So I'm relatively new to ILF / being able to tune the limbs, but recently installed calf hair where the string meets the limb. On both top and bottom, after a few hundred shots, the calf hair is pulling significantly towards the left (arrow shelf side of the bow). Is there anything I can adjust to prevent this / keeping it centered on the limb?
(Shooting 3 fingers under, Victory carbon trad arrows with trad vanes and they're flying / shooting great)
First check the string alignment. String the bow and put on tip on the floor, hold the other lightly, while standing and sight down the string:
is the string in the center of the limbs and especially at the curve, do the limbs look square with the string? Is the tip on the floor in the center of the limb, or is it off-center? Repeat with the other tip on the floor. If either are not in alignment, you can usually bump/twist the limb back in alignment. If you are not sure how to do it take it to a shop or to someone that knows.
Personally, I would use brush buttons, either the small or large on the string to keep the limb from hanging up on brush. They will also, help silence the slap you might hear.
Hud's suggestions are all good. I'll add one more. The calf hair pads that you added where the string meets the limb could be more a part of the problem than the solution at this point. I would remove them, and clean any residual adhesive from the limbs with alcohol or some mild solvent until the string grooves are free of any gunk that could interfere with the way the string lies in the grooves.
Personally I would leave them off, but after shooting the bow without them for a while, if you are sure that the string is tracking correctly in the grooves, you can add them back if you wish. I've seen people mount them further down the limb so that most of the string groove is exposed, and the padding material just covers the last quarter inch or so where the string contacts the limb. This seems to be sufficient to eliminate any string slap, and the length of your padding material can be reduced accordingly.
Quote from: Hud on April 05, 2026, 02:36:39 AMis the string in the center of the limbs and especially at the curve, do the limbs look square with the string?
Both limbs are square / all good on alignment.
When I first got the bow I had left the calf hair off, but in an effort to quiet the bow down, had added it. It definitely changes the noise during the shot, so I was hoping not to have to get rid of them.
If I cannot get this solved, I will give the brush button to try. Thanks for the recommendation.
Just looking down the limb when the string is already in the limb grooves won't necessarily show a twisted/slightly out of alignment limb. Rather, draw the bow and let the string down slowly and note how it comes back to brace height. Does it track the groove precisely or does it come back slightly off and snap in place. If it's the latter, you have a tip that's out of alignment. Likewise, flip the bow over and do the same to examine the lower limb. If either is out of line, can usually twist them back into place.
Of course, most ILF risers also have lateral limb adjustment screws. If the limbs are out of alignment, can adjust them. No need to twist on the limb tips.
Quote from: Orion on April 05, 2026, 09:51:05 PMOf course, most ILF risers also have lateral limb adjustment screws. If the limbs are out of alignment, can adjust them. No need to twist on the limb tips.
I've found this to be true if the only problem is that the limbs are misaligned coming out of the riser. However, if the limb tips are twisted to any significant degree, I get a choice of having the twisted limb tips in alignment and the string grooves out of alignment, or vice versa.
I know nothing about ILF tuning but because this is happening on both top and bottom, which direction is the grain of the calf hair going ? I would think it needs to be vertical to the string.. If I put anything in my limb grooves its usually thin leather or thin fleece. I also like limb savers but some folks don't like the looks of them. :archer2:
good luck
I wonder if putting chalk or lipstick or something on the loop ends of the string and shooting it would tell you anything?
Quote from: elkken on April 06, 2026, 01:04:00 PMI know nothing about ILF tuning but because this is happening on both top and bottom, which direction is the grain of the calf hair going ?
good luck
It is going vertically - and it's the calf hair that's pre-cut and comes with all Hoyt recurves.