Crossbows are louder than their vertical counterparts while firing because the bow releases a lot of energy, which causes vibration. As a result, crossbow silencers work to reduce vibration and make the bow quieter. It is a great tool to keep your crossbow quiet, especially when hunting.
In comparison, vertical compound bows are quieter than crossbows because of the less energy released compared to crossbows.
Logic dictates that the bow’s weight is crucial in determining its loudness, and thus, the lesser it weighs, the lesser the noise. Because when you shoot, the sound you hear is merely energy leaving the bow.
The crossbow weighs approximately 150 to 200 pounds. Although some weigh less and some weigh more, vertical compound bows only weigh between 60 to 70 pounds.
You don’t want to scare off your target as you go hunting. Deers and other wild animals hear higher frequency sounds than humans do. Therefore, it is important to keep silent while eyeing your target.
However, this is a significant problem for archers using crossbows. Since crossbows are loud, archers find the need to minimize the loudness, and this is where crossbow silencers come into the picture.
Crossbow silencers are an item used to reduce the vibration from the crossbow, which produces a lot of noise. It works by dispersing and absorbing the amount of kinetic energy in the bowstring.
Archers use different crossbow silencers, such as limb dampeners and string silencers. Among these two, string silencers are the most commonly used. Bowjax String Silencers are a great example of a crossbow silencer that reduces string noise by 90%.
Thus, crossbow silencers work and are ideal for keeping your crossbows silent, especially while hunting.
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Can you put silencers on a crossbow?
Crossbow silencers can be in the form of rubber, fur, or other materials designed to reduce loudness. Depending on which part of the crossbow emits loud vibrations, you can put silencers on a crossbow, often on its string or limb.
Silencers are often in the string or limb part of the crossbow since this is where the loud vibrations come from, which in turn creates noise. However, it depends on which feature of the crossbow requires noise reduction.
The first thing you need to do is identify which part of the crossbow creates vibration. Besides limb and string, the noise can come from lightweight arrows, bow design, or loose crossbow. You either need to buy a new crossbow and arrows or tighten or readjust the screws if this happens.
If it is coming from the string or limb, you need to use a silencer. It can be in the form of beaver fur, rubber, or any materials designed to reduce noise.
Considering that the crossbow’s limbs are one of the key driving elements behind its energy, it’s not surprising that there is a need to put a silencer in this area. For limb noise reduction, you can put limb dampeners on your crossbow.
You can put limb dampeners on the limb of a solid bow or between the limbs of a split limb bow. Limb dampeners usually are in the form of rubber and minimize the transfer of vibration noise between the strings and the riser.
Another widely known silencer is the string silencer. It is the most significant source of vibration in the crossbow and is the most effective area to focus on when trying to find ways to reduce the crossbow’s loudness.
String silencers are usually in the form of rubber, cat whiskers, or beaver fur. It depends on which type of material you prefer to use.
Moreover, you can put the silencers by yourself by following the attached instructions. However, if you want to ensure you got the setup correct, it is also good to consult with the nearest archery shop.
Are reverse-draw crossbows quieter?
Reverse-draw crossbows are quieter than their forward draw counterpart. Its longer power stroke with a lower draw weight produces less energy generated upon shooting. Therefore, less vibration happens after the shot.
Generally, crossbows are loud. However, due to years of development, manufacturers now produce crossbows that are less noisy.
A reverse-draw crossbow is a crossbow with its limbs ‘reversed’ from the standard crossbow configuration. Wicked Ridge RDX 400 and TenPoint Nitro XRT are among the most popularly used reverse-draw crossbow over the years.
There are two types of crossbow: Forward Draw Crossbow and Reverse-draw Crossbow. The reverse-draw crossbow is quieter than the forward draw crossbow, and it is also superior to the forward draw crossbow in terms of performance and balance.
Before purchasing the ideal type of crossbow, the following are the advantages and disadvantages of using a reverse-draw crossbow:
Advantages of reverse-draw crossbow
- Smooth shooting
- Yields high performance
- Better balance
- Quieter
Its string and cables set at a lower draw weight cause less vibration, resulting in a smoother shooting. There is a minor muzzle jump with less vibration, making it easier to complete the shot.
Reverse-draw crossbow stretches the string’s resting position a few inches further down the flight rail, which is done by adjusting the location of the riser mounting and inverting the bow assembly.
A reverse-draw crossbow releases faster arrow speeds than a forward draw crossbow. Since the reverse-draw crossbow’s power stroke is longer, it is unnecessary to stretch the flight rail or crossbow to fire faster, unlike its counterpart.
With the riser and limb pockets on a reverse-draw crossbow mounted halfway down the stock and minimal weight at the end of the flight rail, it gives the shooter more control resulting in higher accuracy.
Also, it promotes less movement, wobbling, fatigue, and a tighter since there is less weight on the shooter’s front arm. You can carry the reverse-draw crossbow shouldered for a more extended period or shoot comfortably, thus providing a better balance.
Because of its longer power stroke with lower draw weight, it makes the reverse-draw crossbow inherently quiet. When the limbs have lower draw weight, the energy released is less during shooting.
Therefore, there is a decrease in the shock and vibration, making the reverse-draw crossbow quieter than the forward draw crossbow.
Disadvantages of reverse-draw crossbow
- Only compounds and no recurves
- Few accessories
- Requires OEM strings and cables
Some archers prefer the recurve crossbow because of its inherent reliability and simplicity. In almost every commercially available reverse-draw crossbow design, they mostly use a compound bow design.
However, suppose you intend to utilize a reverse-draw system. It is necessary to use a compound limb because most reverse-draw systems have a more parallel limb design that isn’t appropriate for a recurve.
Due to its unique design, only a few accessories will fit the reverse-draw
crossbow. Unlike the forward draw crossbow that can use universally designed accessories, the reverse-draw crossbow can only use the ones produced by the manufacturer.
Because the power stroke on a reverse-draw crossbow is substantially longer, there isn’t much selection in terms of aftermarket cables or strings.
The overall advantages of using a reverse-draw crossbow are superior, primarily because it emits less noise.
What does a crossbow string dampener do?
A crossbow string dampener is another term for string silencer and functions the same. It minimizes the felt vibrations and noises in the string when shooting your crossbow.
The first part of the crossbow to look for vibration is its string. It is the most common part to look for when trying to lessen the noise of your crossbow.
Crossbow string dampeners help minimize the felt vibrations and noises in the string like other string silencers do. It dramatically changes the sound of the bow by reducing the shot’s volume and the length of time that the sound will last.
It is important to remember that the longer the axle to axle length of the bow, the more they are prone to shot noise as more string material for the vibrations to go through.
Some of the recommended string dampeners to buy are Barnett’s STR String Dampener Kit and Bowjax 1036 Ultra Bow Jax II Dampener.
Where do you put silencers on a string?
The position where you should put your silencer on a string depends on the bow. However, aside from consulting for the best-suggested placement, you can experiment with your bow to find the perfect spot where the string silencer can work well.
Although all crossbow silencers function for the same purpose and work on all types of bows, the placement is a significant part of utilizing the tool.
No exact location indicated where you need to place your string on the bow. Bow length, bow design, and bow type are the factors to consider when buying and installing the silencer.
A string silencer’s best location should be two to three inches from the tip for compound bows. Some archers install the silencers on buss cables depending on the bow if the buss cables are the culprit for noise.
For recurve bows, it can be a distance of up to ten inches from the limb tip because it has a longer string than compound bows.
However, because every bow has a different brace height and AMO length, you’ll have to experiment with your bow to find the perfect spot where it works well for the silencer.
In general, you should not install your silencer towards the middle. You will add drag to your string, which slows down your string, bow, and shot speed.
Additionally, before purchasing a string silencer, most require you to remove the string from the bow to install the silencer. In contrast, some do not require bow removal and are easier to install.
Generally, approximately 1/4 of the string’s length from each tip works to be safe. However, it is still better to know the best-suggested placement for each type and experiment with your bow if necessary.
Do string silencers affect speed?
String silencers decrease your arrow speed by around three to seven feet per second (FPS) which is negligible. However, if the speed reduction bothers you, you can reposition your string silencer, tune your bow, or practice your technique to minimize its effect on your arrow’s speed.
String silencers absorb extra vibration from the string, lowering the volume of your crossbow and transferring somewhat less energy to the arrow. The lesser energy transferred, the slower the speed of hitting its target.
Also, the additional weight on your bowstring will slow your arrow speed.
Luckily, string silencers only decrease your arrow speed between three to seven feet per second (FPS). You will usually feel the speed difference when you shoot at a farther distance instead of shooting at closer targets.
If the reduction of speed bothers you a lot, here are some ways that can help you keep your crossbow silent without sacrificing the speed or by compensating with your speed reduction:
- You can place your string silencers in the cable or riser.
- Try tuning your bow to minimize the FPS you lose while using string silencers.
- Practicing your technique will help you shoot arrows accurately using a string silencer.
It can cut string noises with no effect on the FPS. However, putting them in the cable or riser is not as effective as placing your string silencers directly on the string.
You can start by shooting through a piece of paper. By doing this, you will be able to observe its flight path. After shooting, you can remove the arrow and check the impression left on the paper.
A vertical hole means you need to adjust your nocking point. Meanwhile, if you see a horizontal tear, you might need to change the arrow weight or the string tension.
By making these adjustments, you can improve your accuracy and lets you compensate for the speed reduction caused by using a string silencer.
Here are some of the aspects you should be perfecting:
o Your release should be as smooth as possible to ensure that you don’t lose more FPS.
o Practice target archery more often to guarantee the arrow’s full speed goes directly into the target.
o Don’t hesitate to experiment with various draw weights, nock points, and arrow weights with different bows.
Crossbow silencers work well as long as the silencers you can identify the kind of silencer you need, and they are well-placed.
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