Question on adjusting brace height

[Krex1010]

I want to increase my brace height. I'm shooting a bear Montana and I guess my string stretched out, my brace height is 6.5", about an inch out of the recommended range. Do I just twist one side of the string up? Or a couple on each end? Does it matter which side I twist?

[grayfeather]

just twist the string

[reddogge]

Unstring it, lay it down on a table, undo the bottom loop and twist from there. You'll probably have to add over a dozen or more twists in it to take up an inch.

[Krex1010]

Ok that was way less complicated than I thought lol thanks

[JDow3]

Lol yeah it's super easy. I have a Bear Montana as well. In fact, I adjusted my brace height today as well. The string stretched again to 7".  It's the second time my string stretched since I got it back in the Spring. Just an FYI as you may want to check it again later.

How do you like your Montana?  I really enjoy shooting mine.

[McDave]

The strings that come with bows aren't always the greatest.  I've had fancy new bows come with mediocre strings.  I've never quite understood the reasoning behind that, but it's a fact.  Sometimes strings are too long for the bow. When a string settles in after the initial stretch, it should have a twist every inch to two inches. If it has more than two twists per inch, it should be replaced. Sometimes strings never settle in.  If you have to keep twisting it up again and again after the first hundred shots or so, the string may be coming apart and should be replaced.  Sometimes the greatest improvement you can make on a new bow is to replace the factory string with a modern custom made string.

[JDow3]

Originally posted by McDave:
The strings that come with bows aren't always the greatest.  I've had fancy new bows come with mediocre strings.  I've never quite understood the reasoning behind that, but it's a fact.  Sometimes strings are too long for the bow. When a string settles in after the initial stretch, it should have a twist every inch to two inches. If it has more than two twists per inch, it should be replaced. Sometimes strings never settle in.  If you have to keep twisting it up again and again after the first hundred shots or so, the string may be coming apart and should be replaced.  Sometimes the greatest improvement you can make on a new bow is to replace the factory string with a modern custom made string.

That's good to know McDave.  I picked up a Flemish twist fast flight string for my daughters Sage from 3rivers. Perhaps another one is in order.

[McDave]

We have two excellent stringmakers on the board, SBD Bowstrings, and Champion Custom Bowstrings.  There may be others, but those are the two that come to mind. The cost of a custom bowstring is almost insignificant compared with the cost of bows and arrows.

[Stump73]

I normally twist a string to where I have 1/2" longer braceheight than I want. That way when you shoot it and it stretches it will end up closer to where you want it.
Also dont worry about nock point. It wont change when you twist the string because the whole string twist not just one end.

[Stump73]

I would go ahead and invest in a custom string like tha others have suggested.  It will make the bow a whole new animal.

[JDow3]

Originally posted by McDave:
We have two excellent stringmakers on the board, SBD Bowstrings, and Champion Custom Bowstrings.  There may be others, but those are the two that come to mind. The cost of a custom bowstring is almost insignificant compared with the cost of bows and arrows.

Cool. I'm sold and will look into it straight away.

[Stump73]

Allen at Lefties r us makes awesome strings.

[Pheonixarcher]

Sorry shed hunter, but I'll have to respectfully disagree. Unless your nocking point is in exactly the middle of the string, your nock point will move up or down by shortening or lengthening the string. Minor adjustments, like 2 or 3 twists one way or the other, and you probably won't notice. But a dozen or so twists, and you'll be able to measure the difference. Also, a lower or higher brace, may require a different nock height, and or spine of arrow to achieve the best arrow flight. At least in my experience. Ymmv.

[JDow3]

Ordered an SBD ultra. Should be here in 2-4 weeks.

[Burnsie]

It can get a little costly but I've found it often times takes some trial and error to zero in on what length string to order from a particular string maker with a particular type of string material.  I like having as few twists in the string as possible - I will know what brace height is best for tune on each of my bows (write it down or tape on lower limb of bow) I take the strung bow and check its brace height and tweak it to proper brace if needed, I then take the string off the bow being carefull not to let it untwist and stretch it taunt between two pegs on my work bench. Then I measure the string from the end of one loop to the other. Once I have this measuremnet I will substract anywhere from a 1/2" to over an 1" depending on whether I'm using B50, Ultracam, D10...etc. This is the number I give the stringmaker. When I put on the new string it will usually settle/stretch in the first few days (I keep most of my bows strung all the time)and then I only need very small twist adjustments to get to perfect brace. I've had experiences where a new string stretched so much that it took a crazy amount of twists to get the bow to proper brace, making it look like a tightly wound barber pole and sometimes making the string kinky when not under tension. Strings with excessive amounts of twist to keep brace are not good,  those strings should have been ordered/made shorter/better to begin with.  
Like I said, this can get expensive if you start experimenting with new string materials and/or stringmakers.  Over time I have settled on one stringmaker that I really like with a string material I also like, I know exactly what length string to order from him for all my bows.  Once the intial stretch takes place, brace height is usually very close or requires just a few twists.
Keep in mind if you decide to go with one of the very low strand count "skinny" strings that it takes a lot of twists to make fairly small adjustments in string length. There just isn't enough diameter to take up much length per twist. It is even more critical to get these strings to settle in very close to your brace to avoid excessive twisting.  As McDave pointed out, some strings seem to never settle in.  I once had a skinny string ordered for one of my 60" recurves, I subtracted enough length when I ordered to where I figured it would settle in close to my brace,  but it kept stretching so much that I could not get enough twists in it without making it a kinky mess. So, I took the string untwisted it as far as I dared and put it on one of my 62" recurves. Brace on the 62" was quite high to begin with, but it eventually stretched too low! - I twisted it up a little to get to brace and it has finally stayed put.  That is a LOT! of stretch.  I ended up retiring that string, because I didn't trust its construction. I've since settled on a different string maker who also makes low strand count strings and have not had that issue again.