yesiree...limb twist question

[Craig Holdren]

allright, I'm new here and new to traditional shooting. The last 2 weeks have shown remarkable improvement - I now connect with my foam block from 20 yards maybe 90 percent of the time. sigh...

My first question concerns how do I identify limb twist?  Seems simple, but I've managed to confuse myself when looking at my bow.  It's a used chekmate hunter, and if I close one eye and sight up and down the back of the bow it appears as if the string is left of center of both the upper and lower limbs.  Not so much near the tips (still in the groove certainly).  At the riser, particularly at the arrow shelf and the cutout, the string seems noticeably left of perpendicular to the arrow shelf.

Unstrung the bow lies nice and flat on a wood floor.

My second question is, if it is limb twist, but maybe not too significant, does it really matter?  I really enjoy shooting the bow and I have improved in the short time I've had it but, hey, I understand that's not saying much.

My local pro shop is way into compound bows - no one there I feel comfortable going to for good info on traditional.

Thanks for any help.

[suttoman]

I am probably the wrong bloke to ask because I am a perfectionist, but I think it does matter.  I always sight down the limbs of my new bows to check if they are perfect or not - it is the very first thing that I look for!

I read a thread the other day about this same issue - somebody asking about limb twist?  He did not say what the bow was - but somebody chimed in and asked if it were a Morisson.  The comment was made that new morrisons often come with this problem.  The person writing the thread seemed to think that it did not matter because his Morrisons shoot well.  

If I had a new bow come with a twist or mis-allignment - I would send it straight back!

From an engineering point of view - if something is misaligned and not running 'true', then it is affecting the percentage of efficiency for that given bow!

Sutto

[sagebrush]

I have a bow that has some limb twist and it shoots great. It depends on how much twist. If you look down the string from nock to nock with the bow strung you will be able to see if it has limb twist. It will bend out a little (or a lot) towards the nock of the bow. If it shoots good, don't worry about it. Gary

[mooseman76]

I usually lie one of the limb tips on the floor with the other in my hand.  When you look down the string it should come straight into the tip.  If there is a noticable twist the string will look like it is coming in at a slight angle.  Of course, there are also limbs that are straight at rest and twist some as the bow is being drawn.  Either way you should be able to "countertwist" the limb in the opposite direction and make em straight again...Mike

[Craig Holdren]

Thanks for the responses, guys.

I'd like to try 'untwisting' the limbs.  I think I read on the (temporarily unavailable) Shooters Forum that one can do this either by heating up the limb - either by dipping in warm/hot water or with a hair dryer.  

How warm/hot does it need to be? Does it then need to be clamped? And most importantly, what do I want to avoid doing that will destroy the bow?

Thanks again for the useful information.

[sagebrush]

Don't use a hair dryer. You will get it too hot. Gary

[mooseman76]

Craig, I always try to do it without any heat first.  Keep the bow strung and twist the limb in the opposite direction of the twist.  Just make sure that the string doesn't come around the tip on you.  I've always had luck with it like that.  I hear if that doesn't work to use hot water to heat it up, but I've never had to do it...Mike

[bushytail]

I have a old Kodiak mag that had a twisted limb.When strung,the string layed off center at the tip.I used the blowdryer trick.You "can" control the heat.I warmed it the 1st time,held it the opposite way for a short time to cool.Nothing.Heated it more,the second time,held in the opposite way again till cool.I put a little cool water on to cool it faster.Problem FIXED.What awhile before you string it up.Make SURE the limbs are cooled down before you test it each time.It shoots real nice with NO problems.