Bowhunt America

Article Topics

LimbSaver by Sims Vibration Laboratory

Products that Work

By Bill & Sherry Krenz

Plenty of archers ask questions, and that’s good. How can I shoot better? Where can I find brighter, easier-to-see sight pins? How can I dampen the shock I feel with each shot? Is there a way to make my bow quieter?

Fortunately for all of us, there are those few who go beyond the questions to create the answers.

Steven Sims talks fast and thinks even faster. A question is only a first step for him. It’s as though he can’t avoid seeking new and better answers to his and everyone else’s queries. In the last twenty-plus years, Sims has been in the business of answers, and the company he has created has become something of an answer factory, particularly for archers.

“I’ve loved archery since I was a kid,” says Steven. “I started shooting with a yellow fiberglass bow when I was just eight years old. I made bows in shop class in high school when everyone else was building footstools.”

While attending the University of Oregon and working toward a double major in physics and sociology, Steven also became fascinated with the study of vibration.

“Vibrations cause problems in all sorts of machinery, and engineers have long worked to squelch those vibrations in order to alleviate the problems. The study of that work captivated me. It also gave me ideas.

“I had a cousin who had a very elaborate and sophisticated stereo system, but every time someone slammed a door in the house, the music would skip because of the transferred vibrations. He wondered if there wasn’t a way to avoid that.

“I gave it some thought and then developed a special vibration-dampening platform that he could place under his stereo components. At its heart was a linear spring system that soaked up vibration. It was something I created by calculating exact load frequencies and deflections, and then matching distinctive springs to address the problem. My audio platforms worked so well that in short order I was making them for radio stations so that they could eliminate unwanted noise in their broadcasts.”

That led to even more questions.

“While my spring-based systems worked well, I began asking myself if something else might not work even better. That question led me to begin working on the development of an elastic material that would dampen vibration.”

In 1984, with the help of two graduate students at the University of Washington, Steven set out on an ambitious testing program.

“We tested over 500 different materials, painstakingly measuring and recording their abilities to dampen vibration. Eventually, we created a statistical model of the ideal material. Unfortunately, we also discovered that no such ideal material existed. Not to be deterred, I set out to create that material.

“After countless mixtures, I finally developed a formula and a process that produced a unique, new material that I named NAVCOM. NAVCOM is an acronym for Noise and Vibration Control Material.”

With the new material, Steven first created the Sims Silencer, an advanced audio dampening pad that high-end users and radio stations placed under their audio and recording equipment to dramatically cut unwanted vibration. Next, he used NAVCOM to develop an unobtrusive insert that fit into the handle of a baseball bat to very effectively reduce the sting of the hit, and began producing those inserts in 1993 for Louisville Slugger. Shortly after that, Steven also entered into work for Wilson Sporting Goods to finalize similar systems for tennis rackets and golf clubs.

“With those successes under my belt,” says Steven, “I was finally ready to tackle archery. Archery was, after all, my first love. The big question there was how could we significantly reduce shot noise and vibration with all sorts of bows? Those things certainly were ongoing problems.

“Our first tests involved simply putting our bat parts on bow limbs and measuring the results. While not perfect, the reduction in shot noise and vibration was meaningful enough that it encouraged us to keep pushing for an answer.”

Early in 1999, Steven Sims stunned the archery world with the introduction of the Sims LimbSaver, a bow-limb silencer made of NAVCOM. In January of that year, Steven stood in a 10x10-foot booth at the Archery Trade Show and tried to convince showgoers that his mushroom-shaped invention was the ideal way to quiet and dampen any compound bow.

“To say that most people were skeptical would be an understatement,” Steven admits. “The LimbSaver was a radically different answer to the age-old question of bow vibration and noise. No one had seen anything like it before. We talked people through the concept and handed out hundreds of samples, but we wrote very few orders.

“Take these home and try them on any bow you want,” Steven told showgoers. “Then give us a call.”

Within a month, the phones at Sims Vibration Laboratory were ringing off the hook. Because of the astounding success of LimbSavers-- (and now plenty of additional products that work for archers and firearms shooters) those phones haven’t stopped since.

In fact, Sims has become one of the most remarkable success stories in the shooting industries in recent decades. From a college student fascinated by vibration to an archery and firearms mogul, Steven Sims, his umbrella company Steven Sims, Inc. and this answer-oriented staff have built a golden reputation based on innovative solutions to long-endured shooting problems.

“The success of Sims LimbSavers launched us into the archery arena,” says Steven. “But we certainly weren’t willing to rest on those laurels alone. The way we saw it, there were plenty of other questions to be answered in new and innovative ways.

“In the years immediately following our introduction of the original LimbSavers, we developed and introduced specialized LimbSaver variations for all sorts of bows, including compound bows with solid limbs and split limbs, crossbows and even traditional bows. We also developed NAVCOM-based bowstring and cable silencers, grip wraps, insulator strips, cable-guard dampeners and a wonderfully effective lineup of vibration-dampening stabilizers. Our entire staff burned a lot of midnight oil addressing all of those various aspects of bow vibration and noise. And in every case it was a matter of perceiving a real need and coming up with a real answer.

“More recently, we’ve moved into even more archery areas to tackle fresh questions. In 2007, for example, we introduced one of the most innovative new archery sights ever offered. The advent of fiber optics took hunting sights to an all-new level, but even the best fiber-optic pins were still not bright enough in many routinely dim bowhunting situations. One solution was to resort to electronics to enhance the brightness of those pins. But such electronics were simply not legal in all states and battery life, where legal, was always a hassle. We took a different approach.

“We developed the Sims Prism Sight, which features a remarkable light-collection prism mounted on the top of the sight. That prism is essentially a magnifying glass that collects and focuses all available light onto the fiber optics. What it does is naturally enhance pin brightness so that you can easily see your sight pins during the first and last legal minutes of shooting light, a time when most really big bucks appear. Sims Prism Sights offer bowhunters a tremendous, and natural, advantage. A variety of three- and five-pin models are now available.

“In addition, we tackled the question of how archers can comfortably make those longer shots that sometimes pop up. Last year, I was bowhunting mule deer in Wyoming and made a fair hit on a big buck at about 35 yards. That buck ran out to 82 yards and stopped. I knew that because I had a rangefinder. I also knew that I best get another arrow in him right away.

“With a conventional hunting sight, I would have just been guessing as to where to hold my fifth and bottom pin, which was set for 60 yards. Instead I reached down and simply adjusted the Single-Plane Adjustable Pin on my Sims Prism Sight to exactly 82 yards and carefully center-punched that buck again. After that shot, he went less than 20 yards. A variety of the Sims Prism Sights are now equipped with that floating Single-Plane Adjustable Pin. It’s wonderful for long-range practice and target shooting, and as a backup for out-of-the-ordinary bowhunting shots. I won’t hunt without it.”

The Sims’ staff has also tackled arrow rests of late. “The LimbSaver Fall-Away Arrow Rest has been a huge success,” Steven offers. “It’s reasonably priced and yet packed with all the most desirable features. To begin with, it’s got a sealed twin ball bearing launcher-arm configuration that ensures ultra-smooth operation. It’s easy and positive to adjust vertically and horizontally, and its activation cord can be attached to either a down cable or your cable slide. In addition, the Sims LimbSaver Fall-Away Arrow Rest sports strategically-placed NAVCOM material to dampen the drop of the launcher arm and reduce shot vibration.”

Also new from Sims are one-piece and two-piece Sims LimbSaver Bowquivers and Silent Armor.

“Our product-development team, which is among the most talented in the archery industry, set out to engineer trim, lightweight bowquivers that would be unusually strong and quiet. And in the case of the one-piece design, we wanted an innovative quiver that would attach or detach quickly and yet be ultra-quiet when on the bow.”

Given the successes of the Sims team in the archery arena, it was only natural that they would eventually begin to investigate longstanding questions being asked by an even broader group of outdoorsmen.

“Silent Armor has been a fun project,” says Steven Sims. “So many of today’s outdoor hard goods--––things like treestands, boats and ATV racks––are noisy as heck. Shift in a treestand and it creaks alarmingly. Bump up against the aluminum hull of your duck boat and it scares everything away. Forget to pad the racks on your ATV and it’ll vibrate the finish right off your favorite bow or rifle. Sims LimbSaver Silent Armor offers a solution that works.

“Silent Armor is easy to use. Just spray it on and it offers a protective coating that stops noise and vibration now. It’s formulated to stick to all metal, plastic, glass, wood and composite materials. It’s flexible and even paintable, and it prevents rust and corrosion on metal parts. It’s a better way to silence and protect so many things.”

“In the area of sporting firearms, our team began to look at the recoil effect of typical rifles and shotguns. Recoil is unpleasant. It can even hurt, and that can erode accuracy and diminish the sheer fun of firearms shooting.

“Since a firearm’s recoil is a form of excess cause-and-effect vibration, it stood to reason that we should be able to utilize our dampening technology and materials expertise to engineer better recoil-dampening products for firearms. We started concerted efforts in that area in 2000, utilizing state-of-the-art high-speed video and sensor pickups to analyze every firearms recoil pad and shoulder-pad protection system available at the time. We took the best of those results and set them as our base line. Then we set about engineering a recoil pad and a shoulder-mounted pad that would better that base line by a significant margin.”

The end results were the Sims LimbSaver Recoil Pad for firearms and the Sims LimbSaver Break-Away Recoil System for shirts, jackets and vests.

“We introduced the LimbSaver Recoil Pad in 2002. It looked different and it featured a revolutionary new approach that combined special materials with special air chambers. The Sims LimbSaver Recoil Pad instantly set a new and higher standard for recoil-pad effectiveness. In almost no time, various versions were picked up by firearms giants Remington, Ruger, Thompson Center, Winchester, Savage and others.

“Utilizing special, proprietary material we’ve also developed a unique LimbSaver Break-Away Recoil Protection System that we now incorporate into an impressive lineup of firearms-shooting shirts, jackets and vests. The LimbSaver Protective Clothing is all about offering firearms shooters unprecedented protection and comfort.”

At the same time, Sims has jumped on two other firearms-related questions. The first question has to do with inherent rifle accuracy as it relates to barrel vibration during the shot. The second question centers on enhanced shotgun sights.

“When a rifle is shot, its barrel vibrates, and the consistency of that vibration from shot to shot partly determines accuracy. We developed the Sims LimbSaver Barrel De-Resonator to shorten that vibration cycle and thereby enhance accuracy. The Barrel De-Resonator simply slips over the rifle’s barrel. Discriminating shooters report marked improvements in groups with a Sims LimbSaver Barrel De-Resonator in place.

“There are plenty of aftermarket fiber-optic shotgun sights available today. But most suffer from the same problems. It’s troublesome to get the right model to fit your particular shotgun and to clearly see the little fiber optics in all lighting conditions. Our design team solved both problems with the Sims LimbSaver Dead Center Shotgun Sight. There is just one model of Sims Dead Center Sight, and it fits all standard shotguns by utilizing strong rare-earth magnets and a series of composite clips. The Dead Center Sights also offer an amazing fiber-within-a-fiber arrangement that enhances sight visibility. Wingshooters love the Sims LimbSaver Dead Center Shotgun Sight, and dealers are ecstatic with it because they don’t have to stock a huge selection of models.”

In spite of much firearms-related success, Steven Sims is quick to point out that archery remains the core of the company’s business and the Sims team’s focus.

“We love archery,” Steven reveals. “We’re here to stay and to keep answering those tough archery questions.”

“In fact, one of our most recent pushes has been to become a more complete archery company. To do that, we’ve recently achieved a longtime company goal to design, manufacture and offer bows.

“That thought was always there. But we didn’t want to build just any bow. It had to be different, and it had to work better.

“In 2008, we introduced the Sims LimbSaver DeadZone 32 compound bow. It’s a bow that answers all the questions that archers have been asking for decades about bow noise, vibration and even accuracy. It’s fast and yet amazingly quiet and shock-free. It’s also scary accurate.”

The conventional way to get great arrow speed in a bow is to combine a highly reflexed (backset) riser, a low brace height and an aggressive cam system. The problem with that is that the low brace height and the radically reflexed riser both tend to make the bow less forgiving to shoot. The Sims team didn’t want that.

“The DeadZone features a nearly straight riser, with barely an inch of reflex,” Steven offers with genuine enthusiasm. “That key design feature translates directly into a more stable and forgiving shooting platform. At the same time, the DeadZone utilizes a brand new and revolutionary type of limb pocket. The uniquely extended limb pockets on the DeadZone allow the bow to have a reasonable brace height for the perfect blend of forgiveness and arrow speed, while using longer, more durable limbs for greater efficiency. Those remarkable pockets also isolate the limbs from the riser to significantly reduce shot vibration and noise, and work in conjunction with the bow’s other LimbSaver vibration-dampening accessories. All told there are over a dozen Sims LimbSaver dampening accessories on the DeadZone bow, making it one of the quietest bows ever offered.

“The 2008 Sims LimbSaver DeadZone has proven to be an extraordinary bow, and we’ve got rave reviews on it from archers from coast to coast. So much so that we’ve sold every unit we could produce this first year.”

As Sims has been madly building 2008 DeadZone bows, they have also been working diligently on expanding the DeadZone bow line for 2009.

“For 2009,” says Steven Sims, “we’ll be offering four brand-new Sims LimbSaver DeadZone bow models. The first will be an upgraded version of the original DZ-32. The new model, with its total camouflage treatment and advanced features, will look and shoot even better.

“Next is the DZ-30 Lite. It’s been specifically designed to be a compact, lightweight shooting wonder. The new DZ-30 Lite weighs less than 4 pounds.

“Then there’s the new DZ-37, a longer axle-to-axle bow that will be a godsend for fingers shooters and those looking for an ultra-stable and ultra-accurate bow for competition.

“Finally, we’ll delight the archery world with the new DZ-34 SpeedZone. The new SpeedZone will be among the fastest compound bows ever offered, and yet will feature all the shootability and quiet, shock-free nature of all of the other Sims LimbSaver DeadZone bow models.”

From the very beginning, Steven Sims has insisted that his company and his team push the envelope on new-product development.

“We’re here to make quality products and to keep improving and innovating things, including world-class bows,” says Steven. “If there’s a core belief to our system, it’s that we won’t offer anything that doesn’t work. In fact, we’ve made the line ‘Products that Work’ our company credo. We’re proud to live by that. The truth is that we heard that line so often from our customers that we adopted it into our company culture. Products that work is what we do, and will continue to do.”

Most archers ask questions. The Sims team is providing answers. For more information, Circle #144, log onto limbsaver.com or call (877) 257-2761.

Enjoy this article? Share it!