Has anyone actually chronographed a bow with and without string silencers to see how many FPS is or is not lost with them? I have a hard time believing it would be more than 1 or 2. Im hearing as much as "quite a few", whatever that is. It all sounds like hearsay and rumors to me. Id be interested in the actual numbers.

Ever hear of 'picking flies off of shnit'?

Well, worring about that is like picking wings off of flies on shnit.

Listen to the signal...... not the noise.

This signal is to have a quiet bow, worrying about a piddling amount of FPS is all noise.

Never gave it a thought cause it's not worth worrying about.

The lighter the weight of the silencer the less reduction, but it is all near to impossible to tell.  Even if your release is perfect!

I did chronoed the speed loss for a pair of silencers set at 1/4th of string length from the tips: rubber catwiskers is the lower loss with 1 to 2 fps and medium sized (2 inches diam) thick wool is 3 fps. The big fur silencers eat 5 fps on the set up I used. Unless you use a very marginal light set up you won't really notice any difference up to 25-30 yards.

With 55 lb Hill style longbows shooting 10 gpp, 3 fps for wool, fur, or catwhisker silencers of std size. With smaller cat whiskers (~1/2 regular size) or paracord, 2 fps.

If 3 or 4 fps is going to cause you to miss I'd have to guess you're too far away to be taking the shot anyway. 

I find it useful to trim back the wooly silencers when I'm close to being in tune, but the bare shaft is showing a little stiffer than I would like.  Alternatively, I could move the silencers further towards the ends of the limbs, but wooly silencers are difficult to move once they start to fluff out.  I have to assume that if trimming them back weakens the bare shaft, there must be some increase in velocity, but I haven't measured it.  About the same effect as drawing the bow about 1/2" more.

Yeah Dave, and if trimming silencers weakens your spine, you are WAY to borderline on spine. To the point that is minusculey measurable maybe kinda sorta.

Seriously, Who worries about stuff like this?

dnovo, those that worry about a figment, or go by figment. 

Quote from: Terry Green on February 14, 2023, 10:33:37 AM
dnovo, those that worry about a figment, or go by figment. 

I know pigment is something used to color paint. I suppose figment must be something used to add flavor to figs?

HA Dave!!!!

No....

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I agree 100% with a quiet bow being much more of an asset than a couple of FPS. 140, 160, 180 fps (trad bow speeds), a couple of fps isn't going to make much difference concerning animal movement up close. Bow noise will!

Quote from: JamesD on February 14, 2023, 11:37:32 AM
I agree 100% with a quiet bow being much more of an asset than a couple of FPS. 140, 160, 180 fps (trad bow speeds), a couple of fps isn't going to make much difference concerning animal movement up close. Bow noise will!

AMEN!!!

2-5fps depending on silencer weight and location. Agree its not worth worrying about.

Yeah, same as folks worrying about an inch loger feathers, an extra feather, or an arrow wrap.

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Northern Mist Skanee bow, 2020 Easton GG shaft, 66" bow 55# @ 28" had beaver balls on the string, totally blew the shot, never anchored or followed through, shot 6" over his back, never flinched till the arrow hit the ground. Watched him run 30ish yards stop look around and walk off. If your bow is quiet, it doesn't matter how fast it is, as long as you do what you need to do 


Jason

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This is the buck I missed back later that night...


Jason

Quote from: Terry Green on February 14, 2023, 07:33:28 PM
Yeah, same as folks worrying about an inch longer feathers, an extra feather, or an arrow wrap.

I like white arrow wraps myself....     Especially after a pass through shot. Really makes that red color jump out...... Then again it may be a fragment of my fig nuten ....

I do prefer the rubber cat whiskers in the rain though. Some of those wool puffs look like dead rats when wet.

To the OP..... don't worry about it my friend..... 2-3 fps isn't a deal breaker. Nice to have a quiet thump, vs a twang going on.    Kirk