Strung or unstrung?

[Savate]

Do you keep your longbow stored strung or unstrung?  I try to shoot 3x a week.

Someone (not a trad bow person) was telling me that stringing/unstringing was bad for the string and limbs?   :confused:

[Three Arrows]

I keep my bows that I shoot daily strung up all the time.  If I don't shoot for a week or two, I unstring the bow.  I had one bow strung up for 2 years straight that shoots just fine.

[Savate]

Wow!  How do you store it/rack it while its still strung?  Is there something on the market to hang up your bows and keep'em safe and straight?

It would be great to just grab the bow and go shoot rather than have to take the time to unwrap it, strap on the stringer, etc.

[Orion]

I leave my longbows unstrung, hanging from pegs.  Some, and all of my recurves, I rest horizontally on pegs.  Doesn't take long to string them to shoot.  Stringing and unstringing them certainly doesn't damage the bow or the string if you do it right (use a stringer).

[JRY309]

When I shoot I leave them strung,it doesn't hurt a laminated bow to leave strung.Just don't leave them strung in a car or a hot garage.It doesn't hurt a bow to string and unstring it,but the biggest potential to damage a bow is the stringing and unstringing process.I have had one bow strung for 5 years and it hasn't hurt it at all.You'll get alot of different opinions,I believe Black Widow recommends to leave them strung.

[slayer1]

I leave my longbows strung, hanging on a screw in bicycle hook in the garage. The hook is padded so it doesnt damage the finish. Both Bowyers's told me they would be ok, just not to leave them strung inside a hot truck.

[brettlandon]

Compound bows should be left strung.  All others should be left unstrung IMHO.

-Brett

[Widowbender]

Longbow unstrung, recurves strung, hanging by the string. On my longbow, the wood laminations are thicker than my recurves, so it would be more likely to lose lbs. if strung for a long period.

David

[burnie]

I have always unstrung after every use.  I just have an anal fear that ill get some set in my bow if I leave them strung.  But I do know guys that leave them strung with no problems.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Mine stay strung unless they are in a vehicle.

burnie, if you can induce set in a finished glass bow that's had more than a hundred arrows through it, I'll buy ya lunch.  

After a very short shoot in period, 'glass bows are "set" for life.  THey ain't gonna change until you do something that violates the integrity of the glass and puts 'em in the scrap bin.

Hrm, methinks I need to run an experiment to prove the point, since this question comes up so much....

[shantam]

i did a test this year.
i heavyly abused my loved selfmade glasbow.
i kept it strung all the time.
summerheat in the car up to 70°c,no problem.
winter and cold conditions,no problem.
store a box of beer on top of the strung bow,no problem.

i realy didnt care if the bow will break,bend,twist.
i just want to know if my "product" is up for the job.

conclusion?

it is.

shantam

[burnie]

Originally posted by Jeff Strubberg:
Mine stay strung unless they are in a vehicle.

burnie, if you can induce set in a finished glass bow that's had more than a hundred arrows through it, I'll buy ya lunch.  

After a very short shoot in period, 'glass bows are "set" for life.  THey ain't gonna change until you do something that violates the integrity of the glass and puts 'em in the scrap bin.

Hrm, methinks I need to run an experiment to prove the point, since this question comes up so much....

I should have said, I dont own a glass bow.  All My bows are wood lams or board bows.  I will be making some glass lams later, but just not yet.

[brettlandon]

Then do not leave them strung as you will get string follow!

-Brett

[Jeff Strubberg]

AH.  An all wood bow is a differnet animal.  I don't leave a wooden bow strung, even between shooting sessions on the same day.

[Shawn Leonard]

I tell this story a lot when I see these threads. I have a Pearson Hunter that has been strung continously since 1967, the only time it has been unstrung was to put new strings on it, maybe 4 times. It is marked 50#s at 28"s but if ya lift the strike plate it says 52#s, I have scaled it several times, it scales 51-52#s depending on the scales I have used. I leave my bows strung all the time, I hang them on a two pegs by the string. Shawn