What is your opinion on limbsavers? What are their advantages?
I don't need them, my Mohawk is as quiet as a church mouse with zero hand shock!
I wouldn't even think about hunting with a bow that is not equiped with limbsavers and super string leeches. I loose one foot per second with the limbsavers and string leeches installed. I loose five to seven feet per second with cat whiskers. More speed equals more kinetic energy, and momentum. I have not way of judging noise other than by ear, but to me the limbsaver system is quieter than any other silencer I have used: which is the main objective.
When i put limb savers on the limbs at the fade out.I can feel and hear the differance"for the better".For me,the string leeches are noisier than whoolie whispers,yarn balls or beaver fur string silencers.A arrow on the heavy side will help quiet the bow and absorb some hand shock.And longbows tend to be quieter than recurves to.
Noise I can gid rid of,I use the Limbsavers to reduce vibration in the limbs, hopeing to increase thier longevity. I think that thats important if you use todays modern string materials. not so much if you shoot b-50. As far as the Leechs go, I have a buddy the just has 2 on his ACS and it the most silent bow I have erver heard.
If I had my way it would be B-50 for all my bows... Can't tell ya much about Limbsavers but if you are using a slip-on bow quiver like a Selway or strap-on like a Thunderhorn then maybe, just maybe (they) aren't needed.
My 2 cents worth...
... mike ...
Save your money, for some tuned, heavy weight arrows! Just a gimick! Pearson used mercury capsuls for the same reason. If your shooting the proper arrow weight and tuned, your good to go! No black magic or medicine Dr. needed! Good shootin, Steve.
String Leaches were by far the noisiest string silencer i tried on my MAIII, :banghead: and I did'nt notice any difference in noise or shock with Limbsavers. 55# @ 30" 610gr. arrow. All my bows have beaver balls...wait that did'nt sound right.
I never have tried the string leaches so I don't have an opinion on them. I can't see how anyone could say that limbsavers do not work. I have always noticed a huge difference on bows when they were installed. You may not like the looks of them or may not like the idea of having a new gadget on your bow, But they do work and that is a fact.
I don't think that you really need them but I know they work.
ttt
Every set of limbs, every bow of mine has limbsavers right at the fadeouts.. There's absolutely NO question, IMO, that they reduce any limb vibration. They are a solid addition to any set-up..
I just can't get past the looks of 'em.
Otherwise i'd try them.
I feel a quiver like the Boa or selway does the same thing and holds your arrows to boot. BILL
I just don't like the looks of em. I also hate sticking stuff on my bow. I had an aro holder that I took off because it just looked trashy. I also had calf hair groove silencers that didn't do anything and just made it hard to string. Took those off. Now I just shoot brush buttons and beaver balls. Very quiet.
They are just another option in tuning. They work, but so does spending countless hours fine tuning your equipment. Some have that time, others don't. I wouldn't be offended by anyone deciding to use them. Half of my bows have them. They made a difference in the bow. Might it have been solved another way? Maybe.... We each have our own reasons to do what we do....
BobW
I use them on the bows I keep. They are cheap insurance to protect the limb if/when a string breaks.
Maybe if they could make them look more natural. Maybe like an antler burr.
QuoteOriginally posted by Mo. Huntin:
But they do work and that is a fact.
Dang, funny how "facts" are not so quite factual for everyone, I guess my mileage just varies. I got a set and moved them around between a couple of bows to play with them. I found they actually increased handshock on two longbows, and I couldn't tell any difference on two recurves. Maybe a bit softer harmonic but not really "less noise". For me, not worth the $, gadgety, and look as appealing as the bolts coming out of Frankenstein's neck...not for my bows. Glad they are solving other folks problems though, I sure do see them on a lot of stickbows lately.
By the way, the maker of those bows I tried the limbsavers on often uses them on his bows. I just think he's given in to the hype though, poor fella. :saywhat:
Do they "work?" When I had them on my wheelie bow I guess they did....but I never shot it without them.
On my trad bow???? NEVER would even consider putting them on. The looks just don't seem consistent with my set-up and darn it they just aren't "traditional enough" for me!!!
I recently added a set to a recurve. I had to lower the brace height slightly for it to settle in. I am able to use half the amount of wool for string silencers. My accuracy improved from the first shot with them on. Note that I use arrows that are 9 gpp. A heavier arrow would probably have the same effect, but I prefer the relative flatness of a lighter arrow.
I like them and use them on all recurves.I use them on several longbows as well that I shoot light arrows from.I know they work and feel they protect the bow some with dryfires and when shooting light arrows.Might not see much difference if you shoot arrows as heavy as some on this site do but many of us shoot flatter shooting lighter weight arrows.They look just fine to me and a bow looks a little naked without them. :)
I'm curious as how these would help with dry firing your bow??
They absorb some of the energy that otherwise would just go into the limbs/riser.
QuoteOriginally posted by JC:
[ and look as appealing as the bolts coming out of Frankenstein's neck...
Franky pulls all the chicks. :p
There was an article in the Jun/Jul 2009 Traditional Bowhunter by Paul Fender on which string silencers work best using a decibal meter to record sound. The author also tested for vibration with a piezoelectric transducer.The fact is the test bow was the quietest with the "rubber mushrooms"(limbsavers)and the "rubber slugs"(string leaches)installed. The author also concluded that limbsavers positioned as close as possible to the point of string contact with the limb without coming in contact with the string reduces noise better than placing them at the fadeouts.
That is where I placed them on a recurve limb. I just kept moving them from the fade out towards the tip until the noise went away. But they are ugly as hell. Took them off soon after.
For my r/d longbow, placing them at the fades signifantly quiets the bow. I can't imagine putting them at the tips. This would have to rob performance from the limb. But if you will notice....alot of people are making lots of money selling silencing material that robs performance(if you rob performance, the bow gets quieter...think about that....slow string = less noise...big puffy balls that are in no way aerodynamic, slow string=less noise...). I have tested most of the string silencers out there and the leeches are by far the worst for quieting the longbows and recurves I have tried them on. I will agree however that they do not rob performance because they are light weight and more aerodynamic than puffs or whiskers. Yarn puffs, 32 strands, no more than 2 1/4" diameter, between the bundles at 1/4 string length from where the string leaves the limb + limbsavers starting at the fades and moved tward the tips in 1/4" increments til the bow is at it's quietest, then pressed on firmly = the quietest I have ever been able to get a traditional bow! I have found, with this type of set-up, that once you get over 9gr/lb of arrow weight the bow doesn't get any quieter. That is to say that the bow is as quiet at 9gr/lb as it is at 12gr/lb. That is my 2 cents. If you don't believe me....try it for yourself, if it doesn't work, then I'll let you bash me about the head and neck at your favorite mall on Christmas eve.
I can't imagine taking romance from my longbows with rubber doingies and doohickies and "promised to increase arrow speed" thingimaboppers. Doesn't change where you sent the arrow anyways. To each his own, but that stuff is not for me.
Thanks jrstegnor. I read that article and honestly can't quote it but I know it must have said that they work really well or I would definately remember. I did not need that article to tell me they work though because I have seen the difference on several bows. I just don't know how to say it any other way JC I know that most people would notice a difference, I have never shot really heavy arrows so maybe in that case you would not. I am really carefull to try to be as honest as I can on here and I honestly believe with out a doubt they work. I hate having to eat my words because if I am wrong I will tell you I was wrong.
I don't shoot bows for romance - find that elsewhere.
I use them on the limbs because they work for me - and I'll take working ugly over pretty for pretty anyday.
Steve
I use the 'mushrooms' on one of my bows, but not on another that is exactly the same except for being 2in shorter. I tried the leeches, they lasted about 50 shoots and fell off, I think the twists in the string cut them into.
They really improved the sound and "feel" of my Hoyt Dorado.
They work fine for me and make a noticable reduction in noise, but they are on my hunting bow, and its not exactly built for looks! they are kindda ugly though. Most recurves would be quiet enough without I would guess, but if it makes the difference on a wounded deer or a dead deer once in my life I would consider it a worthy investment.
I'm not crazy about the looks of them on a traditional bow...But there is no question that they absorb energy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEIhpBvAmmE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nomHpBX1IcQ
I have spent hours tuning, shoot heavy arrows, make my own quiet strings, and I still use the leaches and buttons. IMHO they make a big difference in the land of quiet.