New "old " bear/ string length?

[pdubya]

What length string for a bear bow. Says 58" amo and is actually 54" measured tip to tip unstrung. I can make flemish strings for my selfbows. Just got this off " that auction place " First recurve, pretty cool. I think it is 64'-65'? Also got a black bear.
 

[Frank V]

Paul is that a Zebra Wood Grizzly?  Pretty bow. Frank

[Shawn Leonard]

I agree with 4nolz, but you will get arguments that it is actually 3"s no matter what bow. I wil argue that though everytime, because before 1975 or so, I can show ya 20 different bows that are 4"s. Shawn

[Fletcher]

Make up a flemish about 55" and twist it shorter until you get the best length.  Your second string can be right on.  That should be a '65 or '66 Grizzly; you can tell by the first number in the s/n.  That pointed front riser design Grizzly is one of the best shooters, IMO.  I have a '67 that is the same design with a bubinga riser.  GREAT bow.  Congratulations!

[pdubya]

Thanks all. It is a zebrawood grizzly. Looks brand new. The serial # is 5P799.

[Grant Young]

Bdubya-That's a '64 Griz and the AMO string for it will measure 54". Even then, you might have to twist it a bit depending on the lbs. The Bears seem to prefer a slightly higher brace height than some later custom bows.BTW, sometimes Bear overlapped models;check your serial#. In the sixties the first digit indicates the year starting in 1965. A '65 model's number will begin w/5.
                                      Grant

[Grant Young]

Oops, nothing like being wrong at the top of your lungs. You dated your own bow while I was posting. Good looking piece- I recently bought an identical '64 left handed-60# to work out with. I shoot righty and have never used a Grizley but the thing was too pretty to pass up and shoots great. Hope you enjoy it.
Grant

[LBR]

http://www.texasarchery.org/Documents/AMO/AMOStandards.pdf

Read the top of page 3--there's no argueing that AMO specs are 3" shorter.  The catch is if the particular bow was built to AMO specs--many are not.  The Bear you have will usually get a string 4" shorter, give or take depending on how you like it tuned.

That doesn't apply to all of the old bows though--one that come to my mind is at least one model of Herter's--it got a string 6" shorter than the AMO.  

I've seen them run from 1.5" to 4" shorter for longbows, 2.5" to 6" shorter for recurves.  

Chad

[Bogsucker]

Bows aren't built to AMO specs they get an AMO length based on the string length properly braced plus 3 inches.

"The AMO prefix to bow lengths in inches means that the bow has been manufactured
to a length that properly uses a bow string designated with the identical AMO marking. (i.e. A bow marked “AMO 60”, 50 lb. will brace to the proper string height with a string marked “AMO 60”, 45 lb. to 55 lb.)"

If your bow says AMO 58 buy an AMO 58 string, it will be 55 inches long. Actual bow length is measured along the limbs following the curves not a straight line from tip to tip.

[pdubya]

Thanks for all the great info! I will have to experiment as this is my first factory recurve. I have only shot compounds and the few self bows I made. I also bought a Black Bear 60" @ 45# that came with string and I shot yesterday though not as nice as this Griz. Will start twisting up my string. Thanks

[LBR]

Evidently my wording should have been different, because it is correct that following AMO specs the bow length is supposed to be marked 3" longer than the string length.  

On the flip side, that doesn't change the fact that lots of bows are marked to be a certain AMO length, but don't get a string 3" shorter than that length.  

It seems that most bowyers and manufacturers label the bow length, not the string length plus 3".

Chad

[pdubya]

Thanks alot. I am going to make it myself and probably do like Fletcher said and make it 55" and twist it up. It is only 42#. How many strands of B-50 would you recommend?

[LBR]

12 strands is what I'd use. B-50 is approximately 45# test per strand.

Chad

[Shawn Leonard]

Yeah, what ya gotta remember how long has that 3"s been the standard. It may have come along later than these bows were made. Shawn

[Shawn Leonard]

I also discussed this with Tom Lemme, he was an archery shop owner for 50 years and Fred Bear opened his shop. This man was very knowledgable about this stuff and he told me that it was 4"s for a recurve and 3"s for a longbow. He showed me thousands of strings in tubes made by bear and Martin that staed this as fact. If it was a recurve string it said recurve 54"s and 58"amo bow, same for LB it said longbow 63"s and 66"amo. I know Van has some of these tubes as well. Shawn

[Shawn Leonard]

Ya should make your string 54"s as it will stretch at least an inch even pre-stretched B-50 will stretch. Shawn

[LBR]

Don't get me wrong--not trying to argue, just trying to get it straight on string lengths.    Those Bear and Martin strings were made to fit their bows, regardless of what AMO specs said.

As best I can find out, actual AMO specs haven't changed, but they are only good for bows that are marked according to AMO standards.  The old Herter's recurve I had was a late 60's/early 70's model, and got a string 6" shorter than the "AMO" bow length (stated on the bow itself).  No doubt an exception, but proof positive that even the older bows don't all follow the same rules.

Another catch with AMO specs is the string is measured under 100 pounds of tension--that's going to make a dacron string longer.

My point being is going by AMO, or the 4" shorter for a recurve/3" shorter for a longbow "rule", is not always going to be correct.  I learned that the hard way--that's why I always ask for actual string length instead of the bow length when I make a string.

I don't doubt Mr. Lemme's knowledge, but I don't doubt my own experience either.  Even someone as slow as I am will learn a little bit after making thousands of strings.


Chad