New Bows Noisy??

[archerystud]

First off let me say how I personally rate a bow when I shoot it.

1. How smooth it feels to me.

1A. How quiet the bow is.

2. Speed

My old bow still shoots nice but it doesn't seem whisper quiet like it was when I first bought it. So I'm currently considering an upgrade.

So this weekend I shot a new Hoyt Carbon element. It felt pretty nice but it seemed rather noisy to me. I will shoot it one more time before I make my final decision (and I still need to shoot some other bows).

However, I was a little concerned about the noise factor. I really don't feel like dropping $1300 smacks on a new bow in the hopes that my accessories will quiet it down. If that is the expectation then I'll just keep my old bow.

So my ultimate question is to people who have bought bows in the last 2 years. Are you finding that the bows out of the box need a bunch of accessories to quiet them down? Or have they seemed really quiet out of the box?

[DonBo]

I think most people are so hung up on speed these days that they are shooting arrows much lighter than necessary. Light arrow/fast bow = noisy bow. It's pretty amazing how just a few extra grains quiets most bows.

[Scoot]

I totally agree with Donbo- odds are good that you're shooting pretty light arrows when you're checking them out. The two best ways to quiet down a bow, IMO, are to put a stabilizer on it and shoot heavier arrows. Most shops don't have stabilizers on the bow and they have light arrows to shoot. Because of that, most of the bows sound loud in the store.

[Wensel]

WOW three of us agree, I went to a heavy arrow this year too.

With no other than factory gear my z7 is pretty quite.

Have not shot anything newer than that, but I'll give up alot for the bow to be quite.

[sticknstring]

You guys hit the biggies. One thing I've noticed too is the sound associated simply shooting indoors. I shoot in the basement a lot and the noise factor is night & day compared to when I'm outside in the yard.

[Chuckster]

Now four of us... It is absolutely amazing what a stabilizer, heavier arrow, and a few string leeches will do to reduce noise and vibration. I have a two year old Hoyt and had had it re-strung this spring. Just adding the string leeches alone made a world of difference! Was the bow you shot set up with any kind of generic stabilizer or string dampeners?

[bottom-bouncer]

Im getting the boat with you the rest of you give me a heavy arrow and reduce the noise.

[DonBo]

I'll bet in the entire history of FM/HSO, there has NEVER been 6 posts in a row where everyone agrees. Probably two or three was the old record. Amazing!

[archerystud]

Sounds like others are noticing similar issues. I realize that a stabilizer and arrows will help quiet it down but then I really have to ask if it is worth it. At that point I think I'll also pull in a chronograph to see if I think it is worth it. If I upgrade shoot a heavier arrow only to have equal arrow speed then I don't think it will be worth it to me.

I'm not trying to start a big Kinetic Energy debate here. Personally I shoot 63 with a pretty light arrow and 100 grain fixed blade broad head on it. Since I only hunt whitetails I feel that this setup provide me with all the KE that I need.

I'm more concerned with shot placement. The only two times in 30 years of bow hunting that I didn't have pass throughs with lung shots, I hit the shoulder joint on the far side of the deer.

[Scoot]

Archerystud, if you want to shoot light arrows then feel free to do so. Just know that your bow will be louder as a result of doing so. If you have a quiet bow, heavy arrows will make it quieter. If you have a loud bow, heavy arrows will make it quieter. Even bows that are inherently quiet get a lot louder very quickly when you shoot a very light arrow through them...

So to answer your question- no, the new bows are not noisy if you match them up with the appropriate gear. However, most bows are noisy if you don't...

[Chuckster]

Not trying to be rude, but I think you may be expecting a little too much out of a bow with no suppressors, noise vibration accessories, etc. It shouldn’t take much, but there are a couple things definitely needed to make the overall final judgement.

It’s my findings that if you show serious interest in purchasing any new bow, the any good shop owner or employee will bend over backwards for you. They should have no problem finding something to put on the bow when you try it out again to reduce the noise. Most of these shops (as you already know) will let you try it before you buy it. Make sure they are aware you are concerned about the noise, and that you want to absolutely KNOW how much noise, vibration, etc it’s going to have before you make that expensive investment.

On the arrow aspect, I agree that a heavier arrow will reduce noise. That being said, the texture of the arrow makes a great deal of difference as well. I have found that certain arrow brands are louder than others. I.e. – beman vs carbon express for example. The bemans tend to be a little more glossy, which I feel reduces some of that noise coming off the rest. Not to say one is better than the other, just my own findings. This would allow you to possibly keep the same arrow weight, and more than likely, greatly increase your arrow speed.

What kind of setup are you shooting now? I’m thinking you are looking at totally overhauling your accessories as well with the prospect of a new bow, but if not, most of what you already have should work on any new bow on the market.

Just my .2 cents.

[archerystud]

I currently shoot a Mathews LX (2005 model I believe) with Easton ACC's. If I do switch to a heavier arrow I will have to set up with a chrono to see if I can justify the investment.

My point is when I originally purchased the bow it was very quiet out of the box. That really doesn't seem to be the case anymore with some of the newer bows. Even when I listened to other shooters shooting them on youtube.

Yes I know a new bow would need accessories and I'm fine with upgrading arrows if necessary.

It will be interesting to see how much help I get with reducing the noise before I purchase. I will say that I'm not going to upgrade unless I see a significant improvement.

I guess the other thing I've also wondered about is reducing the weight more and more on these bows. Obviously that isn't helping to reduce noise either. I have been asking this for a couple of years now and I'm kind of questioning..... why reduce the weight so much?

[Scoot]

Archerystud, reducing the weight of the bows is a big deal to those who carry their bows a long ways for a long time, like many elk hunters and backpack DIY hunters. Also, reducing the weight of the bow actually allows you to add weight back on the bow in the areas that help to better balance it without the overall weight getting too high (obviously you can add weight to a heavier bow, but then it gets really heavy!).

Another significant factor in the noise a bow makes is the overall weight of the bow itself. Everything else being equal (that part's important), a heavy bow is quieter than a light bow.

Just remember it's a compromise- lighter arrow will result in faster, but louder. Heavier arrow will result in slower but quieter. The exact same can be said for the weight of the bow. Finding the happy medium of each outcome is important to some, but unimportant to those who only care about one of the outocmes ("I want a fast arrow and don't care much about noise"). For me, noise is by far the most important. However, I won't shoot 800 grain arrows for the tiny additional reduction in noise I would get from my current 456 grain arrows. So I shoot those arrows at 298 fps and I'm plenty happy with it. If I chose a lighter arrow, I'd be much faster, but not as happy with the performance because first and foremost I want a quiet bow.

[archerystud]

I have never done an elk hunt (or a long pack in) but I guess I question how much 3 pounds would help me when packing in. Especially when we are in agreement that a quiet bow is more important. So in my case I'd have to add weight to the bow to quiet it down.

I was hoping to just fire a few shots and pick out a bow but it looks like it will be much more in depth than that. Oh well I'd just like to have a new bow by May to get ready for hunting season (if I upgrade at all).

[Powerstroke]

I'm glad the comment about the bow's mass was finally made. The Carbon Element is a full pound lighter than most bows out there. This makes it roughly 25% lighter than the competition and weight does soak up a lot of vibration.

Design has a large effect too. I have an '08 PSE Xforce. I have added a stabilizer in the front and a string stopper in the rear and that's it. I feel I have one of the quietest and easiest shooting speed bows out there. I don't have anything on my string or on my limbs. I do like the Hoyt's, but I felt they had more vibration with the same accessories. Now the brands have "copied" the PSE curved limb design.

Obviously getting a new bow is fun, but I would evaluate why you want to change. If its only a matter of noise, I would consider getting new strings and cables and maybe changing arrows or maybe going to 125gr broadheads. You can get all of that for under $200. You will most certainly have enough KE to kill a deer.

[Sorgy]

To all of those that agree above What heavy arrow are you guy's shooting. I have been shooting Maxima Hunter 250's with Blazers no wrap and 100 grain Striker's and had good quiet flight.

I have been thinking about getting heavier arrows- i.e. Axis, Full Metal Jacket ect. Never going back to aluminum

Later

Steve

[Chuckster]

One other thing... you said you were listening to bows shot on youtube.. Set up a video camera, or phone, and tape yourself shooting. Compare the shot sound on camera compared to the real deal. Its going to be alot different I guarantee you.

Also, as another had stated, inside vs outside will sound different as well.

[BoxMN]

Rookie Question about arrow mass... when the arrow comes with its weight listed (i.e. 396 total, for a finished 27" 400 series carbon arrow, Beman Hunter) does that include the 100 grain tip in it, or do you add that on as well? I assume that listed weight includes a tip. FYI I am shooting a 28.5" 60#. Thanks, this thread is teaching me a lot.

[archerystud]

I'm glad the comment about the bow's mass was finally made. The Carbon Element is a full pound lighter than most bows out there. This makes it roughly 25% lighter than the competition and weight does soak up a lot of vibration.

I think the new Mathews HeliM is also incredibly light. In the same range as the carbon element.

I remember shooting my old PSE's 30 years ago and the bow did weigh a lot more back then. They weren't as fast but I also seemed to be able to keep them pretty quiet.

The one thing I was looking at getting into was more of a parallel limb design. It does make more sense that if each limb is pushing in opposite directions that they should do a better job of canceling each other out.

I was going to keep my LX and turn it into a target bow. I think I'll take it in to update some cables and see what happens. Maybe after that I won't upgrade.

[Scoot]

I have never done an elk hunt (or a long pack in) but I guess I question how much 3 pounds would help me when packing in.

If you question whether three lbs. would make a difference on a pack in hunt, then I can say I definitely understand why you've never done a pack in hunt! Guys who are doing DIY backpack hunts are seriously sweating about three OUNCES, not pounds! Heck, many of them are making a big deal about fractions of an ounce.

If you're really interested in getting a quiet bow, look at the centerpivot bows that came out about five or so years ago. The Bowtech Guardian and Commander are great examples- they were inherently quiet and smooth. Not the fastest on the planet, but plenty fast for most. The Commander was not only a centerpivot, it also was pretty heavy, which made it even quieter. I really miss my Commander- it was the quietest bow I've ever heard (mine or anyone else's) and was smooth as butter. I've shot faster bows that are pretty quiet since then, but none that I liked as much.

[bottom-bouncer]

I'm glad the comment about the bow's mass was finally made. The Carbon Element is a full pound lighter than most bows out there. This makes it roughly 25% lighter than the competition and weight does soak up a lot of vibration.

Design has a large effect too. I have an '08 PSE Xforce. I have added a stabilizer in the front and a string stopper in the rear and that's it. I feel I have one of the quietest and easiest shooting speed bows out there. I don't have anything on my string or on my limbs. I do like the Hoyt's, but I felt they had more vibration with the same accessories. Now the brands have "copied" the PSE curved limb design.

Obviously getting a new bow is fun, but I would evaluate why you want to change. If its only a matter of noise, I would consider getting new strings and cables and maybe changing arrows or maybe going to 125gr broadheads. You can get all of that for under $200. You will most certainly have enough KE to kill a deer.

I didnt know pse was still around.

[Powerstroke]

If you question whether three lbs. would make a difference on a pack in hunt, then I can say I definitely understand why you've never done a pack in hunt! Guys who are doing DIY backpack hunts are seriously sweating about three OUNCES, not pounds! Heck, many of them are making a big deal about fractions of an ounce.

I completely agree with this. I am a hiker and BWCA camper and I can demonstrate many ways that one pound feels like a lot. . I haven't had the opportunity to do a backpack style hunt, but a lot of my hunting is long hikes on public land and last year I did public land for turkeys in SD and NE. I carried my bow by hand only two days because after that it got too heavy and my arm would hurt the next day. I use a bow sling or attach to my pack. I'm not stalking animals so I don't worry about having my bow handy, but the overall weight of the bow is huge, especially with a quiver and arrows etc. I try to keep everything as light as possible to reduce arm fatigue, especially if you have to hold at full draw.

[Powerstroke]

As to the reference of how much a heavy arrow matters, adding 50-80 GRAINS to an arrow will soak up more sound than a heavy bow, less weight or string or limb add-ons. Its a small price to pay to keep your hunting rig quiet.

[Powerstroke]

I didnt know pse was still around.

Seriously?!?

[bottom-bouncer]

seriously just giving you a hard time power stroke.