Bowstring Question

[ww_cottonmouth]

I have recently bought a Cliff Coe Competitor recurve bow. It was calculated that it was a 66 amo. The string I bought was a 62" overall length. I have a little better than 8" brace hight. The bow shoots good but I don't want to damage it. Do I need a longer string or what? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Wayne.

[Larry m]

Your string is to short. I'm guessing your brace height is quite a bit more then 8". If the bow is 66" Your string should be 63". You can always twist it to dial in the brace height.

[Whip]

I'm not familiar with the Coe bows, but actually a string 4" shorter is pretty common on a recurve.  Longbows generally are 3", but most recurves I've had are closer to 4" shorter than the marked length of the bow.  

The best brace height for a bow will vary a bit too from bow to bow, but 8" or even a bit more is not uncommon at all.  Measure from the string to the deepest part of the grip.  

Play around with changing the brace height by twisting the string a couple of turns at a time.  Even a 1/16" can make a bit of a difference in quietness of the bow and how it shoots. If the bow shoots good you won't hurt it where you are now.

[Larry m]

Whip has the knowledge here as he has worked on a ton of bows. I myself prefer my strings a little longer and then add twist with a lot of wax and dial it in.

[Sal]

If the string you bought was AMO 66" and it measures 62" then that is the recommended length.  
 
That's why the AMO standards were designed, to provide a common measurement across brands.  I've heard that some companies didn't quite measure correctly.

[ww_cottonmouth]

The string I bought was 62" and I have 9" brace hight so I am going to find a 64' string and try that.

[Horney Toad]

You might leave it strung and see if the string stretches a little. I think a 64" string would be too long.

[Larry m]

Sal
Look up "Measuring Traditional Bow Strings", By Marvin Long. He gives a great explaination on AMO Standards and different string material.
See You at Chamberlin!!

[Sal]

Thanks Larry, I'll look it up.  

Chamberlin cannot come soon enough.

[Orion]

WW: If a 62-inch string gives you a 9-inch brace height, a 64-inch string will be too long.  You'll probably need something in the short 63-inch range.  Is your string endless loop or flemish?  Regardless, it should stretch some if you leave the bow strung for a day or two.  Shooting it will also stretch the string some.  Also, depending on how tightly it's twisted now, you may be able to untwist it some, maybe a lot, to lower the brace height.

[Xavier]

On all my vintage recurves I use b50 flemish twist strings. I leave them on a day or two, they stretch quite a bit. I'll even draw the bow back a bunch before setting brace height. They are all 4 inches  less than AMO.

[ww_cottonmouth]

I think I got it lined out with a 63" string. thanks fellows.