What material is your favorite string silencer?

[Keith Langford]

Tried em all, alway's come back to cat whiskers, make mine so they end up like a little round ball, 1 3/4 long

[Hummer3T]

I use two muskox balls and two cat whiskers on the strings, two limb savers vibration dampeners on the limb, felt in the string grooves, she is sooo quite.

[NBK]

Great timing on this.
Today I experimented with my dwyer dauntless shooting exactly 10gpp.  Started with the wool yarn puffs already on an 8 strand SBD string at the 1/4 marks.  Went to one set of whiskers at 1/4, then 1/3, then two whiskers at both 1/4 and 1/3, then one set at 1/4 on top and 1/3 on the bottom.  Picked up some limb saver leeches and put all four on...

Maybe it was the cold temps making the leeches stiff, but they were easily the loudest with the most vibration!  Moving the brace down actually helped some, but I was disappointed because I thought for sure they would really work well.

This bow is a bit touchy on the sound.  The firefly longbow I have in the classifieds is super quiet no matter what's on the string or where the brace is.  After today I'm thinking maybe I should just keep it!

Whiskers are going back on this bow, one set at 1/4 on top and 1/3 on the bottom.

[Gator1]

Originally posted by Keith Langford:
Tried em all, alway's come back to cat whiskers, make mine so they end up like a little round ball, 1 3/4 long

Keith

Any pics or tips?

[Gdpolk]

For looks: muskrat fur

For performance: catwhiskers

My solution:

I keep TWO hunting strings tuned in to my bow that are brand new with catwhiskers on them, that way I have two new strings for when it counts.  When hunting, one goes on the bow and the other in my day pack.

Throughout the week I practice and keep my bow stringed up with an old "hunting string" using muskrat fur.  

This method has three great benefits:
1) It gives me the look I want during practice and throughout the year and makes my "worn out" string easily distinguishable between my hunting strings that I know are in perfect condition.
2) This gives me the best performance (from a new string) when hunting AND ensures that I have a backup that is also a new string for when it counts.
3) In the times that I need to use one of my backups or hunting strings because my main one gets nicked or worn out, I STILL have a backup so there isn't anything that can ruin my trip or hunt.

[medic77]

I really like the Navajo wool silencers that Jim Neaves sells.  They wear like iron and I love the way they look.

[Knawbone]

Beaver fur strips when put on properly work and look great. Use them on all my long bows!

[Keefer]

Wool Yarn I do myself!

[lbshooter]

Catwiskers

[Guss]

Navajo wool for me also....cat whiskers are my second choice.

[RETARMY06]

size 64 rubber bands. Size 32 will work in a pinch. A whole pack costs about a buck or two.
I loop the band around the string and run it back through itself, cinching it up like a necktie (sort of). My dad showed me this way, way back in the day.

[azhunter]

Wool scallops from two tracks.

[Thumper Dunker]

Yarn puffs , Coyote hair puffs. Lots of stuff  will work.

[Guru]

Without a doubt

http://www.bowhush.com/    

     

[Uncle Buck]

fur has a definite cool factor, but rubber whiskers work better for me. I have made some from mink fur( I have a whole bag full of mink from a thrift store)
They look cool but didn't work as well as cat whiskers. Whiskers are also very cheap. if you buy them in bulk from a fishing tackle supply store you can get a 5 foot long piece for less than 2 bucks enough to make 8-10 pairs.

[Ray Lyon]

Originally posted by Guru:
Without a doubt

 http://www.bowhush.com/      

           

Ditto.  Bow Hush and Hush Puppies on all receives. Hush Puppies only on all longbows.

[Jon Stewart]

Fur, I use beaver or mink.  Cheap and easy to make and they work.

[agross1]

Hands down, wool scallops from Two tracks.   Second place would go to wooly whispers.   So I guess I'll say wool.

[Son of Rooster]

Hush Puppys are the bomb.

[Birdbow]

More and more I've been using rubber string leaches. Quiets the bow, very little loss in fps, and most importantly to me, are impervious to the effects of wet weather.