Bows and temperature questions

[wanderling]

Hi all,

Just wondering if it's bad to keep bows in the cold mine are both wood, one is a recurve the other a fiberglassed longbow.

Since I've been keeping them in my car, and it's, well, winter. They'll get pretty cold overnight. I won't try to string one first thing in the morning after they've been chilled, of course...

My apartment is usually kept in the mid-70s. My feeling is the car is alright for them but wanted to check.

Thanks guys.

Also, this has been asked numerous times, but good bowstringer for both types? Leaning webster, haven't heard anything definitive so I'm guessing many kinds will work.

[Night Wing]

Just curious.

Why do you store your bows in your car?

As for bowstringers for a recurve. I like the one Norm Johnson includes and ships with every purchase of a Blacktail recurve . It's made of 1" wide webbing with cupped ends.

BTW, I don't think this bowstringer is recommended for a longbow because of the cupped ends. One is deeper than the other.

[wanderling]

Lol, just haven't taken them outta there. Partially why I'm inquiring about it now.

Plus my roommate is home all the time when I'm working and he likes to keep the apartment real toasty.

Does anyone think it is maltreatment to keep bows in a car on freezing cold nights? I suppose the question is about what the optimal temperature is for storing bows.

thanks for the stringer tip btw. other opinions welcome

[Steelhead]

Dont know about stowing the bows in a cold car.But the best all around bowstringer I have Used is the Thunderhorn bowstringer from Thunderhorn bows.Leather cup on bottom and pressure pad on top

The reason I like it is the leather pocket that fits the bottom limbs gets progressively tighter as you you string your bow and holds the string in place.So the string stays on the tip grooves and it makes it easier as well to make sure your string stays in the string grooves that run down a recurve limb on the bottom.I guide the string in on the top limb to make sure its in securely over the nocks and in the string grooves on the recurve before i release the pressure of the stringer.I dont have to worry about the bottom limb with the Thunderhorn stringer as it holds the string secure and in place.I feel its more important for recurves to have this benifit.But it is also is secure with longbows.

[wanderling]

Thanks for the stringer tip, steelhead.

Ttt

Please see OP where I asked about keeping bows in the cold and the optimal temperature for bows

[Trad Whitetail]

I have never had a problem with cold affecting my bows.  During hunting season  I generally keep mine in the vehicle strung the night before I go hunting (fiberglass backed), along with most of my other gear, to make sure I remember it all the next day.  If I have a week off to hunt it will stay there every night and I have never had a problem.  I figure if I hunt and shoot in - 10 degree F temps just sitting there won't hurt it.  However, if you don't park in a secure location (I do) theft is a real risk.

[T Folts]

I leave mine in my car or truck all season here in MI as long as it is not hot out. For the cold I dont think it hurts anything as a matter of fact mine has been strung in the cold car for a month, you never know when I can get in a hunt before or after work so the bow stay's with me.

[Stumpkiller]

I've frequently hunted with mine down into the teens.  No problems with f/g laminated to date.  Can't say with a wood self-bow, but I note the Aluets hunted seal in the Arctic with laminated bows (bone/wood/sinew).

MUCH worse is to leave them strung in a hot car.  That will kill a laminated bow as it softens the epoxy/polyester resins.

[GrayRhino]

There used to be a tradganger on here from Alaska (haven't seen him post for a while now).  He 'torture tested' his Black Widow bow, leaving it out at -40 degrees and then drawing it to see if the bow could withstand the extreme cold.  It did, multiple times!

[wanderling]

Originally posted by GrayRhino:
There used to be a tradganger on here from Alaska (haven't seen him post for a while now).  He 'torture tested' his Black Widow bow, leaving it out at -40 degrees and then drawing it to see if the bow could withstand the extreme cold.  It did, multiple times!

Great info. Is black widow a straight wood bow, or is it backed with something? Sounds like fiberglass will be ok

[GrayRhino]

Yes, Black Widow uses fiberglass in their limbs.

[wanderling]

so do you think a wood-only bow would withstand temperature as well as a fiberglass-backed one does?