Shooting arrow adventures are fun and incredibly exciting during those crazy hunting seasons. The storage scenarios may appear to be a little challenging as a few clever sightings are essential to be engaged with.
You may perhaps want to know how long can you leave a recurve bow strung.
You should not leave a recurve bow strung for more than 21 days. When you are done with the party, it is good to unstring the bow when storing it for an indefinite amount of time. This is due to factors impacting such as bow and string material types, tensions, and weather conditions.
There is a lot to explore, so continue reading…
Should You Really Leave A Recurve Bow Strung?
It is good practice to unstring your recurve bow after you are done shooting. Most modern recurve bows come with easy string and unstring features. There is no inconvenience present in the process.
However, more frequent stringing and unstringing may result in limbs getting twisted. There is a possibility of that happening, especially when you are using it almost every day. You should leave it strung in such a case.
But when there is no persistency to the usage, should you still leave the recursive bow strung for as long as possible?
Yes, you can. If you are storing a shotgun after the end of a good hunting season, there will be no more usage for months. If there are bullets kept inserted, it may begin to rust over time. This means the performance of the shotgun will deteriorate in terms of energy efficiency when used again.
You will face the same issue with the recurve bow, so what are your good options? We will explore in detail…
How Long Can You Leave A Recurve Bow Strung?
Mostly, depending on the constructed materials, you are recommended to keep it strung for up to 3 weeks.
After that, follow how shotgun owners unload bullets, and unstring them for storing separately. This is to prevent any uncovering issues, similar to instances when crossbows don’t pull properly.
The synthetic materials used for the making of recurve bows play a role here, we will observe facts and figures to clarify the matter.
| Material Properties | Tensile Strength (MPa) | Compressive Strength (MPa) | Elasticity Module (GPa) | Density (g/cm3) |
| Fiberglass | 3445 | 1080 | 73 | 2.58 |
| Carbon Fiber | 2500 | 869 | 228 | 3.52 |
| Aluminium Alloy (Treated) | 690 | 120 | 69 | 2.7 |
| Bamboo | 800 | 140 | 25 | 0.78 |
| Red Oak Wood | 4500 | 1410 | 7.86 | 0.7 |
The recurve bows are made of mostly, fiberglass, carbon, aluminum alloy, bamboo and red oak wood materials. Depending on the composite material properties, the exterior reacts to certain conditions, such as tensions.
The context to keeping a recurve bow strung is elaborated with stats relating to the strength capacity. Compared to the elasticity module from tensile and compressed strengths, manufacturers suggest, storing it in certain ways so that durability is ensured.
The necessary storage practices will be showcased later, first, stay equipped with the factors that influence usage and storage scenarios.
What Factors Influence The Usage And Storage?
We have separated the influence elements into four separate decrees of conditions. Through a few indications, we will determine if you would be successful.
This is with the recurve bow being strung for an extended period of time.
Factor 1: Bow Material Type
The material build-up of the recurve bows does not suggest flexibility in the usage. There is no levering system present like compound bows.
This means the limb bend technology is not well-defined compared to the compound setup of the bows. Through the assistance of cables and pulleys, compound bows are stronger and so can be kept strung for as long as possible.
The recurve bows are built with less sophistication and so can degrade quickly if pressure is not released from the string.
So, should you keep your recurve bow strung? Absolutely not! Do not put an unfavorable amount of force on the material, it will lose its function in no time.
As we said before, 3 weeks is the maximum time standard.
Factor 2: String Material
The characteristics of linen strings functions in contrast to external conditions and how well it is preserved. Remember, we said how bullets build up rust when thrust inside a steel construction? It begins to change its colors through varied influences coming from the environment.
The situation is a bit more complex with the string being strung with the bow materials. Certain enforcement will keep the limb bend to an exact position for a longer period of time.
When you are using the bow after a prolonged break, the string may lose its strength capacity. The same would happen with the limb. Overall, there is a possibility of your bow not being able to ensure you the perfect shot.
For this reason, we say, do unstring a recurve bow when you know you won’t be using it anytime soon. Simply, the string must not break when you are stringing and pulling the material after a while.
Factor 3: String Tension
The string tension is an important component that influences usage behaviors. This is directly related to how you will be storing the bow, by keeping it strung. For a certain period of time, that is, whatever the cause, don’t go further.
You may realize that keeping the recurve bow strung backward would solve the matter. For instance, if you have a good-looking displaying mechanism that doesn’t hurt the string or limb, the process might work.
Do apply a popularly recommended nock tensions method for the string to gather up a proper tightening. This means the tensions should guarantee a space for smooth recurve bow functionalities.
One of the benefits of such work is, it promotes the easy reduction of the bow’s draw weight, involving a few good methods.
The main aim is not to impact the quality and durability of the recurve bow. This is the reason why 100 pounds of stringing tension is recommended to make things work effortlessly.
However, if you think you can still leave the recurve bow strung for months, you are wrong. You have to consider a very important element to the reasons why shouldn’t you do so.
Factor 4: Weather Conditions
Weather conditions directly outline how the bow material surfaces react to definite atmospheric pressures. There has been a slight touch regarding the environmental factors before, we will go further with this now.
The main idea is to demonstrate how storage is influenced by varied conditions.
Rainy Conditions:
During rainy seasons, the humidity levels are quite high. The materials such as wood, fiberglass, and carbon get impacted due to how the atmosphere is surfacing.
It also depends on where you are storing the bow and how the string tension will impact the scenario. If hidden inside the cabinet, there may be less swelling than if stored randomly in any room.
It is highly important that you don’t leave it strung. The moisture formation may cause that corroded effect discussed before.
Hot And Humid Conditions:
When rain passes, it lets in a hot season for the humidity levels to work in strange ways. The materials may get impacted in terms of either contracting or expanding.
This is the reason why you have to store the string and the other parts separately. Woods and carbon materials easily adsorb moisture in the atmosphere, sinking in to reduce the lifespan of the nicely textured bow.
Do work on regular maintenance alongside storage, backed up by sufficient over-the-top covers.
Dry Conditions:
When fall is nearing, the dry conditions are set in. Probably you will be more active with the bow in the winter season. But it is good for you to know that do store, by leaving the bow unstrung.
If you are not active yet, or you are done with the season, apply some good retention ideas. This is so that the bow material does not lose its tensile strength due to dry climate.
Best Storage Practices For Long-Term Durability
The best recurve bows don’t come cheap in the market. This is why maintenance should be done with quality and care. The bows rest safely with standardized storage methods when you know to work out a climate-controlled area.
Here are a few things you must ensure:
- If you have to choose between a soft case and a hard case, always go for the harder one.
- Ensure the hard case is waterproof
- Good quality wooden racks oftentimes ensure durability
- Protective foams are important
- Regular cleaning oils can be applied to furnish a shiny texture
Some innovative customization ideas will work for you. However, there are customized products that are available in the market already.
Some good products you can use for impactless storage are
- SKB Injection-Molded Case – Sufficient casing easily prevents material degradation and improved longevity
- Rush Creek Creations – Proper racking is also a good way to ensure justified storage mechanism
- Scorpion Venom Bow – The maintenance kit to make the recurve bow look clean and fresh
Whatever the weather is, staying alert with proper maintenance will keep the bows from decaying early.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Should I keep the recurve bows out from hot areas?
Yes, it is a good idea to keep the recurve bows away from hot areas. Areas such as garages are more prone to moisture accumulation. Also, don’t leave it inside your car when you are not there.
Can modern laminated bows be left strung longer?
If the laminated wood material is of high quality, you can keep it strung as long as it is not hurting the limb. It is good to follow manufacturer directions to impose a safe storage scenario.
How long should a recurve bow string be?
For a 68-inch string bow, the string should be about 64.5 inches. There are packages that come with the necessary recurve bow. The supplier will let you know which string is the right fit for the bow that you own.
Endnote
We are guessing you have gathered a good amount of information to answer the query. So, how long can you leave a recurve bow strung, it may depend on external influences and conditions. But, make sure you don’t cross the recommended time frame.
See you next time then, bye for now!
