# Do I need to unstring a recurve



## tbearbow

*unstringing*

hey pal,
I've been shooting a long time and consider myself a perfectionist, not perfect though. Take my advice, unstring it everytime you are finished shooting with a stringer-block style design like the one from selway archery. Also I use a string keeper to attach my unstrung string to the lower limb. I use a limb tip cover that is always over the string and my upper limb tip, from protection and ensuring that it does not move. This should keep your brace height consistent. Now during hunting season......lets face it, we are all busy people today and this is a pain in the tail to play with the bowstring, so either take the time to do it every day or at least a couple times a week to releave the stress on the limbs. Always pull your bow back before shooting, ensuring the string is on properly, to stretch the limbs out and to warm up your muscles. It may seem more complicated than a compound, but in the end it is a simpler idea, think of how many parts are on your compound that you have to always think whether or not they moved a millimeter that may cause your arrows to shoot 6 inches to the left with all that compression. With a recurve/longbow all you gotta worry about is the bowstring.


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## NS17IL

*Unstring the Bow*

Unstring the Bow after you shot it every time. It better for the bow.


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## kegan

NS17IL said:


> Unstring the Bow after you shot it every time. It better for the bow.


And safer. Someone compared a strung bow to a loaded gun. ALot of power under tension. The bow can be left strung for a while wihout much harm (if it is a fiberglass laminate) but stuff happens.


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## hawgslayer

:darkbeer::darkbeer::darkbeer:

When I bought my Bob Lee HUNTER, you get a CD with it and it tells you everything you want to know and should know about all the DO'S and DON'TS CONCERNING YOUR SAFETY AND PROPER EVERYTHING FOR YOUR BOW.
Bod Lee's son Rob gives the 30 min presentation and this issue comes up and he answers it for you.
If you shoot your bow a few times a week you should leave it strung. I haven't unstrung my bow since I bought it. He claims that more accidents and twisted limbs are caused by stringing and unstringing your bow.
After my string settled down to the proper brace height, I never unstrung it and never will until I get a spare string ready for hunting.
Just thought I would pass this info on. Hope it helps.:thumbs_up:beer::thumbs_up:beer::archery:


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## Soumi

hawgslayer said:


> :darkbeer::darkbeer::darkbeer:
> 
> When I bought my Bob Lee HUNTER, you get a CD with it and it tells you everything you want to know and should know about all the DO'S and DON'TS CONCERNING YOUR SAFETY AND PROPER EVERYTHING FOR YOUR BOW.
> Bod Lee's son Rob gives the 30 min presentation and this issue comes up and he answers it for you.
> If you shoot your bow a few times a week you should leave it strung. I haven't unstrung my bow since I bought it. He claims that more accidents and twisted limbs are caused by stringing and unstringing your bow.
> After my string settled down to the proper brace height, I never unstrung it and never will until I get a spare string ready for hunting.
> Just thought I would pass this info on. Hope it helps.:thumbs_up:beer::thumbs_up:beer::archery:


I agree. I shoot my bow often and I leave it strung. It's in a safe place on a rack and it's not going to nock an arrow and go off by itself. Even if the string broke, it would cause no harm to anyone where it's at. Now if I'm not going to shoot for awhile, I will unstring it. I left my Palmer strung for years and I've measured it's draw weight during that time and it never lost anything. I think Bob Lee is right, more accidents and damage occur during stringing and unstringing, probably mostly by new users and improper techniques though.


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## AK in PA

Fiberglass laminated longbows and recurves only need to be unstrung if you don't plan to shoot them for an extended period of time or expect to take a trip with them in a hot car. All-wooden laminated bows and selfbows need to be unstrung when you're done shooting to prevent the limbs from retaining the bent shape. (Wood has a memory that is shaped by time, fiberglass doesn't. Heat can affect both.) A good osage selfbow can easily withstand a full day of hunting or shooting with no ill-affects, however, so there's no need to sweat about leaving it strung throughout the day.


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## Hutnicks

I always unstring after shootin. I agree that modern laminates probably do not need it, but it is my habit and I see no reason to change it.

On thing I will mention is never string it backwards as a method of holding the string. I have seen it done "just to keep the string tense" and its a very bad idea.


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## zillla

I'm with Hawgslayer & Suomi.. I leave mine strung most of the time. As stated.. The most accident prone time is when stringing/unstringing.. If I am not going to shoot for quite a while I break it down.. But I shoot a few times a week so it usually stays strung..


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## BowHunter6666

I leave mine strung because I shoot litteraly as soon as I get up I even shoot in my house I belive with modern bows you shouldnt have to worry but then again I maybe wrong but I havent noticed anything diffrent about my bows.


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## Viper1

Gents -

It's amazing how often this comes up. (Yes, Virginia, there is a search fucntion ).

1. Wooden selfbows need to unstrung after every shooting session, do the the likelyhood of string follow and decreased cast.

2. Glass/carbon + wood laminatated bows will not be harmed by being left strung for prolonged periods of time, especially if shot frequently. The exception being if they are left in a place with excessive heat or drastic temp changes.

HOWEVER - that's not the reason to unstring a bow (any bow) after every shooting session. Keeping a spring under tension and UNATTENDED is, in effect, an accident waiting to happen. Friends, visitors, kids (especally) and even pets can mess with the bow when you're not looking and the results can be costly in more ways than one. It's really about the same as leaving a loaded gun unattended. A lot of guys are SURE that there's no chance of anyone touching their bow when they aren't around. That goes under that same heading as the number of people shot by "unloaded" guns, think about it.

"More accidents happen when string and unstring a bow ..." Sure, if the guy doing the stringing and unstringing doesn't know what he's doing or isn't using a stringer. Sorry, folks, the proper use a bow stringer makes stringing and unstring a bow remarkably quick, easy and SAFE. I'm more concerned about bowyers who suggest that their bows be left strung. All that really tells me, is that they don't believe their customer have the common sense to string and unstring a bow properly. 

They are your bows and your family/friends - so your call.

Viper1 out.


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## sticbow

I've had my longbow unstrung just to change strings, other than that it's been strung ever since I made it over 10 yrs ago. I do unstring it to go outer island(travel) or to show someone the bows profile.
My recurve hasn't been unstrung for any length of time for 2 yrs. But,I do have some that I unstring every time I shoot them. so I have no real set pattern, the longbow still draws #[email protected] the same as the day I put the finishing touches on it.

But if I lived on the mainland where temperatures changes greatly during the year and you have a furnace in the house then YES I would unstring them.

But then again thats my .02


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## Bird dog

Black Widow says it's ok to leave strung unless not shooting for long periods of time. All depends on what kind of bow you have as stated earlier.


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## CAZ

*strung*

is it bad to leave my hoyt gamemaster strung


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## Soumi

CAZ said:


> is it bad to leave my hoyt gamemaster strung


No, you're bow will be just fine.


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## CAZ

*thanks*

ok thanks


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## BDavis

I'm not trying to 'jac this thread but I think it would be important to know how to properly store a bow that is strung. I've read elsewhere that it is not good to prop a bow up in a corner or behind a door for any length of time while it's under tension. So, do you hang them up in some way or lay them flat? I too leave my bow strung most of the time cause I try to shoot a little every other day. But I hang mine up by one end on a hook and let it swing free. Am I doing any harm to my bow?.....Thanks,B.


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## Soumi

BDavis said:


> I'm not trying to 'jac this thread but I think it would be important to know how to properly store a bow that is strung. *I've read elsewhere that it is not good to prop a bow up in a corner or behind a door for any length of time while it's under tension.* So, do you hang them up in some way or lay them flat? I too leave my bow strung most of the time cause I try to shoot a little every other day. But I hang mine up by one end on a hook and let it swing free. Am I doing any harm to my bow?.....Thanks,B.


Yeah, I don't think it's good either to leave it propped in the corner. 

I've hung mine from a peg like yours for years with no problems and know others who do including some well know boyers. I'm now keeping my main bow strung and set on a rack like the one below. Just plastic coated pegs from your local big box store screwed into the wall.


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