Well first off I'm new to this forum! Glad to be here and I've been an avid hunter my whole life. A few years back I gave my sister my youth bow and took my dad's old hand me down Darton. The bow shoots great and is straight just noisy as all get out even on pull back. Anyone have suggestions on what to do to make this bow quieter? Not looking to get a new bow either. But I do have some side money to put into this bow.
Welcome to the forum! Not exactly sure what to tell you with the bow noise...you can tip it on its side and smack it with the side of your hand to see if anything is loose or vibrating. Some of the newer stabilizers also help reduce the shock. As far as when you draw back...is it creaking/squeaking? Could try some type of lube on the axles and cams...like a Teflon or synthetic based lubricant (wouldn't recommend WD-40 ). Good luck!
Limb savers will help some. Those cat whiskers could use replaced as well. What kind of noise are you getting as you draw?
Might wanna rub some cotton on those limbs to check for cracks especially if its been sitting around for a while without anyone shooting it. Could have been dry fired. As already stated also a good idea to take it in and have someone look it over for you to see what kind of condition the cams and limbs are in and maybe lube them up.
The bow is shot every year and I just took it in last year to get it refreshed, new strings etc. The noise I am getting on drawback sounds like it is coming from the cams or the limbs bending, not really sure just a faint noise that im afraid a deer will hear. When I release an arrow the bow vibrates and compared to the new bows are louder than ive ever heard. Im not too sure what it could be and I was seeing if anyone had suggestions on what I could do to reduce the noise and improve the bow.
Unfortunately, its never going to be as quiet or smooth as newer bows. I'd still take it to a shop and have them look at it. Alot can happen in a years time, and its better than having a bow explode. What arrows are you shooting?
The easiest way to quiet it while shooting it to use heavier arrows. They noise on drawing I agree with others, limbs creaking, lube or maybe it's the cable guard. I see you have a WB. Maybe it is the arrow sliding on the rest. Are you using aluminum? Thin walled, camo aluminum will make noise. Try lubing one arrow (arrow lube/armorall/car wax) and see if it goes away.
I would NOT shoot a bow that's limbs were "creaking". Please, for your own safety have a profesional shop give it a good look to check it for cracks, cam lean, or worn out limb bolts. To quiet the bow down there are a TON of options. But they are meant to quiet the bow while shooting. Not while drawing. Bowjax is a site I would visit: http://www.bowjax.com/ Limbsavers also: LimbSaver - Products That Work | Archery | Firearms | Hunting Compound Bows | Limb Dampeners | Bow Stabilizers | Recoil Pads | Arrow Quivers | LimbSaver makes high quality products for the archery, firearm and hunting enthusiast. Good luck!
I know you said you were not looking for a new bow but at some point the best thing to do is retire that bow before it hurts someone. That would be the best way to quite that bow. Welcome to the forum
I plan on taking it to a local shop for a closer look thanks again for the help. Im shooting carbon arrows but I know some of the noise could be from the arrow getting pulled along the whisker biscuit. Time for an upgrade lol
When I took it in a year ago they checked everything out and make sure the limbs are not cracking I will double check again this time I go in but im not too concerned about it. This has to get me through one more season lol.
IMO there is nothing wrong with the WB. In fact after using 6-7 different drop-aways I will always have a WB on one of my bows. Nothing to fail. And with today smooth finish arrows & a little lube no noise either.
I'm sure it will for very little money. It could be something like the cable guard or cam axles. These can be replaced. The arrow being drawn through the WB should make some sound. The cams, limbs, and cable guard should not.
Great thanks for the info guys, ill try and lube some things up and shoot to see a difference. Im still going to take it in this weekend to get it looked at and some small upgrades.
A better stabilizer and new string silencers (nothing wrong with cat whiskers but those look to have given up the ghost) will help after the shot. Also don't rule out noise coming from that old sight. Sights have always been a noise maker on any bow I owned back in the day. If the draw length is too long you could be getting some noise from string slap too. Of course those suggestions are for after the shot. For noise when drawing you really need to ensure the limbs are ok. Even with the rough finish you can take a cotton ball and slide it up and down the limbs checking for any snags as already mentioned. If it even snags once on a splinter it's game over. The axles could also be making noise. Check your cable slide for noise when drawing also. You might be able to swap it for a teflon slide if it is. I had a PSE from the late 90's s few years ago that sounded like a rake being dragged across asphalt when drawing until I changed slide. Lots of folks are still using old bows. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's junk. But it also means it may take more care and maintenance because those parts have a lot of years and use on them.
