losing power

[10point]

Recently purchased a 56" take down static recurve and checked draw weight at just over 47.5# @ 28". Rechecked today and it is now just over 45.5#. Is it normal to lose poundage ??? My draw is about 27.5" and I'm wondering if this is too much for a 56" bow.

[monterey]

How old is the bow?

Did it ever weigh in as marked?

Is your scale reliable?

Is it a glass lam or wood bow?

I have glass lam bows that have lost draw weight over quite a few years.

[Stump73]

Did you use the same scale, both when you got it and now? Has it been strung up the whole time? Sometimes you we loose a pound or 2 if you keep it strung up.

A buddy of mine did not like to unload his bow, after a year or so, he needed a new string.  It was less pounds and at first it looked like it had set a bit compared to mine.  A couple days later it lined up with mine, but we did not bother to weigh it again.

[rscornutt]

Has it been left strung for any amount of time?

[Orion]

A self-bow may loose some weight if kept strung, but not a glass laminated bow. Your brace height probably dropped.

A change in temperature and relative humidity can affect bow weight a little, as well as the scale's functioning. You may have just read the scale a little differently. A 27 1/2-inch draw on a 56-inch recurve or hybrid is not over stressing the limbs.  May start to stress a straight limb bow a little, but again, wouldn't affect the poundage unless it's a self bow.  

Regardless, not something to worry about IMO.

[fnshtr]

Originally posted by Orion:
A self-bow may loose some weight if kept strung, but not a glass laminated bow. Your brace height probably dropped.

A change in temperature and relative humidity can affect bow weight a little, as well as the scale's functioning. You may have just read the scale a little differently. A 27 1/2-inch draw on a 56-inch recurve or hybrid is not over stressing the limbs.  May start to stress a straight limb bow a little, but again, wouldn't affect the poundage unless it's a self bow.  

Regardless, not something to worry about IMO.

Bingo!!

Newer bows not so much, but older bows like our old Bears, it did.  If this static recurve is quite new, I would question the scale being currently used or the one that originally weighed the bow.  I have a Hill in my collection, now being used by someone else that was left loaded for a long period that dropped a couple of pounds and took a set.  Some self bows  can take a temporary set and then come back to normal after a while.  I have seen thick cored longbows with elm cores take a bit of set even when they were unstrung every week or so.

[10point]

I used the same scale for all readings. the bow is 4 months old. It did measure as marked when new and it is a glass laminate bow.

If left unloaded for a few days, does the poundage come back and is the brace height consistent?

[fnshtr]

Did you check the brace height both times?