Shrew with Carbon Limbs - Your Opinions

[azhunter]

I ordered a T/D classic hunter recently. I have shot a lot of longbows, but when I shot this design Ron came up with my search for the perfect bow was over. Speed is way down on my list of priorities in a bow.  I odered the clasic hunter for a target weight of around 50lbs.  Due to shoulder and arm surgery a few years ago I am keeping my bows lighter than I would like.  I mostly hunt deer and javelina and I know this weight range will blow right threw them.  My thoughts are that I also want to hunt elk with this bow and have heard from a fellow tradganger that his classic hunter with carbon shoots about 9fps faster than his classic hunter 1# lighter without carbon.  This extra speed from the carbon limb is the same as going up a little in draw weight.  So... to get to the point.... what is your experience with the shrew with carbon on the belly?  Are they as sooth as the non carbon limb?  Does the carbon have a similar feel as the non carbon shrew? Would you opt for the carbon limb or not?

[kadbow]

I would like to add a question to your list, does the carbon add to noise?

[azhunter]

Meant to say "his classic hunter with carbon shoots 9fps faster than his clasic hunter that is 1# heavier without carbon in the limb".

[jrchambers]

i bet only a small handfull of people could answer that ?

[HATCHCHASER]

In my experience carbon is not louder, but it does make a different noise.  I'd go with the carbon.

[Dave2old]

My Classic Hunter without carbon is the quietest bow I've ever shot. My Black Widow with carbon is the loudest. Not suggesting connections here, just reporting. It's my guess that Shrew is offering carbon and foam limbs now in order to meet consumer demand for this new technology, rather than because they feel it's superior to the usual ingredients. If I'm wrong, I trust Gregg or Ron will make corrections. I see nothing wrong with carbon or foam, but no need for either one. Each his own.

[Tim Fishell]

I shot a Carbon Classic Hunter last year at Kalamazoo.  I dont remember it being much louder but I also dont remember it feeling a whole lot different than my all wood Classic.

[Java Man]

Dave,

You are certainly correct in the first part.  But, the carbon w/ or w/o foam, makes a noticeable thinner and thus lighter limb, which will recover very quickly and produce more arrow speed.  I do not know how much.  After making several Shrews with carbon, I would say that noise will not be an issue.  

Fot those coming to Kalamazoo, we have a 56" Super Shrew with carbon and foam.  A 56" Classic with carbon and actionboo,  a 56" classic with foam and glass, and a 54" Lil favorite with foam and glass.  Y'all can decide for yourselves.  

Some other bows too.

Gregg    

[tradtusker]

In your Opinion Gregg, whats the best combination as far as performance goes?

[pacopperhead]

good question

[Java Man]

Tradtusker,

I don't have quite enough experience yet, but it seems carbon and foam will give the best performance.  I don't have a shooting machine or funtional chronograph, and have no desire to measure arrow speed.  We are not about speed, but short, accurate, stable, quiet hunting bows.  We can do that w/o carbon.  With carbon, you get all those features with a little more speed.  

Gregg

[azhunter]

Would love to hear from anyone going to Kalamazoo that shoots the classic hunter with carbon and actionboo. I feel exactly like Gregg posted I am more into all the qualities that make the Shrew so terrific, its just that if I can have all those qualities and a noticeable difference in speed then why not!

[amar911]

I have the first foam core Classic Hunter that Gregg made. I just sent it back to him so he could take it to Kalamazoo for others to check out to see what they think. I have several other Shrews, all of them with actionboo cores. The foam is not merely a gimmick. It functions very well and seems to me to be somewhat smoother and faster, probably for the reasons Gregg mentioned above. I also have a number of Morrison bows, some with actionboo cores, some with foam cores and some with foam cores and carbon backing. I can say that I prefer the foam/carbon limbs. The foam core limbs seem smoother to me, and with the carbon backing they are appreciably faster than without the carbon. For the most part, carbon backing only works well with the longbow limbs or with very heavy recurve limbs, but the foam cores are great on both. I have a Classic Hunter ordered with foam/carbon limbs and a Lil Favorite ordered with foam core limbs but not with carbon backing. That will give me every combination of limb materials and designs in the Shrew line except carbon backing with actionboo cores. I probably won't ever order that combination when the foam cores are available.

Ask Bob Morrison about foam cores and carbon backing. He can have any material he wants in his limbs and he says he will never shoot anything but foam cores unless some better material comes along in the future -- and he uses carbon backing on his foam core longbow limbs (but not on the recurve limbs). I have hunted with Bob, and he practices what he preaches. When he shows up at hunting camp he now brings a Mini-14 ILF riser with foam/carbon longbow limbs, and a second Mini-14 ILF riser with foam core (and no carbon backing) recurve limbs. I didn't get to go on the Solana Ranch hunt, but I bet he used the same two bows there.

So, are Ron and Gregg just building the foam core and/or carbon backed limbs on the Shrews as a marketing ploy to supply customers with new materials that are just gimmicks? Heck no. The new materials are tried and proven. They really work and work well. Do you need them? No. The Shrews are all wonderful bows no matter when they were made or what materials Gregg built them with. But if you want a bow that feels a little nicer and performs a little better and you are not adverse to using more synthetics in a trad bow, then you ought to strongly consider the foam cores and/or carbon backing -- assuming also you don't mind paying some extra money for them. Even better, get the Bow Bolt option if you like to travel with your bow. One of my Shrews has a Bow Bolt and now I have ordered the next 2 with the Bow Bolt. It works very well, but it also costs an additional $200.

Just for comparison purposes, my foam core Classic Hunter without carbon backing shoots almost as fast as my Lil Favorite with actionboo core and no carbon backing, both of them being identical draw weights (54#@28"). That's really good, because the Lil Favorite with its recurve limbs is usually significantly faster than a comparable actionboo Classic Hunter. If you get a chance to go to Kalamazoo, shoot my foam core Classic Hunter against an actionboo core Classic Hunter and see what you think. By the way, I have a 29 1/2" draw length, and I believe that the benefits of the foam cores become more obvious as your draw lengthens, which makes sense to me.

Allan

[oddan]

Allen, Very good review.

[amar911]

Thanks Dan. Enjoy that all night work schedule. I'm glad you get to tune in to TradGang part of the time while you are there.

I forgot to ask you which Shrew you had on order for October. Are you getting foam cores, carbon backing, a Bow Bolt, or other options on it?

Allan

[oddan]

I am thinking everything Greg can do to it. It will be a Classic Hunter though.

[mooseman76]

Do the carbon limb Shrews have carbon on belly and back?  Or back only?  Thanks...Mike

[azhunter]

Allan,  Thank you so much for taking the time to give your experience with the foam core and carbon limbs.  Sounds like the foam core and carbon backing is the way to go with the classic hunter.  I have a year or so to wait so I would really appreciate hearing more over the course of the year.  Thanks

[amar911]

Dan -- That's pretty much what I will be doing with my new Shrews.

Mike -- Gregg puts the carbon on the back (the side pointing away from you when you are shooting the bow) of the limbs. That is the side where the limbs are in tension, which is where the carbon works best.

Allan

[mooseman76]

Thanks Allan, I believe that is the same layup that Bob Morrison uses as well?  Seems I need to get to Michigan and shoot some of these bows...Mike