pdq 5oh

The reduced recoil and vibration make shooting parallel limb bows better for me. When I shoot something else, I now find it unsettling. Once you get used to nothing much happening at the shot, other than the arrow is gone, even small vibrations seem magnified. One other thing I like is not having to weigh the bow down with lots of extra weight to kill vibration.

Straightarrow

My experiences have been a bit different from most who have posted. My only parallel limb bow is up for sale. It was very quiet, little vibration, and no significant hand shock, but I couldn't shoot as well with it. I didn't like the balance and I had trouble being consistant with it. For my winter league, I went back to my old Martin with traditional style and I'm shooting lights out with it. I'm very comfortable shooting it, so that may be part of the reason. Whatever the reason, I have been shooting better with the more traditional bow. In addition, the way I customize my bows, there is very little difference in quietness, hand shock or vibration. In fact, my Martin is probably lower in vibration and is quieter, because of the special attention I've given to making it so.

The one thing I really don't like about the parallel limb bows, is that they are heavier. That long riser can only be so light and I prefer putting any added weight exactly where I want it. Being a hunter, extra weight is not something I see as a benefit.

I'll continue to try them and see if one is any better then the others. I'm seriously leaning towards getting the Merline Max Extreme, not because of the more parallel limbs, but because I want to test the Omega cams.

Double Creek

Exactly my same experience, except mine has been sold

rcd567

I'll never go back! The parallel limb design has made me a better bow shot. Quieter, less vibration, did I mention quieter!. It's like a feller wrote in Bow & Arrow magazine.

Sound travels at over a 1000 feet per second, unless your arrow is traveling faster than that, you'd better concentrate on making your bow quiet.

Makes sense to me.

Pssst. Try the Mathews Outback, you'll love it!

Double Creek

I once had a legacy with all the do dads and etc, and this bow was infamous for how quite it was. And I admit, it was very quite. I now have a Protec, and I can honestly say that bow is much quiter than the legacy was. When I'm at the range, I continously get comments on how quite my bow is, etc etc. And that is from guys shooting the latest greatest.

My point, parallel limbs are not all as quite as they hyped to be.

Cougar Mag

This thread was needed in my opinion. I do question the validity of parallel limbs being quieter though.

Some of the quietest bows I have ever owned were made several years ago, and I strongly suspect shooting a heavier arrow at the time was the biggest reason. I used to attach bow puffs....that was all that was needed. I suppose with the emphasis on speed these days and many shooting lighter arrows, any bow needs greater attention/attachments to quiet it.

Just an observation.

muzzyman88

I do not think that quietness is a huge benifit from the parellel design, nor do I feel that parellel limbs directly effect accuracy. There are too many other variables that come into play there. Riser design, brace height and so on and so forth.

The Hoyt Vipertec I had did not have any hand shock or vibration and was the quietest bow I've ever owned. It did not have true parellel limbs. The 5 or 6 bowtech's I shot were not as quiet as that Vipertec was. Heck, my Xtec isn't quite that quiet, but darn close.

Ossage

MM88 your right.

The vibe of parallel limbs or noise would only cancel if the sound waves were simultaniously generated opposites. What they call active noise suppresion.

One problem with the parallel limb is the greater weight, since they have more long relatively heavy riser material. I think they shoot great for target, but out of a treestand, or when walking and stalking, I prefer the lighter weight compounds form with regular limbs, plus they basically look better.

BGfisher

You're so right Lenny. I found that out with my 38" Special. I have an Apple hyraulic and when I tried my Pearson in it it tried to twist the riser. I noticed it right away and said "No way Jose". So I'm stuck with using my bowmaster, which is what I use 90% of the time anyway.

Orions_Bow

For the most part I like them. Two of my bows (Mathews Q2XL & Icon) have a somewaht papallel limb design I guess. Not as radical as my Extreme VFT by the way! I like the way both of these bows shoot & they have very little hand shock & are queit. The Extreme VFT has a lot more VFT & the bow is very fast but honestly I like the shooting charectoristics of the other 2 better. They just feel better to me in several ways but I think the Mathews have less hand shock. With that said none of them feel like one of my old speed bows from several years back (Spoiler Cam) which jumped right out of your hands when shot! Overall all the bows with parallel limbs shoot great & feel great in the hand.

Overall I think it is a cool design & seems to work very well. If it didn't you wouldn't see so many bows using it. Off the top of my head I can think of several companies using such as Bowtech, AR (PSE), Mathews, and Parker.