Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Warbows and String Follow
WillS:
Out of interest, what are people's opinions on the detrimental effects of string follow on heavy weight bows?
Does something 80#+ suffer in the same way as lightweight hunting/target bows when dealing with 3 or 4 inches of set / string follow? Or does the large weight increase counter the string follow and spit the arrow with enough force to not matter?
llkinak:
80# is on the low end of "warbow", but 3-4 inches seems like quite a bit of set at any rate. I'd imagine that much would reduce cast no matter what weight you're shooting at, if the bow started off at zero to begin with.
WillS:
Yeah I used 80# as an absolute minimum (although the EWBS accept "warbows" from 70#@32). I'm just curious, as there must be a point where most wood can't help but take set as you get heavier.
Would 3 - 4 inches of string follow on a 170# bow still be excessive, or would you start to expect to see some string follow at this weight?
I know that for a lightweight / target bow most people like to keep it flat, or reflexed as the speed is fairly vital, but when dealing with distance/clout/roving shoots as with a warbow, does reduced cast make a whole heap of difference at a high draw-weight?
llkinak:
Ooo, well, my personal opinion is that cast is one of the most important things in determining how useful a warbow is, and anything which reduces it is pretty much a bad thing. Regarding a 170#er, I can't say from personal experience, I've never drawn one that heavy. My gut reaction is that it's still quite a lot of set and might indicate one of a couple of issues with the bow. Remember that brace height is often between five and six inches, so you're losing a fair amount...in my inexpert opinion. They're not sniper rifles, after all, so they need to be able to cover a fairly broad area as far away as possible.
Del the cat:
Feel free to ignore these musings...
My old Yew bow has been severly over stressed. It's only 70" long and has been over drawn from it's 28" to 31". It has a load of set but still throws an arrow a good way. It was originally 75# but is now 68#, it will still throw a heavyish arrow past the 180 yard clout.
I'd guess the main reason for set is making a bow too short for it's draw weight/draw length.
I've no experience over 90#
I also suspect there are problems caused by building high D section Victorian style bows at over heavy weights rather than a more square/circular profile as seen on the Mary Rose bows
Big problem of course is finding decent wood to make 'em in the first place. I s'pose the answer is make bows that fit the wood, but it's not always apparent what the qualities of the wood are initially.
Del
(PS I assume you are mainly talikng 'set' which is permanent, rather than 'string follow' which is generally taken to be the temporary curve whcih relaxes out after several hours unstrung.
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