We recently received a few packs of the Nitro Whiskers string silencers from Pine Ridge Archery. The Nitro Whiskers arrived in nice packaging clearly showing the product. Each package contains two 5” pieces, one for each side of the serving on the bowstring. The packages were easy to open with the instructions clearly printed on the back.
Materials and Colors
The Nitro Whiskers are made from a stretchy rubber material that is scored into very thin segments to allow for easy fraying once installed. The rubber material reminds one of a spinnerbait skirt used for fishing, but this material is MUCH stronger and does not easily tear.
The Nitro Whiskers are available in 18 different colors, so you should be able to easily find a color that matches the look you are going for!
Ease of Installation
The Nitro Whiskers are designed to be installed in a number of different ways, according to the preferences of the user. The two installation methods outlined on the packaging are to either go around the bowstring, if you do not have a bow press, or go through the string if you are able to release tension on the string.
We chose to simply go around the bow string as we know many of our readers do not have access to a bow press and are most likely to install the Nitro Whiskers in this fashion. It is important to note that there are many additional techniques that can be used for installation, and the Pine Ridge website actually has a good instructional video with an entirely different technique.
To install, we simply removed each piece from the packaging and tied it into a simple overhand knot on the bow string. While doing so, we were sure to put a good amount of tension on the Nitro Whisker to ensure the knot was as tight as we could get it for this installation method. Once we had the Nitro Whiskers in place, we simply trimmed and frayed the edges. It is important to note that when you are trimming the ends, you need to get a good stretch on the section you are trimming and slowly close the scissor blades, which will result in the ends fraying properly. Do it the right way and it is very simple…do it the wrong way and it will take a bit of time to separate each strand!
Effectiveness
So now we come down to the real question when looking at any silencing accessories…do they work and at what cost to performance?
The Nitro Whiskers actually did a good job of making the crossbow quieter during shooting. We had a good group with us at the range and every person there commented on the difference in string sound prior to installation and after installation. There was also a bit less vibration felt by the shooter after installation as well. We were also pleased to see that even after quite a few shots, the Nitro Whiskers did not move on the string and remained intact.
On the performance side, it is simply not possible to add anything to the bow string that is not going to affect performance. We fired multiple shots with the Nitro Whiskers installed and found only about a 4.8% decrease in overall arrow speed, from an average of 323 fps to an average of 308 fps.
Overall Thoughts
The Pine Ridge Archery Nitro Whiskers were easy and straight forward to install, and came in a wide enough variety of colors that they should fit just about any shooter’s color taste. They did a good job of quieting our test crossbow with under a 5% reduction in performance which we found to be quite acceptable.
The old adage, “You can’t get something for nothing” certainly holds true for any silencer that mounts to a bow string, but if you can live with a little less speed for a little more stealth, the Nitro Whiskers are an inexpensive way to get there!
Recent Comments