Certainly a good 3 piece recurve will last a lifetime, and you really don't have to be as conservative as Gord indicates. Obviously, the more you handle the bow, the more likely it will be that you could have some damage, but I have taken down, reassembled, strung and unstrung my bows more times than I could count without any damage or wear. The processes of handling the bow are dirt simple, you just need to do them properly. Keep the bow dry when you are not hunting. Do not store it in hot environments, especially if it is strung. Keep the bow and the string clean and the limb bolts lightly lubricated. Don't over tighten the bolts. Wax the string often and watch for damage to the string. Replace the string if you notice damage. Use a stringer to string and unstring the bow, and learn how to do it correctly from the start. Put new finish over any areas that get dinged so that moisture will not penetrate the wood. Shoot relatively heavy arrows (like the 10 grains per pound that Gord suggests) to keep the limbs from being overstressed. Use a bow case to transport the bow when you can. It is much harder to damage a 3 piece bow when it is taken down than when it is assembled. Don't ever let anyone dry fire the bow. Perhaps most importantly, don't leave the bow in a hot car in the middle of the summer, especially if it is still strung. That is a recipe for disaster and one that people tend to do when they are not thinking. If you do need to leave your bow in a hot car, unstring it, take it down into the 3 pieces, wrap it or cover it with insulating material (like blankets or a sleeping bag) and try to keep the heat from building up in your car as much as possible (roll down the windows a half inch, park in the shade, use window shades to shield light from entering the car, etc.). Heat is the biggest enemy of your bow. Oh, and don't let your dog or your little kids chew on the bow. :D
Although I may not have made it sound that way, with fairly minor, common sense care, you won't have any problems with a good quality bow. Also, with most 3 piece recurves, you will be better off getting a 64" or 66" bow if you have a 30"+ draw length. There are definitely bows designed to be shorter and still work for you, but most of the ones you will see that are 62" are not designed to work optimally at your draw length.
Allan
Topic: 3-piece take down or not? (Read 230 times)
