Dryad ACS-LBX ILF longbow review

Dryad Bows of Weatherford, TX is well known for their high-performance bows, particularly their ACS line of recurve and longbow limbs for both bolt-down and ILF.  Recently, the company released a new line of longbow limbs: the ACS-LB and the ACS-LBX.  The LB has a composite core with carbon and glass laminations, while the LBX has the same composite core with carbon-only laminations.  Being a performance geek, I opted for the flagship LBX limb to mount on my Epic13 riser.



- Riser -

The riser I am using in this build is the same Epic13 riser I had reviewed a while back here.  This riser is a particular favorite of mine and being a Dryad riser, I figured it would be the ideal base for the new LBX limbs.  Since it was reviewed previously, I won't get into the details in this post.  Basically, I really like this riser for the minimalist design, the slim yet comfortable grip, and the handsome aesthetics.

Bubinga and onyx Actionwood with black and white accents make up the riser

- Limbs -

My particular set of LBX limbs are extra-long length and are marked 40#-19.  If you are unfamiliar with how Dryad rates their limbs, the first number is the draw weight at 28" draw, and the second number is the length of the riser (19").  In general, a given set of limbs will gain or lose 1# per inch longer or shorter the riser is.  This may or may not be true for some risers where a bowyer might alter the limb pad angles in order to maintain a certain draw weight over a range of riser lengths.  At any rate, my given set of limbs weighed in at 42# at my 27" draw on the Epic13 riser.

Braced profile of the complete bow.  XL limbs with a 13" riser make a 60" AMO bow

The LBX limbs feature a composite core with carbon back and belly laminations.  This makes the limbs completely synthetic in construction with the exception of a small wedge of wood that makes the ILF rocker.  I imagine this would result in a limb that is virtually impervious to the elements and very tough to boot.  The back of the limbs have a new Dryad Bows logo that is much bolder and larger than their previous design.  While I like this new logo, I would prefer it to be a bit smaller and perhaps in a darker color to make it more subdued for hunting use.  As it is, the logo is a color similar to the light tan found in the usual 3-color camo pattern and should not pose a problem.  A strip of black tape would easily mask the logo in a pinch.  The entire limb is finished in a durable matte epoxy finish that resists dirt and smudges.

Top is the ACS-CG and bottom is the LBX

Comparing the ACS-CG and the ACS-LBX limbs side by side, the overall unbraced and braced profile is the same, but the way the limbs are constructed differ significantly.  The CG has two strips of bamboo as the core material and they are separated at the butt by the rocker wedge.  In contrast, the LBX limbs have one strip of composite core material that maintains its position from tip to butt and has the larger rocker wedge, but ultimately maintains the same external dimensions.  I understand the LBX back and belly laminations are all-carbon, while the CG laminations are carbon with a layer of glass over them.  The limb tips are roughly the same shape with the LBX being a slightly larger.

Top is the older ACS-CG and bottom is the LBX.  Note the difference in logo design

Being of the ACS design, the LBX limbs have a slightly curved cross section that can be seen when looking at the belly side.  If you have the interest, you can read John Havard's article on the research performed on his patented ACS design on Dryad's website.  As I understand it, the design reduces limb mass weight, allowing for higher arrow speeds for a given draw weight.  I don't fully understand the technical engineering that went into the limb design, but I can say pound for pound, the ACS limbs are among the fastest longbow limbs I have owned.

Top is the LBX and bottom is the ACS-CG.  Note the difference in limb construction

- Tuning -

On the Epic13 riser, the XL limbs make a 60" AMO longbow.  Rather than use one of my existing endless loop strings, I opted for a custom BCY-X flemish string made by Chad at Champion Custom Bowstrings.  I have quite a few of Chad's strings on my bows and the quality of his work is outstanding.  Silencers puffs made from a 1.5" long section of 3/8" diameter dyneema rope was installed about 16" down from the ends of the loops.  I've used a variety of string silencers over the years and found the dyneema puffs to be my favorite

Following Mike's advice, I set the brace height to 7.5" as my initial starting point for tuning and tiller was set to even.  I usually start tuning ILF bows with the tiller bolts set two turns out from snugged in.  This sets the limbs to about the middle of the overall possible range of the ILF system.  I found that gave me about 40.5# on the fingers so I turned the bolts in a full turn giving me a comfortable 42#.  I typically prefer my bows to scale in the 40#-45# range as that works best with the majority of my arrows and it offers me a hunting-suitable draw weight that is not so heavy that I can't shoot all day.

One thing to note about the ACS longbow limbs I have owned from Dryad is their tendency to flop over when the limb or string is pushed or pulled.  This is known as vertical stability and a limb with good stability will resist flopping over into the reflexed shape.  The older ACS-CG limbs exhibited less vertical stability and required a higher brace height to eliminate the floppiness.  Dryad apparently improved vertical stability with the LBX limb and it seems the limbs are less prone to flopping over with the same given brace.  In Dryad's defense, I've never experienced any issues with the ACS-CG limbs shooting poorly due to lack of vertical stability.  I have another one-piece longbow that exhibits even less stability and it shoots fine as well.  I surmise the stability may have something to do with the limb profile as most other ILF longbow limbs exhibit a reflexed shape when braced up, while Dryad's limbs have typically taken on a slight D-shape or straight limb.  At any rate, I prefer the look of a D-shape longbow, and Dryad's limbs have always been great in my hands.

The arrow of choice for this bow is the old 2-fletched GameGetter 500 that has been seen in a few other past reviews.  Carbon arrows are great for their durability, but aluminum arrows are hard to beat for their economy, straightness, and added weight.  The GameGetter 500 arrows are about 20% heavier than a comparably spined Gold Tip 3555 arrow.  The arrows are outfitted with a 100gr. point rather than their usual 125gr. and come in at 470gr. total weight.  This gives me 11.2GPP (grains per pound) with these limbs.  Definitely not light, so I am not expecting to see high FPS numbers, but the added weight should really help keep things quiet.

Speaking of quiet, I normally attach limb dampers of some sort on the bellies of all my ILF limbs.  I find they can significantly reduce the sound of the shot and greatly reduce or eliminate any after-shot limb hum.  For the LBX, I decided to try the new Limbsaver Broadband Recurve dampers.  These are smaller than the usual Broadband dampers and are designed for narrower limbs.




- Shooting -

The first impression I had with these limbs after the first shot was, "Wow, these limbs are really quiet!".  I adjusted for nock height using a bareshaft at 10 yards and also noted it was showing just a tad stiff compared to fletched.  A quick swap back to the 125gr. points fixed that and bareshafts were impacting right in along with the fletched ones.  Once the bow and arrows were tuned into each other, I pulled a few shots over the chronograph and averaged 164.4FPS at 11.8GPP.  Not exactly blazing, but these speeds with a nearly 12GPP load are quite decent out of a longbow.  I shot over the chronograph again at a later date with the assistance of a shooting buddy to coach me so that I was consistently pulling through my anchor and the speed increased to 167.3FPS.  It is always too easy to collapse on the loose (especially if you're out of practice!) and that scrubs off a few FPS.  If I really wanted to obtain objective data, I would get a shooting machine with a mechanical release to shoot over the chrono.  However, that would provide unrealistic data since nobody can release off their fingers as cleanly as a mechanical release.

First group shot at 25 yards

As can be expected with limbs of this level, the draw with the LBX is smooth and draw weight climbs very predictably to anchor.  I normally shoot 45#, so the 3# reduction with these limbs made it easier to draw and hold.  Actually, I found myself needing to drop a few pounds in draw weight due to the infrequent shooting I have been doing lately.  With two kids under the age of two, I don't have the time to head off to the range on a whim like I used to.  As a result, my back muscles have lost some of the strength they had and I find it harder to maintain a solid anchor.  My shooting may suffer now, but I would give up everything for my two boys and I hope to have two shooting buddies in a few years!

As luck would have it, Dryad had some issues with hitting the target draw weight and it took a couple tries before they got in range.  I was originally looking to obtain the usual 45# @ 27", but decided to scrub off the few pounds.  It just worked out that the second time Dryad built the limbs, they nailed it right on with where I wanted it.  I received the limbs a couple weeks before the Rapids Archery Club Annual Traditional Shoot, so I figured it would be the perfect venue to give the LBX a first run.  I went with one of my good buddies, Luis, who is also a longbow shooter.  Coincidentally, he and his wife had a daughter just two weeks after our younger son so we both haven't picked up the bow in a while.  I made sure to bring extra arrows to the shoot since I figured I might lose a few...

If you read my review of the Covert Hunter, then you know I had used the same venue as its first run last year and the shoot format is the same.  There are 3 loops of 20 3D targets, each divided into a North American, Minnesotan, and African loop.  The terrain is the same for each loop, but the foam animals are of their respective locations, ie: lions and gazelles for the African loop, raccoon and deer for the MN loop, etc.  Most targets were placed within 20 yards of the shooting stakes making for quite realistic hunting ranges from a longbow.  There was the challenge target of a full size moose placed 60 yards out.  I did try a shot at it and came up a tad short, putting an arrow in the dirt about 5 yards in front.  I'm pretty sure had I the extra 3# of draw weight, I'd have at least hit the target.

New larger and more colorful logo

Surprisingly, I did fairly well shooting a 765 out of a possible 1200.  The top shooter in the longbow class scored a 1035, so I'm pretty happy with my score considering my lack of shooting practice and shooting a new bow.  I did miss a few of the targets placed either further out or in deeper brush cover, usually coming up short or glancing arrows off branches.  I had a few people who were familiar with Dryad stop and ask about the limbs, having seen the new logo.  I passed the bow around to a bunch of the usual guys at the clubhouse who all took some shots.  Everyone who shot it was pleased with the smooth draw, quiet report, and overall feel.



- Final thoughts -

That I am pleased with the new LBX limbs comes as no surprise to me.  I have been a fan of Dryad bows since I first tried a set of ACS-4G limbs some years ago when I first tried an ILF longbow.  As is the case with all the other Dryad limbs and risers I have owned, quality of construction was top-shelf and the performance was not lacking in the least.  The only way performance could be improved would be if I had purchased the Orion bolt-down model instead of the ILF version.  This is because bolt-down allow the bowyer to fabricate the bow to the optimum geometry for performance, rather than having to make accommodations for a wide range of risers with ILF.

If you are interested in a set of one of the finest ILF longbow limbs currently available, take a look at the ACS-LBX.  With a smooth draw, enhanced vertical stability, great speed, and near-silent operation, what's not to like?  If I had to be fussy, I would say the logo is a tad on the large side, but that is me being rather nitpicky.  Dryad has some LBX limbs in stock and if your desired weight and length is not listed, give them a call and they can get a custom set made up in short order.  You will be glad you did.