Primitive Archer

Been needing some spoons and fork with a long handle, Beau has some bought ones he uses in camp all the time so I decided to make me some, He said I was to tight to buys some.  I said not tight just fugal. 
 Pappy

All the shapes you show lack set, so that is a plus to begin with, and any one of them would make a fine hunting bow.  I can confirm that. If you are shooting to make a wood flight bow  maybe non of the above. If  chrony numbers count, and all else being equal  long sloping  narrow recurved tips  with very little deflex in the limbs that ended up with 2.5 inches of reflex is the fastest 35 lb. bow that I have made to date. With a 355 gr arrow at 25 inches of draw the bow shot from 158 to 162 through a chrony. You make fine looking heavy bows, and some laminate, so I can't speak to that. JME

Interesting question.

I’m not a number guy. And like already mentioned. Materials make a difference. And designs are high stress.

I’m guessing the program is with zero set?

I personally like shooting number 5 . I have a short draw though and I like the early string tension. It seems smoother at full draw also, but maybe that’s less stored energy?

I think if you could keep all the reflex with zero set the one with reflex all in handle seems like it might have the most energy?

I will be watching 

I want to know

Bjrogg

Quote from: Tuomo on December 07, 2025, 08:53:17 am

So, which shape is the best? By best, I mean the fastest and the one that stores the most energy. Why? Which design performs the worst, and why?

Does maximim storage energy equate with performance?
I am curious if different designs of the same materiels are more or less efficient when delivering the energy to the arrow.  (what weight arrows are you designing for?)

Max energy storage absolutely does not equal performance. As a matter of fact, a bow could be made to store double its energy and only deliver to the arrow a small fraction of it. I struggles with my short recurve designs stringing energy, so I started focusing on what made them more efficient at delivering that energy. Eventually I got the design sorted out. Think, the energy consumed by the 1950s big engines, but how little they delivered. Same concept.

 I THINK that being said material qualities is huge in design with natural materials but also in general. It will affect the width and length of the limbs depending on the stress from reflex. And yes deflex in the handle and fades takes the stress out and makes the bow more efficient. That being said in flight you need limbs pushed to the max to achieve your goal. Just my opinion. That’s why my bows take more set . If I did it put the reflex In the ends my bows they may not take set. That design has smooth even draw weight and  makes the bow pleasant  to shoot. We all have our design choices though.