# How do you guys store your recurve bows?



## BrianfromTulsa (Jul 23, 2003)

Do you hang them on a gun type rack or lay them flat on the floor? Or is there a better way?


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## ex-diver (Dec 20, 2002)

*Not on the floor*

I lay mine flat on a shelf off the ground (floor) for now. I would not let it hold it's own weight on end you know standing up. 

I'm not sure whether to get a case or mount hooks horizontal. 

Remember heat rises so if there up high make sure they're covered so they don't dry out to much. Depends on type of materials.
Out for now


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## Kitsap (Dec 24, 2002)

*Picking up your room dept.:*

Store?! You mean like actually putting things away where they belong? Perish the thought! There has to be some advantage to being a bachelor. . . but lets see now, I've been meaning to build a bow rack but it's been kinda low on my priority list. Meanwhile, the longbow is stored horizontally over the door between the living room and the kitchen; one recurve is sort of stored on the dining room table (along with a shotgun project and some arrows in need of repair); another recurve is in a bedroom leaning against a trunk; and the last recurve is by the door (leaning against the wall). 

Frankly, given that I use my bows on a daily basis, I don't think that it matters all that much how you store the bow so long as you don't dry it out (heat) or leave it standing for a long period of time. 
If you are going to store the bow for weeks or months before shooting it again then you will want to store it horizontally. If you use your bow every day, then it really isn't all that critical.


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## don s (Mar 7, 2003)

i don't have a lot of storage space. thats the main reason i went with a takedown. easy to store, easy to transport. 
don


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## WOLFSLAYER (Nov 8, 2002)

*Its actually ok to*

leave a modern longbow strung always.. as you will get the 
string stretched to its max stretch..then your accuracy will settle in instead of changing 6 months down the road after all the 
stringing and unstringing... the bow will shoot smoother..as it
becomes used to bending..instead of having to go from straight to curved.. a bow is made to live curved.. being straight is not normal for it.. i have a bear longbow that has been strung 8 years now constantly... and it shoots as good as the day it was new.. BUT NEVER EVER LEAVE A BOW IN THE SUN..EVER !!!!!!!
AND NEVER STRING ONE WHILE IT IS BELOW 40 DEGREES IF YOU CAN AVOID IT IN ANY WAY... 
if you are going to hunt in below 40 deg weather.. string it 
the night before and put it outside.. let it get used to the hunting
temp.. give it a couple of shots before you head out..make sure its
acclimated well.. and your accuracy hasnt suffered from a warm to a cold bow, it just may... some folks sight in their compounds
in 90 degree summer weather...then expect it to shoot the same at 30 degrees during season.... IT WONT....


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## Kitsap (Dec 24, 2002)

*Leaving a 'Modern Longbow Strung...'*

Wolf, an interesting contribution! I take it that your longbows do not take a set from being strung for a long time. By the way, would you expand on just what is considered a "Modern" longbow? Are you referring to longbows which are backed/bellied with GRP or similar? Also, am I right in guessing that one of the big advantages to doing this is that the upper string loop experiences much less wear?


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## ELKARCHER (Apr 21, 2003)

*Recurves*

Does the "leave it strung" theory apply to recurves too?
I believe I heard this in the eighties, reason is the chances of twisting a limb during the restringing are increased.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

B from T -

Unstrung, resting horzontally on bow racks.

I not a big believer in keeping recurves and longbows stung. While it won't "hurt" a modern bow, a strung bow stores a great deal of potential energy. While it should be kept out of reach, if a string snaps, because of you dog chewing on it, kids, what ever, you've got a problem; they safer unstrung, Also I have over 30 bows, keeping them strung wouldn't be practical. A good bow stringer, used properly, will prevent any twisting. 

In the old days, in NY anyway, it was illegal to carry / transport a strung bow through the streets (ie to and from the range). Not sure how that applies to compounds, these days.

Viper1 out.


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## BrianfromTulsa (Jul 23, 2003)

Thank you guys.


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## WOLFSLAYER (Nov 8, 2002)

*KITSAP*

i would have to say...if a bow took a set it wouldnt 
hurt a thing.. you would be taking a set in the area where the 
bow has to bend naturally anyway.. an arrow shot would 
start that bend at a point past the set..not before or into it..
and it would return to a point before the set.. not into or past it..
so the set would not fall into the range of draw at all... 
most modern bows ( those made in the last 6 to 8 years) 
should suffer no set..or minor...which would hurt nothing if they 
even set at all.. 

all you would be doing is causing the bow to move closer to its
designed operating shape.. YOU MAKE IT MOVE CLOSER YET JUST BY STRINGING IT.. SO HOW COULD IT BE DETRIMENTAL ? i just cant see it being negative in any way.. excecpt astetic perhaps..
IT DOES HOWEVER..HAVE MANY ADVANTGES...

1. it will stretch the string to maximum operational dimension
faster..which means your bow will become stable in accuracy faster..

2. it allows the bow to be used immediatly without having to wait for a tempature adjustment to set in before you string it...say if it were to be out in the extreem cold unstrung all night.. you wouldnt want to try and string it that way.. but if it was already strung.. its ready to go in the same temp your going to be hunting in...and this eliminates the possibility of damage during 
stringing just before a hunt

3. less wear on the tips from stringing and unstringing..

4. i believe a bow string aquires a "set" to it as it moves..stretches..flexes..ect.. and it becomes acclimated to the
way its expected to function.. constant removing of it.. swapping ends around...ect... i believe causes the string alot of stress..

5. yea.. findin a place to put a strung bow can be a pain in the butt.. thats why theres plenty of deer horns on my wall...always a place to hang one... the back seat works great for it in the jeep..end of problem. 

i think the old recurves benifited from staying strung because of 
ADHESIVE TECHNOLOGY.. i think it was easier on the bow laminations not to have to bend and unbend so drastically back then..as the glues were not quite as dependable as some today..
its a frequent story you hear about older recurves simply dismanteling themselfs in a hot car.....bummer..


LETS DEFINE " MODERN " 
( What we are really talking about here, is the TECHNOLOGY that
goes into the construction of a bow.. AND IN TODAYS TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCING WORLD.. A YEAR IS A LIFETIME FOR SOME THINGS... TO LOOK MUCH PAST 5 OR 6 YEARS IN THE SCIENCE OF GLUES..LAMINATES..AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY TODAY, WOULD BE THE TECHNOLOCIGAL EQUAVILENT OF USING OLD WORLD TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD SHIPS) SO , when we speak of modern bows... we are speakin in TECHNOLOGICAL ERA'S..... in fact.. looking at bow advances in just the last 3 years... has left most technology existing before that OBSOLETE.... i hope that helps clairify what i ment.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

*Re: KITSAP*

Wolf - 

Not sure about some of your comments ...



WOLFSLAYER said:


> *i would have to say...if a bow took a set it wouldnt
> hurt a thing.. you would be taking a set in the area where the
> bow has to bend naturally anyway.. an arrow shot would
> start that bend at a point past the set..not before or into it..
> ...


*

Modern bows, any laminated bow properly made from the sixties on, will not take a set. Experiments years ago proved that. Self bows are a different story.




all you would be doing is causing the bow to move closer to its designed operating shape.. YOU MAKE IT MOVE CLOSER YET JUST BY STRINGING IT.. SO HOW COULD IT BE DETRIMENTAL ?

Click to expand...

IF it did take a set, and I don't believe it would, you are correct it would be closer to it's shooting position, but would loose some degree of force transfer to the arrow, ie, the change from stored (potential) energy to arrow speed (kinetic energy). Lets take the extreme example where the bow "set" to the strung position, can't happen I know, but humor me. When you released the arrow and the string moves forward it would be relaxed as it passed it's resting brace height. The snap of the string would be softened, and the energy transfer would be diminished. If the bow takes a set of a degree or two, the effect may indeed be minor. But technically still there.




i just cant see it being negative in any way.. excecpt astetic perhaps..
IT DOES HOWEVER..HAVE MANY ADVANTGES...

Click to expand...

Let's look at these ...




1. it will stretch the string to maximum operational dimension faster..which means your bow will become stable in accuracy faster..

Click to expand...

Hold on there, I use B-50 Dacron, probably the oldest stuff on the market. On a hunting weight bow, (my old hinting bows were in the #60 - 100 range) that thing was stretched to it's end point with the first stringing. Period. I know some say the Dacon has a continual creep, but I've never noticed a signicant change in brace height, nocking points, etc, with a new string. Sorry, but i can only speak for strings that I've personally made.




2. it allows the bow to be used immediatly without having to wait for a tempature adjustment to set in before you string it...say if it were to be out in the extreem cold unstrung all night.. you wouldnt want to try and string it that way.. but if it was already strung.. its ready to go in the same temp your going to be hunting in...and this eliminates the possibility of damage during stringing just before a hunt

Click to expand...

On a hunting trip, to a very cold site, I might agree with you. And would probably keep the bow strung for the duration. But even in the old days, when I used to hunt, I might go up once or twice a year, I'd go to the range, 2 - 3 times a week. No real temp change there.




3. less wear on the tips from stringing and unstringing..

Click to expand...

I think the tips can hold up pretty well. They're designed to. Haven had one go yet.




4. i believe a bow string aquires a "set" to it as it moves..stretches..flexes..ect.. and it becomes acclimated to the
way its expected to function.. constant removing of it.. swapping ends around...ect... i believe causes the string alot of stress..

Click to expand...

One the string has reached it "limit" it will remember that, and get back there fairly quickly, ie as soon as it's re-strung. I have 30 year old stings that still shoot quite well. (Yes, I normally I do replace them sooner,  ).




5. yea.. findin a place to put a strung bow can be a pain in the butt.. thats why theres plenty of deer horns on my wall...always a place to hang one... the back seat works great for it in the jeep..end of problem.

Click to expand...

Well, if you have kids or have company over, a strung bow is a temptation. If the bow is unstrung, you have a few more seconds, to stop a potential accident. Current bow rack count is four, planning a fifth to replace some of the smaller ones. They do take up less space, unstrung. BTW - how do you fit a strung 70" target bow in the backseat of a JEEP !!!, Yes, I know, very carefully. Seriously, a strung bow is a lot more dangerous bouncing around the backseat of anything, due to the stored potentual energy. I'd rather have an inert stick, sitting there. You might figure I don't do the compound thing.




i think the old recurves benifited from staying strung because of ADHESIVE TECHNOLOGY.. i think it was easier on the bow laminations not to have to bend and unbend so drastically back then..as the glues were not quite as dependable as some today.. its a frequent story you hear about older recurves simply dismanteling themselfs in a hot car.....bummer..

Click to expand...

Actually, no. The bow was laminated in the unstrung position. The adhesives cured in that position, so by leaving them strung, IN THEORY, you are incresing the stress on the limbs, laminations etc. Add changes to temp, moisture, you may have a problem. Happily, in my 35 years of shooting, I only seen two bows come apart. One delamination and one crack center on the handle.




LETS DEFINE " MODERN " 
( What we are really talking about here, is the TECHNOLOGY that
goes into the construction of a bow.. AND IN TODAYS TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCING WORLD.. A YEAR IS A LIFETIME FOR SOME THINGS... TO LOOK MUCH PAST 5 OR 6 YEARS IN THE SCIENCE OF GLUES..LAMINATES..AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY TODAY, WOULD BE THE TECHNOLOCIGAL EQUAVILENT OF USING OLD WORLD TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD SHIPS) SO , when we speak of modern bows... we are speakin in TECHNOLOGICAL ERA'S..... in fact.. looking at bow advances in just the last 3 years... has left most technology existing before that OBSOLETE.... i hope that helps clairify what i ment.

Click to expand...

*By modern, I mean the bows of the late 60's on. My newest bow is over 20 years old. I'm sure that bows of new manufacture are technologically advanced, but the old timers hold up pretty well. Do I personally know what would have happened if, I'd left one strung for that lenght of time, frankly, no I don't. (Only know what I've read) But I'm glad I can still shoot my Hoyt PMs, Bear Tamerlanes, Howard Hill's, Pearsons, etc. 

I'm not going to try and suggest how you handle or store your stuff, that's your call. Just want to give folks both sides of the story, then it becomes their call.

Viper1 out.


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## Seymour (Aug 25, 2003)

I either put the bow on two nails spaced adequately on the wall unbraced with the back down or I hang it from one nail by the string, top limb on top, again unbraced.

My bows get plenty of exercise so stretching the string has never been a problem. Admittedly I sometimes leave a bow braced for a couple three days when the string's the new, but otherwise I unbrace the thing and hang it as previously noted.

I don't put bows on the floor because then I tend to step on them, hurting my feet. I don't put them on the rifle rack either because then I'd have to decide what to do with the rifle. Of course you can lean a rifle in the corner without much difficulty or hazard, as long as it's unloaded, but bows are a different matter. You lean on them, they tend to get a little twisted sometimes. Except if they're Howard Hill bows, then they already have the lower limb tip worn down, just like Howard's did.


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## Hasbro (Jul 5, 2003)

On my wall Horizontal, wood pegs, unstrung, back down. I wouldn't lay one on the floor especially if you have carpet. We have high humidity here in the Tulsa area and moisture might be a problem.

Hasbro


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## popseal (Sep 29, 2015)

Store a recurve: 1. on a horizontal rack made for the purpose, 2. hanging vertically by one of the ends without touching the floor, 3. hanging vertically unstrung in a carrying case made for the bow, 4. unstrung laying on the floor. A Pro Sop where I've had a couple of lessons has dozens of strung recurves and long bows on racks and antlers everywhere. Both my Bear and Martin recurves came with factory instructions to unstring the bow if not used for more than a week (I have no idea why, since I see Pro shops with bows strung all the time).


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## reddogge (Jul 21, 2009)

Here's how mine are stored. This is an old makeshift rack for R/C airplane wings and fuselages. Note some are strung and some are not. Another good way is unstrung hung on a peg under the string.


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## fallhunt (Aug 2, 2013)

I am not advocating allowing a bow to hold its own weight standing upright on its limb tip for long periods of time.

However, I am similar to those who do not advocate storing a bow strung while agreeing that modern bows can be left strung for a long time without harm. The longest any of my bows have ever remained strung would be during a hunt. I am guessing that I have never left a bow strung more than about 8 to 10 hours.

On the other hand I have seemingly severely abused several of my longbows and recurves by storing them upright on end in the corner of a closet for many years. I have two longbows and one recurve that spent about 48 years being stored this way. I have another recurve that spent about 25 years stored this way. I observe no obvious deleterious effects from this contemptible neglect.

Due to guilt and my relatively recent devotion to traditional archery, I am currently storing all my new bows plus those bows I have owned for a long time lying horizontally unstrung on an elevated wide shelf.

I understand that this is an extremely small sample size plus I might just be exceptionally lucky. I do wonder whether horizontal storage is not similar to storing a bow unstrung. Overall, it is wisest to store a bow unstrung. It is wisest to store a bow horizontally. But one should not lose a minute’s sleep about having previously violated either of these best practices.

I have never and still never use a bow stringer for longbows. I now use a bow stringer for my recurves. But all my recurves have been strung many times by the push-pull method. Some have been repeatedly strung this way for many years without any observable harm. If I realized that I drove to a hunt or archery range without my stringer, I would not hesitate to string my recurves by the push-pull method.

I believe some of these things are excellent best practice advice while still being blown way out of proportion in regard to the odds of actual harm from occasionally not following the advice. Be happy. Don’t worry.


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