A question I’m frequently asked is how an animal can jump the string and duck out of the way of an arrow. Although there are several possible reasons for this, the most likely cause is that your bow emits a loud “thwack” sound when fired. With sound travelling approximately 1,200 feet per second (FPS), the sound of a bow will reach an animal before the arrow. If the animal is already alert, they will undoubtably duck upon hearing the sound. It’s their natural defence to load up their leg muscles and flee what they perceive as danger.
In recent years, especially in the crossbow world, manufacturers have increased the performance and velocity of their products. Although the extra velocity can help hunters, the fastest bows are still no match for the speed of sound. Think of it this way. There is no such thing as a quiet race car. More performance means more noise. It’s just physics.
High arrow velocity is not necessary. With about 80% of whitetails harvested in Ontario taken at 25 yards (75 feet) or less, arrow velocity should be the least of our concerns. In general, bows and crossbows with slower velocities tend to be much quieter during the shot, and certainly capable of hunting anything in Ontario.
Here are four ways to reduce those shakes and the noise created by your bow.
String/limb silencers
This is the easiest thing to try first. Aftermarket silencers are very inexpensive. These silencers are made of rubber that will absorb vibrations, creating less noise. To install one, you need to put the bow/crossbow in a bow press, so the string becomes loose. Separate the string in half and put the silencer in the middle. On a compound bow or compound crossbow, you can also put string silencers in the cables — as long as they don’t interfere with the draw cycle — making the bow even more quiet.
If you are shooting a recurve crossbow, there are string “cradles” that attach to the inside of the limbs where the string meets the limb when not loaded (see photo above). When the crossbow is shot, the string hits these cradles and vibration is reduced as well. There are also rubber “sleeves” than can be put around the limb of a recurve.
Shock absorbers (String stops)
Most compounds and a lot of crossbows made today have some sort of a string stop. The premise is that the string stop eliminates the string’s vibration almost immediately. Just as if you pluck a guitar string, if you put your finger on it, the vibration (and sound) immediately stops. Less vibration means less noise. If you have an older bow/crossbow that does not have one, you can likely find an aftermarket option. These dampen vibration even more than the string/limb silencers. Some manufacturers offer complete silencing kits with all of these things in one box. They are really worth it.
Vibration-dampening stabilizers
Most bow manufacturers now make their own line of stabilizers. Whether they incorporate a moving weight that absorbs vibration during the shot, or vibration-dampening rubber inserts, they all work well. Long gone are the days when your stabilizer was just a chunk of metal hanging out the front. This simple addition to your bow will greatly reduce vibration. Your local archery shop will have a bunch of different ones to try, and you can decide what you like the best.
Shoot a heavier arrow
The weight of an arrow is all in the shaft. It is measured in GPI (grains per inch). The components of an arrow/bolt (fletching, nocks, inserts, and points) are basically the same. Within the same spined arrows, you can vary from 7 GPI to 12 GPI. An arrow that is 150 grains heavier will travel about 30FPS slower. However, the heavier arrow can absorb more of the bow’s energy, creating less vibration and ultimately less noise. So, I go back to the hunting velocity question. If your bow is currently 300 FPS but loud, you can shoot a heavier arrow at 270 FPS and the bow will be much quieter. Again 30 yards is only 90 feet. At 270 FPS, the arrow will get to the deer plenty fast enough.
By combining all four of these suggestions, your bow will be whisper quiet. In my opinion, that is what we should be looking for in a hunting rig. A quiet bow that shoots a heavy arrow at good velocities. Remember, traditional archers certainly do not shoot 400+ FPS and have been successfully taking big game animals for generations. All the best in your upcoming hunting adventures.
Originally published in the Nov.-Dec. 2023 issue of Ontario OUT of DOORS
