Original message:
Wow, Folks,
I came home from hunting today and all of your replies were waiting for me. Let me do my best to answer your questions. When we talk about the bow itself being the culprit, I begin to think I won't solve the problem for next weekend, but there is a bow-in-progress on my bench that maybe I can build better for next year with your collective advice.
I've attached pictures per your request. Un-strung, braced, and I used a stick to get a near-full draw picture.
My bow is of German brown locust. The limbs are 30.5 inches from the fade to the knock. The handle is 10.5 inches. The limbs are 1.25 inches wide until the last 9 inches where they taper to the knocks. It is a self-bow, no backing, single growth ring along the back. It draws 49 pounds at 29 inches. Brace height is 7 inches (helps the string and my sleeves from meeting).
The stave had a natural deflex curve to it. The string chase for this bow is very little, I've never measured it. The natural deflex played a trick on my amateur eyes and I realized well into the tillering effort that it was bending more in the middle and the ends. I overcompensated a little. I finished it with a little too much bend near the handle I think, but because I didn't want to lose any more draw weight, I stopped trying to perfect the tiller. I feel the imperfect tiller too. I have another bow that draws a little heavier and has much heavier limbs (lots of knots with extra wood around them) that releases, nonetheless, more gently.
I've been working down the same spool of bowstring for so long that I don't remember exactly what it is. The label is long gone. The phrase, "D-55" rings a bell. Dacron string; not Fast Flight. It is 8 strands, which may be a little over-engineered for the draw weight and length, but it makes the right size string and serving for standard arrow knocks.
The hunting arrows I use are carbon fiber Gold Tip Traditional #3555 and 125 grain tips. I've been practicing using a stick for a target. It forces me to pay very close attention to my arrow flight since I don't get the instant group feedback that a flat target provides. The result is two-fold. I've gotten better and more consistent, and I was able to really fine tune my arrows. I have a mixture of wood arrows a friend built for me and my carbon fiber hunting arrows all flying true, clean, and grouping together after a little fine tuning over the summer. I feel good about the arrows.
That said, this hunting season is almost over. I have a bow-in-progress on the bench. Please give me every bit of advice you can share, for our fellow readers and also so that I can be sure that my next bow solves any and every noise problem that can reasonably be solved. I'm eager to learn, and I really don't want any more game jumping my strings.
I'm especially curious about the mention of limb timing.
Do the fur silencers work better than the rubber "spiders?" Any opinions?
Thanks.
