as i was reading "shooting the stickbow" by anthony camera last night, this topic came up again. as i have heard differing opinions regarding this over the years, and the rationale behind those opinions, i would like to pose the topic here. do you leave your bow (bows) strung or untrung when not shooting them, and why? i currently leave mine strung. thanks for any input.
I leave mine strung and hang them on a peg.I shoot just about every day as well.But this link will give you some other opinions.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=088874#000007
If it is the bow I'm shooting daily I leave it strung the rest are unstrung...
Strung, unless I am transporting them.
search 1 (http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=088874#000002)
search 2 (http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=085418;p=1)
search 3 (http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=084781#000000)
search 4 (http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=083520#000000)
search 5 (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=077414)
search 6 (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=077386)
And if you don't get enough replies, here are a few from the past year or so. If i'm shooting mine, they stay strung.
for glass backed and faced bows, leave 'em strung forever if need be.
I always, unstring my bows. Mostly habit, newer more modern materials of most bows do not need to be unstrung. If they are stored properly, they will maintain indefinitely.
Both Black Widow and Schafer said you can leave the RECURVES strung for long periods of time. But.. my longbows they suggest that you unstring them after each use because they will over time tend to loose a little weight if they are kept strung for long periods of time. I think its because of the thicker limbs.
The ones I am shooting stay strung until the string needs maintenance and then strung again.
If it was a recurve and prone to twist during stringing...I might would leave it strung if you are shooting regularly. They generally don't have much limb core and shouldn't be altered by leaving them strung if you store them properly (and not sitting catawampus).
For a longbow though, you could prop it up anyway you want to and you wouldn't have to worry about limb twist, but because of the additional core in a longbow I personally believe it is best to unstring them after each use. This is my opinion based upon seeing some deep cored longbows take about 1/2" of backset or loosing a 1/2" of reflex when being left strung up over time.
If your razorback has much limb core to it, as did many of Gary's bows, unstring it when you are not using it.
I keep my Black Widow recurve strung. For me, I look at the bow ready for use and seemingly eager to go out and play. My opinion. I unstring it during hot days for transport.
thanks for the "heads-up" on my moosejaw, lee. altho i shoot it frequently, i will unstring it after shooting now. i had been keeping it strung. :notworthy:
QuoteOriginally posted by frassettor:
Both Black Widow and Schafer said you can leave the RECURVES strung for long periods of time. But.. my longbows they suggest that you unstring them after each use because they will over time tend to loose a little weight if they are kept strung for long periods of time. I think its because of the thicker limbs.
Thats what I've heard and done. Recurves strung, Long bow un strung.
well, now that i've heard about unstringing the thicker-limbed longbows from lee, rick (frassettor) and huntin_sparty, i will unstring my moosejaw when not in use. it makes sense when i think about it now regarding a thick-limbed longbow. thanks. (recurves and hybrids will remain strung)
Unstrung unless it is "in the line-up" to be shot in a few days. Just the way I was taught and it saves space.
First bow I remember shooting was a lemonwood at Grandpa's.
I leave my hunting bow strung all season so I don't have to worry about the Flemish string stretching in. And, since I try and shoot every morning year-round, that means one or two specific bows may be continually strung year-round.
I'd contact the bowyer and ask them. Everyone has a differing opinion so who knows what's correct. If damage did occur or performance effected by leaving it strung at least I'd want to be able to say I did what the bowyer told me to do.
In the mid-60's a friend owned an archery shop. He left a recurve strung for 5 years, except to change strings. It lost 1 lb in draw weight during that time.
QuoteOriginally posted by Protege Longbows:
... but because of the additional core in a longbow I personally believe it is best to unstring them after each use. This is my opinion based upon seeing some deep cored longbows take about 1/2" of backset or loosing a 1/2" of reflex when being left strung up over time. ...
really? i've kept short r/d wide-limbed and long straight narrow-limbed "longbows" strung literally for years ('cept for string adjustments or changes). all were glass backed and faced. never lost a hint of holding weight nor never took any limb follow through.
QuoteOriginally posted by joe ashton:
If it is the bow I'm shooting daily I leave it strung the rest are unstrung...
I agree with Joe. If you are shooting it regulary, leave it strung, and take care how you store it. Otherwise, unstring and store in bow sock.
I unstring all of my longbows
If it's going to be more than 48 hours before I shoot again, I unstring; otherwise, they stay strung. I usually have 2 or 3 strung, and a couple unstrung, but I shoot as often as I can. IIRC, BW says leave theirs braced.
Rob, the ones that I saw take the most set had a considerable amount of edge grain black locust in the core and on the belly...but they were indeed fiberglassed longbows. The bowyer actually stopped using black locust (despite its high compression strength) because he too noticed some of his longbows were taking a set over time. I never tried leaving any other deeper cored longbows strung after that...because I felt it was just too easy to string and unstring them to risk such.
Hmm, only one of mine is a recurve, the rest are longbows. One of 'em I know has been strung for three years, other than a change of strings.
I can't tell you it hasn't lost ANY weight, because I didn't scale it the day I got it. I can tell you that as of two weeks ago I had it on my spring scale, and it still reads the same weight that is marked on the riser.
If you store a strung recurve hanging horizontal from the string can it be stored with a bow quiver attached ?? If not, how should I store my bow if I want to leave it on ??
Recurve or longbow, I unstring using a stringer.
Unstrung/Habit unless on a Hunt.
All Widows... I leave the curves strung and let the LB's down. Always use a stringer.....
QuoteOriginally posted by Protege Longbows:
Rob, the ones that I saw take the most set had a considerable amount of edge grain black locust in the core and on the belly...but they were indeed fiberglassed longbows. The bowyer actually stopped using black locust (despite its high compression strength) because he too noticed some of his longbows were taking a set over time. I never tried leaving any other deeper cored longbows strung after that...because I felt it was just too easy to string and unstring them to risk such.
ah. locust. all mine are bamboo, with some tempered. :D
The ones I shoot every day or two remain strung. If not being regularly shot I unstring them. I even take some of the TDs apart and put them in cases. Most of this is because I don't have a rack solution for my bows. I need to build a vertical hanging system.
Longbow.... strung most of the time...over the winter it sits unshot alot.....doesn't seem to bother it.
When I asked Steve at Northern Mist about it, he said its so easy to unstring em, why not? He has a point, so I unstring mine after every use, even though I will likely shoot it again later that day or the next.
I keep mine unstrung, mostly because it saves space.
Although recurves seem to be less effected by being strung than a deep cored longbow, one other risk to a strung recurve (especially a static bow) is more prone to damage if it was to fall off a rack and hit the ground on the tip in a sideways (twisting manner). Or if a string was to fail for some reason, you will witness a "bang" as the bow releases its stored energy. If you know how to properly string and unstring a bow, it is my opinion that it is just safer all the way around.
I leave my recurves strung, I unstring my longbows and selfbows
If I know I'm going to be shooting a particular bow for a few consecutive days I will leave it strung. But in most instances I unstring my bows.
Old School unstrung always. I killed a LB leaving it strung as a kid. Modern stringers make stringing & un too easy.
QuoteOriginally posted by sentinel:
If you store a strung recurve hanging horizontal from the string can it be stored with a bow quiver attached ?? If not, how should I store my bow if I want to leave it on ??
Anyone? I'd like to hear opinions about this too.
Both of my Blacktail take down recurves have been strung for the last 15 months.
That says it all, right there...
I leave mine strung. hanging on the bow rack.
I leave my recurve strung and use it 3 or 4 times a week. My wifes recurve is left strung and she shoots 1 or 2 times a month. the ones that are collecting dust I unstring
i unstring mine. too easy to string or unstring . why take a chance?
I leave mine strung and hang them on a bow hook.
The heat here's a killer for man and beast alike... I can hear my bow thank me every time I give it rest (I unstring).
I leave my bow (generic glass/wood td recurve) strung all the time, cuz I do some shots every day.
Checked the draw weight and the limbs from time to time.
No changes, no damages, no twist. Fine.
I leave mine strung.