I unstring my bow after each use. I have a hybrid longbow and often wonder if I left it strung does it do any harm? Could you leave it strung for a day, week or month with no damage?

Some folks say they leave them strung for weeks, months even years without damage.  Personally, I think some might develop a bit of a set if strung for long periods and not used during those periods.  I unstring mine when not in use. Talking glass laminated bows, of course.  Wood and wood laminated bows should be unstrung when in not in use.

If your shooting once or twice a week I would leave it strung. If your going away for 6 weeks, maybe I would unstring it... ...maybe not. I saw a video with Ken Beck at Black Widow where a shop bow was strung when it was new and has never been unstrung, for like 6 or 8 years. That bow was shot almost daily! I guess you should do what you feel comfortable with!

I used to leave whatever glass bow I was using strung about all the time.  Never had an issue and never lost any draw weight.  They would go multiple months and maybe even a couple year+ stretches.  Now that I have kids, I unstring more often just so there isn't a bow under braced tension sitting around.

I un-string my longbows every time I use them.(easy to do) I leave my recurve strung all the time except for string changes/travel etc. No loss in weight or any other problems noted.

Probably a strung bow will survive his owner!

With modern bows you have a much greater chance of damage durning the unstring and string process then leaving it strung. With that said if im not going to shoot a bow for weeks at a time i unstring and store. If im shooting a bow at least once a week i leave it strung

I have two Blacktail take down recurves and they've been fully strung for the last 18 months. I shoot them both sometimes once a week, sometimes twice a week.

In the Black Widow owner's manual video that came with my BW longbow, they recommend that their longbows be unstrung rather than strung, if they are not being used.

I'll be shooting my BW at least 3-4 times a week, so I plan on leaving it strung and hung horizontally from pegs. Black Widow recommends this, and I believe the part about potential damage being greatest during the stringing/unstringing process. For some reason, my Widow is difficult to string for me. Really gotta be careful.

I unstring my ILF's because they are kinda sensitive, but my others I dont worry about so much.  I have a Robertson Montana Falcon that has not been unstrung for ten years. It has lost NO draw weight and shoots as good as ever. I don't worry about custom hunting bows, they are pretty damn durable.
BUT, unstringing sure won't hurt unless you slip.

I unstring when the string needs maintenance, or when I travel, some of my bows have been strung for years. If the bow is not a regular shooter it is unstrung and hangs from a peg.

I unstring my longbows after every use. My recurves stay strung as long as I am using a particular one. Could be months.

I leave my recurves strung and unstring my longbows....Roger at BW told me that was their recommendation....


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Glenn

I never unstring my longbow unless I'm going to take it somewhere. Here at the house it stays ready all the time.

I don't ever unstring my ILF's, I know guys who haven't unstrung their ILF's for a couple of years. I really don't think they are any more sensitive than a custom recurve.

I usually unstring mine, but have left them strung for up to a week with no damage

I unstring all my bows after each use. However I have never heard of a fiberglass laminated bow being damaged by leaving it strung.

I have my go to bow (shot at least 3 times a week) thats been strung since I got it 18mo with no ill effects at all. Another recurve shot twice a week or so been strung for years, just ran it through the chrono last week and numbers are the same as last time I chronoed it six years ago. Other bows that dont get shot much are unstrung and stored.

Builder! Good point, I did not mean to imply ILF's are sensitive in general. Mine are 70" long, thin and average 30-40# for FITA style comp. Made in Belgium, VERY sensitive!  Sneeze and they turn to a pretzel...but easy to straighten also.