What is the quietest recurve(s) that you have shot?
Yesterday I shot a Great Plains Long Curve that I owned years ago. What I noticed was how very quiet it was. It had no padding between the string and the limbs either.
That prompted this thread. What recurves do you know of that are inherently quiet without need for modifications?
Thanks for your thought, Skychief.
My 1973 Bear Grizzly. Owned a bunch but it's the quietest.
Tom
1960 Kodiak
I think your answers will be all over the place. a lot will depend on string material and the arrow being shot. Usually its not the bow's Fault.
My Bigfoot Sasquatch is my most quiet. Several others are very close: Tip, Habu, Rose Oak UD, etc.
My Fox Breed was the easiest for me to get quiet, 2nd was my '72 Super Kodiak.
eta: We had a little get together here a few weeks back and ALL my bows seemed MUCH quieter when someone with a shorter draw shot mine. Depending on the style (ASL or T/D pistol grip recurve) my draw varies from 29"-31" and it seems if I can get them as quiet as possible for my draw length, they whisper when someone with a 26-28" draw shoots them.
MAN THAT'S FRUSTRATING!!!
My lil' 54" helms deep is super quiet.
I let a friend shoot my Bear A TD with #3 Rise Oak limbs and an SBD ultra string. I was shocked at how quiet it was when I was just listening for it. The string has SBD puff silencers and SBD recurve wraps.
I had a Kota-Killum that was silent with just wool puffs.
Never had a decimeter to check to be sure. I haven't had one I can't get very quiet with proper tuning and a good release, not to mention a properly built string and nock fit.
The latest is a very cheap Samick Journey with a 20 strand (loops padded to 24) BCY-X string and one small set of cat whisker silencers. Even shooting just 8.5 grains per lb and pulling 31" I've gotten lots of comments on how quiet it is.
Bow design obviously plays a part, but it's only one part of the equation.
Most of my vintage Bear are VERY quiet,same for Bear TD with Rose Oak limbs.
Other custom is the Zipper SXT with carbon foam limbs.
I own more than 100 bows and had around 200 but these one are out of the pack.
Quietest I have shot is a tossup between the EagleWing Talon 11 and the Sasquatch. However I believe that any well designed geometric static with good brace stability would be same.
RER and Caribow come to mind.
God bless, Steve
Quietest of all was a 66" ILF setup running 46@28 consisting of a 21" Black Bear WARF riser and size long Sebastien Flute Elite Plus limbs and a Hoyt Super Rest. Even at 7.25" it was nearly longbow quiet and blew my mind.
Far as dedicated hunting recurves, another super quiet recurve was the 54" Shrew Lil Favorite (=Java Man Helms Deep) that I just sold to fund my new Silvertip Carbon, which is also among the quietest recurves I have ever shot. Also the Toelke SS 64" and Caribow Tuktu EX. Both just a measure quieter than a regular 'Tip which is quiet to begin with. The RER XR also comes to mind. As well as the Robertson Fatal Styk. The Fatal Styk and 'Tip Carbon are both comparable. Morrison metal ILF riser with Dryad Epic limbs was also very quiet for a recurve.
If I had to rank a couple I'd make it:
1. BB WARF / SF Elite Plus combo
2. Shrew Lil Favorite (=Java Man Helms Deep), Toelke SS
3. Silvertip Carbon, Robertson Fatal Styk, RER XR, Caribow Tuktu EX
4. Standard Silvertip, Hoots Lil Hoot, Toelke Lynx
5. Morrison metal ILF riser and Dryad Epic limbs
6. Border Hex limbs
I have shot others but these come to mind right off the top of my head, as the quietest. The ranking needs to be looked at as not a huge spread from 2. to 3. to 4. but noticeable differences existed and the jump from 2. to 4. is pretty decent. 1. was kinda in a class of its own. 5. and 6. another step
from 4. All are very quiet in general.
As you can see, statics tend to be quieter than working recurves. The working recurves that have shined based on the list above are the SF Elite+ combo (amazing!) and the Silvertip Carbon and Robertson.
Nearly all on the list were tested with either LRU 12 strand Rhino strings or 8-10 strand D10 or 12 strand D97 and generally cat whiskers though a few had wool puffs. I have found that silencers and skinny strings just make an already quiet bow quieter. If it is noisy to begin with they will only dull it down some. Heavy arrows help but if its not pretty quiet at 9-10gpp its almost kinda like what's the point. Oh btw I don't generally use wool wraps on my string ends either.
The only bow I mentioned that had wool wraps on the string far as I remember was the RER XR and they came on the string.
An Appallation Archery Savage River takedown by Dave Guthrie.
Not the best cast, not the best bow ever, but damn was it silent. Took my first ever trad animal with it, a black bear in northern Alberta.
It took the shot, flinched a little and then kept eating grass till it went to sleep.
I still have the limbs, the riser went to a "friend" to refinish, never to be seen again.
My "wish I still had it" bow.
For me it is my 64 inch blacktail with a dacron string and limbsavers installed.
#1-Silvertip, #2- Zipper Extreme, Carbon Foam limbs. :thumbsup:
The quietest I've shot is a 56" Hill Country Bobcat with static recurve limbs.
All of my old Bears are quiet too.
All I know is my buddy's Silvertip is quieter than my Widow...both have SBD strings, but the Tip still seems quieter to my ears.
Hands down stalker static
My Fedora H560 is one of the quietest recurves I have shot with both Dacron and 450+ strings. Using a TS-1 string, my Kempf Stealth is very quiet.
My PAW bow.(Mistress). Quiet and fast.
Not sure if Marc Lauver is still making bows.
(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b22/Stalker58/Miss6.jpg) (http://s16.photobucket.com/user/Stalker58/media/Miss6.jpg.html)
(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b22/Stalker58/Miss3.jpg) (http://s16.photobucket.com/user/Stalker58/media/Miss3.jpg.html)
(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b22/Stalker58/Miss4.jpg) (http://s16.photobucket.com/user/Stalker58/media/Miss4.jpg.html)
Toelke Chinook
The quietest recurve I have owned is a sheepeater spirit. Almost no silencer needed.
Phil
So far, Toelke Chinook.
Toelke Lynx recurve is and has been my quietest to date.
Like others have said, there are many variables that affect the sound levels.
My Silvertip is pretty quiet, much quieter than most others I have shot!
I've actually shot a lot of recurves since I started shooting, and my 74-75 Grizzly that's 45x@28 has been the quietest bow I have ever shot and all that's on it are puffs. Everyone comments about it when they hear it.....or don't hear it, lol. Close second is..... believe it or not my 65@28 Predator Classic with wraps and puffs. It is a very quiet bow.
I'm with Joe Skipp, 60" Fedora 560 1pc..
56" Lil Hoot with a SBD string.
My Bighorn is the quietest I've shot.
My Assenhiemer is my quietest.
Quietest would be either my Eaglewing Steppe Eagle or my Silvertip....next would be a tie between an RER I had and my Kwyk Styk
My 2 Assenheimers are the quietist I have ever shot. Every time I shoot with someone they say the same thing. Very very quiet.
John McCullough Fiftyniner.
My two quietest are a Robertson Tribal Styk and a Bruin huntmaster.
Probably the quietest recurve I've ever shot is a pair of Rose Oak limbs on a bear TD riser.
I had a 60# martin hatfield that was whisper quiet. I wish i still had that bow.
I have owned most all and the quietest to me is my Firefly static tip.
Phoenix Whippenstick without any doubt
My old Mahaska.
My Dads old one piece Super Kodiak is dead silent. I don't track Bear bows, but I think this one is from about 1973
Sheepeater Spirit and GN Ghost
My Morrison Cheyenne, 62", 45#@28". Leadwood riser, Max 1 carbon/foam limbs. All you hear is the arrow hitting the target.
Bill
Marriah Thermal. I have had 6 of them and they are hands down the quietest. Bows I hav e shot
I own Robertson, Black Widow, Shaffer but by far the quietest bow that I own and have shot is my Bear B Mag with any set of limbs I put on it.
The guys on the range say it is quieter then there longbows. It's even quieter then my Shrew.
Great Plains Swift, and a Belcher Patriot
Marriah Thermal
Toelke Super Static.
And by a wide margin. And... it COMES that way. No fussing around. As quiet as any longbow I have ever shot.
Joshua
I don't see a pattern forming here. :D
I generally don't have a problem making most any bow quiet; but there is nothing more silent than a 1959 or 1960 Bear Kodiak-nothing! :archer2:
My buddy has a repo Bear 59er and that thing is unbelievably quiet.
Looks like all of em are quiet for some folks. Just what I'd expect.
A Fox Breed I foolishly sold a couple of years ago. It was dead silent with just a set of cat whiskers.
QuoteOriginally posted by Rob W.:
I don't see a pattern forming here. :D
Patience Rob, patience! :D
The take down recurve made by Dave Ricke of Waukesha Wisconsin. He's also a outstanding custom knife maker as well. 262-334-5739 His bows are Start @ $350.
Toelke Chinook for me. Quiet as most longbows
RER x2
:readit:
62" Bear Grizzlies.
I have experience with years 1958-1963 and they are all very quiet
54" Lil' Favorite
Quiet and easy to silence.
Kris
Quote
"but there is nothing more silent than a 1959 or 1960 Bear Kodiak-nothing! " Somehow coming from Bjorn...I'm inclined to believe that ;)
Kris
Fox High Seirra
Are the new 59 Kodiaks quiet?
Samick Stingray
Assenheimers its what their reputation was built on !
I've shot a lot of recurves - still looking for one that is more quiet then my first custom bow - Bruin Huntmaster. I still am amazed that a bow I bought dang near 20 years ago is still one of my fastest (and it has a dacron bowstring) and there is no contest that it is my quietest recurve. It is even quiter then my Thunderhorn 3 piece longbow. I still have two Marriah Thermal bows (quoted as being pretty quiet) well neither of mine is anywhere close to my Bruin.
I am toying with a new recurve, would like to test drive one of the new static limb versions - if anyone knows of a recurve that is slender limbed and as quiet as a Bruin please shoot me a PM.
Otherwise - I guess its time to get another Bruin.
Don't discount BigJims Desert Bighorn Recurve~
we shot several of them at our shoot this past weekend and all 3 of us were amazed at how quiet they were (out to a 31" draw) shooting all kinds of arrows and spines.
2 of us bought one.
L.R.
My Zipper SXT with carbon foam limbs hands down .
My Blacktail
I've killed 4 deer by shooting them twice with my RER. Sharp heads and a quiet bow.
QuoteOriginally posted by steadman:
Hands down stalker static
X2
QuoteOriginally posted by LBR:
Never had a decimeter to check to be sure. I haven't had one I can't get very quiet with proper tuning and a good release, not to mention a properly built string and nock fit.
The latest is a very cheap Samick Journey with a 20 strand (loops padded to 24) BCY-X string and one small set of cat whisker silencers. Even shooting just 8.5 grains per lb and pulling 31" I've gotten lots of comments on how quiet it is.
Bow design obviously plays a part, but it's only one part of the equation.
Could not agree more with what you are saying...I have a friend who is a string making maniac and with the right string he can make just about any recurve hunting quiet without anything on the string...and he has yet to get any BCY-X which as you say appears to be the best yet in that department...he currently uses 8125g mixed with B50...the B50 appears to offer an amazing dampening effect with very little loss in velocity
DDave
QuoteOriginally posted by DDFlongbow:
I've killed 4 deer by shooting them twice with my RER. Sharp heads and a quiet bow.
My RER LXR is every bit as quiet with the recurve limbs as it is with the longbow limbs...not even any need for string silencers with the right string...truly a masterful design
DDave
My Blacktail
Quietest I ever had was a Great Plains SR Swift 60" 56@30. I had a 59@ 30 and it was plenty enough quiet to hunt with but it wasn't what the other one was.
My Jack Kempf. Raven with static limbs.
The older I get, the quieter they all get. But maybe that is just my hearing...
Assenhiemer, no doubt about it.
My old Bear 76'er is quietest I have owned and don't know if I've not heard one quieter! But I shot it at probably 14gpp.
The quietest recurve I have ever shot was a Great Northern Super Ghost.
The `59 reproduction shoots quiet too.
My old original Jim Brackenbury Legend. Quiet as a longbow and one heck of a good shooting recurve. It was an outstanding design and the inspiration for some of the best recuves being made today namely Blacktail and Wes Wallace.
RER Arroyo was the quietest bow I have ever owned.