Snaky bow thoughts...

[bubby]

Be nice if that singer song writer Will h chimed in

[JonW]

How effecient is a big block motor with an 8-71 blower sitting on top? Not very but looks bad a$$.  Sometimes it's just the "cool" factor that makes me build a certain bow.

[George Tsoukalas]

I agree, PD. Snaky might mean inefficient but The cool factor over rides it. Jawge

[PEARL DRUMS]

There cool, no doubt. It just never dawned on me how much extra weight must be in each limb, varying degrees of snake dictate that of course. I considered a cooked spaghetti noodle. You can make a sweet looking 6" long snaky shape with it = a hypothetical 28" bow limb, or stretch it back out to 10" = equals enough wood for another half limb packed in one. That's when the light went on, and that's rare

[E. Jensen]

Wouldn't it just be the same as a wider straight limb of the same length?  The width is just distributed differently.  I bet if you compensated the same you would with wide limbs, making them less wide, or thinner, etc etc, it would work out the same.

[bubby]

Over built bows aren't efficient either, they just give you a since of security

[Ryan C]

I know my snakey bow shoots real nice

[koan]

All osage in Mo. is straight so im not sure....😜.. Brian

[Badly Bent]

This makes me think and I don't like that. I try not to think when I build bows so I'm not qualified to comment. I just get out the tools, grab a stave and roll the dice. Does seem that you have a point about the extra mass Pearly, that part I can understand.

[bowandarrow473]

 I think that the amount of mass added by snakes is not enough to significantly decrease performance. Long bows are generally sweeter shooters up to a certain point, so it might have some effect but I don think it is much.

[JacksonCash]

... they are junk and wont hunt...

Quotes out of context are fun!

[Fred Arnold]

Wood is wood. I would think if it were tillered properly that there wouldn't be any difference.

As a side note. In reviewing some of the hollow limb designs that have been designed by Simson I'm wondering if all of our bows aren't overbuilt.

[bradsmith2010]

well ,, if you shoot it through a chrono,, that will tell you alot,,,to compare it to what a straight bow should shoot like,, if you feel the mass is too much ,,wood allowing you could go more narrow or shorter to see if you can get it to shoot better,,,,, but might blow up as suggested,,,so very interesting question I think they are more challenging ,, I have a snakey bow I have been working on,, had to wrap the curves in two  spots, it is whip tillered,, thought it would shoot like a dog,, put it through the chrono and it shot  pretty good,, for what I thought was maybe too long for the design,,so I am confused,,

[wizardgoat]

On the few snake bows I've made I measured the limbs with the curves. I didn't put much thought into it, just figured it was more accurate for actual limb length.
One of them shoots not so great, but I have a super snaky vine maple bow that has very little hand shock.  I'm into all sorts of bows now, but the snaky ones are what really brought me to this craft

[Eric Krewson]

Lots of conjecture but how many of you guys who say a snaky bow will be an under performer have actually made one?

I have made a pile of them, all were good performers, the ones with the special, hard, buttery osage were spectacular performers.