State of the bow…

My thumb-sized "Avalon" dampener arrived from Ipoh this afternoon. It's that black stubby bit poking left under the grip. The thread was too narrow, but a bit of aluminum foil soon fixed that and got it in snug. Cost me $6 / 28RM. Previously, I was using a "Linkboy" which is much bigger and heavier, with a tongue in the center cavity. Worked well but was heavy and eventually its rubber began to crack.

Some late additions include the improvised guitar strap carry sling, and an arrow transporter that clips onto the cable guide rod. It's not practical to draw out arrows just yet until I improve this micro "quiver". You may notice the lack of the usual Mission Matthews plastic cable slide. I replaced it with an AliExpress metal roller slide like they have on higher end models. Removing the old slide was dicey. I used a chisel to strip off the plastic in strips, so I could free the cables.

Other than that, there is a fallaway rest I made from a stapler spring tensed with nylon cord and attached to the cable with a knot and UHU. Also an unobtrusive sight made from clear plastic card. No peep or pins. I can't stand squinting. The sight needs calibrating as it is vertically variable and needs to be tuned to a standard size object at various distances, depending on arrow weight etc.

I'm also very fond of my "Tomb Raider" style finger rings and grip-hand tensor strap. Unlike many compound bow archers, I can't stand mechanical releases or gloves. The tensor strap also really works to prevent muscle shake when pressed into the grip on draw / hold.

In case anyone's curious, the frame is a Mission Matthews Hype DT set to around 68 pounds of force. Drawing it is still tough for me despite the 3/4 times help from the cams and the near-effortless hold they afford.

Bows are symbols of power and stability. Just like the cruise missiles of today, they were once able to moderate a war and bring about peace by striking from a distance, en-mass. They were also invaluable as hunting weapons and made the difference between food for the fire, and an empty stomach.