What are the pros and cons ?
Pete
Not as traditional. But gives you the option of inter changing limbs of a wide variety. ILF can be very advantageous if still experimenting with your form/needs. If you shoot a certain bow extremely well......you may not need the change.
You can experiment with different limb lengths and materials( foam core, design, carbon, exotic veneer} while keeping a certain riser length. But if you have never shot different riser lengths....you need to try those as well. I found through LOTS of money and time that I shoot longer risers much more effectively. 25" being my go to. With 66" to 70" limbs. I am not normal however,as many can back me on that one! ILF limbs can be readily available, and you can usually sell limbs that dont work for you fairly quickly..
Pros -- universal limb interchangeability with a wide range of limbs available, small draw weight adjustability (3-5#), tiller adjustability. Cons. I don't like the way the limbs flop around in the limb pockets in an unstrung bow. All the adjustability can be a con for the mechanically challenged. A few others, but these are the main ones.
If you want to mess around with tuning and such the possibility's are end less. If you have something that works for you and you are happy....may not be the way to go. I have a couple of bows that I really shoot well on any given day, but I just started to fool around with a Morrison riser and 2 set of Trad Tech limbs ,just to experiment. I'm having fun with it! Enjoy what ever you decide! :thumbsup: :goldtooth:
Pros
So far the most accurate setup I've shot.
Love the ability to switch limbs, longbow, recurve, limb length, limb weight.
Cons
Oh lord the amount of choices it can make you dizzy, especially when you start mixing manufacturers.
Performance is better for me. I can set the preload on the limb to get the maximum from a particular limb. My wife shoots 45# @ 26". With her DAS bow and ILF limbs I can set up a bow for her that will outshoot some of my upper end custom recurves at 10-15#'s heavier weight that shoot best at 28". For me a good bow has got to be a performer. ILF limbs are the best in the world and to be able to hunt with them is just awesome.
You can tune the bow to the arrow vs the arrow to the bow. Once tuned absolutely deadly if you don't need a pretty bow to hunt with. However that being said I'm partial to my Schafer then it would be the ACS and then the ILF. I like them all.
Personal preference.
ILf limbs have so much money poured into R&D, custom bowyers could never afford it. The most easily tunable set up imaginable, and the most effiecent limbs, pound for pound are some of the TT Carbonwoods. I used to be a wood snob, now all my go to bows are metal ILF risers, and my old faithful Quinns. I believe the 19"-21" riser is the most forgiving, and the 17" a close third. Also, 2x what Bill and Longstick said above. The main con, is you can tinker yourself to death, and when continually changing, you never get your form for the bow down pat. I have a set of limbs that adjust up#4, so I start off shooting light, then increase # as I get closer to hunting season, that way, I work on my form, and shoot and hit better as a hunter.
Come on with the comment "not as traditional" sorry but it irks me.!! No different than 3 piece T/D bow if you want to shoot off the shelf, only thing is you can get a huge array of limbs for an ILF. Their are many risers out there that you could not tell they were ILF unless you looked at the ends of the riser! You can also make it super easy to tune if you so choose, but not as Traditional BS!! Shawn
There are no cons to it.The lack of handshock and the adjustabilty make the system just about perfect.
I swore by my Schafer recurve(And still love it),but my Morrison ILF is my go to now.
love 'em or leave 'em, ilf's are still stick bows. to each their own.
They are also a Godsend for those of us without the big bucks.
The main thing for me is the price of limbs & the lack of a wait time to get them. Not too mention that they shoot with the best of them.
I agree with Shawn real tired of hearing that..Even if one decides to shoot a elevated rest they did back in the day. why not if it makes u shoot better is that not our goal??ILF
is not for everyone there are a ton of options
but you can custom tune the bow to you and have alot more arrow choices.
QuoteOriginally posted by Claymore:
They are also a Godsend for those of us without the big bucks.
I will have to agree on the money end, watch the classifieds for a riser to your like'n and a set of limbs. Next thing you know you have a top notch bow that you can adjust till the cows come home.....and do it for $400 or less. That's pretty cool!
I recently got my first ilf bow and like posted above, the only thing I didn't like was the floppy limbs. Other than that, its the fastest bow I've ever shot, and it shoots!
If it is shot instinctually it is traditional! Just learned this from Semo and had to throw it in there.
I recently sold my Morrison ILF and the big drawback to me was potential problems in the field. Plungers, springs, set screws, adjustable limbs, just a bit more complicated than I wanted to really rely on.
A 3D shoot or target archery, which I believe is the venue of origin of the ILF concept seems more fitting to me. But I don't hunt out of a treestand either.
Great shooters, nice idea, not my cup of tea.
~CB
Shooting instinctively has nothing to do with "Traditional". Guys were useing sights long before the mechanical bow days. Back when it was just "archery" and there was no "Traditional".
I backdown with grace... The concept is one that we as a group apparently have many views and oppinions on. Lets not highjack this good man's ILF thread. ~CB
Please don't take this as a slight or an insult to those that use ILF's. In my opinion if ain't got wheels and cables, and a letoff its a traditional bow. That being said its a "to each his own" situation. I don't like playing with all the adjustable stuff, (its half the reason I left the wheels behind a long time ago). Now, if you like to tinker they are awesome. My cousin just switched to them and he is a confirmed Gear Head. He likes to fool around with anything to get the best performance. I'd rather be shooting a bow that I only had to tune arrows for and let'em fly.
Sorry wrong thread.
BIll
It don't get much simpler than string it up and shoot it. You don't even need a wrench to put the limbs on. Tune it the same way you do it now if you choose.
Set it and forget it. Can't be any easier.
Pete
Shoot mine off the shelf,love it.
Well I just boought an ILF set up. Will let you know how it works out.
Pete
What exactly justifys a bow being ILF? I don't even know what ILF stands for. Just curious. Not trying to say it's bad or nothing. I guess I am just a little sheltered is all. I clicked on this thread hoping to find out what it actually is. Thanks, Mike.
ILF = International Limb Fitting
I wont be using plungers and such, just shoot of the shelf like I have been for 40 years. Why Iam trying it out is because I have a very shorrrtttt draw length, 24 1/4" and in my thinking (when I think I usually get in trouble) I should be able to tune this bow more to my draw length. This will be a learning process.
Good luck on your quest.....just remember ,have fun and take your time working it all out!
after shooting one Morrison metal ilf...i sold every bow i own...even my bowfishing setup. they were all replace by morrison 13" and 15" metal risers. so cool to be able to get performance out of a short bow with a short draw length like i have( 26"). no cons for me!
I really think the ILF is a cool idea, and it certainly has tons of application. However the majority of my hunts are fly-in and should something go astray you would need tools. Allen wrench and screwdriver if not mistaken. The whole concept of tune it and leave it alone makes sense for hunting the back 40, but for fly-in trips I like to take down my bow and consolidate it with other items. My concern was re-assembling the bow at destination and have to go through the tunning process again. Not to mention coming through a nasty alder stand and have your string pulled off a nock.
Unbraced ILF limbs seemed very unstable, kinda like they need that tension from the string to seat securely. My experience is however very limited and maybe I didn't understand the proper assembly, but it seemed to me the chances of something going astray were exponentially higher with ILF. Loved those mocassin skinned foam cores though!
Once dropped off a guy with a $2000.00 Hoyt Carbon matrix and the alders pulled one of his cables off a cam. Without a bow press he was sitting right where I had dropped him 8hrs later. Had beachcombed all day...
~CB
The pro for me was that I shot one at Comptons and liked it. I liked it even better with the XL limbs vs the longs. I liked that I could adjust the weight by about +- 5#. I have a good set up and do not see buying other limbs. I also wanted a takedown (that I seldom takedown) but could if I wanted to. I liked the physical weight which was lighter than my Great Plains. I can also get longbow limbs if I choose. Bottom line is I chose the bow because I loved the wood options and the ability that I could change limbs but I have not in over a year.
I am new to the ILF scene. Just got my 1st Morrison ILF from Bob Walker. I love it. You have to tune it like any other bow with the brace height. After that it's as simple as stringing it up. Same tools as a takedown...an Allen Wrench and a bow square. That's it.
QuoteOriginally posted by Chromebuck:
I really think the ILF is a cool idea, and it certainly has tons of application. However the majority of my hunts are fly-in and should something go astray you would need tools. Allen wrench and screwdriver if not mistaken. The whole concept of tune it and leave it alone makes sense for hunting the back 40, but for fly-in trips I like to take down my bow and consolidate it with other items. My concern was re-assembling the bow at destination and have to go through the tunning process again. Not to mention coming through a nasty alder stand and have your string pulled off a nock.
Unbraced ILF limbs seemed very unstable, kinda like they need that tension from the string to seat securely. My experience is however very limited and maybe I didn't understand the proper assembly, but it seemed to me the chances of something going astray were exponentially higher with ILF. Loved those mocassin skinned foam cores though!
Once dropped off a guy with a $2000.00 Hoyt Carbon matrix and the alders pulled one of his cables off a cam. Without a bow press he was sitting right where I had dropped him 8hrs later. Had beachcombed all day...
~CB
CB, if you take an ILF bow down and put it back together you
do not need to retune. You simply just clip the limbs in (no different to bolting them on a TD), string the bow and away you go. All you normally need tool wise is two different size Allen wrenches, one more then a TD.
As for the string getting dragged off the nock, this is no different in an ILF bow or TD. Simply restring and off you go.
The limbs unstrung are lose but this causes absolutley no problems. I do a bit of backpack hunting into some pretty rough country and all I carry now is an ILF bow.
http://www.youtube.com/user/BowBuildersGroup?feature=mhum
This should answer some of the questions about ILF and what it takes to assemble the bow.
Bill
Thank you Bill that was awesome and showed me that I had done wrong in assembling the bow. At first assembly my top limb bent to the right severely??? I was perplexed but figured out the lateral set screws and got that into alignment.
I tried to adjust the detent screw (hence my screwdriver comment) and it was only holding by a few threads. When I pulled the limb off it was not threaded and the spring loaded piece (I previously called a plunger) fell off and the spring shot out onto the floor. Thats when I said no thanks. I never received any tutoring on that bow and I desperately needed it. Given the amount of the limbs alone I am a bit sore about that entire experience and perhaps that has swayed my objectivity on ILF as a reliable field instrument. Now I see Bob's new ILF limbs don't even have that detent screw exposed.
***EDIT***
Now, with that said, had I entered the woods with the bow strung and I pulled a string off a knock from a trip and snag scenario and that detent screw was like I had it I would have possibly been without a bow.
Respectfully submitted,
~CB
No problem.We need to get back on the video's.IT is a great way to introduce alot of folks to ILF that would otherwise shy away simply because they are unfamiliar with the system.It is really quite simple.One thing is for sure though,We need a better looking model!!! :biglaugh:
Bill
ILF love them. I have 2 Morrison risers and should have a Zipper coming my way real soon. They are so simple to use. Easy to tune. Want a recurve, pop limbs on in less than 5 seconds, want a longbow do the same in 5 seconds. Want to change the tiller, then you can do it with the limbs on in seconds. As far as durability I would not worry taking the bow hunting anywhere. Want an elevated rest then use one. I prefer shooting with velcro off the shelf with a short plunger on my Morrison metal risers. Want to adjust the pre-load it only takes seconds. Once you have it like you like if you travel just snap off the limbs in 1 or 2 seconds and off you go, no tools needed. If you have not tried it don't nock it because a while back I had no interest at all and then said what the heck I will give it a try and boy am I glad I did.