d97 strings how many strands, and how does it perform?

[marino]

hey everyone, i have been reading the posts for a while now and thought this could be interesting, i am going to twist up a couple of new strings for my wallace mentor (70#@30, 62" amo), I originaly thought that I would do 12 strand strings but now I am leaning towards, 9-10 maybe even 8... what does everyone think?

[Carbon Caster]

Marino,

8 would be fine as long as you pad the loops to 16.  What diameter serving material do you have?  One real important thing is to get good nock fit.  I build 12 strand 8125 strings and pad the loops to 18. I serve with .030" Halo and get perfect to me nock fit for carbon arrow nocks.  If I dropped down to 8 strands of 8125, I would either have to double serve with a thinner serving material or lay extra strands under the serving.

BTW - If your schedule permits, The Alberta Traditional Bowhunters Ass. D.A.R.T. league is being held at Trophy Book Archery in Spruce Grove on Friday Nights for the next 8 or 9 weeks.  You don't have to be a member to shoot, but you are required to have FUN!!!

[Orion]

If you've read O.L's thread on thin strings, you'll notice that several folks who tested D-97 found that it breaks at a lot lower weight than advertised.  Be that as it may, many of them are finding that 6 strands of D-97 is working quite well, at least for now, on bows in the 50# range.  Personally, I think 8 strands on a 70# bow is pretty light.  I'd go with 10 minimum, but to each his own.  Good luck.

[30coupe]

If you go by the 5:1 rule, then 8 strands is plenty. What O.L. and others have found is that D97 breaks at about 50#, not 100+ as advertised. Even so 8 x 50 = 400#/70 = 5.71, so you should be fine.

I have six strands on all but my old Bear (B50 there) and my Mahaska, which has 8 strands of D97 padded to 16 and served with yarn (non-fast flight bow). If the 8 strand wears out, I'm going to six on that one too. The advantages of the skinny strings are reduced/eliminated hand shock, better performance, reduced noise, and $ savings if you twist your own. Disadvantages...well, I suppose if you nicked the string with a broadhead it would break easier, otherwise I can't think of any.

[bigbuck150]

I run a 12 strand d97 recurve bowstring on my older pearson jet bow and it seems to work well. 

[BWallace10327]

I build a 16 strand 2- bundle string.  I get great nock fit and a fast, durable and quiet string.

[reddogge]

I do 12 strands on mid 40s bows. Seems to work well and on hunting bows a little extra insurance if you nick the string by accident (it happens).

[LBR]

Surprised I missed this one back in '09.  I shot 14 for years on a 66@30.5 66" longbow, then dropped to 12 (don't remember why...nock fit?) for several more years.

The big things I ask myself are #1, is it safe?  #2, what (if anything) am I gaining.  #3, what am I loosing?

For the record, BCY doesn't publish breaking strengths anymore--haven't in years.  They have a very precise breaking machine, designed for that very purpose--to apply a load until a material breaks, and measure it.  It can break a thread or a rope.  I have seen it in action...scared the crap out of me when a fairly strong cord was used as a demo--sounded like a rifle going off.  However, not everyone has acess to this type equipment, or has the same parameters, etc.