Questions

[Petrichor]

Have a couple of questions from my first day back on the range.  
First off shot some great groups with the bear grizzly and am pretty happy with it.

Question 1
How much should I expect this new bow to stretch the string?? Seemed like I had almost no twists and a 7.5 inch brace height.  After like 30 shots I was down to a 5.5 inch.. I feel like I have twisted this thing a million times and it keeps stretching..

Question 2
We have a beautiful archery range here with burlap targets with a target pictures covering the burlap looks pretty standard.  I have 6 beeman centershot arrows that I bought with my bow and some times they are bouncing off the target at ten yards.  I have a 55 lb bow feel like they should be going a good ways in.  Now the targets are new any ideas???

Question 3
When you unstring your bow do you leave the string on it sliding down the limb or take string completely off?

Question 4
Will leaving it strung for a day or two help the string stretching???


Thanks in advance everybody.

[John3]

A half inch of stretch or more is possible...

Leave the bow strung.. Will help with string stretch.

Bouncing off targets?  Your set up may not be tuned properly.  Meaning the arrows are not hitting the targets square... Arrows flexing too much,, etc.

Leave the string on the bow after you let the bow down.

[McDave]

#1. I would be concerned if this were a fast flight string.  Dacron, not so much. Do you know which it is?

#2. If you want them to stick in the target, use pointier points. Some points come to a sharp point, and will stick in about anything. Others are more blunt and will bounce off things like Kevlar targets.

#3.  Slide it down the limb.

#4. It might, but if it continues to stretch at the rate you say, there could be something wrong with the string.

#1 - If it is a Dacron string, it will stretch a bunch!!! If it is a low-stretch string that was not prestretched by the maker, it will stretch nearly none to some, but should settle in fairly quickly (like within the first week or two).

#2 - not knowing what is inside the targets, or what type points you are using, I am not able to answer this one???

#3 - I leave the string on my bow when unstrung, and use a string keeper to keep it in place. I unstring all my bows when I am not shooting them.

#4 - Yes, leving the bow strung will keep tension on the string, and help it to settle in faster.

Bisch

I guess McDave is faster at typing than me!!  

[moebow]

1.  2 inches is an INCREDIBLE amount of stretch.  Something is wrong.
2. What are the targets stuffed with?  Arrows bouncing off?? Again, something is wrong.  You don't say if you are just starting out, but a 55# bow, IF putting that energy into the arrow, should "stick" the arrows.
3.  When you unstring a bow, let the string slide down the upper limb, don't take it off.
4.  Yes leaving it strung will help "set" the string.  But, again, you are getting too much stretch.

If you are just starting out, 55# is a LOT of weight and I wonder if you are getting to full draw.  Just a thought.

More information is needed.  Pictures of the bow string at the limb tips would help.  Pictures or better video of you shooting would help.  

Arne

[Petrichor]

It is a Dracon string NOT fast flight. Bow was supposedly tuned by Hunters Friend where I bought it.  I am surprised at the stretch myself especially because they tuned it, but there was almost no twists in it when I first strung it.  Even when I see an arrow hit the target square they barely go in.  I would say the points are not that pointy though.... Not sure what the issue is.  targets do seem very packed with burlap.  55 is a lot but I can pull a 70 pound compound all day and do about 100 straight pushups.  Had no problem getting back to my full very short draw of 26 every time.  Thanks for all the help/.

[Petrichor]

I used to be very into archery a couple of years ago so not quite starting out just back up and been shooting a compound recently just making the switch back to trad

[Matty]

55@28"? At your 26.. If you're getting there is 49# ish... My arrows have bounced off hard spots in my targets. Might be your points... Not to worry it happens. I've had pre stretched strings stretch. When they weren't supposed to. No worries it seems to happen...

[Petrichor]

YEAH MATTY 55 at 28 figured I would be getting a bit less.

[McDave]

Just FYI, a 55# bow drawn to 26" = 50# (more or less).  Still, plenty to do the job.  Shoot it for a while, twisting it up to the recommended brace height. If it stabilizes after 100-200 shots, it's probably fine. If not, replace the string. The burlap bags could be stuffed with Kevlar.

[Petrichor]

X4 MCDAVE I figured that would be about the weight of it.  I will keep shooting in probably only put 40 or 50 arrows through it today total so will keep doing it.  They indeed could be stuffed with that.  People were shooting the bags with broadheads and it was tearing up the old bags honestly I think they replaced the bags today they are insanely heavy.  As person who wears kevlar on a regular basis I can say it is quite heavy stuff.

[Petrichor]

When the brace height is right it shoots perfectly... I am putting all six of my arrows in the bull about a 4 inch bull at 10 yards... And when the brace is right there is zero hand shock I will keep at it and replace the string after 200 hundred if the stretching does not slow.
Going to hit the range again tomorrow once I get done some stuff.  I dont get off till 0600

[Bladepeek]

I would definitely keep a very close eye on that string. It does seem like an insane amount of stretch/slippage. You also said when you started out, there was almost no twist in it. If that's a Flemish twist string, as opposed to endless loop, there should have been a substantial amount of twist in it. How many twists or turns per inch do you see in it when you are at the correct brace height?

A good string is not cheap, but $20 - $25 for a properly made string would probably solve your problem for you and should last for several years. If that's an older Grizzly you will want a dacron string. If it's one of the new models, you could go to a fast flight string if you wanted to. The FF string will stretch hardly at all; the dacron string will stretch some initially. Nothing like what you are seeing, though.

[Petrichor]

Its a new grizzly and factory string.  I was twisted a lot when I got it right at the ends by the loop.  But through the center of the string it was not really twisted at all past 6 inches past the loops.

[Petrichor]

it is a flemish.  And as I understand it the grizzly is not FF compatible.

[8upbowhunter]

My son and I each bought a Bear Grizzly in February this year when we started shooting trad and on each bow the strings had little twist in them. I don't remember exactly how much they stretched but I do remember having to put some twists in them.

[Bladepeek]

The new Bear bows come with FF strings I believe. I'd double check with Bear, but my AuSable is several years old and is definitely FF compatible.

Either way, I'd definitely get a decent string on it and quit worrying about it.

[LostNation_Larry]

Dayher, you are correct in that the Grizzly is NOT fast flight compatible.  The Bear factory strings use a method that has lots of twists in the loops but not much in the middle of the string.  You will indeed have to twist it quite a bit in the begining to make any difference.  I've seen lots of B50 and B500 strings stretch 2", but normally the string maker does that stretching for you and when you get the string it should not grow that much.

As far as the Beman CenterShots not penetrating the targets, I have to wonder if you have 18 grain aluminum or 50/75 grain brass inserts.  Beman put the brass inserts in when they introduced that shaft but switched to the lighter aluminum inserts this year.  Personally I feel that was a very bad idea.  You might try upping your point weight to 145 or 175 and see what happens.

[LostNation_Larry]

I forgot to mention the "why" on unstringing the bow.  It is highly recommended to slide the loop down the limb because if you remove the string from the bow it will probably untwist.  If you already have twisted that string several times, imagine how much more you will have to twist it if you allow it to become untwisted every time you unstring the bow.  Save yourself some work and keep it on the bow when unstrung.

[Petrichor]

Awesome. Yep thinking everything is normal except the target I was shooting. The arrows are flying straight and fast seems like the other targets at range are penetrating fine. I called the person that tuned my bow and he said I'll be chasing the brace height fit first couple hundred shots with a dracon flimish twist.