Crossbow Limbs: Structurally Sound

Crossbow limbs are one of the building blocks for the crossbow. They are part of the mechanism that propels the bolts towards your intended target. There are so many materials out there to choose from for your limbs composition. These crossbows are not cheap! You want to make sure that you know everything about what is going into your crossbow, and the limbs are a great place to start. The best overall material to make the limbs out of would be a carbon fiber composite because of its durable and sturdy nature. The most common material is fiberglass because it is still relatively durable, and more cost effective to produce. There are also carbon fiber and fiberglass blends that are being used on the same crossbow limbs. The carbon fiber (which has higher stress capabilities) is used on the inside of the limb, while the glass will go on the outside for these blends. I would like to state that there is not just one type of fiberglass and there is not only one type of carbon fiber. There are different types of each and they all have their very own characteristics. There are lower end types of carbon fiber materials, just like there are higher end types of fiberglass. The difference in the materials that are used can be seen in the prices that they are offered at. The manufacturing process of these two are very similar. Resin is applied to a core material which typically has flex ible composition that is resistant to compression. Then you begin a process to put your fiber strands around the limb. These stands are placed in a unidirectional fashion and then resin is placed over them again. They are placed in a unidirectional manner so that they can continually bend without breaking. Once this is done, they are then sent over to an oven to bond all of the materials together. Every manufacturer has their own “patented” time for how long they should be in there because the different blends of materials call for different peak points of heat.