When to Change Your Bow’s Strings and Cables?
Archery is a very famous sport in the USA and all around the world. Shooting arrows from a bow is something meditative for the archers.
When you shoot from your bow, the bow’s strings and cables go through incredible stress and pressure. The string releases the arrow from the bow and propels it into motion. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to do this. Once the arrow is flying, the string starts to oscillate very violently before it comes to the rest. So, after taking this huge amount of stress, the strings start to lose their’ lifetime. Then it is necessary to change the string of the bow. But sometime you may find it difficult to find the perfect time of changing the string. In this article, I will tell you the time to change your bow’s strings and cables.
Proper Time to Change Bow’s Strings and Cables
There are some signs that show you that it’s the proper time to change your bow’s strings and cables. In the following post, you will find when to change your bow’s strings and cables.
When Change is Needed
Archers must inspect their bowstring and cables before every time they use it. If you see the bowstring looks dry or fuzzy, simple waxing can resolve the issue. However, if you see any bowstring strandsare looking frayed or its serving has separated, you might need a new string.
You may also have to change or replace the string if your bow has tuning or performance issues. Strings can stretch over time, and it can affect your bow’s timing. You can see most modern compound bows have visual reference points on their cams. They are called timing marks. If you notice these marks are off, it’s time to take your bow to a pro shop for a professional inspection.
If you have recurves and longbows, you’ll feel the effects of a stretched bowstring when you draw the bow. A string which is toolong can cause slight reductions in draw weight, making the bow feel soft.A bow tech expert will take the measurement on the specific places on the bow, and compare it with the initial specifications. In this process, he can find out if your bow has gone out of tune due to the stretched bowstring.
How to Prolong String Life?
If you take proper care of your bow and use it averagely, a set of cables and bowstrings should last two to three years. You can properly maintain your bow by regularly waxing your bowstring to prevent it from drying. You can apply wax and spread it into the string fibers with your fingers or you can also do it with a piece of leather, which will warm the wax so it can penetrate into the string. Waxing your strings will increase the life of your strings.
The place where you store your bow affects the bowstring’s life. Choose a place where the temperature remains consistent. Try to avoid hot places for keeping your bow such as car trunks. If you have to carry it in the car trunk, try not to keep it there for a long period of time. Remove the bowstrings of recurve and longbow while storing them to relive the tension.
Change the String and Cables
You will need a bow press and a professional who knows how to do it properly and safely. When you want to buy a new set of strings or if you are not sure about your string’s condition, it is better to visit a pro shop to make sure it is done properly. When you are about to change the string, you can choose your preferred color. It is a special benefit of replacing the bowstring.
What to Do After Changing?
Most of the bowstrings of these days are pre-stretched by the manufacturer. But you will still need the break-in periods. You need to shoot with the new strings 100 to 200 times for break-in and it will make sure that you have finished stretching. After you break in your strings, you can make a final tuning and timing inspection.
Conclusion
There are some technical things to notice for determining the time when you need to change the string of your bow. You have read these things above. There is a very easy and useful way to understand the time and that is, when you will feel you are not getting the proper result from your bow or the string is feeling loose on the bow, you can be sure it is the time. You can also inspect to find some visual defect on the string to select the time. So, when you find the perfect time, never be late to change the string. Shooting with a damaged string cannot give you perfect result and it can be also dangerous.
