Ever since I have been in the archery game i.e. the 1950s It has been customary to unstring the bow be it a recurve or long bow at the end of the day's activity. The Black Widow boys say that it is ok to leave the bow (a recurve) strung if the bow is being shot on a regular basis Question: what is considered regular? I feel that it is much better to unstring the bow when through shooting for the day as it will release the tension on the limbs. allowing the limbs to rest until the next shooting secession. But according to the BW boys this is unessisary. I would like some other opinions on this matter--- what say you guys and gals on this forum?

I leave mine strung . only time my bow is not strung is when I and travelng far ,A guy came over yesterday with bow scales and I checked it to see if it has lost anything ,it was still right on .They say more damage is done by unstring than leaving them strung

I never wanted to own and shoot a BW recurve. But good bows are good bows and most bows are under about 70& of full draw stresses when braced.

My advice is leave it strung.( not)

Shucks leave it braced in a hot pickup truck for four hours in Arizona..with your pack laying across the limbs..:0

Black Widow has a team of legal and risk management and QC-Customer complaint folks paid decent salaries who have determined that improper stringing and unstring by STOOPID bow owners resulted in more WARRANTY and Public Relations damage to BW and their bows ....than leaving them braced. Few can really monitor performanve of their bows..

Learn to properly and safely unbrace your prized bows when not in use.USE A PROPERLY DESIGNED FOR YOUR BOW BOW STRINGER.It only takes a few seconds.

If you doubt me, BUY a bow scale, do force draw curves and accurately monitor the bow's performance after being braced forever...compared to just braced for the day's shooting.Jim

I don't worry about it with modern fiberglass backed bows,self bows would be a whole 'nuther story.I shoot once or twice a week in winter months, and more often in summer months and notice no ill effects.I would guess improper stringing techniques have causes more damage to bows, second only to DRY FIRING.But what ever you decide, buy a quality stringer for the job.

I unstring my londbow every day. The recurve that i shoot every day stays strung and ready for action. No Kids or Child like adults at my house. Old curves get unstrung evry day , when i'm thru shooting them, out of respect. I figure they get tired like i do and it ain't no big thing to do. Just always use a bow stringer!.....tnpaw

Leave it strung if it's a recurve. Unstring it if it's a longbow. Do a search. This topic has been cover many times.

My son shoots an older BW(not sure of the model or year) and NEVER unstrings it! It hasn't lost anything since he's owned it, which is around 10 years.

I have a new BW PAX recurve and shoot it 3 - 6 times a week and leave it strung. I have an old BP Colt that I shoot almost as regularly and leave it strung as well.

I've also heard and read that there's more of a chance of damaging the bow if you unstring it, whether you use a stringer or not.

That's me, you'll have to do what you feel is right.

Good luck!

Les

This is thread number 842 on the same subject.

So the consensus is just leave your bows braced. 300-1200 dollar bows.:)

70% of the same stresses on a braced bow as one full drawn..Think about that.

The stresses on your string should tell you to let 'er down.

You do not have to have a masters in mechanical and strutural enginnering to know that relieving stress on bent members lengthens their effective life.

Of courese not unbracing your bows eliminates the need for a decent bow stringer.

Regardless of how many times this topic comes up..My admonitions are always: Some of you are slow learners..:)

Unbrace your bow for storage unless you are in hunting camp...and even then good to give the bow a rest in most circumstances.

COMPOUND BOW OWNERS DON'T UNBRACE THEIR BOWS. LAZY ARCHERS DON'T EITHER.Jim

I always unstring my bows when I am done with them. Unless I am in Elk Camp. Then I leave it strung hanging in a tree ouside my tent.

Just a quick question is it a one piece or takedown?Now this is my thoughts,if the bow is a takedown wouldn't leaving the bow strung put to much stress on the bolts and cause some damage?Me personally have always unstrung my bows after shooting,heck it only takes a few seconds to unstring it and string it.

I have an engineering degree (two actually). Not sure where Dire is coming up with a figure of 70% of full draw stress at Brace hieght, and there are probably ways to monkey the numbers enough to "define" it that way, but it ain't so.

BUT, even if we use that "definition" then you can either move your bow thru 30% of it's "stress range" (from 70% to 100%) on a regular basis, by leaving it strung, OR....

you can move it thru 100% of it's "stress range" by regularly unstringing it and taking it from O% stress to 100% stress at full draw.

Anybody not see which choice is more "stressful"???

I have multiple recurves that have been strung for the vast majority of their 20+ years and I can gaurantee that from an engineering perspective had I taken two identical bows and strung one every day and left the other strung for the entire time (and shot them both equally) The one LEFT strung would show LESS signs of stress on a microscopic level.

Although, with quality bows (and IF they were strung and unstrung PROPERLY each and EVERY one of those thousands of times, the difference would be negligible.

My dad has an 87 BW Diamond Anniversary. Doesn't get shot very often, never gets unstrung. Probably had the same string for 20+ years, never unstrung, never any problems.

I leave my widows strung up.

It's either safe, or not, to keep it strung -- regardless of whether or not you shoot it on regular basis. By the way -- I'd like to know where that figure of 70% of stress at brace height as compared to full draw comes from -- the amount of preload at brace is more likely to imply no more than 25%, or so. With the stress relaxation resistant properties of these materials being used now --if you want to keep it strung, keep it strung. As long as you don't subject it to high temperatures --like, a closed in car in the hot summer sun. So, I second Martin Gracem - maybe even 3rd it. Well, I still unstring fairly often -- but, I believe it's really not needed - it's cause I like the exercize - not because it's really necessary. I didn't think I was a slow learner - but, then again!

For those who HAVE a bowscale and understand HOW to use one,take your slack unstrung bow and using a long string, bend it to brace height and note that force required to bend it to brace height compared to it's draw weight at 28".

For those who have bulletproof pocketbooks, or SELL their expensive bows every years or so for the next bestest model..just leave 'em braced..:) Jim

Looks like if it is your bow do what trips your trigger. If it is a borrowed bow do as the owner requests. Simple as that.

My PSA V has been strung sence January of 2006,(besides travel time on airlines), the longest i have gone with out shooting it is about 2 months. I usually shoot about 4 to 5 days out of the week.

With the Black Widow thay say you are much more likly to do damage to the bow during the stringing and un-stringing process than to leave it strung.

Lazy archer, where that come from.I have been call a lot of things but Lazy. Guess will drag my lazy butt to the range with my strung bow , go to work and drag my lazy butt back to the range after work.

sage, "LAZY" is a term I used to describe those who don't or won't learn how to care for their tools well.

Same sort of folks who throw their fishing rods in the boat after a day on the river and run to grab a beer.

Same sort of folks who seldom clean & lube their firearms.

Same sort of folks who chuck their tools in the pickup bed and wonder why they don't work well..and then go buy a new saw etc.

IF that shoe fits you, then leave your bows strung and wear the 'shoe'...:)

So I may not have been talking about you..:) Leaving a bow strung and carefully stored when one likes to shoot almost daily is one thing.

Leauing it strung because you cannot unstring it safely ad properly is another. One thing that is good about unstring one's bow every now and then is to check the string carefully..check and clean the bow under the string nocks.. If you don't care about the bow, consider the bow string..Give IT abreak..:)Jim

I keep my bows strung if I shoot them often...just like I keep bullets in all my guns. Hell..you never know when a trophy buck may show up in my front yard. I intend to be ready.

just because a person don't think/act or do the was we do does not make them lazy,dumb.stipid or anything else we can come up with ,What it does make them is Different.and that is okay too. Judging others on what we think or do sometime is us put ourself as Better . and if not what are we comparing them too

Leaving a bow strung or unstringing it is a personal choice. The BW boys however are correct. Not only with Widows but with most modern recurves it will cause no damage. Of course, strung or unstrung, leaving a bow in a hot vehicle is another matter all together. You do need to use some common sense. I leave my recurve strung, hanging horizontally by the string on my bow rack. The ones I'm not shooting I unstring. Frank

Then it is settled !

Leave them braced!..:) Have a great day, Jim

I can`t see the point in having a bow strung if you`re not using it. Maybe a good idea back in the day when idiots twisted or fractured the limbs trying to string them with the old "step thru" method, But it`s not too difficult to learn how to use a stringer properly!

Lazy?

Name calling just because someone asked a question.

silly internet...

I thought those fancy and expensive widows and such strung and unstrung themselves.

Mr. Battistoni your question about putting stress on the bolts also hadn't entered my mind when I posted this question. Thanks for bringing that up. I believe that is another reason for unstringing after use for the day.

Warning: Black Widow bows have narrow limb tips and small nocks. If you use stringer with a deep pocket there is danger of incomplete seating-unseating of the loop and a twisted limb. When needed, use the BW stringer.

I have 1998 SAG black widow it has been strung about 99% of it life, only times I can remember unstringing it is to put on a new string.I have about 3 bows that stays strung all the time, and have not had any problems.I do unstring my self bows. Iam not lazy and Iam not a idiot. What someone else does to his or her bow,dosent effect me and I will not call them names and my bow will be hung on the rack by the string ready for me.

Iam a slow learner maybe, I started out shooting a lemon wood bow in the 50s.

AND, (just to throw salt in the wound) there is not a stringer made (that I have seen) that puts EQUAL stress on both limb tips, and no matter how it is designed it does not stress the limbs the way they were designed to be stressed.

Bows are designed to have the point of stress applied around and through the limb grooves (and within a specific range of angles). A stringer CANNOT do that or else you could not get the string in the groove. Neither the angles the stress is applied nor the specific location of that stress is applied as the bow is designed to handle it. So again, several basic principles of science tell us that you are doing more (potential) damage to the bow, by unstringing it daily.

Now, granted, any quality (laminated) bow can handle being strung with any standard stringer over and over. BUT to use words like LAZY or IDIOT is wrong and shows a lack of understanding of simple science.

There are lots of reasons for storing your bow unstrung, and I am not even advocating leaving it over unstringing it. That choice is up to the owner, and you are welcome at my fire either how you do it. but the arguement that leaving it strung is detrimental to the bow is (to use the correct scientific term) a bunch of woohie!

I always unstring my bows but I do keep a rubber tip protector over the bottm limb that also covers the string loop so it wont' slip out when stringing.

Leave mine strung. The ones that are unstrung are that way for ease of storing on a bow rack. Most bowyers will tell you to leave 'em strung.

I think Martin Gracem summed it up quite well. No name calling or getting excited, just plain stated his facts. Thank you.

Hoytshooter lmao. the limbs on a widow r very narrow at the tip so u have to b very careful when u do unstring then.

Man I swore I was done with this topic.

(Somebody help me!!!!!!!..:))

Bowyers and bow mfgrs don't ship their bows strung( except wheel bows) They COULD ya know..

Why? Because a braced bow can be easily damaged in transport.

Y'all shoot and hunt off the back porch? ( maybe some do..:)

Probably some of you fly or drive to get to hunting places. A braced bow that the archer isn't carrying or monitoring is subject to any number of injuries and under stress, those small dings can be fatal.

In all the archery shops I have been in over 50 years, recurves and longbows are NOT braced and hanging around.

Bow stringers that fit one's particular bow limb tips can be made modified or bought.

There's no way to bend and brace a bow that perfectly relicates the bending stresses of the limbs as IF one could magicall have the string pop into the string nocks and have the bow braced.NONE.

For those who leave their bows braced indefinately.............................................................do you ever clean the bowstring and rewax it or clean and wax the bow including the string nocks?

Anyhow..LEAVE your 3,4,5,6,7,$800.00 bows braced..

I ain't sellin' bow stringers..:)

Some of you fellows seem to go thru more bows in five years than archers go thru... in 50 years..

Probably trade in your truck when the tires need rotating too.:)( that was a cheap shot and I admit it..:)..:)Jim

I wonder IF you all were to ask the Olympic archers..or serious competitors..or exhibition shooters IF they unbrace their bows after the shooting is done...what they would tell you. Now I know the backyard shooters and some who don't take hunting seriously prolly don't care until they all of a sudden find they ain't HITTING anything..if they ever did.:0 ( that's a dig)

ALL of them meticulously check their brace height..some have notes that specify the EXACT brace height they KNOW their bow and arrows are properly tuned with...and they don't measure that with the hand and thumb extended in the dark.

You think string stretch and wear and tear and adjusting brace height don't make a difference in good archery? ASK those who know. Obviously many of you think after over 50 years in good archery and hunting and bow making and BOW FIXING ..I don't..so ask them.

You cannot adjust brace height without unbracing the bow..and a bow braced will NOT maintain consistent brace height no matter what string material one uses.Jim

Brace dont change much after it has been strung for a year or so and shot a few hundreds of times.I shot one Black widow 1,500 times one week ,seriously, And yes you do have to unbrace a bow to adjust the brace height.I take hunting, seriously.

For the ones ,that never wanted to own and shoot a BW recurve.Really dont need to respond to the question because it was not drected to a non black widow owned, The question was about a Black Widow bow so if you dont own one or have not own one, your info is not of any interest .

This is getting out of hand! I asked wheither it would be better to leave my BW PMA T D braced or unbraced and have gotten answers both for and against leaving the bow strung. I didn't mean for this to become a brew ha ha. Like noses everyone has an opinion and to the best of my knowledge we are still free to express that opinion. And I was asking about limb tension being relaxed or steady-on for an indefinate period of time provided that the bow is shot on a regular basis. I agree brace height is an important factor in archery be it hunting or competition or just back yard shooting but brace hight wasn't my question it was about limb fatigue and would it not be better to let the limbs rest unbraced until the next shooting session.

Robert,, You bought your BW bow.You earned the money to buy it.

You probably want it to shoot and shoot well for at least a couple of years. You don't want it to degrade or be damaged. You make the decision whether you want to unbrace the bow when you aren't shooting it or IF you feel you'll 'damage' the bow by unbracing it.Simple as that.Jim

I guess BW thinks people that buy there bows are not smart enough to unstring with out doing damage to the bows --they could be on to somthing

Bob morrison told me if you leave a bow strung it will loose a couple pounds

I could care less what you do but I make my owen stings and unsting all the time ajusting the brace --35 yr. have not damaged a bow yet .

Hey I leave mine strung pretty much 24/7 365 days a year. I will tell you what can potentially happen if you leave them strung and hanging. I had one BW, and one Bighorn to have strings break while hung by string from pegs roughly 7 feet off the floor. Luckily there was no damage to the bows. FF strings tend to fail at nocking point due to age. It's a good idea to change strings as suggested.

Well, to answer the original question, no, it doesn't matter much whether you leave it strung or not, under certain conditions. And I have two Widows, so I'm qualified! LOL! I talked to Roger and Ken Beck at BW, about the care of their bows. Here's the deal. If you are shooting daily, weekly, monthly, it makes no difference. Now, for extended storage periods, say over a few months, it would be a good idea to unstring it.

They should be hung horizontally on two pegs,strung or not, in a climate controlled environment. Don't leave them strung up in high heat, such as a car trunk in the summer time. Don't leave them standing in the corner for long term storage. Do inspect, and change the string yearly, or if signs of excessive wear begin to show. Wax your strings often. Inspect your bow and bowstring before each shooting session. A coat of wax on the bow will serve to protect the finish.

As for stringing, it's best to use a bow stringer. I've used the step through method, and the push pull. Never twisted a limb yet, but it CAN happen. A stringer solves that issue, which is what I use now. A stringer is cheap, and used properly will take care of any potential limb twist issues.

However you take care of your bow is up to you, but my methods have worked for about 50 years now, and I've never had a problem yet.

I think that what direwolf is trying to tell you guys is that if you take care of your bows, they will probably outlast you. That goes for a lot of other equipment too. I suspect that he and I grew up in a time where money was tight, and we HAD to take care of what he had, because there was no money available for a quick replacement. Today we live in a throwaway society. If it breaks, no big deal, just go buy another one. Well, my two Widows cost me $2400. I'll pass them down to my son when I'm gone, and I expect that they will still be good when he's old and gray like me.

It's your call guys, and your money. As for John and the wolf, we have to take care of our stuff in the only way that we know how.

John

i unstring self and wood bows after use. Any glass and wood bows that are being shot weekly, daily, or whatever stay strung. I have talked to several bowyers about this and it is simply the right thing to do. My main bows get unstrung to replace the string or transport some have been strung for years. It has nothing to do with being lazy, or not knowing how, or blah blah, simply doing the right thing.

Right now the score stands at 18 for leaving the "modern" made lamenated bow strung and 14 for unstringing it when not in use for those that express a pro or con preferance with their answers. Which to my way of thinking is pretty close.That leaves 20 no opinion stated answers. I tend to agree with the statement by Bob Morrison in stickdp's post about the bow losing poundage if left strung over an extended period of time even though it is shot on a regular basis. And that was at the crux of my question--- would leaving the bow strung weaken the limbs over time and could that weakening of the limbs be staved off by unstringing the bow when not in use even overnight. According to the replies received leaving it strung overnight makes no difference whatsoever or even for a month or so if left strung and shot regularly So it stands at six of one or a 1/2dozen of the other. No real concensus either way. Do as one thinks best and bear the consequence of your decision.

I personally don't believe leaving a bow strung will cause a loss in poundage over time. You would think Bob Morrison would know, but I need to see some data or have that theory explained to me in more detail.

By the way I wish my BW TFII was five pounds lighter so I'm leaving it strung from here on out just in case it is true!

You fellers still discussin' this?

Shucks, leave them strung!..:) All my bows and strings get a rest now and then and a bit of cleaning and wax..IF I owned a BW that I'd paid 800.00- 1200.00 for I'd leave it strung..:) Wouldn't matter 'cause I'd have enuf money to just get another one if it went south..:) Jim

Yep, leave 'em strung. And leave all of your firearms cocked while stored. Keep your clips packed with shells all the time. It's good for 'em. Those springs never get tired ;-)...Van

you guys sure get worked up, about nothing...............

won't hurt a widow.

Wouldn't hurt a glock either. It just might not chamber the next round though once that springy thing loses it tension ;-)

I think one thing that dire wolf was insinuating was that even though a bow might not loose #'s on the scale it might loose cast. Just a thought. My Dad taught me 60 years ago to unstring and that's what I do...Van

"you guys sure get worked up, about nothing............... "

I agree. It only takes 2 seconds to string and unstring. I used a stringer once and it 'bout scared me to death. That was about 25 years ago. I never used one again ;-)...Van

The bow is at it's peak string stress when setting at brace.

It takes 2 seconds to string or unstring a bow. Why risk a string failure catastrophe 24/7 when it is that easy to unstring?

Just because they say bows are more often damaged by stringing, or unstringing does not mean that it is common place for it to happen, and I can think of only two ways for it to happen anyway, (1)not knowing how to do it, (2)stringer failure.

Rick

I store all my bows at full draw. easier to store.

Rick, your #1 point is the most common risk. I advise archers who are not 100% sure of their stringing/unstringing technique to leave their bows strung. If they leave it strung it should be place away from children. An unstrung bow can't hurt anyone. I have a bow rack above my bed with many bows. I'd hate one of them suckers to let go late at night if they were strung.

Might be spraying bullets out of my uncocked hand gun without thinking. LOL...Van

I'm not sure why anybody cares what another guys does with his bow, unless he is trying to help of course. My dad has BW's that have been strung for 25 -30 years. They shoot fine. How much test data do you need?

works for me Don. the widow boys don't have a problem with it.

Next stimulating discussion will be: Do you store your boat for the winter with a full tank of ethanol or empty tank? Believe it or not that is the big buzz in boating circles now. Heated arguments usually ensue.

red, think "Stabil" or empty your tank. If not, it ain't gonna crank ;-) Dang I just made a rhyme...Van

Personally I don't care what someone else does one way or the other.

I unstring my bows after every shooting session. Only time they stay strung for any length of time is when I am out on a several day hunt, and even then I may unstring them.

I was just offering a different perspective.

Rick

""The bow is at it's peak string stress when setting at brace"""

huh???

Somebody gonna havta explain that one??

Martin, I can't explain it, but the in line stress on the string actually decreases as the bow is drawn.

When I first learned of this, I couldn't believe it either, so I just naturally had to set out to either see it for myself or disprove it.

I built a string with a bow scale in line with it. The stress on the string in pounds while at brace was somewhere over 70# on a 50# bow, and reduced to roughly half that stress when the string was drawn to 28".

Rick

My 1998 BW SAIII has been strung since its born on date. Its been un strung 12 times in as many years. Use a BW stringer as they will twist on you useing the step through method if your not carefull, I know this from experance(I was in a hurry) as i had a slight twist which was quickly corrected..woodsmoke

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