Seeing the review of an ILF "bow" consisting of a big- factory riser paired with top o' the line limbs made me wonder....

Is that even worth talking about?

Would those high-end limbs be a joy to shoot when paired with ANY suitable riser? Would that same, mass- market riser shoot just fine with whatever limbs you slap on there?

I'm sure that it's both, really, but I'm not so sure that reviewing an ILF riser with top end limbs tells you anything really useful about the riser....

How wrong am I?

Well,

Given that items like deflex angles, grip shape and centershot sight window depth, differing risers would "feel" different, but if the test criteria was arrow speed; your point is worthwhile.

That said, my experience is that entry level metal ILF risers showed that performance began to degrade as draw weight passed 40# and riser torque begins to affect accuracy/performance.

That said, on higher end risers, yes limb performance should be the same regardless of the brand of riser.

R.

The limbs are the engine that drive the arrow but the riser contributes to the feel, comfort, and stability of the shot. Both are important to the feel of the shot to me and I don't buy the "cheap limbs shoot just as good as expensive limbs" school. I know better.

Once the riser is rock solid stable, then it's the limbs.

There is no magic to any archery equipment...I prefer to try things to find out how they work for me...finally got into ILF to see what it is all about and I am pleased I did...as usual I have only used equipment

DDave

Well there was just a long thread on this, mostly relative to cost.

" but I'm not so sure that reviewing an ILF riser with top end limbs tells you anything really useful about the riser...."

Why not? Would reviewing the combo with bad limbs be better? Normally in shooting you want the best baseline you can get, because it has the least variance (high variance makes it difficult to spot extraneous error), and then you want to change one item at a time.

I would say:

- Some of the best limbs at the moment are playing in a competitive commercial realm where they do not have the lowest variance, so in a Oly. situation they might make a riser look bad in a given set of hands (more than some can handle). Uhkaa has been mentioned in this case.

- But if your targets are twice as large and 3 times closer, then the factors one is analyzing tend to be more in the feel or max velocity arena, and in that case mostly people just try stuff till they find something they like, or you could buy the best, then just stick with it (arranged marriage approach).

What I like about ILF is not superior performance alone, I like the practicality of the set-up. One can keep chasing the magical best bow. But I prefer a management approach, where what I am doing is working out how to get the best end result by constant improvement. So of if I hurt my shoulder and need a lighter bow for a while, 60 dollar new limbs. If I want a lighter set for comp, or a heavier set for moose, same thing. If I can't afford new arrows, adjust the button instead. Get a chance to go carping, the reel bolts on. Etc... They are kinda ugly at their best, so the trick is to find one you like enough to stick with it. Some Oly shooters even say that about choosing from the crop of reliable choices.

Performance is in the limbs, and stability and forgiveness are in the riser.

In my opinion neither the riser not limbs make a very big difference in a person ability to hit the target. Proper form is far more important than either the riser or limbs.

That may be true if all you want to do is "hit the target," but if you want to hit the same spot time after time and shoot your best, the bow can make a difference.

The riser is all about grip fit and limb angle. If the grip fits properly, any movement of the riser at release will be minimized and consistent.

Some limb angles/geometry are more stable than others. Limbs that are wide enough in the right places will be more laterally stable. Limbs that are too thin in cross section(you can pull up and down on the string and move the tips a lot at brace) will not be vertically stable. Stability reduces any irregular torque the shooter imparts on the string and allows the limbs/string/arrow to get back where they are supposed to be faster.

This is just my experience, but if you don't believe me, shoot a Gharing static tipped recurve and you will see for yourself. They are VERY stable. - John

The OP didn't ask about hitting the target he wanted to know if the high end ILF risers and high end limbs were worth it. I agree a lot has to do with you and what you want out of your set up.

What I have found is a cheap bow will get the job done but in most cases when you start paying more you get a bow that feels/shoots better for you.

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