Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: kennym on January 01, 2018, 11:50:00 AM
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Here’s the deal, I make a few bows every year. So I also make endless strings, more interested in quiet than performance but don’t want to make a dog out of the bow either.
Currently using D 97 but before I buy more thought I’d ask if there is something better and quieter?
Thanks in advance!
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I'll throw out a novice's observations, before the more learned answer. I'm really interested in this, it is a great way to ask the question.
I moved from B55 to D97 to enhance performance and durability. I found little difference in noise, which was easily tamed with good silencers. I then tried BCY-X, and found the performance, and the stability, were more enhanced than from the switch to D97. Again, noise was not an issue - same as others, it was more a result of the bow and arrow tune than material. I am really a fan of the BCY-X now. I am in the process of switching all my strings and back-ups to BCY-X because of its performance with no sound side-effects.
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A quiet bow is mostly based on how well it's tuned, nock fit, arrow weight, clean release, and string build...but all of that being equal, blended materials like BCY-X, 452X, Trophy, and 450+ seem to have a slight edge over 100% Dyneema materials like Mercury, Dynaflight '97, 8125, etc.
I can help you out with material--shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]
Chad
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After talking to Chad at ETAR, I've been shooting BCY-X just about since it was out....it's great stuff and all I use now.
He's a good dude and real good at giving a guy a "good deal"....he'll hook ya up!
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There probably ins't but a few fps between those top string materials mentioned above. But one of those might stand out as being the quietest on each particular bow. I have enough BCY-X to make a suspension bridge, but recently tried some 452-X for fun on my favorite Kanati longbow. Seems like the same speed to me but wow its it ever quieter! I almost don't need the woolly silencers on it with the 452-X. I'd say try them all!
My favorite is 452-X 3 bundle 15 stand strings padded to 21 in the loops with .030 halo serving.
Tedd
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D-10. I get mine made by SBD, a sponsor here. I'll never go with D-97 again.
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Not only does the materials make a difference, sting count makes a difference too! After playing around with different options and trying different materials I settled on 16-18 strand bcy-x. The difference in speed between 12 strand vs 18 strand averages at 3 fps (for me). But is significantly quieter!! I'll take the quietest every time!!
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Great info so far, anybody else have an observation?
Thanks!
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Originally posted by LBR:
A quiet bow is mostly based on how well it's tuned, nock fit, arrow weight, clean release, and string build...but all of that being equal, blended materials like BCY-X, 452X, Trophy, and 450+ seem to have a slight edge over 100% Dyneema materials like Mercury, Dynaflight '97, 8125, etc.
This has been my experience as well. Different materials will sometimes produce a different sound quality even on the same bow, but given proper tuning I'm not really all that convinced that strand type is a primary determining factor for the overall noise a bow makes.
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Chad been makin my strings from BCY X for awhile now. It’s quiet on my Warf’s and Bear TD’s. It doesn’t stretch in our 100+ degrees summer days. It doesn’t fuzz like some materials. Even with 16-18 strand strings they not that much bigger in diameter as some skinny strings.
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In the School of Bowstrings I'm a dropout.
Endless loop B-50. Dumbed down to my level, accurate, quiet and easy on bows.
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18 strands of BCY X is equal to about 12 of D97 and maybe 11 of D-10 (which has been re branded as F-10). D97 and F-10 are nearly identical with F-10. From BCY: "Force 10 - All the features of DynaFLIGHT 97 but made from a slightly higher grade Dyneema® - SK78"
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Chad "LBR" will steer you in the right direction and knows more about strings and string material than anyone I know. I used D-97 for years. I switched to making most of my strings out of BCY-X and I'm very pleased with the results. I throw a couple of yarn puffs on and I'm good to go. Mostly 18 strands (22 in the loops) and #4 nylon (cheap) for serving. I get my material from Chad when he's at ETAR. He's just a great guy to deal with and talk to.
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I've been making and shooting BCY-X flemish twist on your longbow design for a couple years. 66@28 and love it. Great combo.
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14 strand
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Halo serving
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Chads DVD is great
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Trad guys are the best there is, I love the share info attitude and have had 2 guys offer to send a string to try out!!
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:wavey:
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I've been making my own Flemish Twist for the past 25 or so years and I still prefer the original Fast Flite Plus. I have one older bow that I use B50 on but everything else gets Fast Flite Plus. It gives me the extra speed and is very quiet....for what its worth.
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FWIW, the original Fast Flight material is still available in BCY's 652 Spectra. Brownell owns the name but can't get the original material. The founders of BCY (Ray Browne and Bob Destin) invented the material when they worked for Brownell, and can still get it. I have a bunch of spools in my shop for sale, cheap.
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I've posted this before, so I apologize for the redundancy...
There are only 3 basic types of modern bowstring materials (not counting primitive materials like natural fibers, silk, linen, hide, etc.).
Within their specific categories, the characteristics don't vary a lot. The higher grades will have less stretch/creep, but they are still made from the same basic materials.
#1. Polyester - Or, as most of us like to call it, "dacron" (which is a trade name that has expired). For now we have B-55 and B-50. B-55 is a slightly higher grade so it has a little less stretch and creep and a tad more durability, but it has the same basic characteristics as B-50.
#2. HMPE - High Modulus Polyethylene, aka Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE, UHMWP). Basically a very strong plastic fiber--the strongest man-made fiber available. Trade names include Spectra and Dyneema. Bowstring materials include 652 Spectra, Dynaflight '97, 8125, Mercury, etc. Very strong, almost no elasticity, low creep. The first bow string material in this category was invented by Ray Browne and Bob Destin, the original "Fast Flight".
#3. HMPE/LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) Blends - LCP's include the brand names "Vectra" and "Vectran". Very temperature resistant, practically no stretch or creep, this type of yarn was incorporated with HMPE to create the most stable (in all temperatures) of bowstring materials. These include Trophy, 450+, 452X, BCY-X. This material was first developed into bowstring by Bob Destin of BCY. As a side note, there are no 100% LCP bowstring materials because it won't withstand flexing in one point (like the nock point) over and over. Like the old Kevlar material, if it were 100% LCP it would break, usually without warning.
Anyhow...that's the break down. Most variations you see (or hear) within one of these three categories is normally going to be much more due to the string build, bow design, tuning, nock fit, arrow weight, your release, etc.
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I have had great results with 8 strand D-10 built by SBD with wool puffs.Every bow I have used it on has been made quieter and softer shooting.Some results have been dramatic.
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BCY-X is what I prefer.
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Thank you guys for the input, I will order some string soon. :thumbsup:
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I've posted this before, so I apologize for the redundancy...
Please don't apologise!
I copied and pasted that into a permanent reference document.
Thank you very much.
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452-x. I just make Flemish. I make it enough strands to match up with serving to fit nocks. 2 bundle or 3, 18 strand for woodies. But I can make skinny strings or thinner for carbons etc..stuff is strong as heck, little fray or fuzz, and it isn’t loud.