Barebow String walking - effect of harmonics on arrow impact

Corax67

Well-known member
One for the scientifically minded amongst us.

Whilst shooting indoors tonight I shared a target with a barebow archer who was string walking, first time I have shot with someone doing this. I was particularly drawn to to sound of his bow on release and how it subtly changed as his finger placement changed.

As a guitarist I am well acquainted with string vibration, harmonics and nodes and with this in mind I wondered that if the release fingers fall off the node for a natural harmonic then will the associated string vibration on release have an adverse effect on arrow impact point at the target face

I.E. Assuming the nocking point falls on a node with a 'one over, two under' release then is any vibration created at the same nocking point with an alternative release hand placement causing the node points to shift translated into the arrow affecting its flight and ultimate impact point ?

I could of course be massively over thinking this :)




Karl
 

Kickaha

New member
I would think that the string vibrates AFTER the arrow has left it.

The main change you get with stringwalking is that you are working the lower limb more, so you often need to alter the tiller and move the nock point to account for it.

Tuning for stringwalking is a dark art.
 

Corax67

Well-known member
I would think that the string vibrates AFTER the arrow has left it.

The main change you get with stringwalking is that you are working the lower limb more, so you often need to alter the tiller and move the nock point to account for it.

Tuning for stringwalking is a dark art.

Would never have thought about having to change the bow setup to accommodate the altered mechanical input of a lower release hand - thanks Kickaha.

Bow tuning strikes me as a subject that could keep an archer studying for a lifetime :)

As for the string vibration I had reasoned that any vibrational harmonics will begin at the instant of release, when the string "twangs" off the tab surface yet the nock doesn't leave the string until fractionally after that string has travelled past the furthest forward point of travel & the string is starting to move back towards the archer.



Karl
 

steve Morley

New member
Personally for me changing tiller does nothing more than alter the feel/balance of the bow at anchor i.e makes it easier to hold on aim.

I have the Stolid Bull Vanquish and it uses the internal Matthews Harmonic Stabilizers, for BareBow I had to remove them and filled the holes with a bespoke BB weight and blanking plate, the first thing I noticed was the change in sound, a much higher pitch but I never noticed any difference in arrow groupings. I prefer the quieter sound but rules are rules.
 

Bobc

Member
One for the scientifically minded amongst us.

Whilst shooting indoors tonight I shared a target with a barebow archer who was string walking, first time I have shot with someone doing this. I was particularly drawn to to sound of his bow on release and how it subtly changed as his finger placement changed.

As a guitarist I am well acquainted with string vibration, harmonics and nodes and with this in mind I wondered that if the release fingers fall off the node for a natural harmonic then will the associated string vibration on release have an adverse effect on arrow impact point at the target face

I.E. Assuming the nocking point falls on a node with a 'one over, two under' release then is any vibration created at the same nocking point with an alternative release hand placement causing the node points to shift translated into the arrow affecting its flight and ultimate impact point ?

I could of course be massively over thinking this :)


Karl
Overthinking it..but the overthought answer is: when you pluck any string in the first instance (typically before the arrow has left the string) you don't get a node structure. Although the there are boundary conditions ( the join of the string to the limbs being dominant - although not exclusive) the string response is not "nodal" - it is built of loads of harmonics seeking stable solution against the back drop of changing boundary conditions).. So it wobbles in a wildly unpredictable fashion unless you have a big computer and a couple of PhDs working on it..
Think of hitting a cymbal.. The first strike is not a pure tone..but it settles down to a tone once it is happy..

Trust mew - understanding all this - really doesn't make you a better archer- as I know to my cost ;)
 

frustratatosk

New member
Pretty much the same as Bobc said...I would have thought that it's not so much the string oscillating, as a result of drawing it off centre, than an oscillation along the axis of the string between the two limbs. The limbs are oscillating 180 degrees out of phase with each other producing that much more weighty wobble than a twang (proper technical terms!)
 

dfrois

Supporter
Supporter
Furthermore, one would think that, if the reaction of the string were nodal in nature, then replacing tied nock points with brass nock points would greatly change the sound...I have done this many times, and never noticed any major difference in sound. But, I wasn't looking for it, so...who knows?

DF
 
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