Steve I think this graph may describe the phenomenon you alluded to, where at a certain point in deflection and strain a bow does not recover comletely it's initial ability to be loaded, you don't get the same draw weight at a previous draw lenght, rather lower, but the bow doesn't necessarily show any more permanent string follow or set.
I get what you are saying David, wrt to using this interesting aspect of the working properties of wood. If it is as I described above, my experience and intuition have always been to tread lightly in this area, near elastic limits. But as you've suggested, some woods may be more better able to tolerate work in this zone than others. No matter how you slice it though, if you aren't storing more energy for more distortion, proportionately, then in effect you have less total stored energy under the curve. So, you might trade a sweet draw, ie. lower stack, for a little cast.
