# when to unstring a recurve?



## mattrshort (Dec 24, 2015)

Good question, I'm also curious to hear people's thoughts on this topic.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sawtoothscream (Apr 19, 2008)

Hear mix reviews on it, I know a guy that never unstrings his bows and they shoot the same year after year. Since it only takes a second to string and unstring I always unstring mine when im done shooting


----------



## Tracker12 (Sep 22, 2003)

I only unstring my traditional bows when I travel or adjust the brace height. Otherwise they stay strung.

I have recurves that are more than 40 years old and the limbs are as straight as ever.


----------



## Sky-Dogg (Sep 15, 2013)

Same here as Tracker12. I have never seen a change in draw weight or performance from leaving my traditional longbows and recurves strung. That said. I never leave a self bow or laminated primitive bow strung any longer than necessary. Brian


----------



## Graniteone (Jun 3, 2015)

Good beta! I debate this with my friends all the time. I leave my recurves strung and always unstring my longbows after shooting because I store them in their socks.


----------



## Chris1ny (Oct 23, 2006)

Now only time I would unstrung is during transportation in a hot car.


----------



## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

I leave any bow I'm shooting regularly strung. There's also nobody in my house that will mess with a strung bow if I'm not there.

If traveling, legally it needs to be unstrung or cased in Minnesota.


----------



## reddogge (Jul 21, 2009)

I keep the modern ones strung all the time. The classics from the 60s I keep unstrung. If you have small children around that may mess with the bows I'd unstring them.


----------



## mikeja (Feb 2, 2016)

I used to unstring every time. Now if I'm shooting a particular bow regularly I'll keep it strung. Arguments for both sides such as: unstringing every time you risk limb twist issues (even if using a bow stringer). Vs. Wood has memory, therefor a strung bow will keep some of the memory in the strung position which is bad, therefore unstring. For some reason I feel better unstringing, but have heard of people keeping laminated wood bows strung for years without issue. Just my humble opinion.


----------



## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

I used to leave my Tradtech recurves strung 24/7. Never had a problem. Just kept an eye on the strings condition.

I unstring my bows now however, to better fit my rack. Even my main bow (omega longbow) I shoot gets unstrung after use.


----------



## Scizo (Jan 30, 2016)

I'm not sure about the manufacturer (Martin maybe) but I read that they recommended to unstrung the bow if you are not going to shoot it for a long period of time...I'm used to have it strung cause I shoot it almost every day, only unstrung to carry it in the car.


----------



## flygilmore (Aug 23, 2011)

I leave all of mine strung BUT, I also shoot them ALL every day. At most, one of my bows may go 2-3 days w/out being shot.


----------



## mcnabb100 (Apr 4, 2015)

I just leave them strung. They stay inside the house, so I'm not really worried about it.


----------



## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

I keep my recurves strung but I unstring my compound bows. 

Bows made of modern materials can be kept strung. It is really a safety question. Bows that are strung can be shot by folks that have no business shooting them. They can also be dry fired by people that do not know any better.


----------



## sawtoothscream (Apr 19, 2008)

Hank D Thoreau said:


> I keep my recurves strung but I unstring my compound bows.
> 
> Bows made of modern materials can be kept strung. It is really a safety question. Bows that are strung can be shot by folks that have no business shooting them. They can also be dry fired by people that do not know any better.


typo? or joke


----------



## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

I only unstrung mine when I'm traveling to tourneys.

My better half Katrin has had her Border Longbow strung for 12 years, like me she only unstrung the bow when traveling on an Airplane, last Chrono tested it and hasn't lost any speed since new.


----------



## Todd the archer (Feb 7, 2003)

Knew a guy shooting a Olympic style bow and as he was getting older thought he would do better if it was a couple pounds lighter, so he rigged a broom handle or 2X4 not sure which and brace it to full draw and let it sit for like month hoping it would lose some weight. Afterwards he checked it and found it didn't lose any weight.

For me if not regularly shooting I unstring.


----------



## olddogrib (Apr 4, 2014)

Ask your bowyer that question....mine would be immediately recognized by anyone on here. He'll tell you if you aren't using it, unstring it. I figure he knows more about it than I do...I'm just the one who "slapped leather" and pulled out the Benjamins. I listen, your mileage may vary.


----------



## Kris_H_97 (Sep 2, 2011)

Ok, I've heard guys store their recurves reverse strung. Any + or - to that theory?


----------



## 1roger1 (Jan 30, 2016)

I always leave my Grizzly strung. Even when I couldn't shoot I left it strung although ever once in awhile I would take it down and draw it a few times. I think the way you hand it is more important. I hang mine from the string horizontal from two pegs.


----------



## WAFlowers (Oct 30, 2014)

Kris, I reverse string my vintage Hoyt Gold Medalist after each session. When I do that the string is quite loose but a couple of days later it is much tighter. I'm guessing the old wooden limbs are relaxing.

Sent from my LG-D852 using Tapatalk


----------



## Scizo (Jan 30, 2016)

Kris_H_97 said:


> Ok, I've heard guys store their recurves reverse strung. Any + or - to that theory?


Yep, when for a long time reverse strung...but I do cause I don't lose my string and in that way the string keeps the twist and its brace height is again the same when restrung.


----------



## Archer Mech (Sep 7, 2014)

It takes me at most, five seconds to string and unstring my bows; whether it's my hunting bows or my lady's twenty-five pound target bow. Then our bows go in a case or sock and are protected. Our bows are only strung for use and not storage.


----------



## mikeja (Feb 2, 2016)

A few people have inferred something here that may go without saying, but no matter what, you'll always want to unstring when your bow is going to spend any amount of time in your vehicle, especially when it's warm outside.


----------



## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

Hank D Thoreau said:


> I keep my recurves strung but I unstring my compound bows.
> 
> Bows made of modern materials can be kept strung. It is really a safety question. Bows that are strung can be shot by folks that have no business shooting them. They can also be dry fired by people that do not know any better.


While we would hope that everybody would follow the basic etiquette of not messing with other people's toys without asking, some people don't. They may not mean any harm by it, but...

It's like leaving guns out. It's not that in itself it is dangerous, but it opens possibilities. If you do so, make sure you are very careful about who you let in your house, and under what conditions.


----------



## scott1952 (Feb 14, 2012)

Definitive answers are really from bowlers. All of these I know who make bows out of modern materials suggest keeping it stung if used regularly. Chances of twisting limbs is greater over time if stringing and unstringing regularly. Scott


----------



## Ken Thorhill (Feb 4, 2016)

Agree on unstrlnging any bow in a hot vehicle. If I am not shooting a bow for months at a time, I unstring it, otherwise it stays strung.
Unfortunately many limb twists occur when stringing a bow. These accidents are rare, but do happen.


----------



## menhir (Dec 4, 2015)

There seems to be a fuzzy line regarding new-ish bows that you don't have to unstring, and old-ish bows that you should.

For two of my bows, it's not important...
I keep my longbow unstrung because it's easier to store and I don't use it much anymore. Pity.
I keep my Phantom take-down unstrung because, well, I take it down often to transport it when riding to the range on the motorcycle.  That's why I bought it.

Regarding my old green "Glass Powered" Bear Kodiak Hunter, It's serial number starts with KT, so I hear (from the interwebs) that it was likely manufactured between 1970 & 1976. ?
I'd like this to be my grab-n-go bow, so it would be nice if I could leave it strung. Am I in the good-to-go category?


----------



## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

I guess I am from the old school. I always relax a braced bow when not in use for extended period. If a process has an unknown factor, I usually go with the known and in this case there is greater sureness that an unstrung bow stored properly will not acquire any detrimental effects.

To my recollection I have never personally witnessed one but there are accounts given that a person's bow lost poundage after leaving strung for long time, and one that said after leaving his bow strung for an extended period, how long I don't know, his bow took set and the limbs would no longer throw.


----------



## Trimf (May 15, 2015)

I unstring mine when not being shot regularly but the bow that's being shot day to day stays strung.
I don't believe leaving them strung long term does them any harm.

John.


----------



## Paul Lobo (Mar 13, 2009)

I unstring after each session. It doesn't take long and I don't worry about problem.


----------



## Jim Casto Jr (Aug 20, 2002)

Bows I shoot regularly stay strung. I'm convinced there's nothing negative about leaving limbs with glass/carbon strung.


----------



## Flying Dog (Aug 12, 2004)

I only unstring mine if I do not plan on shooting it for an extended period of time. Otherwise I keep my glass backed bow strung. As mentioned, stringing and unstring can cause limb twist when using a stringer with certain recurve bows.


----------



## Joe Hohmann (Oct 24, 2013)

If I'm using a certain bow each day, I'll keep it strung, unless it's in a hot place or I know someone will be visiting. I never display any strung because someone is bound to take it off the wall and "try" it...and a dry-fire could wreck it.


----------



## Ringlight (May 5, 2015)

This is a topic that come up over and over again. Some people report no perceived difference in performance when leaving a bow strung all the time and others unstring and restring every time. The only way to settle this issue is to have two of the same bow, same draw weight, string type, etc. and taking baseline measurements of arrow speed and measured accuracy when new (a clicker or draw check would be necessary in order to keep the draw lengths the same). Both bows would be shot on the same schedule, with one never unstrung (except for brace height adjustments) and the other unstrung after each use. After a year or two, take the same velocity and accuracy measurements and compare to each bow's baseline. If there is any degradation of performance with the never unstrung bow, it will show up in the results and will be objective instead of using subjective reporting of performance that has been claimed in many of the preceding posts.


----------



## tecumseh03 (Dec 19, 2014)

Unstrung


----------



## Unk Bond (Aug 1, 2004)

Easykeeper said:


> I leave any bow I'm shooting regularly strung. There's also nobody in my house that will mess with a strung bow if I'm not there.
> 
> If traveling, legally it needs to be unstrung or cased in Minnesota.


=============

Hello
X2 same here [ Later


----------



## littlebuddy (Feb 12, 2016)

i always unstrung mine why leave pressure on your limbs? just my thought


----------



## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Guys - 

I really like this answer.



scott1952 said:


> Definitive answers are really from bowlers. All of these I know who make bows out of modern materials suggest keeping it stung if used regularly. Chances of twisting limbs is greater over time if stringing and unstringing regularly. Scott


Assuming of course, we're talking about bowyers and not bowlers (I know, spell check is a pain).

If I might paraphrase for those who didn't get it the first time: 

*Most bowyers don't think their customers are smart enough to string/unstring one of their bows without twisting the limbs. *

If you're doing a step through, sure you can expect a twisted limb; if you know how to use a stringer, hardly.

Viper1 out.


----------



## Longbow91115 (May 4, 2009)

I don't know why anyone would do a step through. When you consider the price of a bow vs the price of a stringer it's really pretty simple math for me. Unless I totally spaced one off on a pack trip you wouldn't catch me attempting to string a bow this way. EVER


----------



## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Longbow - 

Do you really have to ask why people would do a step through?
It's because it's traditional ... for ding-dong's sake!!! 

You are, or course, correct and while not 100%, because some people can be very creative, a good stringer properly used pretty much negates limb twist during stringing and unstringing. 

Viper1 out.


----------



## VA. Bowbender (Mar 31, 2006)

Longbow91115 said:


> I don't know why anyone would do a step through. When you consider the price of a bow vs the price of a stringer it's really pretty simple math for me. Unless I totally spaced one off on a pack trip you wouldn't catch me attempting to string a bow this way. EVER


I've been using step-through for 50 years without ever twisting a limb. Common sense and care go a long way. And...no I don't do this because of traditionalism, I was taught this way. I have however had a limb twist when using a stringer when the stringer pocket slipped. 
SIDE NOTE: I do use a stringer when I have a bow quiver attached to the bow. Unless the quiver is a quick removal such as a Bear 8 arrow.










Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------

