5 Steps to Make Your Bow More Deadly

Creating the most silent bow possible and keeping your movements to a minimum can help you more often when you’re hunting.

Creating a deadly-quiet bowhunting outfit makes you a deadlier predator. Itxe2x80x99s true the modern compound bow is quieter than ever right out of the box.

Itxe2x80x99s also true youxe2x80x99ll never hear a bowhunter complain about his whitetail setup being too quiet. Outside Africa, where animals live in constant fear of sudden death from big cats, white-tailed deer are the jumpiest critters bowhunters regularly pursue.

This, of course, includes regional qualifiers. The public lands mountain whitetails I bowhunt in the Northwest (largely because of wolves and mountain lions) are the jumpiest Ixe2x80x99ve bowhunted anywhere. Those I periodically pursue in Kansas, living with no large predators and hunted lightly, are tame by comparison. Youxe2x80x99ll also find individuals at both ends of this spectrum within a herd xe2x80x94 one buck standing and taking it like a man even after sensing your presence, another beneath the same stand coming unglued at the thump of the quietest bow. This often depends on factors such as the proximity of the shot (the closer the animal, the more apt it is to react), how practiced your shot timing is (deer unaware of your presence always make the best targets) or recent encounters with bowhunters (missed shots across the fence days earlier).

Yet therexe2x80x99s no way around the fact that assembling silent bows means hunters start the game at a huge advantage. Herexe2x80x99s a five-step approach to assure your bow fits into that category.

The Big Picture
There are several inherent truths as directly applied to shot noise. First, super radical speed bows are seldom as quiet as xe2x80x9cslower,xe2x80x9d more forgiving models. I put slower in quotes because many fixate on that factor without understanding speed always comes at a price. Slower might indicate giving up 15 to 20 fps IBO. More practically, it might indicate shooting an average 280 fps real-speed bow instead of a barn-burning bow spitting arrows to 300 fps real speed (those numbers are offered to avoid inflated IBO ratings).

An undeniable reality is the fastest xe2x80x94 and shortest xe2x80x94 bows are more difficult to shoot well (especially when that book buck saunters beneath your stand and your heartxe2x80x99s fluttering) because of lower brace height. Theyxe2x80x99re also less comfortable to draw with cold, stiff muscles because of aggressive cams, and you have more time pulling through peak draw and sudden let-off valleys. Low brace means arrows spend more time on the string xe2x80x94 more time to introduce human error when pulses redline.

So, as an example, when choosing a whitetail bow xe2x80x94 letxe2x80x99s say one from Bear Archery Products xe2x80x94 Ixe2x80x99ll make mine a Method (6.75-inch brace, 33-inch axle-to-axle and IBO 340 fps) instead of a Motive 6 (6-inch brace, 32 inches, 350 fps IBO).

More pointed, the arrows you choose have much to do with the decibel levels a bow produces after release. Simply put, a heavier shaft xe2x80x94 9 to 11 grains per inch (gpi) xe2x80x94 more efficiently absorbs energy transferred by the bowstring than a lighter speed shaft (6.5 to 8.5 gpi) xe2x80x94 resulting in less shot noise. Lighter-speed shafts absorb less of a bowxe2x80x99s energy, the remainder resulting in escape energies translating directly into vibrations, buzzes and twangs, creating shot noise to which deer easily react. Heavier arrows make for quieter shots, added reliability and penetration, and less influence from side-winds or light deflections.

Few whitetails are shot past 35 yards (25 yards, in reality). You donxe2x80x99t need blazing speed for success at such ranges, and donxe2x80x99t fall for the wivesxe2x80x99 tale of beating a whitetail to the jump with blazing speed. Sound travels three to four times faster than the fastest compound.

String Things
Many top bow models now include string-capturing devices or string bumpers that tame the inherent twang of bowstrings automatically. Itxe2x80x99s a great innovation, not only making these bows quieter but also more accurate by initiating positive nock separation. That said, even bows with such silencers can be made quieter by installing standard string silencers.

Therexe2x80x99s no shortage of options. Solid molded models such as LimbSaver EverLast String Leeches (installed between string strands) or BowJax (slipped over the string) are simple, deadly effective and impervious to weather but require a bow press for installation. Remember, too, anything placed between string strands can influence peep rotation, so install them before final tuning.

Whether you shoot a traditional bow, compound bow or crossbow, ensuring that you’ve done everything possible to make the bow quiet is one of the best things you can do before hunting.

Rubber Cat Whiskers, like originals from Rancho Safari, are waterproof and quick to install (secure with an overhand knot) xe2x80x94 a standby still popular decades after their invention. Poly-yarn Puffs from E.W. Bateman, sometimes shunned in areas with abundant burrs but otherwise a super silencing alternative, provide another great option. They stop string noise, hold little moisture and are the lightest of these choices, so they wonxe2x80x99t negatively affect arrow speed.

No matter your string-silencing choice, attach them 2 to 3 inches from where string and cam meet for optimum performance. Securing silencers toward the middle of the string erodes speed without significantly adding silencing qualities.

Another area often overlooked when adding string silencers are buss cables. Todayxe2x80x99s compound bows, especially those including pre-loaded limbs, are strung tighter than ever, meaning they can create small pings upon release. Such noise is easily squelched by applying half sections of Cat Whiskers to each cable length.

Tame The Riser
Many whitetail hunters forgo stabilizers because theyxe2x80x99re viewed as unnecessary for close-range shooting, or because they can get in the way in tight confines xe2x80x94 like inside a pop-up blind xe2x80x94 or while pulling a bow into a tree via pull-up rope. Although such inconveniences are possible, theyxe2x80x99re more than compensated for by the vibration-absorbing qualities of todayxe2x80x99s active stabilizers. By active I mean models with special construction or materials actively absorbing unwanted shot vibrations and noise that can alert wary deer and shorten equipment life.

Determining all the factors involved in draw length, arrow length, type of rest you shoot and other aspects of bowhunting is necessary to achieve optimal results. But don’t overlook all string and limb silencers that will help tame noise and vibration.

Picture models with rubber joints (Doinker Multi-Rod Hunter or FUSE Carbon Blade Hunter), shifting silicone fill (Hi-Tek Sports), oscillating weights suspended in rubberized polymers (PSE Vibracheck) or molded, soft rubber materials with multiple oscillating fins (NAP Apache, LimbSaver S-Coil), and youxe2x80x99ll get an accurate picture.

All soak up vibrations from any bow. When possible, test-fire several models before making a purchase, as therexe2x80x99s normally one design that will silence best combined with your bow and arrow combination. And donxe2x80x99t discount longer target models (9- to 12-inch), as they also add shooting forgiveness during stressful shots.

Too, understand balance is paramount to top-notch shooting, so choose models coaxing bows to sit level at full draw. Sometimes this means adding a shorter model behind the riser (Doinkerxe2x80x99s 2-inch Chubby Hunter or FUSE Axium Pro 2-inch), as well as a 5- to 7-inch forward-situated stabilizer, or off-set designs made to compensate for side torque created by quivers or sights (FUSE Sidekick, Xtreme Hardcore XR10 Carbon).

Silence of the Limbs
When I discovered Sims LimbSavers at a sport show long ago, I was immediately convinced Ixe2x80x99d found another product designed only to extract hard-earned cash from bowhuntersxe2x80x99 wallets.

Boy, was I wrong.

Owner/inventor Steve Sims quickly changed my mind by inviting me to strike two aluminum baseball bats against a concrete floor; one without LimbSaver, one with NAVCOM rubber mushroom installed. The bat without LimbSaver rang like a bell and vibrated perceivably. The LimbSaver-equipped bat produced a dull thud and resonated no vibrations.

Releasing an arrow is an explosive event. Viewed in slow motion, bow strings and cables seem to turn to noodles, risers can sometimes be seen flexing slightly, accessories shimmy and limbs shake violently. Limb silencers help absorb excess vibrations and dissipate them silently. Since Sims Vibration Laboratoriesxe2x80x99 LimbSaver introduction, many companies have followed suit, including BowJax, PSE and BowTech.

Patrick Meitin with a doe he hunted and shot in Idaho with his traditional archery gear, which he enjoys and regularly hunts with. Meitin is a stickler for using the best gear possible including whatever is necessary to make his bow quiet.

Accessory Dampening
Many savvy bowhunters invest the time necessary to make their bow as quiet as possible but neglect tack-on accessories such as sights, arrow rests and especially quivers. All are potential sources of irksome shot noise. After instillation, sight in and final fine tuning, itxe2x80x99s always wise to do a final inspection with Allen wrench set in hand, checking every set screw, sight pin and bolt for snugness.

Itxe2x80x99s also smart to conduct such checks periodically, especially just before the season opener after a long summer of target practice, after a month of riding in an ATV rack or even one airline flight. A loose screw on, say, a sight aperture, can create rattlesnake buzzes, alerting game during season-making shots. If a particular screw works loose regularly after prolonged shooting, add Loctite to prevent it from backing out.

You might find a particular accessory creates hums or buzzes even when all screws are tight. Ixe2x80x99ve owned sights xe2x80x94 pendulums and movers in particular xe2x80x94 that created slight tuning-fork hums on release. Drop-away rest arms often thwack riser shelves sharply upon release. Detachable quivers are also a common vibration culprit.

You might simply wrap sight extensions and apertures, or quiver hoods, with thick rubber bands or add Mini Limb Savers to key points. Limb Saverxe2x80x99s NAVCOM rubber Bow Wrap is especially helpful for small jobs, cut into strips to wrap accessories with or into a small patch to create a dropaway rest-arm pad, super-glued into place. I find the best way to discover small buzzes and hums is to strum the bowstring aggressively, listening carefully for noise, placing an ear against suspect parts to better detect raucous spots and applying silencing material as necessary.

Patrick Meitin is a longtime, accomplished bowhunter from Idaho. This DDH classic story first appeared in 2014.

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