Silence My Bow, Please!

[Story Teller]

Thanks, Pat B,

I'll need to do a better tillering job on my next one.  I've had some practice since the bow above, but they have either not been good choices for hunting, or I've given them to someone else.

I'm starting to learn a little here, and that's exciting.  Will some of you address a few other ideas?

Mullet mentioned brace height, arrow weight and string type.  Can we learn more about those?

In engineering, to keep a spring from developing a harmonic, we pair the spring with another of different shape and/or spring force so that they dampen each other's vibrations.  I've considered twisting in a decorative thread of a different type into the bowstring to dampen it's natural vibration.  Has anyone already tried that?

Do you all have an opinion about what silencers are better?

Assuming a good or perfect tiller, does limb shape or design affect sound?

I've not considered silence as a goal in bow design before this, but now I'm very sensitive to it and would like to know more.

Thanks, everyone.

[Pat B]

As far as the brace height...there is a "sweet spot" somewhere along the center of the string. By moving the nock point up or down a bit you should be able to find it. A good starting point is about 3/8" above horizontal.
 If silencers are needed on a string almost any soft material will work to absorb the string vibrations. Most folks use different types of fur, I think, because it looks cool.
 Limb shape shouldn't cause noise in a bow unless the limbs are so wide you hear the wind vortex. 

[son of massey]

Mullet mentioned brace height, arrow weight and string type.  Can we learn more about those?

In engineering, to keep a spring from developing a harmonic, we pair the spring with another of different shape and/or spring force so that they dampen each other's vibrations.  I've considered twisting in a decorative thread of a different type into the bowstring to dampen it's natural vibration.  Has anyone already tried that?


Assuming a good or perfect tiller, does limb shape or design affect sound?

String type can be a sticky topic-people seem entrenched in their opinions and adding silencers (as suggested) tends to cover noise any given string should make, so I wouldn't be too concerned with string type as a noise issue and go ahead and use whatever previous strongly held convictions you have on the topic-everyone else does.

You also asked about arrow weight. Heavier arrows tend to be quieter because they are more efficient. The more efficient the arrow/bow system is, the more of the stored energy of the bow makes it into the arrow-and the less is left behind to vibrate.

As far as limb design, I have heard people express the opinion that recurves are too loud for their tastes, but I can't say that I have ever noticed that to be an issue I have picked up on. That may be a result of having used laminated FG recurves that they felt were loud, and I have used a few of those I guess...but other than that I do not know that I have seen design attributed to noise issues. That said, Japanese bows were apparently designed such that the limb had a harmonic frequency that would come into play when firing arrows at a consistent, rapid pace. If anyone has seen that done, I would be curious to know if any extra noise is attributed to that vibrational frequency.

SOM