I just came back from the range,where I met a fellow Trad bow shooter.He was using a 80# Lb, and shot it darn well.He was running 11 strands of B-50,and claimed,he never has had a problem.
I told him,that I would like to shoot a 10 strand B-50,for my 58# recurve,and he thinks that it would be better than the 14 strand that im currently running on the bow. I recently gave fast flight the boot,for b-50,as it is terribly quiet on my bow,and noticed that I gave up some trajectory also.Would 10 strands fill the bill safety wise? Thanks!As long as my nocks fit well, I dont see a problem,but wanted to run it by the gang.
I think I would stay w/14 strands. Hap
I've always used 14 strands on my bows(50#-60#). I've never had a string break and my arrows go right where I'm looking.
I just built 2 new 14-strand B-50 strings for my HHA Redman, they fit my nocks perfectly, and are so quiet on the release that no string silencers are necessary....
My preference is obviously 14 strands of B-50 and I have never had a string fail.
YMMV
Keep the wind in your face!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
Thanks for the replys so far fellow string pullers! Im reasoning that at 40# breaking strength per strand,10 strand would give me 400# breaking strength.I would think that ,that would be plenty enough for a 58-60# bow.Thanks much!
I would stay with 14 strands and adjust your nocks to fit if need be. Recently I had skinny string break while shooting. 50 to 100 arrows later the bow broke. The bow and string were made by the same person a very reputable bowyer. Been building my own flemished strings for 25yrs. and I've never (so far) had a B-50 14 strand ever fail me yet.
I would worry about constant creep w/ 10 strands of b-50 and 58lbs.
I am by no means a string guru but, from what I've learned, I would stay with the 14 strand.
Shinken: I don't use any string silencers on my Hills either while running B50/B55. I just replaced a FF string that came with my Red Hawk for a Hill B50 string and it is extremely quiet!
I agree with everyone else. I use 14 strand strings and would not want to use fewer strands. I may have to adjust nocks sometimes but that is minor.
Am I the only one that is shaking his head at the guy shooting an 80# longbow with an 11 strand B-50 string? :scared:
For Dacron I use 14 strands for bows 50# to 60#,under 50# I'll use 12 strands.There is no advantage to use 10 strand B50 unless it's a kids bow around 20# to 30#.I used 10 strand B50 on my neighbors daughter's 20# bow.If you want to use less strands I would go with a low stretch HMPE type string.I have never had any problem get a low stretch HMPE(FF)type string to be quiet.They are way more durable,less handshock on certain bows and just make the shot feel more solid.Not springy like darcon can be.JMO
Herman, I'm shaking my head too. No way am I going to shoot an 80# bow with 11 strands of B-50. That guy must be either ignorant or nuts.
I don't know if the guy is mistaken or what, but you don't shoot an 80# bow with 11 strands of polyester ("Dacron").
The stretch will be pretty much uncontrollable, and it will eventually stretch so much it breaks. The same would likely happen with your bow and a low strand count, it would just take longer.
on most of my bows I have always used 15 strand,3 ply. For my 64 pound Schulz, recently I tried, an 18 strand 3 ply and compared it to the flight distance of the 15. The 15 strand had a minor amount of yarn to make things as quiet as possible, the 18 strand did not need it. The result for flight shooting-the same, for noise-the same, for feel with the shot, the 18 strand was better.
Chad,No I heard correctly.He was shooting a Hill style LB,and stated he uses 11 strands of b-50.I did not ask to pull his bow back,and probably could not get 80# back to begin with, but have no reason to doubt him,or the poundage stated to me.My jaw dropped,when he told me the strand count.I twisted up a 10 strand b-50 padded to 14 on the loops for a good limb fit.Depending on the amount of stretch it exibits within the next day or so,and before I center serve it,will be a tell all for me.We will see.Thanks Guys!
Wasn't doubting you, but I dont believe 11 strands will hold up to 80 lbs. This is based on 20 or so years making strings strings with various materials, most of which are 3 times stronger than polyester. I wouldn't use 10 strands of anything on 80#. Its not safe.
For what's it's worth- I shoot at 65# Hill @ 30" and have 12 strands of B55 on it. The string that was on the bow when I got it from HH archery was 12 strands of B50..... The 12 strands shoots better then anything else I have tried.
I think I'd listen to to LBR about strings though!
That string is holding way more than 80lbs. If you consider the forces involved, you are applying 80# on the short length of a rt angle triangle. The bow limb is the second side and the string from the nock point to the limb nock is the long side of the triangle. The forces will be proportional to the sides of the triangle.
So if you are holding 80# back at anchor, the string is actually holding WAY more than that. My main concern (and I'm not a string maker, but do understand a bit about basic physics) is the shock on that string when it has to stop those rapidly flying limb tips when they reach brace height.
I like skinny strings, but I want them to be a whole lot stronger than a skinny B-50 string. If I see a frayed strand I replace the string, but the remaining 9 strands are more than strong enough to survive for a few shots until I notice it. I wouldn't be that comfortable with a 10-strand B-50 that suddenly became a 9-strand.
I just put a 16 strand B-50 string on a 50# recurve. it may be more than necessary but I can't tell the difference and the bow dead quiet.
I just listen to the experts on this one and dont even dare experiment. Not ready for a bow explosion.
I have been shooting 12 and 14 strand strings for a few years and kind of like them fat.
I use to use 10 strand B50 on bows in the low 50lb range for multiple years with NO problems. I don't think I'd try that on a 80lb bow though. Now I use UC with a lower string count though again with no problems.
14 strands sounds about right for your bow. Recurves and longbows are a little different. There's much more string tension at brace with recurves and string stretch may loose you more energy than gained with the lower mass. You can try going to an endless loop string to gain back some performance on B50. They stretch less than flemish.
i shoot a 90# longbow,20 strands b50.
i shoot a 90# longbow,20 strands b50.
An endless won't stretch any less than a properly made Flemish, and the performance difference will be miniscule if any. Once the strings are pre-stretched and shot in, the material is all that stretches. Same material will stretch the same.
I still have a 98@28 flatbow around here somewhere. Can't remember if it took 18 or 21 strands of B-500, and even then it stretched so much it made me nervous. Had to make the string a few times before I got it short enough to allow for the stretch.
Against my better judgement I made a flemish string at a shoot for a guy using a heavy longbow. I think it was in the 80+# range.
I used a stringer to put the string on the bow and as I let the bow down to put tension on the string it stretched that new string to where it trapped my hand tightly to the riser.
All I can remember is:
Oweoweowegetitoffgetitoffgetitoff!!
Guy
The strands on a flemish string are twisted and act like a spring while on an endless string they lay parallel to the tension forces so they act stiffer. I love and use flemish strings myself but there's no getting away with this fact.
B500 should've been recalled as soon as it was put on the shelves. Stretches way more than B50. Good for kids bows and sling shots. I got a few rolls of it when I bought a string makers stock when he was getting out of the business.
Gave some to a friend to try, he tested B500, B50 and B55. Had to set his jig the shortest for B500 and said it stretched so bad it wasn't worth using and this was on bows from 40 to 45lbs. B50 and B55 were close but gave the nod to B55 being a hair less stretchier.
All were endless, normal strand count (12) strings built on a quality jig.
I must be in a minority but that's ok, I hate B50 on a bow. All I've ever gotten from B50 is creep, increased handshock or vibration, and twang or other increased noise. If you like thicker strings, great, but B50 on a bow OK for fastflight? Wth!? I had a 90# longbow for a good while. Came with a 20 strand 'rope' of a B50 string...handshock monster and twangy as all heck. I switched to a 16 strand D10 string and vOiLa! Handshock now a soft thump, quiet as a church mouse. The 16 strand D10 was technically overkill for 90# but any thinner and it wouldn't have been comfortable to shoot. This same experience has occurred for me on multiple bows, so 'blech!' for B50. But maybe I'm just nuts.
QuoteThe strands on a flemish string are twisted and act like a spring...
That is incorrect. There is slack in the twist when first made, that is removed when the string is pre-stretched and/or shot in. It doesn't act like a spring at all.
9W9, I don't care for polyester materials, but some bows require it.
Chad
Just remember on a hunting bow you want strength and enough strands in case a couple are cut accidentally with a broadhead. That's why I don't make strings on the edge of bare minimum strand counts for hunting strings.
I asked this question once before on a different post, but never got a response so I will try again. I love FF and skinny strings and since all my bows are FF compatible, I use 10 strand D10 on all of them.
I keep hearing guys say skinny strings are too uncomfortable. My strings are sized to fit the arrow nock and would be whether it was a 14 strand B50 or 8 strand FF. The only part of the string that contacts my string hand is the serving, so where does the comfort factor come in?
When I bought a shrew it came with a 6 strand string. Serving was built up for fit. The uncomfortable part was with me worrying about it.
Yeah Ron, but I seem to remember you were always have to twist it up to maintain brace height. ???
Even with the serving built up they have a different feel (to me). It could be as much or more mental than physical--just like the (percieved, not measured) gains.
dnovo, I have no problem with the string stretching. I have strings from SBD and Oliver Stacy. I normally adjust the new string for a brace height a little high. Then I let it sit overnight and draw it a few times the next day and then readjust the brace height. That usually does it for me pretty much for the life of the string.
LBR, I sure can't argue with that. I don't really think my bows are noticeably faster (or slower) with FF and I THINK I get less hand shock with the lighter string. Ask me to quantify it and I'd be lost :)
Probably one of the reasons that 14 or so strands has become sort of a "standard" is that a lot of archers in days past tried skinnier strings and had lots of issues. Not being much of a tinkerer, I have stayed in the more generally accepted ranges of performance and have done rather well. I may not have gotten the absolute most performance possible, but I have never had a bow let go, either.
Ron (Bladepeek) Actually my post was directed at Ron (Macbow). We are good buddies. My comment there was that it wasn't a matter of twisting it up a couple times and letting it settle in, it was that every time we shot he had to twist it up. All the time, for several years. It was the string that came with the bow. I can't add more detail than that, but I was not impressed.
When I need a string for one of my bows I make up a 14 strand B-50 cause I have spools of it on hand. I have a MOAB and several Mohawks that all have some type of FF string on them. I shoot them like that as they are the strings that came with them. I have made extra strings for them in B59 and shot them in and really cannot notice any difference in shooting. That's just me.
I'm no bandwagon jumper...but I heve never had a bowstring mfg. offer or suggest only 10 strands of b-50....12, but not 10....! 12 strands on my 51# recurve kept stretching...I HATED that..!!!! It's your bow, but I would proceed with caution here...or get something like one of Pierres SBD super skinny strings if you mist have the reduced number of strands.....JMO...John
I'm no bandwagon jumper...but I heve never had a bowstring mfg. offer or suggest only 10 strands of b-50....12, but not 10....! 12 strands on my 51# recurve kept stretching...I HATED that..!!!! It's your bow, but I would proceed with caution here...or get something like one of Pierres SBD super skinny strings if you mist have the reduced number of strands.....JMO...John
I'm no bandwagon jumper...but I heve never had a bowstring mfg. offer or suggest only 10 strands of b-50....12, but not 10....! 12 strands on my 51# recurve kept stretching...I HATED that..!!!! It's your bow, but I would proceed with caution here...or get something like one of Pierres SBD super skinny strings if you mist have the reduced number of strands.....JMO...John
wow....glad I said that 3 times...???