Trad Gang
Main Boards => Trad History/Collecting => Topic started by: ww_cottonmouth on February 13, 2012, 08:05:00 PM
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I have recently bought a Cliff Coe Competitor recurve bow. It was calculated that it was a 66 amo. The string I bought was a 62" overall length. I have a little better than 8" brace hight. The bow shoots good but I don't want to damage it. Do I need a longer string or what? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Wayne.
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Your string is to short. I'm guessing your brace height is quite a bit more then 8". If the bow is 66" Your string should be 63". You can always twist it to dial in the brace height.
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I'm not familiar with the Coe bows, but actually a string 4" shorter is pretty common on a recurve. Longbows generally are 3", but most recurves I've had are closer to 4" shorter than the marked length of the bow.
The best brace height for a bow will vary a bit too from bow to bow, but 8" or even a bit more is not uncommon at all. Measure from the string to the deepest part of the grip.
Play around with changing the brace height by twisting the string a couple of turns at a time. Even a 1/16" can make a bit of a difference in quietness of the bow and how it shoots. If the bow shoots good you won't hurt it where you are now.
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Whip has the knowledge here as he has worked on a ton of bows. I myself prefer my strings a little longer and then add twist with a lot of wax and dial it in.
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If the string you bought was AMO 66" and it measures 62" then that is the recommended length.
That's why the AMO standards were designed, to provide a common measurement across brands. I've heard that some companies didn't quite measure correctly.
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The string I bought was 62" and I have 9" brace hight so I am going to find a 64' string and try that.
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You might leave it strung and see if the string stretches a little. I think a 64" string would be too long.
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Sal
Look up "Measuring Traditional Bow Strings", By Marvin Long. He gives a great explaination on AMO Standards and different string material.
See You at Chamberlin!!
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Thanks Larry, I'll look it up.
Chamberlin cannot come soon enough.
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WW: If a 62-inch string gives you a 9-inch brace height, a 64-inch string will be too long. You'll probably need something in the short 63-inch range. Is your string endless loop or flemish? Regardless, it should stretch some if you leave the bow strung for a day or two. Shooting it will also stretch the string some. Also, depending on how tightly it's twisted now, you may be able to untwist it some, maybe a lot, to lower the brace height.
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On all my vintage recurves I use b50 flemish twist strings. I leave them on a day or two, they stretch quite a bit. I'll even draw the bow back a bunch before setting brace height. They are all 4 inches less than AMO.
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I think I got it lined out with a 63" string. thanks fellows.