TDX13 with Dryad Legend ACS-CG limbs

Being that I got this riser with longbow limbs in mind, it was only natural that I complete the bow with a pair.  I opted for a set of long Legend ACS-CG limbs made by Dryad Bows.  They are composed of bamboo cores with carbon and black glass laminations and feature their patented ACS cross section.  As I understand, the ACS design was patented by John Havard who is partnered with Dryad.  He has done some extensive research into limb design and his hard work shows with how well the limbs perform.  If you are up for some good reading on the ACS design, stop by Dryad's website and you can read up on John's notes: www.dryadbows.com

I like minimalist lettering - everything you need to know and nothing you don't

Dryad puts a nice matte finish on the CGs - durable and nonreflective

Smooth aerodynamic tips with generous string notches

Long limbs and a 13" riser make for a bow that is 58" AMO overall length.  The limbs are rated at 48# on a 19" riser at 28" draw length.  Mounted on the TDX13, I ended up with 47# at my 27" draw with limb bolts full in.  I found that rather surprising as I was expecting to have a bow pulling at least in the low 50s.  I know my shorter draw length usually robs me of a good pound or two, but going from a 19" riser to a 13" riser ought to make for some significant draw weight increase, right?  After doing a bit of digging online, I read Dryad rates their limbs on a 19" TAC Firefly riser, which has a more reflexed design, resulting in the higher draw weight rating.  In contrast, the TDX13 is more deflexed which probably contributes to the reduced weight gain.  As a very rough rule of thumb, one can expect about a 1# increase in draw weight for a given set of limbs when decreasing the riser length an inch, and vice versa.

 At any rate, the 58" longbow gave me a very comfortable draw weight and a wonderfully smooth draw out past my 27".  I felt some stacking around the 29" mark when I started approaching my ear.  I like to put together a bow that starts stacking an inch or so past my draw length so that I am able to work the limbs to their full potential.  With my shorter draw, I end up giving up arrow speed compared to someone with a draw a couple inches longer, even if I shoot a slightly higher draw weight.  It all comes down to stored energy and longer draw archers can simply store more of it.

With the CG limbs mounted and a 12 strand Astroflight string of proper length made up and broken in, I went about setting up my nock points, centershot, tiller, and brace height.  I put together my own small shooting range inside my home that gets me about 12 yds. max distance depending on where I stand and where I put the targets.  I find that range gets me pretty much 95% on the mark when it comes to setting up my bows.  I usually tune out to 30 yards (my max hunting distance) at the local indoor range once I get things dialed in at home.  With the bow tuned in, I ended up with a brace height of 6.75", which is kind of low for a ILF longbow.  Often times, I see ILF longbows with 8"-9" brace heights due to the riser being designed for recurve limbs.  With such a high brace, one can expect to lose some performance due to the reduced power stroke of having a high brace height, so the 6.75" on this bow was very much welcome.  Even with the low brace, the limbs were stable and were able to propel my arrows quietly and with good speed.  Fully assembled, the entire bow as pictured weights a scant 2.4 lbs.

In the unstrung state, you can see the reflexed limb design (sorry... my toes snuck in there)

At the 6.75" brace, this bow forms an interesting triangular shape

For arrows, I use Gold Tip 3555 Expedition Hunter shafts at full length of 30".  The front end gets a 125gr. screw-in point with the included Accu-Lite inserts and the rear is capped with the standard GT nock and 4" shield cut Gateway feathers.  I foot my arrows with a 2" section of 340 size Easton GameGetter aluminum shaft behind the insert collar and a 1cm section at the nock end.  All together, my arrows weigh in at 410gr. total.  With 47# on the fingers, this gives me just over 8.7 grains per pound (GPP).  A series of 3 shots through my chronograph gave me an average speed of 189.3 FPS.  That ranks right up there with some of the fastest recurve limbs I have shot.  These Dryad limbs are pretty darn quick!

The complete arrow

2" section of 340 size GameGetter shaft for a footing in front

1cm section of rear footing in case I hit the nock

Additional bits I add to my bows are limb dampeners, string silencers, moleskin pads in the limb pockets, and .  I find these little accessories make a significant difference in quieting a bow.  They can turn a noisy bow into a relatively quiet one and an already quiet bow into one a ninja would be proud to own.  Even with a relatively light 8.7 GPP, the ACS-CG limbs only gave off a subdued thump on the shot.  I know I have a quiet bow when the other guys on the shooting line at the local range make comments about how quiet it is.  Fast and quiet - two very important qualities in a good limb and they are nice and smooth too.  Dryad has an awesome limb with these Legend ACS-CGs.  I'm very happy with mine!

This is a good shooting bow once I got a feel for it.  It points well and feels steady through the entire draw.  I did not feel I was getting finger pinch, but I did notice it was a fair bit shorter than my usual 64" one piece longbows due to the more acute string angle on my face at anchor.  With the heavier metal riser, the bow exhibited almost no handshock and was pretty much "dead in the hand".  My wooden longbows all have some kind of "jumpiness" in the hand on the shot simply due to the lack of mass in them.  Physics will not be denied no matter how well a bow is made and pretty much every wood longbow I have shot exhibits some degree of handshock.

Having never shot a bow with the Harmonic Dampers before, I decided to pull them out and try shooting a few ends to see if there is any noticeable difference.  As far as my ears can tell, there really is no difference.  Perhaps there is a slight reduction in the amplitude of the thump with the dampers installed, but I lack the acute hearing to detect it.  I also could not tell any difference in felt vibration.  I did notice that the little yellow weights in the dampers moved with every shot.  I lined up the lettering on the weights so they were perfectly horizontal and after 6 shots, they had rotated about 2 degrees.  That movement suggests to me that they are indeed receiving vibrations and hopefully dissipating them.

In summary, the Sky TDX13 with Dryad Legend ACS-CG longbow limbs makes for a great 58" longbow that is quiet, smooth, and throws an arrow with serious speed.  I have high hopes for this bow come the 2014 small game and deer season.  If you are interesting in trying a ILF longbow and have a draw length of 28" or less, this bow configuration might be for you.  The TDX13 is a feature packed riser that serves as an excellent base for any limb you might like.  If you have a longer draw length and still are interested, consider Dryad's extra-long or even extra-extra-long Legend ACS-CG limbs.  You won't go wrong with any flavor of Dryad's offerings.

For more information on the equipment in this post, please visit the manufacturers' websites:

www.skyarchery.com
www.dryadbows.com
www.goldtip.com
www.brownellarchery.com