Do string silencers slow my arrows down?

Yes, but modestly: expect to lose three to eight feet per second with wool or fur, less with rubber. At traditional hunting ranges inside twenty-five yards that loss is irrelevant compared to the shots a quiet bow saves.

Wool or fur — which is quieter?

Fur, particularly beaver, is marginally quieter in dry conditions. Wool is nearly as quiet, far cheaper, easier to install, and recovers from rain better. Most hunters are best served by wool; fur is for squeezing the last decibel in dry country.

Where exactly do silencers go on the string?

Start with one silencer a quarter of the way down from each loop — the quarter points. Then move them in half-inch steps while shooting until the bow sounds its quietest. Every bow and string combination has a slightly different sweet spot.

Archery gear · Silencers

String silencers: the cheapest ten yards you can buy

A loud bow costs you shots at close range. Silencers fix it for a few dollars and five feet per second.

String noise arrives at a deer or turkey before the arrow does. At traditional bowhunting ranges — inside twenty yards — a slapping string turns a broadside shot into a string-jumped miss. Silencers do not make a bow silent, but they cut the sharp crack that makes animals move.

The trade is small and measurable: a few feet per second of arrow speed in exchange for a bow that sounds like a branch breaking instead of a rifle shot. Choose the material by your weather and your patience for installation, not by marketing.

Speed cost: 3–8 fps
Placement: 1/4 & 3/4 points
Wet weather: Rubber > wool > fur
Install time: 10–20 min

Silencer materials compared

All three work. The differences are noise cut, speed cost, and what happens after a cold rain.

Material	Noise reduction	Speed cost	Wet-weather	Best for
Wool yarn	Very good	Low (3–5 fps)	Fair — dries slowly	All-around hunting, DIY
Beaver / muskrat fur	Best	Low–moderate	Poor when soaked	Dry climates, maximum quiet
Rubber (cat whisker / button)	Good	Lowest	Excellent	Wet climates, zero maintenance

Getting placement right

Mishler, N and MJ, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Quarter-point placement

The default

Install one silencer a quarter of the string length from each loop. This damps the fundamental vibration where it is strongest and is where every starting setup belongs.

Tune by ear, then by chronograph

Move in ½-inch steps

Slide each silencer a half inch at a time and shoot. The quietest spot on your bow is rarely the theoretical one — brace height and string material move it. If you own a chronograph, confirm you have not paid more than 8 fps for the quiet.

Silence the rest of the bow too

String is only half the noise

Limb savers, a piece of moleskin on the shelf, and fleece on any quiver hood contact point all cost nothing and remove the clicks a deer actually hears. A silent string on a rattling bow fools nobody.

Install it yourself

Both wool and fur silencers install with nothing but a bow stringer and your fingers — separate the string strands, tie or weave the material in, and fluff it out. We published full walkthroughs with video for each: see the wool and fur installation guides linked below.

Questions

Frequently asked

Do string silencers slow my arrows down?: Yes, but modestly: expect to lose three to eight feet per second with wool or fur, less with rubber. At traditional hunting ranges inside twenty-five yards that loss is irrelevant compared to the shots a quiet bow saves.
Wool or fur — which is quieter?: Fur, particularly beaver, is marginally quieter in dry conditions. Wool is nearly as quiet, far cheaper, easier to install, and recovers from rain better. Most hunters are best served by wool; fur is for squeezing the last decibel in dry country.
Where exactly do silencers go on the string?: Start with one silencer a quarter of the way down from each loop — the quarter points. Then move them in half-inch steps while shooting until the bow sounds its quietest. Every bow and string combination has a slightly different sweet spot.