Hi Richard,
It is true that anything added to the limb tip will reduce the efficiency of the bow. That said, adding the extra lamination at the tip contributes just a few grains to the weight. So the effect could be measurable, but it isn’t noticeable.
As I understand it, the limb tip inserts were traditionally added to compensate for the tendency of the glass to crack. This was back in the days when fiberglass was made with polyester resins instead of epoxy resins. Since Gordon Glass and others have switched to epoxy resins, the fiberglass is much tougher and doesn’t tend to crack. So in my opinion the use of limb tip inserts is no longer required.
I am a fan of fastflight string because of its durability. It’s the only string I use because I don’t like making bowstrings and when I do, I want them to last. In the book I talked about using limbtip inserts (as most all bow makers do), but since then I have left them out without negative consequence. The fiberglass can take it.
As for hand-shock from lack of string elasticity… I have found that a tuned bow and arrow to be comfortable to shoot. If something is out of wack, then there can be hand-shock for sure. And an elastic string can help reduce the hand shock. But it also robs the arrow of energy and speed. If I find that I am getting too much hand-shock, its usually because I am using an arrow that is too light.
Im glad you are enjoying the book!
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This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by Stephen Graf.
