Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

My feeling on it is a resounding yes! This is something that was hardly if ever discussed until the last few years. I'm not saying it isn't a valid concern. It is nice to shoot a bow that's dead in the hand, but for me, the lack of handshock is pretty far down the list of what is important in selecting a bow. I mean jeez folks. It's a bow. It's not like we are out there trying to tame a .338 mag.

What say you?

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

A bow with a considerable amount of handshock, for me, isn't enjoyable to shoot. While I mainly use my bow for hunting, I shoot nearly every day. Why? Because I enjoy it.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Over hyped? Hell no. In fact, i don't think there is enough emphasis on it. Not only is it not fun to shoot, it also effects accuracy.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

With hand shock comes vibration ultamately meaning noise. Eliminate one you eliminate the other. I want a quiet hunting bow.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

personally, i prefer to have a little... kinda like why i got rid of my graphite shafted irons, no feel... i think the rags that say things about "some perceptible hand shock" contribute to it being way overhyped and these are the same guys that nit pick over 2-3fps when determining the hottest new bow...

in short, ya, way over hyped, kinda like the speed thing as well...

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

For the most part I tend to agree with the others. For me, a bow with less handshock is more enjoyable to shoot. I look forward to shooting it. I also agree that it can affect accuracy. It has been my experience that one tends to anticipate the handshock/recoil from a bow that demonstrates alot of it. In which case most folks tend to flinch thus affecting accuracy.

Is it essential to have a bow with little to no handshock, no, but I do think most folks enjoy shooting them more.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

My bow may have a little, but when Im drawing it back and release it on a deer.....I won't even notice it[8D]
I suppose if I was to do 3-D style shooting alot, it might be different.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Interesting answers. I still think it's over emphasized IMO.

I've never in my life thought about flinching when shooting any bow. It's a bow.

I can see the vibration/noise correlation and that is a valid point, but I think more noise is generated by the things we add to the bow like rests, sights and quivers that buzz and super light arrows that make the bow sound like .22 when shot.:D

Thanks guys. Keep em coming. I'm just not drinking the kool aid.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

I will say this to clarify my earlier post... i don't think lack of handshock is a bad thing... but i also don't want something that is so sterile to shoot that i can barely tell whats goin on with it... now, if i have to consciously keep the bow from jumping out of my hand then that is a problem for sure... but i do agree that the emphasis on it is overkill... pretty much all of the parallel designs are pretty much shock free designs... especially when you compare them to the old style D shaped bows of ten years ago... at this point on current bows we're talkin about hair splitting differences, which is why it is way overhyped... when the first parallel bows came out, ya, not overhyped, but now they pretty much are all that way so its not an issue in my eyes...

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

If handshock affects accuracy, why don't we see more parallel limb bows being used for target venues by the guys that make their living by shooting high scores? ;) Before anyone says it's what they are paid to use......think again. A pro can shoot any bow in a manufacturers lineup, yet consistenly they choose to shoot bows without parallel limbs that produce more handshock. Look on the pro line in any spots oriented venue, or even on the 3D course.......the big boys are shooting bows that produce more handshock.

I think its over rated personally. For a target bow, it's almost a draw back in my opinion, because the traits in a bow that produces low amounts of handshock also make is difficult to balance properly with target accessories. Aside from this,I like somefeedback on what I'm doing with shot execution, and handshock provides me with this. With a pure hunting bow,lack of handshock isnice I guess, but honestly it's nearly at the bottom of the list of criteria I look at when selecting something.

Just MHO.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

I think it is over rated.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Rick James, do they shoot the non parallel limb bows because they have more hand shock, or is it more because typically parallel limb bows are shorter ATA?

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

If handshock is at the end of your list what is at the top.

For me:

1. Smooth shooting (no or very little handshock) is the MOST important to me.
2. Quiet, which usually goes hand in hand with the first one.
3. Smooth draw
4. Speed

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Handshock and inherent accuracy have ZERO in common. NOTHING.

You guys haven't shot many target bows have you? LOL. Go shoot a Mathews Apex one time and then tell me what your impression of "Handshock" is. Then go ask Tim Gillingham if he thinks it's accurate. ;)

Do the majority of you even know what "Handshock" is? What is it?Seriously....... Is it recoil? Is it vibration?
It's an overrated made up term that is simply a product of bow geometry combined with energy output and in reality will be felt in varying degrees by all shooters anyway because we all grip a bow slightly differently.
Has nothing to do with how accurate a bow is or can be.

If you want a quiet hunting bow buy a quiet bow, if you want a super fast longer ATA 3D bow don't also expect it to be the same as the "Quiet hunting bow"
Goes for any make model or manufacturer.

My opinion is that technology and materieals have come so far that we're all spolied as far as shot feel goes.
Go find your old Golden Eagle "Battleaxe" from 1994, fire a few shots with arrows at 5grs per lb of draw weight and then pick up ANY bow from today and then tell me your impression of handshock and how it relates to anything.;)

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

I think it's because the non parallel limb bows have less riser reflex in them typically at a given ATA/brace height, and also balance much better when outfitted with target accessories as well, they tend to not be as top heavy. I have also heard that a lot of the guys shooting at this level also prefer some level of "handshock" to help read whats going on with their shot execution, I know I do.

As Matt said, accuracy and handshock do not affect each other.........if someone doesn't like it, it's purely personal preference and that thats OK too.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Shooting a bow that buzzes your hand every shot is not a very fun thing to do. I shoot too much to accept that. I shot the Dream Season bow and it was rediculous feeling on the shot. I wouldn't shoot that bow for free.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Wanting hand shock in a bow is like saying there isn't enough recoil from my shotgun. I like toreduce recoil in my guns to improve my accuracy and make it more comfortable to shoot. Same with hand shock.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

i guess that's why some people prefer a harley over a gold wing... they like the feel of it instead of the sterile sewing machine like ride of the 'wing...

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

I think its more marketing than anything, just another selling point. I played baseball for many years so maybe handshock/vibration doesnt register as much to me.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Not necessarily. Some years back one of the pros was tearing up the circuit with a low end bow and the company (Hoyt) finally had to tell him to knock it off and use a more expensive one. He was ruining sales on their high end bows by showing the cheaper oneswere just as good.

IMO, a bow that has a lot of handshock has two problems. First, the tiller probably isn't set right. Second, the shooter isn't using enough arrow weight. You can't always eliminate all the handshock, but you can certainly tone it down a good bit with a proper tune job and more arrow weight.

But you don't know what handshock is until you've shot a Jerry Hill longbow. Those darn things kick like a mule, maybemake a couple of your teeth swap holes. Fling an arrow out of one of those bad boys and then you'll never gripe about handshock with a compound again.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Its never bothered me. I started shooting long ago with trad gear. light weight trad bow set above 60 lbs will jump right out of your hand.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

MY definition of hand shock is how much the bow wants to "jump out of my hand" when I shoot it. That may not have anything to do w/ accuracy DIRECTLY, but mentally it does. If I'm shooting a bow that I'm worried will jump out of my hand, I'm not gonna hit diddly squat.

I agree that it will not be eliminated completely, and the way we grip our bow will have an impact on that.

You and Rick James certainly know what you're talking about. You guys have FAR more experience w/ that than I, so when you guys speak I listen. I'm just not sure I agree with you 100% on this one.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Technically it shouldn't matter if you have good form and release. You should not be holding the bow anyway, it should jump free of your hand at the shot. Which is why you should use a wrist sling or finger sling.

However I prefere a bow that doesn't jump at the shot, I can shoot just as well with either, but like a bow that is dead on the shot. I don't even need a sling with my bowtech, it just lays there after the shot.

Paul

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

It's all a matter of comfort. Some guys have a great tolerance for handshock. Some have none at all. I'm one of the latter. I dislocated the big joint at the base of my thumb playing basketball in college and it's never been right since. Even now, 37 years later,it still gives me fits. I almostswitched to shooting lefty because of it.Shooting a shocky bow HURTS. You're not ever going to shoot a bow well if you've got the little gremlins buzzing around in the back of your head while you aim, telling you how bad it's going to hurt when you dump that string.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Actually,target shooters prefer a little feedback from their target bows but that is more in the bow lunging forward after the shot.Not the vibration felt in the hand.imo,I know I prefer my target bows to go forward at the shot.


I agree that it is overhyped but I do like to rid the bow of vibration but not to the degree people think is neceassary nowadays.


I remember having to loctite every screw on the bow not too many years ago and now it isn't even a concern because the vibration is almost eliminated.

That does help in the accuracy department from 1 standpoint because less shakes loose. and less to worry about.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Arthur, I can understand your pain. It is really no different than flinching at the shot because your .338 Win mag hurts like hell when you pull the trigger.

Possibly I am wrong with this, but I think there are two factors that people often get confused. Recoil and hand shock. I perceive recoil to be the tendancy for a bow to jump forward out of your hand at the shot. Hand shock is the buzzing you feel afterwords (kind of like holding an orbital sander).

That being said, I prefer my bow to have some recoil at the shot, and very little hand shock. Regardless of the recoil, I use a wrist sling so the bow should not ever hit the ground. The recoil allows me to see how the bow has reacted to my last shot. It's more of a factor for a target bow, but if I torque the grip I can see the bow recoil in a way that is not inline with my shot.

The other thought is that regardless of the recoil or hand shock, by the time you feel it, the arrow is long gone. As long at it is not painful as in Arthur's case, it should not effect accuracy one iota. The exception to this is as Arthur mentioned if the bow is not tuned correctly (cams out of synch).

I think that people get too hung up on the hand shock issue. Any modern compound is more than dead enough in the hand to be accurate. While the parallel limb designs do offer significantly less recoil and vibration at the shot, I don't think they offer the same level of accuracy as a more traditional riser design.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

It's notimportant to me. All I do is hunt and practice for hunting. Yeah I'll shoot a lot of arrows but I never give it a second thought. I bit more hand shock in a bow that feels right and shoots well for me is not a deal breaker by any means, it's just how that particular bow shoots.

I think it's highly overrated.

RE: Is the lack of hand shock over hyped?
 

hand shock is one of the things i look for in a bow . when i switched to a better bow than i was shooting it was more enjoyable to shoot and increased my accuracy

RE: Is the lack of hand shock over hyped?
 

Hand Shock and Vibration are not the same thing.

I don't want either in my hunting bow. I like a fast, quiet bow, that just sits there at the shot. I don't want it to jump forward (hand shock), and I don't want it to buzz in my hand (vibration).

I don't know anything about target bows, but for my hunting bow, the less hand shock, and the less vibration, the better.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Ok, well I'm not into target archery yet, so I'll ask this question. Because I don't know...

Why do you want "feedback from the bow?" What's it telling you?

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Read98redline's post.

When a bow is shot, there is movement,when that movement deviates from the shot before,you KNOW something was wrong.

The more experience you gain,the better you can read that feedback.

If a bow kicks sideways,that will tell you you have torqued the grip or are pulling out of the shot.Your experiense can help you fix the problem but if the bow sits dead still and your arrow doesn't hit where it should have,you have no clue to really what happened.


Enough experience will tell you when a shot feels good and when something isn't right.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Thank you, that makes perfect sense. Learn something new all the time. Now I know.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Here is a perfect example of what we are talking about from probably the best compound shooter in the world.

Check out what he is doing while the bow is lunging.He is letting it go.I bet he knew it was a good shot.[8D]

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

That's cool TFOX!

How did you post that animated pic?

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Copy andpaste off his web sight.I didn't do anything.[:-]

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Many wonder why I don't like a rounded grip on a bow,this video shows why.If you have a rounded grip,how much harder is it to get the bow to react straight forward without kicking to one side or the other?

Something to make you go HMMMMMM.[8D]

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

The other issue with a rounded grip is that you really have no sensation of when the bow is sitting correctly in your hand. I pull the wooden grips off of all of my Hoyts and shoot directly off the riser for just this reason.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Good point as well.


I have a real problem with a rounded grip not settling in for me.

BUT,I had some really good days with my 03 Ultratec that had a rounded grip but I wasn't consistant with it.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Hand shock on todays bows is a huge improvement over bows from 5-10 years ago. I noticed it when I switched from the old Browning Tornado that I had for many years to a Mathews Switchback. Huge Difference!! Tonight I shot the General and the Diamond Marquis, all I can say is wow! If you want a bow that has near "0" handshock and felt recoil then the General is for you. I shot the Marquis after the General and it has very little hand shock and felt vibration. It is going to be a hard decision on which one to get.

As far as the fat grip vs a skinny grip, I am in total agreeance that a skinny grip is easier to shoot when it comes to feeling the shot. It is probably the main reason that I am selling my Mathews.

RE: Is the lack of handshock over hyped?
 

Say I, What brought this rise in temperature on? What's made you get heated up?:eek:

It's just the evolution ofthe "buy what feels best" recommendation.

I don't care for any vibration so I'd say no it's not over hyped, over priced, yes!

There's some truth in the Harley analogy. When I had one there was a brief period of time when it purred. It had perfect rhythm at idle, bump pada bump pada bump. It was a beautiful thing. Smooth rider and powerful. I'd say a smooth shooting bow is the same way, aint wasting one bit of what it can give.[8D]