What's the consensus on leaving a bow strung, both a recurve and a longbow?

Obviously, you don't want it strung for 3 months with it never being shot, but how long is too long? Should you unstring your bow occasionally just for the heck of it? What if you're shooting every day?

My fiberglass recurves stay strung.Everything I have heard is that more damage happens while stringin and unstringing.One of mine has been stung for 3 years no probleam.

If I am shooting on a regular basis mine stays strung all the time.  Since I shoot pretty much year round I usually have at least one strung at all times, sometimes more.  Have never had a problem, and most bowyers suggest leaving them strung for the reason that fxe gave.

I shoot three to four times a week,and I leave my bow strung year around.Blackwidow says you can do more damage to your bow, buy stringing and unstringing.And if you leave it strung it may drop a pound or two.

All glass backed bows long bows or recurves can be left strung for years with no ill effects I leave mine strung only unstring to change brace hights or install a new string  

Leave all mine strung year round. Only unstring when travelling long distances and during warmer months when travelling anywhere.

My recurve has been strung for 5 months. No worries!

Since at brace neither limbs nor string is at any significant stress as compared to ultimate strenght one would not expect significant decay or measurable lowering of draw weight in at least several years, probably decades, at room temperature.
Epoxy under stress will creep at elevated temperatures though. This(epoxy decay) and possible wood decay suggest it migh not be smart to keep a bow strung for centuries...

Tests with epoxy/glass specimens kept at 60% breaking strength in a 3point flexure test showed breakage after several months at 50 degrees C. This can be compared to keeping the bow at full draw...in a car in the sun.
Keeping the specimens immersed in water will accelrate decay.

K

Have had mine strung for 18 yrs with out any problems.  I am like everyone else - only unstring it to change strings or when traveling on a plane, etc.  I don't think I have lost a pound on the limbs.

Wow, If I'm not using mine, I unstring it. It never occured to me to leave it strung. I'll be interested to hear what everyone else has to say.
                                  -Hillbilly

I unstring them if they are going in the car.  Otherwise they stay strung.

I've never, ever unstrung my first ever bow. A 60" 70# Pronghorn. It gets shot maybe 6 times a year, totalling maybe 100 arrows.

It's been like that for 5 years now. Still 70#.

Every bow that I shoot regularly (once a month or more longbow or recurve) stays strung, with the exception of a bow-bolted 2-piece longbow. I'm still ot 100% confident on that one. The other 16 stay strung.

Fiberglass laminated bows can stay strung except in high heat (car) situations (don't ask how I know   ).

Self-bows should be unstrung when not in use. They will eventually develop string follow anyway, but unstringing will minimize it and extend the life of a self-bow.

I unstring my Widows and my Pronghorn every time I shoot which is every day. I am careful when I string and unstring them but there's just something that grates me if I'd see them under pressure 24/7. I may regret it someday but mine always get unstrung.They just look more "comfortable" in the bow rack! Just my little quirk!

all of you leaving your bows strung,...are those all wood bows?  I keep reading references to fiberglas.
thanks

I left my selfbow strung for some time last year now I can string it from both ends at once  

One of my Dale Dye's has been strung for over 5 yrs. and still 65@28.

Great stuff.  I normally unstring mine after I shoot but maybe I'll change this policy.

QuoteOriginally posted by pipe:
all of you leaving your bows strung,...are those all wood bows?  I keep reading references to fiberglas.
thanks

No, these are not all wood bows. They have glass laminations on the belly and the back. They are generally not suseptible to string follow (curving toward the string when unstrung).

Self-bows are one single piece of wood with no backing of any kind. They will all develop string follow over time. This will happen more quickly if they are left strung.

Backed bows have something, rawhide, bamboo, another wood lamination, sinew, etc., glued to the back of the bow to help it resist splintering. I would guess these should also be unstrung, but I don't have much experience with them, so it may be okay at least with some of them. Someone may chime in with the answer to that.

Fred Bear was asked about this once; and he said that he had experimented and left bows strung for 3 years. He found a couple poundage drop; but after a day- the bows were restrung and came back to original weight.

I would think a self bow is a different story; but laminated wood and fiberglass bows.. I normally leave mine strung for the season... which could be a year  

Note though that in my humble opinion; no bow should be left for any amount of time sitting upright. I hang my bows so the weight is on the strings- lay the string across a deer rack; and the preasure is then on the string; and only the weight of the bow.

I have seen several cases of people leaning a bow in a corner; or against a wall; and ending up with a twisted limb. Maybe co-incidence; but maybe not ...