What a difference a string makes!

30coupe · November 01, 2015, 10:05:00 AM

I finally got home, where my string making stuff is, and made a new string for my Bama Expedition Hunter. The string that came on it was too fat for my liking and too short in my opinion. To get the recommended 7" brace height, I had to take too many twists out of the string. I must add, I don't know if this was one of Nate's strings or not since I bought the bow used.

Anyway, I twisted up a three bundle, nine strand, D97 string with the loops padded to 15 strands. I put on two cat whiskers, just like what came on the original string. When I shot it, I was getting some funky arrow flight. I paper tuned and had to drop 50 grains from the front to get back to the bullet holes I was getting with the old string.

The good news is I obviously gained some speed. I'll find out how much when I get back to the cabin and shoot through the chrono.

The bad news is it limits my broadhead choices to 125 grains and drops my gpp to 9.5 from 10.5.

I'm hoping I can shorten my shafts enough to make up the difference. Otherwise I guess I'll have to fiddle with the sideplate.

I really wasn't thinking so much about gaining speed as I was more flexibility with the brace height. I was actually pretty shocked it made so much difference, but it was a good shocked!

Caughtandhobble · November 01, 2015, 10:14:00 AM

Yes sir, a good string makes a huge difference. I always smile when I read were somebody says a string is a string... Enjoy that new to you bow!

November 01, 2015, 10:36:00 AM

Yep! I can't believe how many folks there are out there shooting trad bows who have no idea what their string is made out of!

Bisch

Homebru · November 01, 2015, 10:46:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by 30coupe:
I paper tuned and had to drop 50 grains from the front to get back to the bullet holes I was getting with the old string.

The other way to increase your spine (rather than decreasing point / broadhead weight) would be to build out your strike plate, wouldn't it?
homebru

damascusdave · November 01, 2015, 01:13:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
Yep! I can't believe how many folks there are out there shooting trad bows who have no idea what their string is made out of!

Bisch

And yet somehow they believe we can tell them what arrow that bow will shoot...I have more than one bow that, when I changed the string went from bareshafting a 340 spine arrow to needing a 250 spine...the string is THE thing when it comes to dynamic spine

30coupe · November 01, 2015, 01:52:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Homebru:

QuoteOriginally posted by 30coupe:
I paper tuned and had to drop 50 grains from the front to get back to the bullet holes I was getting with the old string.
The other way to increase your spine (rather than decreasing point / broadhead weight) would be to build out your strike plate, wouldn't it?
homebru [/b]

Yeah, I mentioned that in my post.

I always build a new string any time I get a new bow. Most of the time they seem to have a one-size-fits-all string in terms of strand count. My 50# and under bows certainly don't need 16 strands of D97! I've kind of settled on 9 strands of D97 in a three bundle string or 10 if I just use two bundles. I prefer three because I can get a rounder string without excessive twists and because three colors just looks cooler!

I've tried the skinnier strings, down to 6 strands for a 46# bow, but find no advantage over the 9 strand, and I hate having to do so much fiddling around to get the center serving built up enough to fit my arrow nocks.

Yup, a good string can make a world of difference!

A.S. · November 01, 2015, 08:38:00 PM

Yep, strings make a huge difference in tuning. I can tune the same bow with arrows from 600 spine all the way to 400 spine just by using different string and silencer combinations. I have done it many times.

ChuckC · November 02, 2015, 09:01:00 AM

Yup.... a bow is a chunk of wood, a club, but you add a string ! and now you have a fun tool !

sorry
ChuckC

LBR · November 02, 2015, 10:20:00 AM

It always puzzles me when some people who really know bows ignore the role the string plays.

Fritz · November 02, 2015, 10:26:00 AM

I'm still a novice stringmaker, but thanks to Ron and Chad's dvd I have all my bows tuned exactly how I want them. Wish I would have realized long ago how much a string affects bow performance. All my bows are 48-51#'s. I use D97 10 strand 2 bundles and pad the loops to 14 strands, on all my bows. Works great for me.

30coupe · November 02, 2015, 10:30:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by LBR:
It always puzzles me when some people who really know bows ignore the role the string plays.

I agree, Chad. Seems like many think if it's the right length...or close to it...that's good enough. I want to make strings that actually FIT my bows. I don't just mean they are the right length, but that the loops are the correct fit on the nocks, the strand count is appropriate for the draw weight, and the serving fits my arrow nocks perfectly...not too loose, not too tight.

Then tune the arrows to match, and you don't just have a fun tool; you have a deadly weapon!

**DONOTDELETE** · November 02, 2015, 10:59:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by Homebru:

QuoteOriginally posted by 30coupe:
I paper tuned and had to drop 50 grains from the front to get back to the bullet holes I was getting with the old string.
The other way to increase your spine (rather than decreasing point / broadhead weight) would be to build out your strike plate, wouldn't it?
homebru [/b]

Absolutely....

Actually you'll find that tuning your arrows by the length and using strike plate adjustment properly, that 50 grains point weight typically won't effect your arrow flight at all.

There are always exceptions to the rule though. One of them is the longer your shafts and draw length are, the more tip weight comes into play .

Example: take a guy running 400 spine shafts, 29" in length, with a 28" draw. Once you got these bare shaft tuned correctly. 50 grains of point weight won't even effect the arrow flight.

Same 400 spine arrow, full length 32", with a guy drawing 31" tuned properly. 50 grains added to the tip will definitely make a difference.... but nothing a little stripe plate shimming wouldn't remedy.