is holding reflex overrated

[BowEd]

To me it's an indicator as to just how well I tillered the bow of the design I chose and the type of wood used.A skill seeking more refinement.Some pursue it and some don't.
Pushing the envelope is the only way to achieve that.

[bjrogg]

I don’t think it is necessary for a good shooting, hunting bow and some might even find they prefer shooting something with a little string follow.

For myself with my short draw I really prefer about 3 or 4” of reflex. Some short not tremendously radical static recurves. Start out with about 1” reflex over entire limb and hold as much as I can.

If I can find the wood to accomplish this I usually have a bow that fits me well. I like the early string tension from the reflex. It works well with my short draw .

I don’t like giving up anything. Of course I’m pretty sure I’m going to with every build. I’ve eaten a few bugs before. I think set tells us a lot about our wood and or tillering. Most wood is going to take a little.

I think keeping it to a minimum and probably more importantly keeping it from continuing after the bow is well shoot in are things I strive for. Not things that are always accomplished or 100%. Necessary, but things I try to accomplish

Bjrogg

[bassman211]

Don't think I have ever seen a bow of the month, or flight bow etc with string follow with may be the exception of an  English long bow. Bowyers have an image of what they want a finished bow to look ,and shoot like. To much string follow is not one of them. God knows I have made my share of them. Still have about 3 dozen of them from my earlier days of building bows that do OK. Smooth drawing,and fun to shoot.... and will kill.

[burchett.donald]

  +1 Howard, A good shooter can't be beat...Kinda like a pair of broke in boots...
                                                                                                                           Don

[Badger]

      Not necessary at all for a good hunting bow as has been proved for centuries. I think once you get used to that early string tension and snappiness in a bow it is very hard to shoot a bow that doesn't have it.

[HH~]

Dont really care for eArly string weight. In fact my target rigs i usually take heavy preload off the bow. Just me but early SW and a short bow, no thanks. For a short armed fella OK , grab what you can get.

HH~

[loefflerchuck]

 I like to make my bows as fast as possible with reflex and it brings a smile to my face when a arrow leaves the bow with such speed, however I will say some of my favorite bows to fling arrows at a target in the backyard are lighter draw self bows with normal string follow. It's more relaxing not to be around all that tension of high early draw. 

[H Rhodes]

Yep.  I am always proud to see one unbraced and see it holding reflex.  It is a testament to good tillering but it is hard to dislike the sweet shooting, soft send off and quiet accuracy of a bow with a little string follow.  I think the great Howard Hill (also from Alabama lol) said some good things about a string follow bow, but I don’t remember the quote.  I think it was about their accuracy.