bows.. strung or unstrung

[mike g]

Do what the Bowyer recommends....

[2bird]

wow i thought it was the norm/rule of thumb/what everyone did was unstrung the bow when not shooting... man i guess i was wrong lol. i have always thought you would damage your bow if you let it be strung for even more then a day lol

[Don Stokes]

2bird, with modern materials that is no longer true. Self bows are another matter altogether. All wood bows (or bamboo) should not be strung unless they are in use. Fiberglass-backed (or equivalent) can be left strung indefinitely. The bow I'm shooting this season was my cousin's, one I got for him years ago, and after he passed away the bow was forgotten in a closet for several years. When his son found it and gave it to me, the FF string that was on it had stretched completely out. The bow was undamaged.

[Bladepeek]

Another aspect that may affect some. In Michigan when you transport a bow in your vehicle it must be either unstrung or in a case. I have a strung recurve case, so can go either way, but I usually unstring it anyway just in case it gets hot in the car.