Ok that time is almost here......when the seasons end and the new 2003 models are going to be in our hands very shortly. In fact some already are, such as the new Hoyts.
Play time is upon us!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
Hand in hand with "Play Time" comes the inevitable arguments over individual impressions of each particular model as it is shot , and "reviewed" by each person.
A few things to remember.....
<font color=red>1.)</font id=red> Just because we are shooting the exact same model bow DOESN'T mean that they are going to feel the same! "John Q Littlearms" with his 27" draw pulling 60# and a 500gr arrow might have a VERY different impression of a certain model than say "PABowhuntr" will with his 31" draw length pulling 70# shooting a 350gr arrow.
Just because one person says a bow model is "The smoothest thing since Movie Theater Butter" could be misleading.........Remember any bow at 27-28" 60# shooting a 500gr arrow is gonna feel smooth.
<font color=red>2.</font id=red> Along with differnet individual model specs comes Bow Set-up......How a bow is set-up with accessories , stabilizer , string load and choice of arrow will seriously affect a persons perception of a bows performance. Take that same above example in #1 and now give "John Q. Littlearms" a fully set-up bow @27"/60# and a 500gr arrow tricked out with Limbsavers, stabilizer, string Leeches etc etc. and give "PABowhuntr" a bare bow.........THE PERCEPTION GAP WIDENS!!
So remember when we are talking about the "Feel" of these new models as they reach our hands that we must take much more into consideration when evaluating a bow model than just......
"I don't care ,that bow felt like poop when I shot it!", or "This is the smoothest bow on the planet!!"
We must have the ability to break our evaluations down and understand WHY someone might have a differing view of your new favorite "Baby", or that same bow you just happened to shoot at the local shop.
This will help alot of the 'Flame wars' and 'Bow bashing' that is inevitable every year.
And while I'm at it here, there is another VERY important factor involved with all this "Reviewing" and "Evaluation"........and that is DEFINING what we are feeling. I'll take a shot at it in my own opinion of what each term means, and if anyone has a different opinion (or I don't know what the heck I'm talking about) Let's try to come up with a "Shooting Dictionary" of sorts, because I think many times people are trying to describe a certain feeling such as "Handshock", but the person on the other end might have an entirely different idea of what "Handshock" is.
Well here goes:ANd I think these are the 4 "buzz words" most used when evaluating a bow
RECOIL To me this one is easy......we all know what a gun does when it recoils. IT JUMPS. I think this dynamic movement of the bow caused by the limbs and string returning to rest is what should be defined as RECOIL. There is no "Feel" to recoil it is simply HOW MUCH, HOW FAR, HOW QUICKLY and WHAT DIRECTION the bow moved when fired. Recoil will be mostly helped by the addition of mass weight in the system in the form of a good stabilizer with some heft to it, heavier arrows, or even a heavier string load...anything that slows the dynamic forces at the shot.
HANDSHOCK This is the big one I think that people confuse....and I think they confuse it with recoil or even vibration.
To me "Handshock" is the immediate "SNAP" of all the bows energy into the one place you can feel it ...your hand. Its not a vibration buzz, but the splitsecond bang of energy transferred directly into your body thru the grip. Felt Handshock can be altered by different grip materials, no grip at all, how the bow is held, and what accessories the bow is wearing.........This is where all the rubber and noise reducing gizmos I think do their work. Limbsavers, Stabilizer Leeches etc. etc. help to dissipate the tremendous energy that is released when we shoot a bow keeping some of it from ever reaching your hand.
AGain to me......Handshock is an energy transfer into your hand.......Recoil is simply the dynamic movement of the entire bow.
VIBRATION This feeling comes so closely with handshock in timing that I think they can also get confused........IMO "felt vibration" should be seperated into the time frame directly and immediately AFTER the 'Snap' of the shot.......this is the "Buzz" that you will feel from a bare bow and a bare string. And some materials are better than others.
Vibration is best dealt with (besides riser design)by the addition of String silencers and the other add ons that help with noise and handshock. If you are eliminating Handshock you are also reducing vibration.
NOISE Well if you don't know what noise is then hit yourself in the head with a tack hammer. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
Seriously tho......noise is something that many people use as a benchmark for purchasing a bow, and its important to realize that every bow is going to sound quite different depending upon its specs (draw lwngth and weight)how its set-up with accessories, and what arrows are being shot.
The novice who goes to a shop and shoots the latest model at 28" (because that's what was on the shelf)with 2 sets of Catwhiskers and the shop owner's 600gr test arrow and falls in love with the noise level, might be very dissapointed when he then orders his 30" model, gets it home and lets rip with one of them "new fangled" light carbon arrows he just bought. "Wow what happened?"
And if you are getting excess noise......you are also getting excess vibration.
I know this isn't a perfect breakdown of these terms and some physics guy will probably rip me a "New one", but I feel its important to at least try to establish some standards that we can refer to and use when discussing bow performance......most of the techie guys already know all this stuff, but the novice archers here who get excited about their new purchases will be much better served if they have a grasp on what they are feeling and why....and maybe more importantly why I might be feeling something entirely different.
And of course first and foremost.....remember everyones bow IS THE BEST!!! Why else would they have bought it? <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>
