The carbon limb "ping" .

jonsimoneau · October 08, 2016, 12:50:00 AM

I've been screwing around with a bunch of different bows lately. I'm still not completely sold on the carbon limb thing. I've got a bow with carbon in the limbs that is quiet. It's a Habu Vyperkahn. But some of the ones I've shot have a high pitched "ping" upon release. I've heard the claims where people say "it's not louder it's just higher pitched." Well...aside from bowhunting my other passion is music and I'm telling you that I don't care what it reads on a decibel meter...higher pitched is perceived as louder. I know there are lots of options out there but my next recurve will be my old favorite bamboo limbs. I'm not a good enough shot to notice much difference in all the carbon limbs I've tried and I hate that higher pitched "ping" sound that comes from some but not all of them.

ozy clint · October 08, 2016, 03:16:00 AM

PM me your your email address.
I can send you a pic of the solution I came up with that gave my noisy border the 'longbow thud'.

Pluck the string and then hold the string. If it's still twanging after holding the string my idea will transform your bow.

I'm away from my computer for a few weeks but when I get back I'll post some pics for all to see.

Jake Scott · October 08, 2016, 08:48:00 AM

PM sent

Jake

deerhunter_w · October 08, 2016, 10:01:00 AM

I have a triple carbon centaur and dont notice the "ping". Last year I missed a doe and she just jumped a few feet and and started feeding again. Its the quietest bow I have. It has a rhino string with navajo wool puffs. Shooting easton 400 axis arrows with 200gr upfront and total arrow weight of 540.

Jeff

October 08, 2016, 10:37:00 AM

I have had one set of limbs with carbon in them, and I could not stand how they sounded!

Bisch

indianalongbowshooter · October 08, 2016, 10:37:00 AM

limb savers kill the ping and make bow dead quiet, have done it to 3 bows with the infamous ping..

Biathlonman · October 08, 2016, 01:23:00 PM

I've been through several carbon bows and couldn't stand it. Bamboo for me. Bill Dunn's latest Zipper limbs are the only ones I liked.

old_goat2 · October 08, 2016, 02:12:00 PM

Just go work on airplanes for twenty plus years, you won't hear any pings, problem solved!

ozy clint · October 08, 2016, 04:10:00 PM

Deer hunter- that centaur is a longbow right? That might explain the reason it was quiet.
At least with my border it was limb tip vibration that was causing the noise, which I guess recurves are predisposed to.

It's uncanny how just after I solved my problem that all these carbon noise threads pop up.
I will try and get photos soon.

Sam McMichael · October 08, 2016, 05:09:00 PM

I have never owned a bow with carbon and have shot only a few. But, I did notice more noise. Carbon may provide a bit of enhanced performance, but I am not a good enough archer to make the difference in price worthwhile.

nineworlds9 · October 08, 2016, 05:39:00 PM

jon,
well the Habu, well they are just superbly engineered so they lack the ping and are just a dull thud on release. Love those bows.

As for the rest, I know the ping can be annoying compared to a real quiet glass and wood bow...the only thing I have tried that really helps is a well designed string of a no stretch material (BCY X, Rhino, Fury) and well made rubber whisker silencers, combined with a minimum 10gpp arrow. Brace height also seems to come into play, too low or too high. These things seem to help a lot, but it never completely goes away, but it shouldn't be so loud as to spook game or anything like that.

nineworlds9 · October 08, 2016, 05:43:00 PM

It also seems to vary by bow make to a degree. Some seem harder to dampen.

nineworlds9 · October 08, 2016, 05:54:00 PM

Light riser woods don't help.

deerhunter_w · October 08, 2016, 06:12:00 PM

Yes the centaur is a longbow.

Jeff

forestdweller · October 08, 2016, 07:53:00 PM

Well you are right, higher pitched is always perceived as being louder so to the human ear it is louder.

An animal is much more likely to react to a low sounding metal spoon tapping a glass than a low sounding thump on a piece of rubber that is just as loud.

This is why I prefer my bow's to have as much wood as possible in them. Carbon is a terrible vibration (sound) dampener along with metal.

Whereas wood is an excellent vibration dampener and makes for a quieter bow naturally.

While limb savers/limb dampeners sound like a good idea it's just another thing that can fail on you in the field and will effect your arrow tune as well.

I could understand why people would want carbon in their limbs though but believe that if someone want's more performance they should just lower their arrow weight and/or raise their draw weight.

QuoteOriginally posted by deerhunter_w:
I have a triple carbon centaur and dont notice the "ping". Last year I missed a doe and she just jumped a few feet and and started feeding again. Its the quietest bow I have. It has a rhino string with navajo wool puffs. Shooting easton 400 axis arrows with 200gr upfront and total arrow weight of 540.

Jeff

There's going to be way less carbon in a longbow limb than a set of recurve limbs that practically have at minimum 50% or so carbon in them.

He's also shooting a recurve so when that string comes back and hit's the limb I can see where the loud ping would be coming from and this is not an issue with a longbow that has a small amount of carbon in it since the string never touches the limb.

The Whittler · October 08, 2016, 08:39:00 PM

Have you stood off to the side have someone shoot your bow with carbon limbs. You might find that it is not as loud as you thought.

damascusdave · October 09, 2016, 10:24:00 AM

I always find it interesting that humans assume all animals hear the same way we do

DDave

Bill Carlsen · October 09, 2016, 11:07:00 AM

The Morrison limbs my wife and I shoot are as quiet as any recurve I have ever shot. I've been shooting 64 years. In addition, they are a breeze to tune. Talked to Bob recently and he told me that using the new BCY 8190F string makes the quietest string he has ever shot. I should have a spool of it in a day or two. I have also shot Win&Win limbs as well as Borders. Borders were temperamental to tune and the W&W were a breeze as well, and very quiet. Borders not so much. I also know that various ILF limbs react differently on different risers. There are so many variables that a blanket statement may not be fair because of all of the options available.

nineworlds9 · October 09, 2016, 11:08:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by damascusdave:
I always find it interesting that humans assume all animals hear the same way we do

DDave

^^^this

The Whittler · October 09, 2016, 12:25:00 PM

So if the bow is quiet for you then that means an animal can't hear it either.

I know an animal can hear what we don't but the OP said HE thought his bow had a different higher sound so must be louder then he liked.

Sometimes having someone stand off a ways can tell you if what you are hearing is as loud as you think.