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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: stretch2 on March 25, 2011, 11:04:00 AM

Title: question about bow break in?
Post by: stretch2 on March 25, 2011, 11:04:00 AM
ok so here is the question. when i get done tillering my board bows, before i stain them i like to go out and shoot some arrows through them. i usually shoot about 100 arrows is this overkill or could i get the same results shooting 50 arrows out of it? i guess i just want to make sure the limbs are bending right and good after being exercised am i right in this thinking?
Title: Re: question about bow break in?
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on March 25, 2011, 11:18:00 AM
I started shooting 10-15 times 2-3" before my intended draw length is hit during tillering. Eric mentioned the limbs snapping ahead and the tiller changing some. It made sense to me so I do it now. My own personal number is about 150-200 arrows before I even sand the bow or start to shape the grip.
Title: Re: question about bow break in?
Post by: John Scifres on March 25, 2011, 12:58:00 PM
I don't like to call it "break" in  :)

But I shoot all my bows at least 100 times before final tillering.  I don't really count but i do shoot a lot and get to know the bow better so I can tweak tiller and see if it changes through shoot-in.
Title: Re: question about bow break in?
Post by: SEMO_HUNTER on March 25, 2011, 01:10:00 PM
I feel the same way John, I don't like to use the "B" word in any sentence that I'm discussing a bow I just built.

I like to call it "Shooting it In" or shooting until the bow and the string settles in.

I probably put somewhere between 75-100 shots through mine or at least until the B50 flemish twist string settles in. I've found that I will need to add more twist at least once, sometimes twice to get the brace height to stay put from the string material stretching. Then it's pretty much good to go and it takes around 50 to 75 shots before it finally settles in.

I'm still fairly new at this myself, so these are just my own personal observations that I have noticed.