# Leaving a recurve strung... how long is too long?



## jusoldave (Apr 28, 2012)

We just had this discussion in another thread; seems the consensus was that, more critical than the amount of time a bow is left strung, is the way it's stored strung: the important thing is to not torque the limbs - either lay the bow flat, or suspend it so it hangs straight & plumb.

Edit: Ah; found it. Here ya go: http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1856698


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## vulcan12 (Oct 9, 2007)

Yes, leave recurves strung. Proper storage is a must.

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk 2


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## ladOR (Oct 24, 2012)

I hang mine strung from two horizontal wall hangers. I checked with makers of my bows and all said the same thing.


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## Nokhead (Jun 10, 2012)

Well, leave it strung for the day for sure, and use a stringer. I don't believe in leaving them strung all the time, seems like to never unstring it is mostly laziness, although a maker's blessing provides for a good excuse. Even though, having said that, the previous owner of my 72# Browning Fury II recurve left it strung for six months hoping it would lose some poundage. It didn't.


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## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

If you're shooting the bow several times a day, go ahead and leave it strung all day. That can't hurt a thing.

Weeks, months, and even years at a time seem fine for most modern bows if we're splittin' hairs. 

That said, why not unstring it overnight a couple of times a week just to ease your mind and give the limbs a rest. And, nothing wrong with unstringing it every day after your last session.


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

My better half Katrin has a Border Longbow apart from a few times a year when traveling to international shoots the bow has been left strung for around 7 years, it still shoots as good as the day she purchased it.

I have quite a few bows, all are unstrung and just the one Im currently shooting is left strung, I keep all my bows on a rack


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## BowmanJay (Jan 1, 2007)

Most modern material bows will handel being strung all the time. I agree you need to assure that it is stored correctly, that will be the key. I would still un string it if you are going to leave it for extended periods, I just dont see the practicallity of leaving a bow strung for no reason when it is so easy to unstring....


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## MGF (Oct 27, 2012)

My most recent bow purchase was a Bear Montana...a laminated "long bow".

The owners manual says that it should not be left strung for more than a few days at a time.

I leave my bows strung all day when hunting or shooting and sometimes over night. Other then that, I unstring them to put them away.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

I have several bows I don't shoot much, they're unstrung. The bow I shoot all the time is always strung and only unstrung if it goes in the truck.


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

I have a Pearson Predator from about 1972. Through a series of mis-adventures, it was stored strung for over 15 years. It's still 50# @ 28" just like it should be. I still leave it strung unless it's going in the car. 
No problems with the limbs, but the strings stretch a bit during multi-year storage.

Allen


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## Bowmania (Jan 3, 2003)

I was at a proshop a couple of years ago and they had a Bear SuperMag strung and hanging on two hooks for a decoration. I asked the owner how long that bow was hanging there. He laught and said over 40 years. The limbs were still straight and it was within one pound of what was marked. So to answer your question - 40 years is not too long.

Bowmania


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## SCVet (Aug 23, 2012)

When i left home, i came back after a couple years to pick up the rest of my things and found my brown bear strung, backwards! Probably by my teenage nephew. No telling how long it had been like that, but it still shoots fine. That was over twenty years ago.


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## AngelDeVille (May 9, 2012)

IF I unstring mine I tend to shoot less....


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## ArcherFletch (Jul 8, 2012)

I always leave them unstrung I thought you had to lol. Now I may look at leaving some strung after reading this thread!


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## jusoldave (Apr 28, 2012)

Just don't stand it in corner on one limb tip, or toss it in the corner of the closet like my son in law did... should be fine.


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## dayrlm (May 20, 2010)

Typically I leave them unstrung when not in use. Most bows seem to be okay if you store correctly and strung. The question I always ask is what is the possibility that someone might come along and pick it up and dry fire it? If that is not likely then don't worry to much, but if children, grandkids or their friends or even your friends might then unstring to be safe.


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## woodpecker1 (Sep 6, 2012)

leave emstrung . ive never unstrung my gharing static tip recurve only 3 times since ive owned it.


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## TheLongbowShoot (Mar 23, 2012)

I only unstring mine because I have a T/D case where thats the only way it fits.. lol..


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

Nokhead said:


> Well, leave it strung for the day for sure, and use a stringer. I don't believe in leaving them strung all the time, seems like to never unstring it is mostly laziness, although a maker's blessing provides for a good excuse. Even though, having said that, the previous owner of my 72# Browning Fury II recurve left it strung for six months hoping it would lose some poundage. It didn't.


I leave at least one of them strung, and hung near the door with my quiver full of whatever arrows match that bow, so that I can easily grab take a few shots from time to time.

Viper1 had probably the best reason for unstringing a bow, stated in his fantastic book, _Shooting the Stickbow_. When a bow is strung, it seems to be an invitation for others to pick it up and draw it. The ignorant may even dry fire the thing. My kids know better, so I thought no problem. Nobody I know is going to be so rude as to pick up somebody else's bow and start playing with it without asking... Had a friend come over, and while he knew better than to dry fire, without saying a thing he picks up the hanging bow and starts tugging on it. Never asked. Hmmm.... It's still strung, but... I'm a little uneasier about it.


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## Draugr (Aug 15, 2012)

Well I have had my Samick Sage for almost 2 months now and shoot it every day. I strung it the day I got it and it has been strung since. When I finish shooting I just wipe it off and hang it on the gun rack. Has not seemed to suffer any ill effects so far.


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## AngelDeVille (May 9, 2012)

BarneySlayer said:


> I leave at least one of them strung, and hung near the door with my quiver full of whatever arrows match that bow, so that I can easily grab take a few shots from time to time.
> 
> Viper1 had probably the best reason for unstringing a bow, stated in his fantastic book, _Shooting the Stickbow_. When a bow is strung, it seems to be an invitation for others to pick it up and draw it. The ignorant may even dry fire the thing. My kids know better, so I thought no problem. Nobody I know is going to be so rude as to pick up somebody else's bow and start playing with it without asking... Had a friend come over, and while he knew better than to dry fire, without saying a thing he picks up the hanging bow and starts tugging on it. Never asked. Hmmm.... It's still strung, but... I'm a little uneasier about it.


Agreed

For sure when company comes over it gets unstrung for that very reason!


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## Brad32825 (Sep 13, 2012)

When I'm practicing daily, I always leave my bow strung. I've been told that stringing a bow is roughly equivalent to shooting it 500 times, it's pretty stressful on the bow. Also Bear has one of their early bows they built that has neve been strung and it only lost 1/4 lb in several decades. The only time I'd say never leave a bow strung is in a car when travelling for an extended time. Heat on a strung bow is very bad.


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## Logos (Jul 29, 2012)

BarneySlayer said:


> Viper1 had probably the best reason for unstringing a bow, stated in his fantastic book, _Shooting the Stickbow_. When a bow is strung, it seems to be an invitation for others to pick it up and draw it. The ignorant may even dry fire the thing.


Yep.

That's the thing. I leave everything strung, but I'm on the alert for what company might do with the one that can be easily reached.

I've found if you hang them high and add a little complexity like other gear hung with and around them, people will NOT go to the trouble of taking them down because they'll have to take a couple other things down and then put them back up.

Hardly anybody will mess with your stuff to that extent.

:nod:


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## Widow's son (Jul 21, 2012)

Most bow limbs are twisted while being strung or unstrung. I just keep mine strung and hanging by the strings. I'd have to go back and look but I believe leaving them strung is Ken Beck's suggestion. I shoot every day and these bows are left strung. Some of my others are unstrung and don't get shot very much.


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## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

Stringing a bow is the equivalent to about half a draw. No stress on the bow whatsoever.

The damage to a bow (or yourself) will be done by stringing improperly and twisting the limbs.


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

Logos said:


> Yep.
> 
> I've found if you hang them high and add a little complexity like other gear hung with and around them, people will NOT go to the trouble of taking them down because they'll have to take a couple other things down and then put them back up.
> 
> ...


Good tip. I will try that!


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## Widow's son (Jul 21, 2012)

Thin Man said:


> Stringing a bow is the equivalent to about half a draw. No stress on the bow whatsoever.
> 
> The damage to a bow (or yourself) will be done by stringing improperly and twisting the limbs.


I totaly agree. That's actually what I meant in my post. I guess it just didn't come across that way. LOL!


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## JINKSTER (Mar 19, 2011)

I left my Bob Lee strung and hanging square from the string for about 10 years..and when i finally drug it out of the closet?...i was actually hoping it lost a few pounds..result?....not an ounce...and the limbs were dead square...and it was also dead quiet on the 1st draw. (that's the part that really blew my mind)


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## rattus58 (Jul 9, 2007)

echatham said:


> I just got my first recurve and am shooting several times a day. I string it and unstring it every time. Is this necessary or is it just that you dont want to put it away strung for weeks or months?
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


They say with modern bows... no problem not to worry..... I unstring mine every nite.... regardless and some of my still shooting bows are 15 years old.......


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## Nokhead (Jun 10, 2012)

Doesn't using a stringer avoid any potential damage, or stress, possibility of twisting the limbs when stringing/unstringing the bow? I've been using a stringer and it seems to be a darn good way to do it. ??


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## CFGuy (Sep 14, 2012)

Nokhead said:


> Doesn't using a stringer avoid any potential damage, or stress, possibility of twisting the limbs when stringing/unstringing the bow? I've been using a stringer and it seems to be a darn good way to do it. ??


Yeah this seems like a safe way to do it? I would imagine people twist their limbs when they try to do a through the leg method or something similar. Using a stringer seems very near to simply drawing the bow.


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## UrbanDeerSlayer (Feb 10, 2012)

I use a stringer but when i went to Denton Hill this year and shopped the vendors tent and test shot quite a few bows, i was amazed that not one Bowyer used a stringer. Everyone of the bows i shot was handed to me after the bowyer strung it up without a stringer. So i said to one of the Bowyers "if i strung it like that and damaged it then the warranty would be voided, correct?" . I didn't get an answer.


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## CFGuy (Sep 14, 2012)

UrbanDeerSlayer said:


> I use a stringer but when i went to Denton Hill this year and shopped the vendors tent and test shot quite a few bows, i was amazed that not one Bowyer used a stringer. Everyone of the bows i shot was handed to me after the bowyer strung it up without a stringer. So i said to one of the Bowyers "if i strung it like that and damaged it then the warranty would be voided, correct?" . I didn't get an answer.


Were they vendors or bowyers?


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