My 2015 bow

[mikekeswick]

Regarding set and flat back versus crowned.
The easy way to KNOW what is happening is to cut a sacrificial bow down the center. eg between the back and belly.
I have done this on quite a few bows now that I wasn't totally happy with and guess what almost every time the back springs back to it's original profile and the belly goes into more set. This tells me that most every wood is held in a 'less set' position by it's (normally!) understrained back.

[Badger]

  I agree with you Mike, I have sometimes put too much reflex into bows and even though they held the reflex the tension at brace did not reflect the amount of reflex nor did the performance. The back of the bow can mask a lot of set.

[PatM]

I never put much stock in the Perry reflex theory that wood was less strained because of inner limb energy storage.