Advice on stringing an HH bow

[madmaxthc]

Hey, Tradgang,

I have just received a beautiful Cheetah, and officially entered the HH family 😁

The bow is 75# at 27", and I am working my way up to it. I currently shoot a 65# Baraga. I am working out and quickly gaining draw length on the Cheetah.

Anyway, the issue is... stringing it! I am using this stringer:  https://www.3riversarchery.com/limbsaver-longbow-bow-stringer.html

Once I have the bow under tension, I struggle to reach the tip of the limb, and regularly hurt my back as I bend to string it. The bow is 68" and I am 5'11".  I never had such a problem. How am I doing it wrong? Not sure if I should pull the bow higher up or what else to do.

Looking forward to hearing your advice
Max

[stillhunter]

Totally up to you but have someone help you then leave it strung. I don't unstring my main bow very often but again it's up to you. The longer bows can stretch you out at that draw weight.

[katman]

Hill style bows I use the step thru method, have also used a limb tip stringer without difficulty.

[evgb127]

If you’re having problems with a stringer, perhaps try the push/pull method of stringing your bow. For some bows I wouldn’t recommend it, but with an Hill-style bow, a stringer isn’t necessary.

[Orion]

That's the wrong stringer to use on a longbow.  It's designed for recurves.  Get a double pocket stringer, or better yet, learn how to use the push-pull method of stringing. (Agree with evg, would only recommend for a longbow.) Quite easy to do. 

[McDave]

That's the wrong stringer to use on a longbow.  It's designed for recurves.  Get a double pocket stringer, or better yet, learn how to use the push-pull method of stringing. (Agree with evg, would only recommend for a longbow.) Quite easy to do.

I wondered about that, not having much experience with longbows, and even less experience with heavy draw weight longbows.  I thought the stringers with friction pads were specifically designed for longbows, since in my limited experience the double pocket stringers have a tendency to slip off of the upper limb tip.  The limb tips on a straight limbed longbow point slightly downwards when stringing the bow with a stringer, which makes it more likely for the upper limb tip to slip out of the stringer.  At least that's been my experience; do you have a solution for that?

OTOH, the friction pads make it necessary to exert more force to bend the bow sufficiently to string it, compared with a double pocket stringer, which isn't a great problem with a 45# bow, but would be much more significant with a 75# bow.  BTW, I have even more of a problem using the friction pad stringers on recurves than longbows, because the recurved limbs put the friction pad at an angle to the limb which makes it more difficult to get enough friction to stick.  So if they aren't designed for longbows, then I wonder what they are designed for?

I've never had a problem stringing a lightweight longbow using the push pull method, but it becomes more difficult as the draw weight increases.

I suppose the best method for me to use to string a heavy weight longbow would be the step through method.  While I would never use this method for a recurve, due to the risk of limb twist, I notice my longbow shooting buddies using it all the time, since I suppose there is little to no risk of limb twist with a longbow.

On second thought, I think I’ll just leave the stringing (and shooting) of heavy draw weight longbows to those more qualified (and younger) than I am.

[MnFn]

I have a double pocket stringer that works with my 68” longbow, but it is only 45#.  Like these other guys I mostly use the push/pull method.

[Buggs]

Sounds like your stringer is too long. You need to complete the pulling stroke before your hand reaches the level of your armpit. Otherwise your arm starts to stack

This is a simple/cheap homemade number.

It can be used 3 ways. Two pockets, one pocket and one loop, or all three. If you put the loop on first and then the second pocket, when you have pulled up on the bow enough, the loop will engage the limb and you can slip the pocket off as you slide the string into the nock. Thats good for a heavy bow. I typically just use the silicone tube loop and slide it with the string as I'm pulling.

[Orion]

McDave.  Iv'e never had an ASL or any other bow limb tip slip out of a two pocket stringer in some 40 plus years of using them.  I do make sure the limb tips fit the pockets though.

I've never liked the limb pad stringers for recurves either, for the reason you mention.  Difficult to slide them toward the tip as one pulls up on the riser, which necessitates a lot of lifting of the riser to really flex the limbs. That's the same problem one runs into when using them on longbows. OP, as Buggs suggests, the stringer may be too long, necessitating lifting the riser too high.  Can either shorten it by retying, or place both feet (wider apart) on the cord to shorten its working length.   

[Kirkll]

I would never use a tip to tip stringer on a recurve bow. You have no control of the limb twisting with one of those type stringers...

Long bows like an HH style a push pull method typically works the best. But stringing any heavy bow that you have problems with easily drawing can be difficult.

From your description, i'd recommend putting both feet on the stringer and spreading out your feet placement to shorten the distance you need to lift the riser to bend the limbs.

As a bowyer i am stringing and unstringing bows all the time and I came up with a very simple and effortless way to do this. On the side of my work bench i inserted a few 3/4" oak dowels, and wrapped them with foam and a bit of tape to protect the limb tips and riser both. Stringing bows over 100# requires a bit more effort, but here is a short video that shows how it's done. The first bow is a 60" Hybrid long bow. The second is an R/D long bow.    Kirk

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bgaxPhCUZWCmKVFc8

[Orion]

Kirk. You bring up a good point about the possibility of recurve limbs twisting in the pocket type stringer.  The more recurve and/or the less side to side limb stability, the greater the chance for the limb to twist and come out of the pocket.  That being said, I've found that if I'm careful in the stringing process, hold the bow firmly, and if I have pockets that fit the limb tips snugly (and I modify mine if necessary to make sure they do), I don't have problems stringing a recurve with them.   

[Kirkll]

Kirk. You bring up a good point about the possibility of recurve limbs twisting in the pocket type stringer.  The more recurve and/or the less side to side limb stability, the greater the chance for the limb to twist and come out of the pocket.  That being said, I've found that if I'm careful in the stringing process, hold the bow firmly, and if I have pockets that fit the limb tips snugly (and I modify mine if necessary to make sure they do), I don't have problems stringing a recurve with them.

This is what i recommend for stringing recurve bows. Note... The end with the limb pocket on this stringer is long and it does not put any lateral torque on the limbs.  Tip to tip style stringers put all the pressure on the very end of the tip and can very easily twist a recurve limb and ruin the limb.  Long bows are deep core and very resistant to limb twist issues.

https://www.amazon.com/Selway-Limbsaver-Recurve-Bow-Stringer/dp/B002L9C7SQ/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1R446Y6NBZ63I&keywords=selway+recurve+bow+stringer&qid=1666996592&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjI3IiwicXNhIjoiMC44MyIsInFzcCI6IjAuNTEifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=selway+recurve+bow+stringer%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-4

[madmaxthc]

Thank you so much for your advice, everyone!

I am already using two feet, but my arms are still too short 😅 I will try the other methods that you suggested, I like the idea not to have a stringer to carry around.

Best,
Max

[WESTBROOK]

Learn the push/pull....

Thats one of the reasons I shoot a longbow...so I dont have to carry a stringer...

[M60gunner]

Sorry, but I disagree about using 2 tip type stringers on a recurve. It’s what I have used for years on bows from 80#’s to 30#’s. In fact it’s what was recommended (included with limbs) from BW. I used it to string up my 65# ASL bow as well. I hate those funny rubber stringers, almost lost an eye because it slipped on limb of my Super Kodiak years ago. I do have separate stringers for my current recurves and longbows. That’s because of limb tip size.

[A Lex]

Not sure about using the stringer with the flat pad shown, but I shoot a 66" 75lb longbow and have used a two pocket stringer for as long as I can remember. Very early on I had similar issues as yourself with back pain at enough bend to string my bow. That soon became a non-event when I shortened the stringer string to where I was not over extending anything to string my bow. Maybe experiment a little with the stringer string length to see if you can find the actual length that suits you, a sweet spot so to say, where you can string your bow easy enough and doesn't hurt.

Hope that makes sense

Others have mentioned the push-pull stringing method, and It works too. I can do that with my 65ln longbow, but I need the stringer for my 75lb'er

Google Blackwidows bow stringer that they sell, mine is a very similar one I made 6 or 7 years ago. Works like a charm.....

Oh, and google Blackwidows video on "Stringing the Longbow" too. That could help immensely.

Best
Lex

[Sam McMichael]

The warranty on my HH Wesley Special lasted maybe 15 minutes. That's about how long it took me to open the package and string it using the step through method. That was back in 2003, and I have never had a limb twist issue on a longbow. I wouldn't try it on a recurve, though. It is 65# draw weight, so the limbs are pretty thick.