Parralell limb compound bows

1
Anybody use one?

To me they seem to be the equivalent of a tactifooled AR carbine. I will give them that they are small and light but I just have no use in my life for a bow I can't shoot with my fingers.
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Re: Parralell limb compound bows

7
Mason wrote:Anybody use one?

To me they seem to be the equivalent of a tactifooled AR carbine. I will give them that they are small and light but I just have no use in my life for a bow I can't shoot with my fingers.
I've not shot one. I'm not too interested in compound bows in the first place, but if I do ever buy one, I think I would go full tilt. Trigger, stabilizers, sights... maybe even a scope.

As it stands, I'm most interested in instinctive shooting. which I find to be very challenging, which is the point. If I were hunting for sustenance, it would be a different story.

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Re: Parralell limb compound bows

8
Hello,

The idea behind parallel limbs on bows is simply this: It cancels most recoil from the limbs.

You have one limb shooting upward, one shooting downward, and recoil is almost nil.

My bow of choice is an old Oregon. It was one of those I couldn't afford as a teenager but really wanted. It was fast for the time -- it achieves 210fps with uncut 340 spine arrows and 125grn field points. It was supposed to be able to break 300fps when new.

Now we have more efficient bows breaking 300fps regularly with the same draw weight. It's simply faster recoil -- like graphite fishing poles as compared to the old fiberglass jobs.

Some of those Oregon bows that last year or two of the company's existence had bone-jarring recoil. Yes, they'd break 300fps, but they'd also rattle your fillings. Those bows were built at the time for managed recoil, which is one reason I like them -- at more sedate speeds! 210fps at 60lbs is good for me.

A company known as Bowtech grew out of Oregon. Continuing their recoil management, they came up with the parallel limb design. (Some contend that Mathews did this; I tend to think it was Bowtech. But whatever).

The parallel limb design is primarily to tame recoil in those bows hitting the high 200s into the 300s.

Regards,

Josh
Image

Re: Parralell limb compound bows

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CDFingers wrote:Dang! That's fast. My 54 lb. compound shoots at about 225 fps. I've not yet chronied my recurve.

CDFingers
What bow are you using? The compound?

Love recurves but am just freshly back into archery and the learning curve is steep already. I stopped shooting fingers and went to a release as a crutch. I'll probably keep the release on the Oregon and start shooting fingers with a recurve when I can afford it (kid on the way.)

I have a bunch of rests designed for finger shooting, plungers, etc. I of course need bows to put them on! :D

Another thought; I'm supposed to be fairly good at working metal. I've never been all that great at working wood because I go too fast. Still, I'd like to build an English longbow one day. I'm sure I'll see a limb with a bow in it someday, and start whittlin' the extra away. Maybe if I take my time...

Josh
Image

Re: Parralell limb compound bows

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Wabatuckian wrote:
CDFingers wrote:Dang! That's fast. My 54 lb. compound shoots at about 225 fps. I've not yet chronied my recurve.

CDFingers
What bow are you using? The compound?

Josh
It's made by Precision Shooting Equipment, and it has a Roman Numeral II on it. I had it adjusted at my LAS for target shooting to 54 pounds. I draw about 31 inches or so, which is what this one is set to.

I'm more accurate with the compound, but I prefer the recurve because it just feels right to sort of coil and release a spring--I can feel what's going to happen, But with the compound, as I draw it, of course, the spring tension gets less, and it just doesn't compute somehow.

That's why I shoot them both: the recurve I hold in my left hand and the compound I hold in my right. I still have a compound set at 54 that I can hold in my left, but I think I'll give it to my brother, as I've not shot it for several years.

The pics I post in this forum usually say which of the two I've used. My groups are tighter with the compound, but I'm getting better with the recurve.

CDFingers
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Re: Parralell limb compound bows

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I just "discovered" an elderly Oneida 250 that lets me shoot off the fingers without pinching. I'd never shot a "rocker" limb before. The power limbs are close to parallel, and the tips are recurved. It's about the best feeling compound I've ever shot. I shoot "instinctive" I guess. My left arm and shoulder are messed up, so my anchor is too low to let me use sights of any kind. I have a Samick Sage recurve that I use 99% of the time, because you can start with 30 lb limbs (it's a takedown) and work your way up. I'm only at 35 lbs--- that weak shoulder is improving s-l-o-w-l-y. Anyway, the Oneida might just let me hunt with a bow. There are newer models but they are pretty expensive new. The draw tends to be on the longer side, too.
Jim

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