String ing a Longbow yes or no

[Ssamac]

OK here we go again. I know that the majority of the recurve bow shooters say that they keep their bows strung as long as they are shooting them and it makes no difference.

So what about you longbow shooters, especially those with longbows that have the very fine pointed tips? Do you keep them strung also? Or do you have to unstring a longbow every day.

Appreciate opinions as always.

Thanks
sam

[Benny Nganabbarru]

I unstring all my bows after use. It's not hard to do with a stringer. Plus, it gets pretty warm here, so I like to rest them.

[slivrslingr]

I'm an unstringer as I have to drive to the range to shoot.  Even when I'm at home, I unstring, habit I guess, don't really know if it makes a differece to the bow.

[PAPA BEAR]

unstring every time i'm done shooting,can only help prolong your bows life the way i see it.

[m midd]

i keep mine unstrung as well

[Bjorn]

I only unstring self bows. Glass lam bows that get shot regularly stay strung.

[L. E. Carroll]

If I'm not going to be shooting a particular bow for 3 days or so, It never stays strung. If shooting it regularly I still un-string it a couple nights a week.  To me,  I have too much invested to chance any harm to it.

Gene  

[ishoot4thrills]

I always keep glass laminated bows strung. I hang them horizontally from the string by two nails placed about 3 feet apart. It doesn't harm glass laminated bows to keep them strung.

I shoot a Beeler longbow/hybrid.

[Curveman]

I have it from my bowyer himself that you can keep them strung. (He's a mechanical engineer by background and knows all about stress, tension of materials etc.). Black Widow says it's better to keep them strung, no? On glass bows the idea that leaving them strung will lessen the poundage or life of the bow is an old wives tale. That being said, if I am going to have my bows in a hot truck, I will unstring them as with enough HEAT under tension, they could delaminate.

[metsastaja]

I un-string all bows.

[hardtimes]

I grew up keeping my bows un-strung when not in use. So I just continue to un-string each after use.

[mongoose]

Hey Curveman, I have a wife and twin daughters so I too, know about srress, tension etc.  I unstring almost always and always in hot vechiles.

[George D. Stout]

I unstring my longbows after each use normally.  No reason other than it's easy to do and they store more compactly.  The push/pull method is safe, easy, and good exercise (Google that word if you don't know what it means).  And, common sense (Google that term if you have never heard it before) tells you that a bow tensed, is a bow partly drawn.  Perhaps it will take that for ten years, perhaps it won't.  Yet it is more easy for some dufus to come along, pull it back and dry fire it.  And yes, they are among us 8^).

I find stringing and unstringing to be an integral part of the sport that I started about a hundred years ago; just like sharpening broadheads after each practice shot; drying your socks by the campfire; washing your wool shirt and pants by hand, etc.  Somethings should just be done because  that's the way it always was.  It's the curmudgeon in me.    

[fireball31]

I always unstring my bows.  I'm sure nothing bad will happen if I leave them, but why take  a chance.

[Ssamac]

Thanks for the suggestion.
I will unstring!!
Sam      

[Ceb]

Not saying it is the right thing to do, but I built myself a longbow back in 1992 when I was building a lot of bows. This is a 64# @ 27" R/D bow. It has spent the majority of its life strung, and when I wasn't actually shooting it, standing in a corner. It is strung as I type this, ready to shoot. I wanted to see just how durable it was. I'm still checking. This is still my favorite bow and the one I shoot the most by far.

Now, I wouldn't do this with self bows or recurves, especially the standing in the corner bit, but I don't think leaving a glass bow strung for awhile will hurt a thing as long as you keep it away from high heat.

[Orion]

I'm with you George.  

[frank bullitt]

As an archer, I believe you should unstring, at least know how. Since I shoot mostly all wood bows, I like to push pull. I use to use the step -thru and it cost me the tiller on a good bow!

  Just like serving a string, setting brace height, fletchting arrows, etc. the more you know and can do, the better. You never know when in the feild you may have to , no stringer on your person. Good shootin, Steve

[Widowbender]

I can only speak to the longbow I have, which is a Black Widow...The owner's manual recommends UNstringing the bow after shooting...My bow has narrower, thicker limbs and has a higher thickness ratio of wood/boo to glass than you usually find in a recurve. If your limbs have more thickness of glass than wood then I would think it would be less likely to lose poundage over time. I know the widow owners manual for recurves says its ok to leave them strung.


David

[Jeff Strubberg]

All my glass bows stay strung.  The only time they get unstrung is for travelling.