Mass of Sycamore bow.

[aznboi3644]

I’ve been shooting this Heat treats Sycamore bow a lot lately and man I’m loving it.  It’s so light in my hand.  I finally weighed it tonight on my scale.  It was so surprised that it weighed less than my 35lb pine bow.

I’m not sure what mass it “should be”.  But it’s 54” nock to nock and draws 50lb @ 23”. Ive been shooting it out to 24-25”.  It has a hair of just unbraced set and after rest returns to its original profile from the stave.  So zero set?  Who knows.  I know it shoots like a dream and right where I look.

Mass of the bow with the string and handle wrap is 12.10oz. 

It’s had three coats of bacon grease heated in and some pine pitch and bacon grease heated in.  Then I heated in some paraffin wax the other day for giggles and finished with a paste wax lol. 

I can’t wait to get a deer with it this year.

[BowEd]

That is light weight and sounds like nice bow.As lightweight as red cedar almost.Hope she holds up for ya.Got any pictures of it?

[Badger]

Does that bow have a stiff handle and fade area or does it bend through the handle?

[BowEd]

Good point Steve.In the past I see a version with a bendy handle.

[Badger]

 If it is a bendy handle it is on the heavy side, if it has a stiff handle and fades it is light.

[aznboi3644]

It is bendy handle.  What should the mass be for a bendy handle?  I think I can narrow the outer limbs some more.

[Badger]

 You are better off with more mass and not take any set every time. If I could rewrite the chapter on mass I would add as much as 10%. Your bow calls for about 9 oz but if 12 oz doesn't take set thats where you need to be. Sycamore is not a top bow wood so it makes sense to have a bit more mass in it. The more elastic woods like Yew can get away with less.

[aznboi3644]

Thank you Steve.  So far this thing has taken no set.  I plan to further experiment more with it this year.  The heat treat turned this thing into a springy bastard.  It feels really elastic and shoots with zero handshock.  Even in a slow motion video the bow is dead in the hand as the limbs slam home.  I’ll keep it as it as and hunt with it this year.