Do you think a heavier mass riser provides for more accurate shooting that a much lighter one or that they are equal and dependent upon the shooter?
I think more mass does help.
It HAS to be more stable..simple physics.
However, a better grip can easily trump more mass.
The trick is to find the right combo the fits you.
...it can be a long search...but it's fun!
Yep I agree John. I think that mass is a bit more important as the distance increases. I totally agree bout the grip. Its eveything.
I also agree. Ive been a longbow shooter for 20years, recently picked up a new mojostik, a 50s style recurve and love it, i shoot it a little better than my longbows. Now this week i got a used Habu Bushmaster, huge riser, lot of mass wt. and wow can i shoot that thing, i have never shot recurves till this past December when i got my Mojostik. Now my Habu, i believe i should have at least tried recurves before, i may never shoot longbows again, i am loving recurvesand the extra mass in the risers.
I like heavier mass in a riser.
Certainly has to do with the shooter but a heavier riser will offer greater stability. That's not to say that a very light bow cannot be accurate as well. It will be as stabile as the shooter can hold it.
Kris
I may be the odd man out here, but - I think a heavy riser may lead to a dropping of the bow arm due to the extra mass if the shooter is not careful.
I think the main factors in accuracy are the shooter and how the grip on the bow matches the shooters style.
I know alot say the heavier riser helps with stability.But to also most larger riser recurves are cut past center making them alittle easier to tune and be accurate for the recurve shooter.I started out shooting longbows and have always preferred them.I feel its all it what you prefer to shoot.I just never really cared for a recurve type grip.I'm more accurate with a longbow then a recurve.But then for me I'm more used to shooting longbows.
Added mass to improve shot stability is why some shooters use stabilizers. Look at the competitive compound target shooters as perfect examples.
Funny though that most of the greats shoot longbows, Ron Laclair, Howard Hill, Byron Ferguson, Bob Swinehart and so on. I believe a lot has to do with the grip and the nut shooting the bow. I myself like a fairly heavy riser but can shoot a bow with the same grip that is quite light equally well. Shawn
QuoteOriginally posted by Mike Walker:
QuoteOriginally posted by Zradix:
I think more mass does help.
It HAS to be more stable..simple physics.
However, a better grip can easily trump more mass.
The trick is to find the right combo the fits you.
...it can be a long search...but it's fun!
I totally agree and I've found I prefer a medium mass weight set-up. [/b]
I happen to agree with both of these comments.
Grip trumps mass in my book. No torque and not dropping your bow arm is better than all the stability of a heavier riser.
Just another person's opinion though
This is one of those 6 of one and half dozen of the other discussions.
I prefer light in the hand myself.
Absolutely the Grip! I personally like a light mass weight bow and with the right grip i can make it talk! while i'm at it, the grip should be flat and actually should feel good in either hand. IMHO.
Yes. In the manner of reducing some of the twitch errors that can bedevil us. But there are delights of delicate bows that make them attractive as well. My Red Wing Hunter weighs less than half what my Browning Explorer does - both one-piece recurves. I treasure them both.
A Cadillac Escalade rides smoother than an Audi Quatro; but there are other considerations. :archer:
I may be the odd man out here, but - I think a heavy riser may lead to a dropping of the bow arm due to the extra mass if the shooter is not careful.
I think the main factors in accuracy are the shooter and how the grip on the bow matches the shooters style.
x2 perfectly stated
I too love the looks of a fine longbow. I tend to shoot my longbows better than my curves, not sure why?? But, that being said I imagine its like a target or varmint rifle where the extra mass does help steady it a bit.
I'm a mass weight guy myself but I have lighter curves and longbowz well. As mentioned above you need to find a hand position that works for the particular bow and grip style.
I shake like a dog passing a peach seed so I need as much mass weight as possible.
The more mass the better for me. It's easier to keep it steady during the shot. The heavier it is the harder it is to move it. But it depends on what you are shooting at too. For me with big game animals I like a lot of mass. But if you are into shooting aerial targets, birds etc. you may want much lighter mass weight.
for those of us who are not pros i am a firm believer in heavier riser being more accurate for the average shooter. no doubt
Good point Jon. It may be even more a factor when we are all nerved up and shaky. I also think it helps in 3D and the longer shots.
I shoot better with larger mass bows....
(http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb364/gabedard/IMG-20121026-00376.jpg)
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Glenn
I prefer heavier risers for stability and reduced hand-shock.
I likeheavy mass risers, but I also lake a small perfectly formed grip so i built this...
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa194/togo1987/9ea2b582-c254-462e-bcc5-ab5c8adb8a57.jpg)
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa194/togo1987/P9190335-1.jpg)
I have shot my best indoor rounds ever with this bow but I like building pretty wood bows and I love the way they look. I mostly shoot wood handled 3 pc rcs with a quiver full of heavy arrows these days.
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa194/togo1987/P9200038_zps761d4761.jpg)
Bonner
Another heavy mass riser fan. My Dryad Epic ILF riser is perfectly weighted for me and has an outstanding grip.
(http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n525/rgreen1958/Dryad%20Epic%20ILF%20Riser/DSCN0659.jpg)
I'm no expert so this is just an opinion.
Rick Welch taught me to shoot.Saying that Rick is a good shot is am extreme understatement. I had him build me a Dakota and guys joke at me "if your quiver is empty, you can just use it as a club" but I shoot it well. I don't mind the extra weight, even when I have my hog light attached. That said...it also has a very repeatable grip and I bet both add to the accuracy.
I also have two RER 3 piece bows. Kevin's grip fits me fits me well. And although a bit lighter overall, I shoot them well too.
Heavy riser mass is OK in my book.
All elec being equal heavier is better to the point that the weight it's self causes problems.
It is equal to me as long as the grip fits my hand. Both my Phoenix as my Peregrines have a grip that fits my hand very well.
My Phoenix is more them 2 times as heavy as my Peregrines. I shoot bot bows equally well. Just have to get used to the difference in weight but thats only 9 arrows or so.
I prefer longbows and have never considered riser mass to contribute to accuracy; otherwise archery would be pretty simple! :bigsmyl:
I do not believe it does with a hunting bow, at least not for me. I read people saying it's better and got the same bow, same weight, with a phenolic riser, both Predators. The phenolic is about a pound heavier and nice but I can shoot just the same with the bubinga one, no difference. The lighter one is easier to carry but not as pretty.
I like a little mass in my bows. I think I shoot them better but it could just be that I agree with the grip usually found on TD recurves more I do with a longbow type grip.
For me, without a doubt. When I started shooting heavy mass risers, my accuracy improved drastically.
I also shoot mainly long bows but have a few recurves. I think riser shape plays a much larger role in accuracy than mass. Repeatable hand possition is more important for me....
The lightest riser in the world gets real heavy at full draw :)
Dealing only with the question of mass, I vote yes for heavier mass bows. All things being equal, a heavier mass provides more accurate for me.
Bows with a heavy risers are more forgiving than light ones. A light bow can shoot just as good thou it take more practice. The difference really shows at longer ranges. It's just like comparing a 5 pound rifle to a 10 pound rifle. Anybody can shoot the 10 pound rifle well but the 5 pound rifle will show the people that are skilled. I think it's a physics thing. Something about a object at rest tends to stay at rest or something like that. Myself I need a heavy riser.
I have tried a lot of bows in recent times and the heavier ones always win out. Got to be a physics thing for sure. Add length to that and even better. My best shooting bow so far is a dymondwood riser 66" LS Slammer takedown.
Put it this way, even 'heavy' trad bows are still lighter than wheelies :)
I'm in the more mass camp.