String Advice?

[Peter Arthur]

A friend of mine would like to try Archery!
Better still, he would like to shoot the bow that his Mom got him when he was a youngun..(he's nearing 50 now).
I had a look at the bow and it's a Bear Bearcat, AMO 60" and 45# draw. The bow looks to be in good shape, it just needs a string. Anyone have any advice as to what length string he'll need? Also, anyone know what the brace height should be for that bow?

[Bakes168]

He needs a string for a 60" AMO bow, but you might want to measure the bow first, some of the old bows aren't marked right. Measure the unstrung bow from limb tip to limb tip along the belly side (the side that faces the shooter) and buy a string at that length.
A brace height in the 7"-8" range would work methinks.
Bakes

[Goose]

And make sure the string is B-50 and not fast flight.

[Peter Arthur]

Thanks for the help. I'm looking forward to getting him started on the right foot.

[Orion]

Actually, your measurements should be from nock to nock, not tip to tip, fololowing the contour of the bow along the back.  That measurement yields the AMO bow length.  The actual string length will be about 3 inches shorter than your measurement.  For example, AMO bow length is 60 inches, string length will be 57 inches.  Some strings are package labeled with AMO length only.  Others are labeled with the actual string length.  Easy to get the right length as long as you know which you're buying.  Hope this helps.

[Rob DiStefano]

Not all bowstrings are equal in terms of length, and the AMO length rating is also ballpark data.

As mentioned, try a 57" string first - DACRON ONLY! - and look to achieve perhaps a 7-1/2" to 7-3/4" brace height.

[BowHuntingFool]

Get in contact with raineman, he makes an Top Notch string! The one he made for my sons K-Mag is sweet!

[Peter Arthur]

Thanks again everyone.. good info.

[smokin joe]

I don't want to be contrary, but I have found that the string length my old Bear bows (I have 4 of them) like the best is 4" shorter than the AMO length printed on the bow. Thus, a 60" bow would need a 56" B-50 DACRON string. This would result in a brace height of about 7 1/2" to 8" and, of course, this can be fine tuned by twisting the string. A 45# Bearcat is a great old bow. And, in my opinion, a good weight for hunting and everyday shooting. Make sure your friend has fun and you will have an archery pal for life. Make sure the string is B-50 dacron and with a little care the bow will last a long, long time.

[Shawn Leonard]

Try a 56" flemish dacron string, it will stretch quite a bit and you can twist it to get it right, I have a LH bearcat from the late 60s or early 70"s and that is what it will take. AMO standard was not adopted until 1968 and not all bow makers got on board right away, so bows before than and some after 1968 may or may not be AMO, which is 3"s. I have found most Bears before or around this time take a 4" shorter string than marked. When they are shot in the string will be 3 to 3.5"s shorter than what is marked on the bow. Shawn

[LBR]

AMO is 3" shorter, but in my experience the old Bear bows generally get a string 4" shorter.  Like Rob said, AMO is just a ball-park measurement.  A lot of new bows don't go by AMO specs.

You can measure the bow along the back of the limbs, but you measure through the center of the riser to get the AMO length (start and finish at the "top" of the string grooves).  The "true" AMO length is 3" longer than the string that puts it at the proper brace height, but again a lot of bows aren't marked according to AMO specs.

There are two choices in dacron strings--B-50 and B-500.

I'd go with a 12 strand string, brace height probably between 7" and 8".  Might start with a 56.5" string (pre-stretched)--that will allow some twisting either way (assuming you use a flemish string).

Chad