The Best Recurve Bow String Materials

Key Takeaways

• The best string for longbow shooting depends on your preferences.
• BCY is widely recognized as the industry’s top manufacturer of bow string materials.
• The most popular BCY bow string materials for traditional shooting are: X99, 452X, 652, D97, 8125, Mercury, and B55.

Bow string material plays a critical role in the feel, performance, and safety of your traditional bow. The bow string’s material significantly affects the overall shooting experience, including the bow’s stability, speed, and accuracy, as well as its vibration and noise.

There isn’t a single best recurve bow string material. What works for one archer isn’t always right for the next. 

At 60X Custom Strings, we build our bow strings with BCY materials. BCY is the industry’s gold standard manufacturer of bow string materials, so we recommend starting there if you need a string for a recurve bow. 

Here’s a look at the most popular BCY materials among traditional archers: 

X99

BCY X99 is made from 80% SK99 Dyneema® and 20% Vectran. It offers the best aspects of 452X and 8190, two other great materials we’ll discuss below.

In our opinion, X99 is one of the best recurve bow string materials because it offers a well-rounded combination of speed, stability, and reliability, along with a crisp release.

With that said, X99 may not be the best string for a longbow made from wood, vintage bows, or bows without reinforced tips. It doesn’t have much give, so it’s better suited for modern, high-performance recurves.

452X

BCY 452X is made from 67% SK75 Dyneema and 33% Vectran. 452X has been around for a very long time and still has a loyal following. 

This material’s high Vectran content makes it incredibly stable and consistent from shot to shot, even when humidity and temperatures fluctuate. 

While 452X is often considered the best recurve bow string material for competitive shooters, that stability comes at the cost of poor vibration absorption.

652

BCY 652 is made from 100% Spectra. It’s the same material as the original Fast Flight™ that was so popular in the ‘80s and ‘90s. While some traditional archers still love 652 for its soft, spongy feel, it’s prone to creep.

D97

BCY D97 is made from 100% SK75 Dyneema®, which is very similar to Spectra. According to BCY, the fiber counts differ slightly, but both are made from high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE). Many archers switched from 652 to D97 because it has a similar feel with less creep.

8125

BCY 8125 is made from 100% SK75 Dyneema® like D97, but with a thinner diameter. It’s among the best recurve bow string material options for archers who prioritize speed, and is a great choice for bows with abnormal nock sizes.

Mercury

BCY Mercury is made from 100% SK99 Dyneema®, which is stronger and stiffer than SK75 Dyneema®. It’s exceptionally thin, so it’s extremely fast, stable, and quiet, and it's a versatile option for abnormal nock sizes.

B55

BCY B55 is made from Dacron (100% polyester). Because of its high elasticity and give, B55 is widely viewed as the best string for longbows made from wood, vintage bows, and bows that don’t have reinforced tips.

Shop BCY Materials at 60X Custom Strings

Whether you need a replacement recurve bow string or a spool of BCY string material for building your own, 60X has you covered. Buy the best recurve bow string materials today.