Best way to string longbow?

[James Wrenn]

The stringer you have will work a longbow just great.The little pocket works well on small tipped bows because it does not cover up the string groove as bad as a lot of stingers.

[Jason Jelinek]

TreeMan,

You're link is to your hard drive and we won't be able to see that.  You'll have to put it up on some server or host site.

Jason

[xtrema312]

Originally posted by James Wrenn:
The stringer you have will work a longbow just great.The little pocket works well on small tipped bows because it does not cover up the string groove as bad as a lot of stingers.

:D  I guess there is no excuse not to get a long bow if my stringer will work for both.  I can save some money and not poke my eye out.

[Daddy Bear]

For straight or semi-recurve bows, use the push-pull method:

(Right Handed)Place lower tip off ground against inside of right foot. Simultaneously, pull bow handle back with right hand and push limb forward with left hand, sliding string loop into upper nock. "Turn your head to the right away from upper tip".

The above method has been taught for as long as we are old:) It works great on normal weight bows under good conditions. On bows over 65pounds when your boots are covered in mud, it is cold, and you are tired....it can be very dicey. Get yourself a pocketsize bowstringer called the "Bow Pal Stringer" made by Golden Archery in Cheyenne WY. These little things are one of the best longbow stringers ever made and are ideal for hunting. They fit a Hill type longbow perfectly.

[Boom Stick]

Thanks DB,

Is the bow at a 45° angle more or less?


This is the ONE thing that's NOT on Youtube!  

I'm not in a rush to learn this but I'm sure not going to miss taking my stringer everywhere my bow goes.

[Don Stokes]

My observations after 45 years of bowhunting: Push-pull or step-through is fine for lower-poundage longbows, but if you value your skull and eyes, use a stringer on everything else. It only takes one mistake to cost you an eye. I like mine better than that, and I've had as much experience as anyone here. Be safe or maybe regret it forever.

From some of the stories above, some people are slow learners.  

[Romans3]

could someone post some pics or a video of the push/pull method?

[Rufus]

Push pull for me too. Stringer seems scary to me with longbows. I also always use a stringer on my recurves.

[Shawn Leonard]

I almost always use a stringer but not always! I am one of the rare ones that step thru with both longbows and recurves. I have never had a problem or a close call using this method. I agree though, that if ya have a stringer available use it. Shawn

[Tree man]

Okay. I couldn't do it as a document but I transfered pics and text to another site that graciously lets me steal bandwidth to provide links.

The proper stringing/unstringing of a bow involves bending the limbs by stressing them in the same way they are stressed when the bow is drawn. The so-called “Push/Pull”  method remains the classic and effective toolless way to properly string a bow.
 

[Tree man]

The back of the lower limb tip is placed against the instep. The limb tip does NOT touch the ground.
 

[Tree man]

The heel of the hand presses down on the upper limb leaving the fingers free to manipulate the string into or out of the upper limb nock  string grooves.
 

[Tree man]

The hand on the bow’s handle section pulls up/in toward the body while the hand on the outer upper limb pushes down/away from the body. As the limbs bend the heel of the hand is slid outward along the upper limb and the fingers slide the string loop into the nock.  When unstringing,,the upper limb hand fingers pull the  string out of the gooves and the hand  slides down the  limb slightly as pressure is relaxed.
 

[Boom Stick]

You're awsome Tree Man!

You could start a thread on that by itself.  I'm sure that there's more than 2 guys that didn't know that.  Myself included!

Thank You!

Boom Stick,

[ArkyBob]

Enough said,  Tree man that is perfect illustration.  I wish all my questions could be answered so clearly.  Thanks for sharing.  

BOB

[Bowtie]

Push-Pull on my selfbow/longbow and my reflex-deflex longbows.  Stringer always with my recurve.

[Daddy Bear]

I'll be picky:) Normally you should not bend over that far, straighten up to better use your large muscle groups. Also, you should not be looking at the upper tip, look to the right. You'll feel the string loop slide into the nock groove. This can save your eye if the bow gets away from you.

[Tree man]

It is okay to be picky DB.....but once you establish a "be careful" attitude there is some room to get comfortable. That bow is short and light and the guy stringing it strings and unstrings bows several times each day as he crafts them. Personally,  i find bending over to be the best way to get the large muscle groups into play on a short bow

[Arwin]

Place your bow between a building and your car and have the wife back up real slow...........  

[WidowEater]

Ive never been able to get the hang of the push/pull method for some reason and hence use a stringer for everything.