learn something new everyday

[hickorystyk]

I have a Martin Dreamcatcher recurve that I unstring every time I'm done shooting.  A friend told me that he is hearing of people that rarely unstring their bows mainly to keep from warping the limbs.  Does anyone else out there keep their bows strung?

[Cherry Tree]

I would never keep a recurve left strung! i think it warps the limbs leaving them strung. but thats just me! lets see what other people say.....

[robtattoo]

Two things I'd say.

1) Wrong forum dude! Should be in the Pow Wow...

&

2) Leave it strung as long as you like, it won't come to any harm at all. I NEVER unstrng any of my bows, unless I'm packing them up to fly. Obviously this is only for Glass backed bows only, not all wood bows.

As for leaving it strung warping the limbs, well, that's just not possible. It takes a lateral or torsional force to move a limb off it's line. A string only exerts a linear force.

[Grey Taylor]

What Rob said.
It's well accepted that one of the most dangerous times for a 'glass recurve is during the stringing/un-stringing process. Many bowyers recommend leaving the bow strung if your situation permits it.
Many recurves are left strung for years at a time. I've heard of a number of them that are only unstrung when it's necesary to change the string.
Given that, I unstring my bows when I'm not using them. I can't shoot in my backyard and the bow is safer unstrung when I put it in the truck to go to the range. I always use a bow stringer and I am always careful. I don't expect any issues.
Cherry Tree, I am sorry to contradict you but thinking that leaving the bow strung will twist or warp the limbs just doesn't make sense (so long as it is stored correctly while strung).

Guy

[John Scifres]

Only time I unstring my glass bow is if it is to be left in a hot environment like my truck in warmer weather or if I am shipping it.

[Cherry Tree]

Well i guess you do learn something new every day! I guess i can see why it would be fine to leave it strung,but i just dont like the thought of it,but then if you dont string a bow properly then it would be worth leaving it strung.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

I leave my bows strung when I'm shooting alot but unstring and lay them under the bed when not using very often.

[DeployableBowyer]

I think the only way leaving it strung could mess a limb up is if the limb already has a twist in it. Might make it worse.

[hickorystyk]

Thanks for all the input.  I think I will continually to cautiously unstring my bow since this is what I have always done w/o incident.  Maybe if I had a good rack to hang it on I might try the other.

[bigcountry]

I unstring every time, just really to save space if nothing else on my bow rack.