I found a used bow on line that I am interested in buying.  Its being sold by a private party that bought it a year and half ago. Its located a good 8-9 hour drive away. The bow is a #45 Martin Howatt Hunter and it has been left strung for the past year.  I have always been told to leave bows unstrung and on a horizontal rack.  

Should I pass on this one?

Thanks,

Dirtguy

I have heard this on many posts...Leaving a bow strung is ok.  Most damage will occur to a bow when stringing it and unstringing it.  I wouldnt let this be the determining factor on the purchase.

Thats a long drive, why not get it shipped for much cheaper than your cost of gas and time.

Thanks Stickbow.

I have asked them if they would be willing to ship and hopefully they will...otherwise I'd keep looking.

My go to bow is strung and stays that way

I ordered a custom recurve back in 1990 and upon arrival Byron Ferguson was in town at a big archery shoot. He looked the bow over,shot it, and then advised that the bowyer built a good bow but he would recommend that I not unstring/string the bow,just keep it strung. I've only replaced the string,never unstrung it since. I think I own the only bow made by that bowyer that hasn't had a limb blow up. I can't tell any poundage loss(wouldn't mind if it did lose a few lbs,honestly).Good luck!

I keep my glass bows strung all the time. My favorite glass longbow was made in 1988-89, and its been strung for years at a time sincs. I really have only unstrung it when I've moved or shipped it somewhere. (I was in the military) It still pulls the marked poundage on a bow scale.  Theres nothing wrong with leaving a glass bow strung.

My experience has been the same my go to bows stay strung-period.

All new info to me.  It makes sense w/ a newer bow, but if the limbs are even off a fraction of a cm, the constant tension of being strung is going to pull them further "off."  I always unstring mine, but that's just the way I have always done it.

Dirtguy  If the bow you want to buy was strung but hung by the string or on pegs as you stated it should be O.K.If it was leaned on one tip in a closet it could have a limb twist so ask for an inspection period to examine.Kip