Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Josh on April 18, 2012, 03:35:02 pm
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I am new to the whole Fast Flight string material, Just ordered some from 3 Rivers... How many strands do you usually use for a 45-55 lb bow? I have been making 14 strand B-50 dacron strings forever and was wondering what the conversion was to fast flight for a durable string that I don't have to worry about breaking from every day shooting. Thanks in advance for responding! :) -josh
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I use 12 strands of FF+ for my strings and have never had a problem.
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cool thank you, Gordon. :) Can you tell a significant difference from it and Dacron?
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Use minimum 4X the draw weight of the bow. What is the tensile strength of FF? If it is 50 lbs, then a 50 lb bow uses 4 strands minimum.
With Dacron B50, I am using 8 strands for a 50 lb bow and having to double serve the arrow nock area so that it doesn't slice thru my fingers! I've never had a single strand of it fail in a bowstring. Remember, when you start adding weight to the bowstring, performance suffers. FF is supposed to be stronger than Dacron, 12 strands would be overkill in my opinion.
But then, I think FF on wood bows is overkill period. I'm too cheap to gain 4-5 fps for four times the price of Dacron.
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I use 8 strands under 50#'s and 10 for anything over that. I use D10 D97 though. I personally notice a huge difference all the way around. Much more than just speed. In the big picture the cost is ZERO. How many string a year do you build? I spend about $50 a year on ff string material and make lots and lots of bows. So I spend $50 on the good stuff rather than $18 on B50. I wont miss that $2.66 per month ;) and neither will you if you try it once.
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...I was of that mindset too JW but I think you get more string per roll of Fast Flight than you do Dacron so it isn't as bad as you'd think.. :)
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I know that a roll of Dacron is 1182 feet, still trying to find how many feet per roll of Fast Flight.
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I'm using Angel Majesty 10 strands for just about everything.
I pad it out with an extra strand or two at loops and serving, (I do continuous loops strings)
Del
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I pad mine as well. 2 strands of B50 per bundle. It protects the string from the bow.
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Can you tell a significant difference from it and Dacron?
H*ll yes I can tell the difference. My bows feel downright sluggish with B50 strings. I also have a terrible problem with the string slapping my wrist with B50. I don't have that problem at all with FF.
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I use 12 strands of fast flight and double serve to keep finger pinch down. I can tell a big difference in fast flight and b-50, less handshock, no wrist slap and better cast. It would be hard for me to go back to shooting b-50 again.
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Can you tell a significant difference from it and Dacron?
H*ll yes I can tell the difference. My bows feel downright sluggish with B50 strings. I also have a terrible problem with the string slapping my wrist with B50. I don't have that problem at all with FF.
cool thanks Gordon! I have that problem with the string slapping my arm usually at the base of my thumb on my bow hand with longer bows (>68" NtN) and was told it was from the stretch of the B50 string... Good to know it won't happen with my Fast Flight strings.
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I've been using 10 or 12 strands of D-97 and serving with .025 serving material. Ends up about the same diameter as a 14 strand B-50 string. I also pad the loops with B-50. I don't care much about arrow speed. The difference is in less vibration (and handshock) in the bow. D-97 really tames a rough feeling bow.
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You could get by with 4 strands on a 60# bow but it would pinch your fingers. I use 10 and serve the string most of the time. I also sometimes use 4 strands fast flight and 6 strands linen for a safe but more comfortable on the fingers string. Both are white so it looks like linen string.
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Steve ,
Not that someone would show up at the salt flats with a "mostly linen" string based on that info. ;)
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Just want to be sure I understand...do I need to put B-50 only in the loops
or do I just use a whole strand per bundle? Do I have to pad at all?
Lane
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PatM, I wonder if it has been done? It would be awfully embarrassing if you got caught. I usually carry 4 strings to the shooting line because I am lucky to get 2 shots of of a string. I used to carry two strings and have to stop in the middle of shooting to make another. Actually as long as the string weight is the same you don't gain any advantage from fastflight. Be nice if they gave you a minimum linen string weight and let you reinforce with fastflight just to save the trouble. You can easily detect the sound of the fastflight by plucking the string and you can see it fairly easily if you are looking for it.
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Only if they put up prize money would you see that and then you'd have to test like it was the Olympics.
I would rather just shoot my natural materials bow with fastflite in the modern classes to bypass the string problems.
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8 to 10 usually,I have one on my elm bow that is 6 d97,and yes it makes a big difference,I was very slow about moving to ff,but finely gave in and really works great,less noise and no arm slap at all. If you use b50 with very few twist it will make a big difference also,not sure as much as ff but a definite difference. :) :)
Pappy
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Which string material adds the most preformance to the bow? D10 , D97 , or FF?
Hope someone can help me out...
Jon
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Jon D10 & 97 are ff. Either works fine. I have tried three types of ff and cant tell the diff between them. All work equally well. Get whats on sale.
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k thanks... I'm going to try some on my next few bows..
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You can easily detect the sound of the fastflight by plucking the string and you can see it fairly easily if you are looking for it.
What is the sound characteristic to listen for?
I bought some rolls of colored string material off the "e auction site" a few years back and don't remember whether it is B50 or FF but the strings have a definite
musical note twang that my other strings don't. Does B50 make a similar sound? Any way to tell the difference between the two types? Any markings on the spools or anything?
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FF sounds very tight when plucked. B50 sounds rubbery. Inside the bottom of the spool is a sticker with the type labeled usually. After time they dry up and fall off though.
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i think i read where spyder wire fish line is made by the same outfit as FF and is the same stuff, anyone build a string outta it?, i thought it might be a cheaper way to try it out than buying a full from three rivers, incase i dont like it, Bub
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I have mentioned that on here a few times. Spiderwire makes great strings, particularly in endless style. It is essentially the same material as fastflite. It's either Spectra or Dyneema which are variations of the same thing, just made by different companies.
The one difference is that it's a braid which means it has a hair more give to it. Still far less stretchy than Dacron.
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A guy over on PP had two or three spider wire strings break at the top of the serving. Dont know his skill level or type of string made.
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What about an endless loop FF string? Would that be pushing it for a wood bow because it has even less stretch than a twisted one? I am not worried about it cutting into the nocks because I always double serve the loops. Just wondering about bow safety.
Cody
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What about an endless loop FF string? Would that be pushing it for a wood bow because it has even less stretch than a twisted one? I am not worried about it cutting into the nocks because I always double serve the loops. Just wondering about bow safety.
Cody
A continuous loop string still has twists put into it, as recomended by the string manufacturer.
I use continuous loop strings on all my bows.
If in doubt put on a horn tip overlay.
Del
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Any fast flight is better that b50 to me, I have 2 strings made from the 450 plus and really like them they are very durable and the diameter is bigger than the fast flight but i think its more expensive but I really like it.
jamie
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I don't twist endless loop strings. Less twisting equals less stretch.
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Well I'm glad to read this thread.... i thought I had read someplace not to use fast flight for wooden bows because of the lack of stretch.... ???
I have been avoiding it since...
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Well I'm glad to read this thread.... i thought I had read someplace not to use fast flight for wooden bows because of the lack of stretch.... ???
I have been avoiding it since...
Yep that's exactly what people told me! They said traditional bows would explode because it can't manage the low stretch material. But ive never had that problem :)
I started using D75 after a B50 dacron string on a 75# longbow was hitting my forearm pretty hard.
Works like a charm!
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I have got away with 10 on a 160lb bow that I shot for flight, yes it did hurt my fingers.