String type and handshock?

Tom Anderson · July 23, 2012, 11:34:00 AM

I've noticed over the past couple of years that folks say they got so-and-so bow and that it had a certain amount of handshock UNTIL they changed the string to (usually) a DF97 string, maybe endless loop instead of Flemish.
So, how do strings, either material or type, affect handshock?
I would think that good ol' soft flexible Dacron would be great handshock-wise (lack of), but apparently that isn't the way it works....

kat · July 23, 2012, 11:38:00 AM

Funny you should mention the Dacron and handshock.
I know that I am in the minority here, but....
I have switched from a FF string to a B50 string to get away from handshock. It must be something in the way different people grip the bow.
To me it makes sense that a string that will give a little on release will absorb some of the shock.

Pete McMiller · July 23, 2012, 11:52:00 AM

My experience is that a skinny fastflight material like 8125, D10, D97 etc. will indeed reduce perseeved hand shock. I think the weight of any string is a big factor in the amount of vibration and therefore handshock in bow. I also think that the reduction is most apparent with Hill style bows though it still works for R/Ds.

JRY309 · July 23, 2012, 12:09:00 PM

I do think some shooters feel handshock differently then what some other shooters feel.The only time I felt handshock is on bows with dacron.Other then my old Ben Pearson I wouldn't use dacron at all,and prefer an endless loop dacron if I use it.Also I think if a bow is not tillered well handshock can be increased.

LBR · July 23, 2012, 12:38:00 PM

The best way I know to look at it is this:

Take a piece of fishing line, pull it tight between your hands and have someone pluck it. Now, take a rubber band and do the same.

The rubber band obviously transmits a lot more vibration, because it's much more elastic. That's the simplified version of the way string vibration works.

It doesn't have to be a "skinny" string, and it doesn't have to be endless, although you might (or might not) notice a slight difference between them--you might even get more with skinny, depending on the material, because it's going to have more stretch.

I've never shot a bow that had as much shock with a FF type string as it did with dacron. Re-tuning is required when swapping strings to get the best results.

TRT · July 23, 2012, 12:39:00 PM

I have noticed a big difference in handshock on my recurve. It really shoots nice with FF but vibrates a good bit with Dacron. I have tried to go back to Dacron a couple of times and it simply rattles my elbow too much.

I do think there is something to everybody being different, shooting with different style and thus feeling handshock differently. I suspect that bows are individual too, but I cannot prove that as I have only shot 2 recurves on a regular basis.

Tom Anderson · July 23, 2012, 12:48:00 PM

Thanks, guys.

Chad, what's your thoughts on endless-loop vs. Flemish twist?

LBR · July 23, 2012, 01:46:00 PM

To me it's a Ford/Chevy/Dodge kind of thing--more personal preferance than real world difference. 'Course that is when you compare apples to apples--can't expect a fair comparison if you put a new F250 up against an '85 model Ram50.

Each has some advantages and disadvantages. Flemish is generally quieter and gives you more tuning lee-way. Endless shoots in quicker and there seems to be less difference between one maker to the next.

I've got flemish on most of my bows, but some have endless. Equally well made and properly tuned, I don't think there's enough difference to worry about on most bows.

Bjorn · July 23, 2012, 02:24:00 PM

Who made the string can have a big impact as well. Get Chad to make you a couple-big difference!

WESTBROOK · July 23, 2012, 02:28:00 PM

About all I shoot are Hill style longbows, going from Dacron to FF can make it shoot like a different bow(for the better).

Eric

Jeff Strubberg · July 23, 2012, 03:37:00 PM

Dacron to FF is a big switch as far as handshock, in my experience.

The other factor that seems to cause improvement is string weight. I think this is where the skinnys pay off. Smaller strings and fewer silencers seem to tame hand shock. Of course, there's always a trade off.

Ric O'Shay · July 23, 2012, 04:24:00 PM

Dacron will not transfer the same amount of stored energy in the limbs to the arrow as will any of the FF strings. Therefore, if the stored energy in the limbs does not transfer to the arrow when it is released, then that energy must go some place. That place is right back into the bow. Hence, a rattle you teeth bow.

Heavier arrows will reduce the amount of perceived recoil.

Hermon · July 23, 2012, 04:48:00 PM

I guess that I am in the minority here also. I have never liked the feel of a FF string. Maybe it is just because I have shot dacron for years and that is how I think a bow should feel after the shot.

LBR · July 23, 2012, 05:37:00 PM

The weight difference in a "skinny" vs. a moderate size string is maybe 40-80 grains (80 on the extreme end), or the equivelent of one or two .22 bullets.

Not the entire cartridge, just the bullet--36 grains for the ones I have on hand. That's spread out over the entire length of the string, and the loops, not in one spot.

We're looking at the mass weight of one or two very small shot sinkers spread out over a few feet. Just putting it into perspective.