Buying a Recurve Bow Part 3 Which Limbs?

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1 Buying a Recurve Bow Part 3 Which Limbs? Limb weight Always a sticky question! In all honesty if you have been shooting since mid-summer on a fairly regular basis then as your upper body strength has increased, your technique will have improved and muscle memory will have started to kick in. You will have noticed that drawing your bow has got easier. As I have said to many of you, take the opportunity to increase your poundage using the clubs stock of limbs. (You are not buying them just borrowing them) As a rule of thumb if you can hold your bow at full draw for more than 30 seconds without shaking then it is likely you are under bowed. At the club we give everyone the same advice about increasing limb poundage, you should take small 2 pound steps taking time to build your strength as you progress. But beware, pulling higher weights before your body is ready will destroy your technique. I am often asked what poundage do I need to draw to reach the longest distances well that question has no quick answer, since it will be different for each archer because of many variable s such as draw length, arrow weight, length of face and style to list but a few.

2 That said if you want to shoot the longer distances consistently then for a man you need to be drawing 34 lbs and above and for ladies something like 28lbs. General In the VFTS 009 I talked about going to one of the Archery Shops to try the kit out. This is very important for Limbs because unlike Risers, which are generally very similar being made of one of three materials aluminium, magnesium or carbon fibre every manufacturer uses a multitude of different processes and materials for each type of limb. So every type has its own foibles. As I have said before it would be impossible to cover every combination so I intend try to explain the major types of limb their make-up and what that means to you the archer. Should I buy expensive limbs? Now you are buying you own kit you will be moving away from limbs we use at the club. Those limbs are made from glass fibre and wood laminate and their shooting characteristics are very different to the intermediate type of limbs you are likely to be buying. In the case of buying limbs it is a fact that as limb technology improves, the quality of the limb the increases and so does the price. So cost is relative (generally) to their overall performance. The best limbs are the most consistent ones. Buying expensive limbs early in your shooting career is not always a good idea. The thinking behind this is that you will still be improving and settling into your own style during the first 18 months in the sport, so it may be better to buy two sets of cheaper limbs than one very expensive set. What changes as limbs get more expensive? Limbs at the cheaper end of the price range are slower, meaning they take more time to return to their original shape when loosed. This means the arrow is moving slower when it leaves the bow and therefore travels a shorter distance. Cheaper Limbs are also harder to draw and suffer from Stacking. Stacking is a term used to describe the effect by which a bow requires more and more force to draw it as the draw gets longer.

3 The use of modern materials means that the speed at which the limbs return to their undrawn state has gradually increased over the last 30 years. This speed is measured in feet per second as an arrow passes through a speed trap (as shown in the photo) the unit then displays the arrows speed. A number of arrows are shot and the average speed taken. If you intend to compare bow speeds then you have to take into consideration the string make up, as the number of strands and string type will also affect the results. Once you move into the mid to high range limbs then the performance differences can be surprising. As the price increases the speed of the arrow increase and the stacking effect is reduced. One final difference is the smoothness of the draw, but here again the different cores of the limbs give each type a different feel. One final indicator of limb quality. If you notice that the limbs you are looking at only goes up to 40lbs, or less, then the chances are that the build quality is not good enough for higher weights. You should seriously consider whether this is what you want. If you are looking for 38lbs limbs for example, would you like a set that is considered poor at 42lbs? Let s just step back & lighten the mood for a moment! I think an example is needed just to drive home the most important points!!! Let s take a new archer called Robin he has been shooting all summer with club limbs and has moved up to 28lb limbs which he now feels are just right for him. He jumps on his horse and heads off to Ye Olde Archery Shoppe to purchase some nice shiny limbs that he has spotted in the catalogue. Everyone has a favourite Robin did yours make my shortlist? And before you ask they Yes they all played Robin!

4 Being a busy man with rich people to rob and poor people to defend he has to get back to his forest lair quickly. So he picks up the limbs without trying them and heads home. That evening just after he fits his new limbs the sheriff s men turn up to take his beloved Marion. So he whips out his new bow to defend her honour, but alas when he draws it bow he notices it feel very light and the arrows sail over the soldier s heads missing by miles. Sadly for Robin, Marian ends up back at the cold damp castle!! So what did Robin miss I hear you cry!! (Apart from the sheriff s men) Well his new limbs are made of a new material meaning they were smoother to draw back which made them feel lighter. They were also faster making his arrows travel quicker which led to his sight mark far too low. Basically if he had read his copy of VFTS first he would have taken his time with his purchase and got it Right first time!! Marion would be at home now, instead of having dinner with the sheriff and Robin would not be eating microwaved soup. Hopefully this diversion will have driven home my point!! A little bit of technical stuff. Limb types When we talked about risers I pointed out that there are three types of limb fitting. 1. The Training and Club style bows 2. The International Limb Fitting (ILF) sometimes called the Hoyt Dovetail system (HDS) 3. The Formula Hoyt limb fitting system. The training bow limbs 1 These are the same as the bows you have been using up to this point at the club. They are made from a mixture of glass fibre and wood laminates and are good for learning and building strength, but become less consistent as the distance increases. The ILF limbs These are by far the most popular style of limb and therefore available in the largest range of sizes, lengths, draw weights and manufacturers. And because of the competition the price is kept under control. These limbs (numbered 2 below) rely on a tapered post fitted into the limb which slides into a dovetail

5 rebate in the riser limb pocket. A spring within the post forces a detent pin into a depression in the riser for a "click" fit. This type of limb fitting is referred to as the international standard and therefore every limb of this type should fit any ILF Riser, however I do urge some caution, remember to check the riser and limbs are compatible before you part with your money. The Formula limbs 2 In 2010, Hoyt started introducing risers, branded as 'Formula'. These risers do not accept International Limb Fittings. The Formula limb relies on a tapered post fitted 3 into the limb which slides into a dovetail rebate in the riser limb pocket. The pivot point of these limbs is farther along the limb where a spring within the post forces a detent pin into a slot in the riser extension arm and clicks into place. This longer length to the pivot point can clearly be seen when comparing the picture marked 2 & 3 above. Do not fit ILF limbs on to a Formula Riser and draw the bow because the pivot point is farther away the limbs and the limbs will be damaged or destroyed. Limb labelling ILF limbs - What your label tells you: Type of limb (Name) If the riser is 25 the bow will be 68 long and with the string drawn 28in the draw weight will be 40lbs If the riser is 23 the bow will be 66 long and with the string drawn 28in the draw weight will be 42lbs The limbs unique serial number Which limb this is

6 Formula limbs - What your label tells you: Model of the limb Which limb this is With a 25 riser and the string drawn 28in the draw weight will be? (if the riser is a different length you need to refer to the table in the bow manual) Limb length Short /Medium or Long The limbs unique serial number Limb make-up As I have stated earlier, every manufacturer uses a multitude of different processes and materials for each type of limb. But I will try to give you some insight At the very basic level recurve limbs are made from glass fibre with a wooden core, they are stronger than the old wooden bows but are often slow and prone to both stacking and twisting. The next group of limbs are those where the core is still wood but the outer skin in made for carbon fibre. This reduces both stacking and twisting and increases the speed of the limbs. These limbs are generally more stable and are easier to control The high end limbs are made of a foam core and are faster again. They suffer from no twisting or stacking and are silky smooth to draw but there is a down side the speed of the limbs makes them harder to control once released. Ultra high end limbs are made of carbon composite materials and their exact make up is often a trade secret. These are the cutting edge of current technology and are silky smooth to draw and shoot but as the technology makes the limbs quicker it brings other issues and challenges in to play. So just to summarise: 1. Be sensible. Try the limbs out 2. Set yourself a budget. 3. Don t buy top of the range limbs because you can, it would be a terrible waste of your money

7 4. If you are buying your first set of limbs and you have not been shooting regularly don t buy expensive limbs, because the chances are you will need to change them in the near future as you get stronger. Well with that all said we can now move onto the actual limbs themselves. Please remember that these are a very small sample of the limbs that are out there and the comments are my personal opinions. Budget - less than 130 Sebastien Flute Elite Fibre Foam. ( 96) (ILF) Whilst very cheap, I'm not sure what to make of these. It seems that these are a mimic of a carbon foam limb, but made with fibreglass instead. As fibreglass is a poor material when it comes to consistency, therefore it may pay you to spend a little more and get the carbon version. Mybo Synergy Air Recurve. ( 100) (ILF) These are new this year but reviews seem to indicate that they are very smooth to draw with no stacking at 28 and very little vibration transferred to the arm. Sebastien Flute Premium Carbon Plus ( 110) (ILF) These are the best value carbon/wood laminates available by a reputable manufacturer. Perhaps not as consistent and accurate as a more expensive pair, these far outweigh the requirements for your starter set of limbs. These are a good buy for anyone on a tight budget.

8 Budget Sebastien Flute Elite Carbon/Foam. ( 165) (ILF) Again these limbs are extremely good value for money. These are the cheapest carbon / foam limbs However, they only offer up to 44 lbs, and I surmise they probably lack the consistency at higher poundage s. Consider this carefully before you buy. Mybo Synergy Carbon ( 180) (ILF) These are new this year Synergy Carbon offers the same high quality construction as the 'Air', with an added performance enhancing carbon layer and are receiving the same levels of praise as the cheaper Air limbs. They have very smooth to draw with no stacking and very little vibration transferred to the arm. Hoyt Formula Excel Recurve Limbs ( 180) (Formula not ILF) These are the cheapest of the Formula range of limbs and to be frank are expensive for what you get, Wood core with glass fibre laminate covering. Budget To a new archer - the difference in the shot will hardly be noticeable - so carefully consider whether you really want to spend this much. There are more worthwhile things for you to put money towards!

9 Sebastien Flute Elite Carbon Plus ( 250) (ILF) Some pretty serious engineering went into these. They are actually based on the Win & Win Inno limbs and represent a serious saving. This is another example of how Sebastien Flute can do no wrong. Hoyt Grand Prix 720. ( 210) (ILF) Don't bother. These limbs are criticized all over the internet as being overpriced and substandard build in comparison to others in this price range. Hoyt have been lacking with their limbs for a long time. As a company they are more in tune with their core business the US compound market. MK Korea MK1440 ( 390) (ILF) This limb was developed using a new carbon material with a complex foam core which provides more stability and elasticity. This limb gives you not only softness, but also has dynamic elasticity. Win&Win Inno EX Prime. ( 450) (ILF) Carbon nanotube technology with wood core limbs allow the archer to focus on a stable feeling while at full draw and a sense of power right at the moment of shooting. This also allows for a stronger focus of concentration and a very stable shot I shoot these, but you really shouldn't spend this much as a new buyer.

10 Win&Win Inno EX Power ( 450) (ILF) EX-Composite: N-Composite is added nano technology. This adjustment made at the molecular level, significantly strengthens and enhances the stability of the overall carbon matrix EX-Foam core: Border Hex 5 ( 450) (ILF) The limbs are constructed of layers of CXC carbon laminates with a Carbon hyper core. This core has less density than wood cores and therefore less overall mass for the limb, this means a performance increase over a wood core of around 2-3 feet per second. These limbs are far more curved than normal limbs as you can see below. A member of the club recently bought a set of these and had to return them after being completely unable to tune his bow. Uukha Ux 100 Evo 2 Curve ( 505) Monolith C85, The 85% carbon fibre content and 15% unidirectional glass fibre is compressed and bounded together in metallic moulds and then machined by CNC, under high pressure at high temperature. It may be of interest to some of you that these limbs are also very difficult to set up and tune properly, as a member of the club found out last summer.

11 Hoyt Formula Quattro Wood 510 Hoyt Formula Quattro Foam 510 (Formula not ILF) Hoyts top of the range model available with both wood and foam core. These are expensive and not as good as other manufactures offering at this price. Uukha VX 1000 Evo 2 Curve 610 (ILF) These limbs are intended for archers looking for the best performance who require a smooth and very fast limb. They are smoother (about 40%), faster (about 8 fps, which is equivalent to a 3lb gain at 40lb) and lighter than previous Ux100. They keep the unmatched Ux100 torsional stability. These have 100% carbon fibre content. A Final word There is plenty of choice out there so shop around, many shops having special offer prices and you may get your limbs for 20 30% cheaper than the prices I have quoted. If you do purchase wood/carbon laminate or carbon foam set of limbs they have the added advantage of holding some of their value, in case you decide to sell up. Happy Shopping Ian E Bowyer