I am looking for some ideas on how to store my bow. I have a T/D recurve. Do I take the lims off or do I keep it together and put it horizontally on its lims?
Do you guys happen to have pictures?
If you shoot it regularly leave it strung and just hang it on two pegs or nails by the string. Most damage to recurves happens during the stringing/unstringing process and unstringing is unnecessary. If you are not going to shoot for many months unstring and place upside down on limbs on pegs or takedown and store in case.
The bow that I shoot everyday, is left strung and I hang it by the strings on parallel pegs. My other bows that I don't shoot regularly are unstrung and hung face down on pegs. i try to get the pegs even on the limbs.
I hang my recurves unstrung vertically on one peg (by the top limb & string), when not shooting them for awhile. I very seldom take my 3-pc. bows apart.
All my bows remain strung, even if I am not shooting them regularly. T/Ds as well as one piece bows. I do a Sean B but hang by string on nails nailed horizontal about 3 and a half ft. apart. Shawn
I have one of these:
http://www.3riversarchery.com/Bow+Accessories+Miscellaneous++%26+Arrow+Rack+Kit_c46_s55_p0_i6304_product.html
I hang my Martin on it strung. I've also shot at least 1K through it, probably 2-3x that by now. Since the Jags have a rep for falling apart, I decided to torture my bow to find out. So far so good, been strung for a year.
I hang mine the same way as Bowtie. I also very seldom break my 3 piece bows apart.
QuoteOriginally posted by Shawn Leonard:
All my bows remain strung, even if I am not shooting them regularly. T/Ds as well as one piece bows. I do a Sean B but hang by string on nails nailed horizontal about 3 and a half ft. apart. Shawn
X2 :thumbsup:
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh472/ishoot4thrills/Kanati20Bow20010.jpg)
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh472/ishoot4thrills/PredatorClassicRecurve020.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/graybuffalo/IMG_1431-2.jpg)
I store my take down recurves fully strung horizontally in a bow rack.
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc254/vkirov2950/BowRack640x480.jpg)
Gray Buffalo, Do you actually get time to shoot all of those, Awesome collection!!
When I had just one bow I stored it like this
(http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/mancave_10_004.JPG)
Now that I have several I hang them like this
(http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/004273.JPG)
The ones in regular use are left strung, those on deck are unstrung. Don't know if this is good, but I have had no problems.
This is what you do when you have 120 bows and only enough room to display 40.
(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k267/bowjack/IMG_7101.jpg)
(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k267/bowjack/IMG_7102.jpg)
(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k267/bowjack/IMG_7104.jpg)
I leave my Pronghorn Longbows strung I talked Herb Meland and he told me he had some of his bows strung for 3 years or more with no problems,I do hand my bows vertically.
I follow the always strung, by the string, on two horizontal nails crowd.
with modern laminated stick bows, don't matter all whether strung or not - vertical or horizontal.
My lams I hang horizontal, from string, strung (on a Turkey foot rack i built). My Annewakee Addiction and behind it an old Browning Wasp (recurves):
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/lams.jpg)
My Primitives (woods) should be horizontal, unstrung but if you don't have room you can hang vertical and rotate (end for end) monthly (to distribute effects of humidity). Since I don't have wall space (that isn't already covered, etc.) I use blank door space with expanding plastic/wood coat/hat racks:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/Woods001.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/ber643/Woods002.jpg)
Bowsocks and laying under the bed.......gotta knock the dust bunnies loose when I drag one out to go shoot.
I use the same expanding hat/coat rack that ber643 uses but I keep them horizontal, when strung I hang them by the string
What I'm noticing is that I have them the upside down as everybody else :dunno: Do you think it matters if the bows are resting on the back or the belly?
(http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/7002/img00013201101042157.th.jpg) (http://img827.imageshack.us/i/img00013201101042157.jpg/)
I hang mine horizontally on pegs unstrung.
One thing I found amusing reading this is people don't seem to mind leaving a bow strung but several mention hanging them horizontal and used phrases like "evenly spaced", "face down", "face up" or "rotated monthly". I can't help wondering at the idea that leaving a bow strung is okay but if you unstring it and rest it on pegs you need to keep it even for some reason or face down or face up makes a difference. Heck, if being strung don't hurt anything, you should be able to just lean them in the corner and forget about them.
I personally still believe all bows should be unstrung for storage and prefer them horizontal on pegs. I can not comprehend leaving a bow that costs hundreds of dollars or maybe over a grand strung just out of laziness or a belief that you might harm it by stringing or unstringing it. If that's the case, ya need to put a little effort into learning how to do it properly just like you should try to learn to shoot it properly.
I decided to go the vertical route. Four bows can hang on one small 4 hook, plastic multi hook Ikea sells for about $6 it's called the "Periskope"
The bows hang out from the wall, are not scratched by the hard plastic multi hook, and four bows occupies a space of lesss than 6 inches wide or deep. (http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg51/rafaelmacia/photo.jpg)
i unstring mine. the top of my rack is made of horns of my first deer then i have loops pf string coming off that. just slide the bow through the loops
Any way I can.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Killdeer/TG%20Uploads/Archery%20Equipment/rackone.jpg)
Killdeer
Most manufacturers say you should store you bow un-strung, horizontally, on it's back or side.
LOL - Dave, live and let live. The "Rotated monthly" is the considered advice of Art Butner of WV, whom I personally respect highly in all matters pertaining to wood bows (and cane arrows - among other things, unmentionable - ;) ). Other folks are welcome to either follow it, or take it with a grain of salt. Everybody is gonna do what they are gonna do, enyhoo, as we all know, and can certainly see in these varied answers.
QuoteOriginally posted by Elkchaser:
I follow the always strung, by the string, on two horizontal nails crowd.
I am in the same boat...although it's not nails but antler tips on a bow rack...but same concept, strung up and hung by the string.
I posted a pic of my bow rack on a diff thread and it has the bows resting on the limbs not the string....but that was for pic taking purposes only. ;)
NICE RACKS,,,COOL
QuoteOriginally posted by bucksbuouy:
Most manufacturers say you should store you bow un-strung, horizontally, on it's back or side.
Interesting.......I find just the opposite true. Black Widow, Pittsley Predator makers(Huntersniche), Dave Beeler(Beeler Bows) and Jason Kendall(JK Traditions Kanati), among others, all say it's okay to leave them strung.
Dave Bulla, to each his own my friend...... :)
I guess I'm one of the "lazy" ones!
Here's how I hang mine... the Tall Tines [9 th from right] is the bow I'm currently using at this tine. Therefore, it's strung up...the others are un-strung.
(http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx177/BrokenArrow-03/DSCF0003.jpg)
I use a 6 gun, gun rack..
(http://images.imagelinky.com/1302746490.JPG) Occam's Razor approach
When I asked Sue at RER - she also said leave it strung and hang it by string on pegs. So that is what I do.
I can tell by the pics - I NEED MORE BOWS!
"nothing exceeds like excess"
Dave, not out of laziness at all. It does not hurt them to be strung at all. I have known of recurves to have been strung for 40+ years with no ill effect what so ever. It is much easier to just be able to go in and grab one and start shooting. Leaving one standing in a corner(strung or unstrung) can and will hurt a bow, so the reference makes no sense. Shawn
I unstring after every use and hang horizontal on the limbs ( bow rack)
Thank you all This has been a ton of good info. I am thinking I will go with a gun rack or antlers. Actually I want the antlers but being a rookie the gun rack seems to be more realistic or closer to happening.
I like that one hanging on the chest of drawers. I had my widow hanging from the pull up bars in the doorway for a while until I got my bow racks put up in the new house. Hang em by the string, strung. That's how Black Widow says to do it. Unless you aren't going to shoot it for more than a few months. NEVER set it in a corner!! NEVER. It WILL warp it.
Always good to see what others are doing. Each to his own "phobia" and so what? As mwosborn, obviously more bows won't hurt!
I keep the "shooter" strung and horizontal, in close proximity to the back door and it's arrows. The "excuses" are harder to come by that way. Those in waiting are unstrung and spread around a bit. I like that 4 hook vertical hanger idea. Nice and compact, out of the way.
50 years ago I was taught to never leave a bow strung when not in use, but the materials of that era are not the same as those used by most bowyers of today.
Today I'm slowly wrapping my head around the concept of leaving them strung from day to day.. I leave the bow I shoot every day strung and hanging on the rack, but those I don't shoot that often are unstrung with string keepers and hung on the rack horizontally...
So I came home last night thinking I didn't want to be the only one storing his bows horizontal resting on the belly, tried to put them on their backs but the rack wont fit them in a way I liked so I went the vertical way and this is what it looks like now, same rack
(http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/1469/img00088201104140636.jpg) (http://img42.imageshack.us/i/img00088201104140636.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
(http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm177/WhiteFalcon_photos/002-2.jpg)
(http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm177/WhiteFalcon_photos/003-5.jpg)
I hang my bows up either strung "if I'm shooting them regularly" or un-strung by the limbs on horizontal pegs.
My 2 take downs I usually disassemble & keep in their case unless I plan to shoot them inside the week.
ishoot4thrills- hahaha I guess i shouldnt say most... maybe just Martin Howatt and a few others.
COOL PICS,,,
Hey White Falcon,
What's that longbow? Looks kind of Mike Palmer/Bob Lee-ish.
I hang mine with leather string suspended from the ceiling.