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New to ilf.

Started by Tracker 45, September 22, 2025, 09:53:04 PM

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Tracker 45

I'm a bit new to the ILF theme  and know that options can be endless. I'm thinking about an ILF build after hunting season and could use some advice as to what direction to go. This build will be geared more towards hunting and occasionally 3d shooting. I have a 28" dl , looking at about a 60" amo and would like to get about 57-58lb of draw weight, if possible. I'm not sure on what riser length or limbs to go with. Any ideas to get me going in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

McDave

The thing about ILF that is different is that you can leave some options open for the future. 

For example, assume you really want the hunting rig you describe, but you want to leave your options open for a better 3D setup sometime in the future.  You could buy a 19" riser now with short 57-58# limbs, which would give you your 60" hunting bow.  Later, you could buy medium 40# limbs, which would give you a perfect 62" bow for 3D.

Or, let's assume you hate that idea, but want the option to adjust your hunting weight up or down in the future.  You could buy a 17" riser with medium 57-58# limbs, which would give you your 60" hunting bow.  Later, you could move up or down in weight, staying with medium limbs, and staying with the same feel of the bow other than the difference in weight.

Or....
TGMM Family of the Bow

Technology....the knack of arranging the world so that we don't have to experience it.

Tracker 45

I know there are several routes I could go to achieve such a build. I guess I'm just trying to narrow things down a bit. For instance, 17" riser vs 19" riser, what pound limbs will get me to what I want ( I know you can adjust the poundage a little bit with the limb bolts) and what type or kind limbs to go with etc. I know there's a lot to learn here!

TaterHill Archer

I have a 13" and a 17" riser.  I like them both.  Probably prefer the 17" riser.  What # limbs will depend on what length riser they are rated for.  limbs rated for a 25" riser will gain, roughly, 1 lb per inch of length (25-17=8).  so 50 lb limbs rated on a 25" riser will be about 58 on a 17" riser.  Riser length will dictate how much working limb you have so there's that.  I really like my ILF rigs.  I have one set up for hunting and I have the other set up with a set of light limbs to work on form.  It has been great for me and should have done it long ago. I am working on one piece of the shot at a time until I get it engrained so all of my shots are the same.  attempting to practice until I can't get it wrong.  Cool thing for me is I can shoot my light bow, then pick up my heavy bow and just keep going because the grip, draw, release are all the same.
Jeff

"Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you."  Benjamin Franklin

McDave

First you find some limbs that you might be interested in.  Typical would be Tradtech Black Max 2 carbon limbs that are selling for $280.  These are not the cheapest limbs on the market, and far from being the most expensive.  These limbs are offered in 5# increments from 25-60#, so that covers your desired range.  Tradtech marks their limbs for a 17" riser, so if you wanted to buy a 17" riser, whether Tradfech's or someone else's, you could take the specs right out of the ad for bow poundage and bow length.  Otherwise, you could make the adjustments Taterhill mentions in his post.

Generally, you can match anyone's ILF limbs with anyone's ILF riser.  Everybody will state in their ads what length riser their stats are based on.  Since the weight numbers are approximate, I think it's a good idea to buy from someone with a liberal return policy, since what you get may not be exactly what you had in mind.  I don't think it's necessarily a good or bad idea to buy the riser and limbs of the same brand, because they're all supposed to be interchangeable.  If they're not, then that's why you want a liberal exchange policy.

The way I understand it, there are basically two kinds of ILF bows: traditional, with riser lengths of 21" and below, and bare bow/olympic, with riser lengths of 23" and above.  You could, theoretically, buy some limbs made to use on a 25" riser, calculate the conversion, and use them on a 19" riser.  I've done that, and they seem to work fine.  But I never felt comfortable with them and eventually traded them for something else.  Maybe I was being unnecessarily cautious.

All the well known companies that sell ILF equipment have tech advisers on their staffs that can explain this stuff better than I can.  It pays to talk to one and explain exactly what you want to do, and get their advice as to the best way to do it.
TGMM Family of the Bow

Technology....the knack of arranging the world so that we don't have to experience it.


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