in archery again, about 5 or 6 years ago I didn't even know what one was - I had taken quite a few deer and elk with archery tackle at that time. So are they necessary - no. That said, I have them on all of my bows.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

I believe they are a necessary thing for my bows because they have so many positives that out weigh any negatives that I know of. The only negative is that some guys claim they aren't as accurate as a bow without one but I think they are full of crap and have no proof. For a hunter they allow you to shoot with bulky clothes without a armguard, they make most bows more crisp on release and quieter.


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## shooter34 (Feb 24, 2009)

Padgett said:


> I believe they are a necessary thing for my bows because they have so many positives that out weigh any negatives that I know of. The only negative is that some guys claim they aren't as accurate as a bow without one but I think they are full of crap and have no proof. For a hunter they allow you to shoot with bulky clothes without a armguard, they make most bows more crisp on release and quieter.


I agree, they are necessary for my hunting bows. because i can were my bulky clothes with no issues.


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## ruck139 (May 3, 2011)

Not necessary, but they are very helpful, especially when it come to forearm slap. You can wear heavy clothes with almost no worry. They help with vibration too.


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## Paramecium (Apr 13, 2006)

The benefit of a string stop depends on the respective bow and on the purpuse of the bow! A string stop will not always work the same and I can give an example for this. I wouldn't want to shoot my Tribute without a string stop. I tried both and the STS that I mounted made the bow considerably quiter. On the other hand I've mounted STS on my Hoyt Supertec as well. But here I don't feel like it made a difference, so on this bow it wouldn't be really necessary. But there is still the argument of the string touching the forearm. I think this might depend on the respective bow too. With some bows the string surely tends more to move forward during the shoot.
So my summary would be as follows: on a long brace height target bow the string stop wouldn't be really needed. Sound doesn't matter here. But when hunting some bows become quiter by the use of a string stop and it might improve clearance when one wears bulky clothing.


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## dougedwards (Sep 5, 2010)

A great tool if you are going to use the bow for hunting. A useless device for target shooting.

Doug


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## TABSHOOTR (Nov 1, 2011)

so does everyone typically shoot a stronger (less flex) or a weaker (more flex) spine shaft for fingers? or does it not really change?


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## mainehunt (Sep 11, 2006)

Dale_B1 said:


> I find them an excellent tool for any bow.


Me too.

Kev
<><


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## TABSHOOTR (Nov 1, 2011)

sorry about that last one ^^^ had 2 windows open and meant to reply to the other window.


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## bamahunter19 (Nov 16, 2011)

hunterduke said:


> I was wondering how many of you feel like a string stop is important when looking for a bow? Do they make a difference in noise when you have one? I see most manufacturers have some bows that do and some don't. I guess the low end bows don't.


I would definitely recommend getting a bow that has one. It cuts down on the noise and the need for string silencers. You are right that most of the low end bows do not have them, but if you are looking to get a bow you should go ahead a pay the extra money. You will get what you pay for! I have an older bow that does not have one and I have a Mathews z7 that has the dead end string stop. When shooting them both you can definitley tell the difference. Hope this helps!


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## Tooltech (Jun 19, 2011)

I suppose the string stop would save the day in the event of a dry fire...

They do silence the bow for hunting applications.

I do not use them on any of my target compounds. I believe they degrade accuracy beyond 50 yards / meters.


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## Buster of Xs (Nov 28, 2008)

Tooltech said:


> I suppose the string stop would save the day in the event of a dry fire???


Nope.

I don't use them at all. No need for me. My hunting bow is dead quiet without one and with almost 9" of brace it can't hit a bulky coat anyway. And my target rigs would lose a small amount of longe range accuracy if I added one so they don't get them either.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

I don't like them on my UltraElite. I suppose they could help with keeping the string off your arm, but with an arm guard string slap shouldn't be an issue. No matter how I tried my UltraElite and ProElite were both louder with than without the stop (but they also were designed without a stop). The noise is different with and without the stop. Shorter and sharper with, longer and softer without. Perceived noise is less without. I use string silencers on the string though. They really help with the buzz.

It's hard to find a hunting type bow without them now. I wouldn't put one on a bow that didn't come with it.


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## ericfloyd (Sep 25, 2008)

i wouldnt shoot without one. way to many pro's and no con's imo


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## Buster of Xs (Nov 28, 2008)

ericfloyd said:


> i wouldnt shoot without one. way to many pro's and no con's imo


No cons? There are, but it depends on what you're using the bow for. For example....when a string hits a low mounted stop it doesn't actually stop the whole string's forward motion. It only stops it where it makes contact and the rest of the string "bends" around the stopper and moves past brace just as it did without the stopper. Only now, with a stopper, the bend isn't a nice arch, but two unequal sized arcs with the top arc being larger/deeper than the bottom. This actually causes a dip in nock travel just before the arrow comes off the string. Now if this is a target bow your long range accuracy will suffer as a result. But if you're just taking close up shots while hunting you'd likely never notice that it's happening at all.


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## zSar (Jul 30, 2010)

IMO.. I have tried with and without the string stopper for the same bow. With my bow, you will hear the twanging sound without one. But like everyone here will tell you that its not going to affect your hunting. 

As for target shooting pro, you dont see them having those string stopper.

Check this few YouTube Archery Competitions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0oSVs_RrfM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlnuyE8TRds&feature=relmfu

Probably if you are looking for a balanced string stopper... you can check the Bear compound bows like Anarchy, Carnage or Mauler... 

As for Mathews... going back to older models like "Switchback", or the new "Conquest Prestige".. these have the dual string stoppers without the off center piece.


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## Mbmadness (May 19, 2009)

They make the bow quieter and i feel they help the arrow to leave the string cleaner and the result is a more accurate shot .


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## crowinghen (Oct 2, 2011)

Quieter for sure!!

susie


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## safe cracker (Sep 28, 2009)

no you don't need one unless your bow came with one, but they sure make your bow quieter


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## Dale_B1 (Jan 31, 2004)

Buster of Xs said:


> No cons? There are, but it depends on what you're using the bow for. For example....when a string hits a low mounted stop it doesn't actually stop the whole string's forward motion. It only stops it where it makes contact and the rest of the string "bends" around the stopper and moves past brace just as it did without the stopper. Only now, with a stopper, the bend isn't a nice arch, but two unequal sized arcs with the top arc being larger/deeper than the bottom. This actually causes a dip in nock travel just before the arrow comes off the string. Now if this is a target bow your long range accuracy will suffer as a result. But if you're just taking close up shots while hunting you'd likely never notice that it's happening at all.


I've seen you mention this before----------I have never seen it nor have I ever heard anyone else say this happens. give me a slow-mo of it happening then I will buy it-----until then I think your imagining things.


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## stuck&down (Nov 17, 2011)

I was wondering my Parker has mounts on top and bottom, and if I put stops on both, how beneficial would that be, Bear started doing it.


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## Buster of Xs (Nov 28, 2008)

Dale_B1 said:


> I've seen you mention this before----------I have never seen it nor have I ever heard anyone else say this happens. give me a slow-mo of it happening then I will buy it-----until then I think your imagining things.


If the search function is working again look it up. There's a several page thread for you to mill over. Enjoy!!


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## Parthian (Oct 3, 2011)

Dale_B1 said:


> I've seen you mention this before----------I have never seen it nor have I ever heard anyone else say this happens. give me a slow-mo of it happening then I will buy it-----until then I think your imagining things.


Dale for a giggle , take the stop off one of your Hoyts (the longer the ATA the better ) , and shoot a few groups , 20 yards , and 60 yards if possible - 
After you get over the initial shock of how different the bow sounds and feels you might be surprised at the results ?

They are great for reducing sound on a hunting rig and if your form is not in check the stop keeps Joe from getting string bite. 

What happens when any fast moving object ( in this case the string ) collides with an object at rest ( the string stopper ) = A reaction 
If the stopper is asymmetric as most are , what is the reaction going to be , the rubber stopper eats some of the energy , the left over energy is going where ????
Directly into kicking the bow , In the case of Hoyts where the stop is below the nock , the tip is kicked back towards shooter , is it minimal , yes , could it matter 
when you are chasing Xs , yes This along with the string not taking its natural path forward and being ""bent around the stopper "" is the reason you do not see them on target bow

The String stops main purpose in life is to keep every day Joes arm from being bitten , with the great added benefit of working to silence hunting bows.


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## carlosii (Feb 25, 2007)

the stop does add just a tad of speed coming out of the bow. i took mine off my shadowcat because the set screw was basically stripped.


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## Dale_B1 (Jan 31, 2004)

Parthian said:


> Dale for a giggle , take the stop off one of your Hoyts (the longer the ATA the better ) , and shoot a few groups , 20 yards , and 60 yards if possible -
> After you get over the initial shock of how different the bow sounds and feels you might be surprised at the results ?
> 
> They are great for reducing sound on a hunting rig and if your form is not in check the stop keeps Joe from getting string bite.
> ...


Thank you for your insight-----But I sell bows, set them up, and have a very good knowledge on string stops, I work with them. They are not mainly used to stop arm slap(that is caused by a poorly fit bow to the shooter and improper instruction on how to hold a bow) Yes it is a tool to stop it but it is not the main reason. They are a silencer, they help take out vibrations and jump, they also give you a couple of fps speed(nothing you will notice). Lastly and the least improtance is string slap-------if your using one for this reason your masking a bow that is improperly set up and adjusted to the shooter.
I have shot my bows with and without them------I will use one anyday of the week-----they help no matter how great or small they help if set up properly. The key word here with anything you add------set up properly.


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2011)

Dale - any particular brand recommended over another? I'm looking to buy one soon.


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## Dale_B1 (Jan 31, 2004)

giarcher said:


> Dale - any particular brand recommended over another? I'm looking to buy one soon.


My personal choices are Dead End(Mathews brand) or String Tamer by Norway.


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## peregrine82 (Aug 25, 2007)

Dale_B1 said:


> I've seen you mention this before----------I have never seen it nor have I ever heard anyone else say this happens. give me a slow-mo of it happening then I will buy it-----until then I think your imagining things.


 He's not imagining anything. If your string hits an off center stopper it will peel it off every time. Only way that can happen is if the oscillation continues after contact. Having said that there is no right or wrong answer to this question. It works to quiet some bows but in a lot of target applications with longer braces it really is not necessary. I realize you include in your comments that you set up bows and because of this you have a very definitive opinion when you post. I also have set up up large amounts of bows in a shop so I believe my background is equally sufficient to speak with some authority.


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2011)

Dale_B1 said:


> My personal choices are Dead End(Mathews brand) or String Tamer by Norway.


Thank you!


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## zSar (Jul 30, 2010)

I have both from "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Rattler". Both products are great.

With Luke, I think he no longer makes them. But you can try to contact him.

"The Rattler".. 
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1397309&page=7&highlight=bow+rattler


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## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

Necessary?...absolutely not. They do provide some benefits over not having one...mainly noise and vibration. Added side benefits is a couple of fps that don't mean diddly, and helping with string slap (especially on short BH bows and/or when bulky hunting clothes are worn normally in hunting situations).

They also have some drawbacks which are related to accuracy. In my experience, long range groups enlarge when a stop (bottom positioned one) is used vs. not using it on the same bow. Likewise, if the stop moves it will affect POI, more noticeably at longer distances.

So, in the end, it may be "necessary" tyo the application you are using your bow for, and the benefits may outweigh the drawbacks. For me personally, they are not "necessary" and only one of my hunting bows has one, and that's simply because I haven't shot that bow recently and bothered to take it off.


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## Parthian (Oct 3, 2011)

"Thank you for your insight" your welcome 

"But I sell bows, set them up," Yea , we all pretty much know that by now , we got it you work for someone ,in some bow shop ,and sell and set up bows 
"lastly and the least importance is string slap-------if your using one for this reason your masking a bow that is improperly set up and adjusted to the shooter." 
NO I did not say I was using one that way , ........ - it is a preventive device , and came into existence as such , Yes it keeps the sue happy lawyers at bay

They are called string stops - not silencers , not dampeners , not anti vibe rod ! the quietness is a by product , a great byproduct in fact just not the original purpose. 

"I have shot my bows with and without them------I will use one any-day of the week-----they help no matter how great or small they help if set up properly. The key word here with anything you add------set up properly............. You are odiously not target shooting for extreme accuracy , I would use them any day of the week... on my Hunting Rig , and if you actually did or have shot your bows bot with and without you might have an understanding of the disadvantages of the string stop 

Its a tool like you said , a great tool for a hunting rig .... and stopping Joe from suing because there was no preventive measure taken to fix a know problem that 
causes bodily harm , however the string stop is not a tool for accuracy .... yet


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## Rolo (Dec 16, 2002)

Parthian said:


> Yea , we all pretty much know that by now , we got it you work for someone ,in some bow shop ,and sell and set up bows...
> 
> ...The key word here with anything you add------set up properly............. You are odiously not target shooting for extreme accuracy...
> 
> ..however the string stop is not a tool for accuracy .... yet


Oh, now you went and did it...:wink:

Tis amazing the knowledge differences that exist between "properly setting bows up" and properly shooting them once they have been set up...


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## Parthian (Oct 3, 2011)

" Oh, now you went and did it...'
guess not ?


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## blademaker22 (Feb 10, 2011)

I use a string stop and will never own another compound without one. It does its job perfectly without any downsides or compromises. Most of my hunting is done in cold weather and it keeps the string from hitting my coat. As an added bonus, it makes my bow a little quieter.

If I shot indoors or lived in a warmer climate, I suppose it would be irrelevant.


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## scottranderson (Aug 9, 2009)

Both my spot hoyt bows the string stops must go. I would only use them on a hunting rig.


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## Drcoffee (Jan 10, 2011)

I have a Drenalin with the Dead end string stop on it. Yesterday I took a practice shot before exiting the tree stand. The slap of the string on the stop was loud. Of course it may have been magnafied by the silence of the woods but that was too loud for hunting IMO. It is setup as directed with only a hair amount of space between the stop and string. I pulled it off tonight to see if it would be any quieter without it and sure enough, my bow quieter w/o the string stop. Now I need to go back and check my accuracy without it on the bow. It may well show up in the for sale section in a few days.


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## Dewboy (Apr 19, 2005)

shooter34 said:


> I agree, they are necessary for my hunting bows. because i can were my bulky clothes with no issues.


That is my reason for using them. I would rather the string hit the string stop every time than hit my baggy sleeve that one time I am shooting at a deer on a cold day. The string usually hits your sleeve when it travels beyond it's Brace Height. Most of the newer bows are not loud enough to worry about adding string stops for that reason, yet that seems to be the most common reason for using them. I'm seeing more consensus here on the Clothing issue than most threads on String Stops. I am a WHIMP when it comes to the cold! I have to wear my thick clothing when it's cold!


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## Revvv (Mar 23, 2014)

I have a friend with a new PSE. Of course it has string stops. I needed to tune my 06 / 07 Bear Element so we were both able to shoot side by side. In the dead silence that night time in the country provides, my Bear without a stop could barely be heard. In fact, the only thing heard was the feathers of the fletching as the arrow travelled. There was no thump or thud, just a whisper.

My buddy's PSE echoed as the arrow launched. At first I thought it was his drop away rest. I was wrong. The loud thud was the string stop.


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## ArtistEyez (Jul 16, 2020)

Hello all ... I am new to this sight and recently back to shooting a bow. I had one as a kid ...but man things have changed in 45 years. I have a Matthews FX and I was wanting to put a sting stop on it. However the FX doesn’t come with a place to put one on mine. I thought about making one but do you all know where or if they make a bracket or adapter for the FX? Thanks ALL


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## merlinron (Mar 23, 2020)

if you understand the purpose of a string stop,... you will realize why they are a necessary accessory.


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## deadquiet (Jan 25, 2005)

merlinron said:


> if you understand the purpose of a string stop,... you will realize why they are a necessary accessory.


That's wrong. They are not necessary. They are a GREAT way to keep all the bows speed while making it very quiet and THAT's why they are standard equipment now. They also enable you to have a short brace height bow without hitting your arm, wrist or jacket and that is worse the longer you draw the bow. Both those are about speed and speed is IN. But a necessity? No. They allow the archers to shoot faster so they are super popular and standard equipment because of that. 

Matter of fact I can get my bows more quiet without them......and since I don't care about the 8FPS it costs me (instead of 0 FPS) I can make a bow sound more natural and have less of a pop to it buy adding old school catwhiskers to kill the vibe rather than using a piece of rubber to let 50 - 75 pounds of string pressure collide with it instead. 

I have been testing that and making the mods' since these string stops came out.........even when the mases said it couldn't be done..........lol. Here are some pics of my old Switchback and after I got rid of the stock suppressors and the it was more quiet and trouble free.......that was very noticeable when shot next to other bows like it. I did lose a few more FPS but I'm fine with that for the extra stealth.

So while they are great for short BH & keeping all the bows speed they darn sure are not a necessity. I use to buy the aftermarket ones before I even shot a bow and never thought to remove them from a stock bow until a few years ago where it all came together testing a new bow out. After I tested it I found out I could get a better tone and more quiet bow without the string stop.......so I have tried both ways. 

Since I don't buy 5- 6 inch BH bows and don't stress a over 8 FPS loss in speed I have actually been happier and shooting more quietly with them off. To the point "if" I bought a new bow that had the stop glued in I'd take the risk to dremel that sucker off.


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