I have used two methods with success. #1 is to measure the string, divide by 4 and place the broadheads at that distance from either tip. #2 (per Rick Barbee) is to place the silencers 10-1/2″ from either tip.

Both seem to work. #2 is faster as the silencers travel less distance and therefore add less drag.

You can figure the resonance and place the silencers at the anti-nodes to maximize efficiency . . . or use either of the above methods.

I use the silencers as a final tuning step for my arrows.

Keep the silencers close to the tips (where they don’t affect arrow speed so much). Then bareshaft tune an arrow. Move the silencers up (to weaken the shaft) and down (to stiffen the staff) to achieve perfect arrow flight.

Grasshopper say: “Perfect arrow flight is perfect efficiency”

I personally spread my fingers apart and put my pinky finger at the tip of my bow and where my thumb meets the string that is the location of the top of my fur silencer. The spread from my pinky to my thumb is just under 10 inches. I have done this with both of my long bows and must say they are very quiet bows.

Mountianeer wrote: A few months back there was an article talking about the locations of silencers on a long bow. If I remember the article, there was some mathamatical formula to determine the locations. Am I dreaming this or did it really happen?

You did not imagine this, it really happened. 😀 It was a Tip of the Week titled Heterodyning. I hope it helps. And, as stated by the others in this thread, this isn’t the only way, just Rocky’s suggestion.

The string silencer article was from the “Tip of the Week” article on this site called, “Heterodyning.” it’s a great article, here’s a link to it: https://www.tradbow.com/public/Heterodyning.cfm

And I can confirm it really works. I moved my silencers from the generally recommended position to the heterodyne position and noticed a further reduction in sound.

Heterodyning does, indeed, quiet your string. I use the heterodyning formula on both my longbow and recurve, and both are much quieter than before.