Never in my life did I think it would have been the string.....
Week before last while preparing for the Muzzy shoot,I finished up the skins on my lighter Kempf Kwyk Styk "Cy" and started shooting it. I had the GPP almost exact as my heavier bow("Timex"), the grip is a duplicate,length is the same,and the bow actually has more mass weight to it, so the switch should have been a piece of cake.....
But something just wasn't right, the bow felt different after shooting "Timex" for quite a while while getting the skins on this bow......I had the same feeling during turkey season...but I got it to the point that it was ok and killed my 2 birds with it....but now I felt the same way...something just wasn't right.....
Arrow flight wasn't quite right, bow had a strange vibration and buzzing sound at release.
I tried everything I could think of. Brace Ht., nock point, silencer placement and more and less of them, point weight,nock orientation,everything......believe me this isn't at all like a Kwyk Styk!
Not one to complain too much, when I got to the shoot, I told Shawn that something just wasn't quite right and I wasn't comfortable shooting,and my consistency just wasn't there.....He had already noticed my arrow flight at the warm up area before the shoot started........
I'll be back.....I feel I need to give a good back round to this story.....
Is this the story I've been waiting for about the newer KS? Here I am about to go to bed and I won't have access to a computer till tomorrow night......figures......'night now.
David
Keep it coming bro!
Are we getting strung Curt :D String what about the string? :saywhat:
Brent
OH Curt, we is waiting for the "Rest of the Story" as Paul Harvey used to say. The man is turning in to a regular Charlie Lamb, not a bad thing, mind ya.
Danny
SOOOOOO?????? Hey Guru what's the story?
Hold The Phone... HOLD THE PHONE!... Is this gonna be one of those "I would have won if I only...Bla, bla, blaaaaa....." ;)
Only kidding Guru. You Are My Hero... This Week.
... mike ... :wavey:
Well??
Well, this is killing me.
Yup, I caught something was not right from the get go, this should be good. Shawn
Sorry guys...
David,yes I'll back up a bit and let you know about the "near disaster"....
Danny, I just got jarred by your post....I need to send you a PM bud...I'm very sorry :knothead:
...So backing up a bit first...the evening before the shoot,while desperately trying to fix things. I unstrung my bow (remember, I had just finished skinning 2 days before) to change the brace height....Strung it back up and went back outside to shoot again to see if it would make a diff.
I drew back the first arrow...let it go and .....I hear and feel it at the same time...POW,and the bow flies out of my hand and in what I remember as slow motion...slams down on my blacktop driveway and clanks around, finally coming to rest! I was mortified!!
For the first time in 22yrs of shooting trad...apparently I hadn't strung it right and the bottom loop wasn't in the groove...when I released....the bow shot the arrow...I hit my target..but when the string slammed forward it unstrung itself and the shock caused me to drop the bow because of my loose grip......
I was lucky,and un-lucky.....Lucky because the skins were no worse for wear....but the bottom tip wasn't so fortunate....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/stumpin8-19001.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/stumpin8-19002.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/Guru39/stumpin8-19003.jpg)
Needless to say I will never be so lax again while stringing my bow :knothead:
Besides the cosmetic damage the bow was fine....
So Muzzy went well,but I couldn't help but keep thinking why this bow just didn't feel right....
I didn't shoot for a few days,and finally on Saturday for some reason I figured I'd switch the string from my old KS "Timex", to my new one "Cy"....
.... I made both of these strings...both TS-1,but the one one "Cy" was padded with dacron and had 2 strands less.......I'm pretty sure 12 instead of the 14 strand I'd just put on it.......
...Now I really didn't expect much...but I took it outside(after very carefully stringing it,and getting the BH to 7 1/2" where I like it),in the DRIVEWAY....
The first shot was like magic! I couldn't believe it! No buzzing, no vibration, not hardly a sound, not a ripple in my arrow flight,instantly more accurate....just like my old friend "Timex"!!!
I'll be back.....
So all this leading up to my question...
How can a string make such a difference?
Could it possibly be the dacron padding in the loops(this is the first I've shot like that)?
Could it just be that adding 2 measly strands made that much of a diff.?
In 22 yrs. I've never seen such a change in how a bow acts from just a string...has anyone else had this happen?
I guess I have to make another string to make sure that the results will be the same......
Sorry for the long post,just felt the need to share and learn something from you guys.......
:scared:
It can make a difference. I've dropped and added strands tinkering around, and seen more of a difference with some materials than with others. Padding out the loops helps too.
Chad
Ouch Curt... So you found that less strands gives you better all around performance? I was reading a post from a FITA/Olympic archer stating that he found anything less than 18 st of a FF material made his groups larger.. He found the string more stable... Nice to see a positive view from the other side......Mark
No, Mark, he changed from a 12 strand string to a 14 strand string. The 14 strand string made the bow shoot better. Dang Curt, hope "CY" is ok that tip looks nasty.
Danny
Curt,
Try a 12 strand string with 4 extra strands in the loops (2 in each bundle end). See how you like that. BTW - I pad with 8125 the same as the main bundles. I haven't found using dacron instead to make a difference to me noise wise. The diameter of the loop strand is the main culprit for noise and vibration in my testing. The recipe abouve is what I use with my 8125 strings and has become my prefered string. Strings are a BIG factor in the shootability, speed and feel of a bow. Not all strings are created equally either. You already know that though. LOL!!! Have you broken the news to Jack yet about the tip?
Great post Curt! Good to know there's still plenty to learn about this simple sport. For the record, I hate dacron. I only use it on selfbows that have known weak areas. I shoot FF on all my bows. Even some selfbows. You can take a sanding block and sand an angle through that tip and make a custom look. You'll never know that it's been damaged. Do both tips and become an instant owner of a Kustom Kwik Stik one of a kind. Thanks for the story. CK
Curt... A long time ago (I'm talking pre B-50...B-43)when bowstrings only came in white and there were no "choices", I found that string composition and even construction could be critical to accuracy.
I often culled several strings (of my own making) to find/make ONE that performed the way I wanted it to.
What I made in those days were endless loop. They had to be exact in length to bring the bow to the exact brace height I wanted with absolutely no twist in the string.
I'm not so picky these days (don't shoot as well either...hmmmm!) but still prefer my endless loop strings to have 0 or minimal twist at proper brace height.
QuoteOriginally posted by Guru:
In 22 yrs. I've never seen such a change in how a bow acts from just a string...has anyone else had this happen?
I'm playing around with strings on my new Turkey Creek LB. Big difference in how it shoots between the TS-1 string that came on the bow and the DF97 string I made for it. I have'nt formed a good opinion yet, I'm still experimenting.
Every now and then I have used a string that just wont shoot on a particular bow.Case and point.I gotta 64 inch Thunderhawk recurve.I shoot this bow pretty well and consistently group well with it.I have used alot of different string types on it.I ordered a new string for it.A 16 st, 4 bundle TS-1 string.I put the string on the bow and shot it in.It took a while to get all the stretch out.My accuracy took a nose dive with the bow and new srtrng.I figured I was in a slump for awhile.After a while I decided know way.My form felt good.I switched strings and walla I was shooting better groups right off.I did try and tune the bow with that string like Guru.Doing everything imaginaable,brace hieght adjustments,nock point,rotating nocks,Adjusting my nock fit and shooting 3 diffent arrows with different point wieghts etc.I just couldnt get it shoot with that string.
I really like TS-1 alot on most bows.This string would not shoot on this bow.I did switch it over to my 64 inch Shawnee Dakota and it shot fine on that bow.Go figure.It does pay to test a few different strings on your bows.You will find one thats the best eventually.
Where's the aspirin? My head just started to hurt and sweat! :eek: :knothead:
Yet another thing to obsess about! :bigsmyl:
Mark, Danny's right...the "good string had two more strands....14 instead of 12...
Brian, This is the first I've tried a string with dacron padding.....My usual string is 14 strand TS-1 with 2 extra strands in the loops....I see no need now to change...both bows will have the same strings.....
Curtis, That's exactly what I'll do....thanx bud
Thanx Charlie
Eagle...so which do you like better?
Steelie, :thumbsup: I guess I'm not alone...
Doc...don't sweat it bud....