There was some talk about the topic of bowstrings on another thread that I thought I would address in a forum post. As with most of my posts, this is my opinion based on what I have used over the years. I am not paid by a string company or a fiber making company, I order and pay for my strings and cables just like all of you. These are the materials I have used, use currently and why I choose to shoot them.
I will also preface this with make sure you know your bow manufacturers warranty, as many warranties are void if you use aftermarket strings and you have a failure. Also, there are several nuances with strings and cables you should be aware of when having a set built.
First off, the best string maker in the world can only build you a quality string with quality components. So what materials you use will be the foundation of a good product. I have only used BCY products for my strings and cables and they are probably the most known in the industry. I have past experience with the following BCY fibers: 8190, 452X, X and the super secret formula of the Magnum. Here is my opinion of them:
8190 - Is not consistent enough for me personally. It is to susceptible to changing weather conditions and changes in the heat and cold. I would literally see changes of a yard or two from the morning of a tournament to the afternoon. (100% SK90 Dyneema)
452X - Was my go to material for everything for many years as it performed the best with most environmental conditions, but could still move some in extreme heat and cold, just not as much. (67% SK5 Dyneema and 33% Vectran)
X - Is currently pretty popular as it is the latest addition to the BCY family. I think it is a good product, but just not as good as 452X. (83% Dyneema and 17% Vectran)
Magnum - For me is the best material ever made to this point. It doesn't move in changing weather conditions and once you have set up your bow and got your sight in marks, they don't change. The down fall is the Magnum material is only available through FirstStrings and is not offered in different colors. It looks like a blueish gray color and is pretty bland for most. I believe this material was a made exclusively with the input of the FirstString owner and BCY and that is why it is available only through them. FirstStrings makes a really good string and I only shoot their X-It Wire strings made from the BCY Magnum material.
The reason some materials are better than other is the ratio of the two fibers that make them up; Dyneema and Vectran. Each of the materials are also slightly different in their diameters, so a 24 strand string in different materials will end up with two different sized outside diameters. You should also know that the brighter colors also are larger in diameter in the same material. For example, 24 strands of 452x neon green will produce a larger diameter than 24 strands of 452X in white. This is due to the amount of wax that is needed to get the neon green that color.
I have only used Halo for my end servings. Halo is extremely strong, but also can be very abrasive. When working with it you have to be careful as it could slice your finger open fairly easily.
I have tried many center servings from 62xs, power grip and halo. I really don't have a huge preference to the material, but I do on size. I prefer the outside diameter of my center serving to be between .110" - .112". This gives me the nock fit I prefer. I like my nocks to clip onto my string, but be able to move around the string without biting into it once clipped on. So if I move my arrow around the string my peep will not rotate with the arrow.
On strand count, much depends on the finished diameter of the strings and cables and here are some of the consequences: Bigger diameter strings and cables sit higher up and will generally slow your bow down and increase your holding weight a little. Be careful to watch for excessive wear with larger diameter strings and cables as the end servings have a tendency to wear faster as they contact more of the cam. Smaller diameter strings and cables sit lower and will generally speed your bow up and decrease holding weight a little. Most of the time, strings and cables for most modern bows are around 24 strands. I would say if you are ordering from a reputable string maker, they should have all the string and cable specs for your bow as most of it is readily available on the bow manufacturers website.
I don't know if I covered everything, but if you have any questions or have input on other good quality fibers, please post them up so others can take your experiences into consideration when determining what products to go with.
I will also preface this with make sure you know your bow manufacturers warranty, as many warranties are void if you use aftermarket strings and you have a failure. Also, there are several nuances with strings and cables you should be aware of when having a set built.
First off, the best string maker in the world can only build you a quality string with quality components. So what materials you use will be the foundation of a good product. I have only used BCY products for my strings and cables and they are probably the most known in the industry. I have past experience with the following BCY fibers: 8190, 452X, X and the super secret formula of the Magnum. Here is my opinion of them:
8190 - Is not consistent enough for me personally. It is to susceptible to changing weather conditions and changes in the heat and cold. I would literally see changes of a yard or two from the morning of a tournament to the afternoon. (100% SK90 Dyneema)
452X - Was my go to material for everything for many years as it performed the best with most environmental conditions, but could still move some in extreme heat and cold, just not as much. (67% SK5 Dyneema and 33% Vectran)
X - Is currently pretty popular as it is the latest addition to the BCY family. I think it is a good product, but just not as good as 452X. (83% Dyneema and 17% Vectran)
Magnum - For me is the best material ever made to this point. It doesn't move in changing weather conditions and once you have set up your bow and got your sight in marks, they don't change. The down fall is the Magnum material is only available through FirstStrings and is not offered in different colors. It looks like a blueish gray color and is pretty bland for most. I believe this material was a made exclusively with the input of the FirstString owner and BCY and that is why it is available only through them. FirstStrings makes a really good string and I only shoot their X-It Wire strings made from the BCY Magnum material.
The reason some materials are better than other is the ratio of the two fibers that make them up; Dyneema and Vectran. Each of the materials are also slightly different in their diameters, so a 24 strand string in different materials will end up with two different sized outside diameters. You should also know that the brighter colors also are larger in diameter in the same material. For example, 24 strands of 452x neon green will produce a larger diameter than 24 strands of 452X in white. This is due to the amount of wax that is needed to get the neon green that color.
I have only used Halo for my end servings. Halo is extremely strong, but also can be very abrasive. When working with it you have to be careful as it could slice your finger open fairly easily.
I have tried many center servings from 62xs, power grip and halo. I really don't have a huge preference to the material, but I do on size. I prefer the outside diameter of my center serving to be between .110" - .112". This gives me the nock fit I prefer. I like my nocks to clip onto my string, but be able to move around the string without biting into it once clipped on. So if I move my arrow around the string my peep will not rotate with the arrow.
On strand count, much depends on the finished diameter of the strings and cables and here are some of the consequences: Bigger diameter strings and cables sit higher up and will generally slow your bow down and increase your holding weight a little. Be careful to watch for excessive wear with larger diameter strings and cables as the end servings have a tendency to wear faster as they contact more of the cam. Smaller diameter strings and cables sit lower and will generally speed your bow up and decrease holding weight a little. Most of the time, strings and cables for most modern bows are around 24 strands. I would say if you are ordering from a reputable string maker, they should have all the string and cable specs for your bow as most of it is readily available on the bow manufacturers website.
I don't know if I covered everything, but if you have any questions or have input on other good quality fibers, please post them up so others can take your experiences into consideration when determining what products to go with.
