Home › Forums › Bows and Equipment › Fixing my bow grip
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Hey everybody I was just wondering something. My Predator doesn’t fit my hand exactly how I would like it, its a little fat it the palm. Its nowhere near as comfrontable my Super Kodiak. So I was thinking about reshapeing it to fit my hand a little better. Is this a good idea or a really bad one. I’ve heard of people doing it, but will it change how the bow shoots or how the energy transfers. I was just wondering if its is worth the effort or is I should just try to find something else that fits my hand better or just suck it up and quit being a sissy and shoot it anyway.
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Cody,
I just got a new Predator today and was surprised to find that the riser feels like it flexes slightly when I draw it. Does yours feel that way? I’ve not noticed that with any other recurve I have. If that is normal for a Predator it makes me wonder if you ought to consult the builder before changing anything. Might void your warranty too if it is less than 2 years old.
Duncan -
Hum I’ve never paid any attention to my riser flexing. What poundage is yours. Mine is a 54 @ 28. I don’t have a warranty, I got mine from Big Jims tent at the KY Klassic last year. I like it fine the way is but it could fit my hand better. Does yours fit your hand well. Ok now you have got me wondering, I’ve gotta go shoot and see if my riser is flexing I’ll talk to you later. lol
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Cody,
Mine is 50# @ 28″ and the handle is small compared to my other recurves. But my other recurves are standard models with standard handles. The Predators are made by a custom builder so that could be the difference. I just feel the riser flexing when I draw it. Have not shot it yet but hope to finish setting it up this week end.
Duncan -
Hey Cody, stay out of the throat area of the grip with your rasp. It is the thinnest area of the riser aside from the riser cut. Wood risers must be accessed as to the type of wood and the length of the riser. The poundage your drawing really should not be a factor in determining how thin you may cut it. The riser integrity should simply be able to withstand any reasonable poundage up to 70 or so pounds even after you modify it. Flexing is bad! This may contribute to unsafe circumstances if one can feel it in the handle area while drawing. The only exception to this would be a Self Bow which by nature of its design, flexing in the handle area is integral to the limb function. I think you should post up a picture of your riser so we could see how much material you have in the handle section along with some idea of how much material you plan to remove.
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To answer the riser flexing question. Yeah it feels like it does just a little. Its not much at all though. The more I think of trying to modify it the more I don’t want to. I’m affraid I’m going to mess it up. And the throat feels fine. Its the palm area that doesn’t feel right. Its just a little fat. But I’m prolly just being picky or complicated and other than that I love the bow. I just shot my first set of cedar arrows in it today and it shoots great. It’s not a big enough factor for me to risk messing up the bow.
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If you grip the Bow by wrapping your thumb and forefinger to meet other and just tuck the remaining fingers under your hand, you will have established a good torque free grip. Try to allow most of the pressure to be exerted in the Fat part below your thumb and along your life line crease. Go to KSL archery and look at their shot sequence and corresponding hand placement. I started out with this grip to teach myself the proper area of contact and tension in the grasping fingers. We as Hunters do not want to be incumbered (unless you want to) with a wrist sling. Catching the Bow after the shot is the only amount of significant tension you need with most modern Bows, especially Recurves. Long Bows with a lot of recoil, or Handshock may require a tighter grip. Horizontal torque is the major concern while shooting. Vertical can be a factor if gripped too hard, but gripped correctly, this is negated to a greater degree. In a Nutshell? Be sure you need to modify the grip only after you are sure that: You are gripping the Bow correctly to begin with! Yes, I too have cut up the grips on Bows, and afterwards wished I would have left it alone. Old Adage”Easier to take off, than put back on, definitly applies!:)
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Maybe the slight flexing is common to Predator bows. I am thinking I will contact them to see what they say. I was concerned a little when I felt it for the same reason Hiram mentioned. Just never felt that in other recurves.
Don’t think I could lay a rasp to that beautiful bacote! -
Duncan, I think the riser flexing after the arrow is released, would exhibit the most stress on the riser. When the Bow is drawn, the dynamics of the string storing energy from the limbs will increase the loading on the centerpoint or fulcrum in the grip area. When released, the energy will have peaked but the resulting Oscillation created by the resulting shot will cause a lot of pressure in throat area of the riser. The result of excess energy transfer would make rigidity and strength necessary. I bet though, that these Bows are made strong enough! I think Predator has sold a lot of Bows, and that this problem would have risen before and corrected if they are reputable. I would give them a call and discuss this concern for nothing else than “Peace of Mind”. No one would like to be sewn up in the web of the hand and forehead from a Bow breaking.
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Or whopped upside the head with a bow limb!
You are right that they have been in business awhile and I think the owner was making bows for Darton and has made bows for many years so I’m sure they know what they are doing.
I just got it this week and have not shot it yet. I plan to shoot though when the snow stops this afternoon. I did draw it a few times to see how smooth it was. First custom recurve I have owned.
The flexing is very, very slight and it has a black glass strip on the front of the riser, I’m not too worried about it but I probably will ask anyway.
Thanks, Duncan -
I never noticed my riser flexing until it was brought up. I always felt it moving but i thought it was my hand compressing from the draw weight and still think thats most of the movement I feel. Coming from a compound background. I do hold it with just my thumb and index finger and open the rest of my hand. Its just a force of habit. Anyway if the riser was flexing a lot when you shot there would be a crap load of hand shock and mine doesn’t have that much. I’m not too worried about it. But I will leave mine alone. Thanks for talking me out of it. If it gets to be a problem I’ll just get something else. But anyway thanks for all the input on the subject. I have no doubt that everyone on this site knows way more about the subject than I do.
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Cody,
I was comparing mine to my other recurves and it does have more palm swell than any bow I have had. I guess I will shoot it some first to see how I like it. That is if it will ever quit snowing and sleeting!
Duncan -
cody, i picked up a howatt x-200 cheap but it was fat in the palm also – i reshaped it to fit my hand, started with a wood rasp and then with progressivly finer sand paper and sealed it with tru oil – not only does it feel like a custom bow now, but the finish looks lust like it did from the factory – i’d say go for it carl
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If a bow doesn’t fit me in the hand, I can’t shoot it. I re-shape any grip I need to. Of course you pay attention to how much material is there…
Especially if it’s width in the palm area, I’d say go for it. todd
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