Should I Unstring My Recurve Bow? We’ll Answer All Of Your Questions

Recurve bows are very popular amongst archers. They are the only bow allowed at the Olympics, and they have proven themselves in competition time after time. The design of the Recurve bow actually goes back as far as the ancient Egyptians. Looking for more range and power, the bow was designed to build up more tension and power in the draw. Given the popularity of the Recurve, it’s no surprise that we receive plenty of questions about buying them and their care and maintenance. One of the most common questions we receive is: Should I unstring my recurve bow?

In the simplest terms, if you shoot regularly enough you shouldn’t have to unstring your Recurve bow at all. The bow itself was designed to be strung and to hold plenty of tension, so leaving it strung should not be a problem unless the bow itself is weak or faulty in some way. Leaving them strung might have been a problem in the past with older Recurve bows, but the modern ones are durable and tough, especially if you invest in a top of the line model.

Even though it was designed to be strung for long periods, there are still plenty of people who prefer to unstring them after each shoot. In fact, many of the best Recurve bows split into three parts when unstrung for easy portability. This is good for competition shooters who need to carry their equipment around with them.

Be Careful When Unstringing Your Recurve Bow

If you do want to unstring your bow, whether for travel or because you don’t shoot as often as you’d like, you need to know what you’re doing. Plenty of damage has been done to bows because of faulty restringing, and because of the way the Recurve looks when it is not strung, it can be confusing for some people to put back together if they are inexperienced or simply not on the ball. If a Recurve is strung backwards, the best case scenario is that the string will simply break off and in the worst case, the bow itself will break in half. This is because the Recurve is not meant to be strung in the other direction even though the shape of the bow can confuse beginners.

While we’re on the subject of caring for your bow, you should also never dry fire it. The bow was designed to fire an arrow with weight and dry firing it can cause so much tension in the string that the bow itself can break, or at least sustain damage. This may be more likely in bows that are not made of fibreglass, but it is still not a good habit to get into.

We’ll Advise You on How to Care for Your Bow

Modern bows are made to be tough and durable for the most part, but they are definitely not indestructible. If you have any questions about your Recurve bow or another kind of bow, just come into the store and we’ll be more than happy to answer any of your questions. Whether you have a broken or tatty string that needs replacing, or have a question about unstringing your bow, we can talk to you and even demonstrate so that you walk away with the right knowledge.