When not in use

[Dom]

How do you all store your bow's when not useing them?I have a case for the one and havent picked up another yet so should i hang it some how or is hanging a bad idea.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

In my hard case with the limb tension backed almost all the way off.

[SplitG2]

I have mine in a case but you can hang it too. When I do hang my bow, i don't hang it by the string.

[NFA-ADK]

I keep mine in a soft case. My old bow is leaning up against a wall, no case. I see no reason why you can not hang it on something. They are always hanging in the archery stores and we hang them when at the range while not shooting... I think a hard case is ideal, just a little expensive but worth the extra expense if you are hard on your gear or want added protection.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Always wondered if the tension should be backed off on a bow.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

The first bow I bought , that was the instruction given me in that pro shop and I have done it ever since. I guess if you shoot all winter you can't and I don't know if it is even suggested by the manufacturers. I was alson told to never store a firearm without releasing the tension on the firing pin spring.

[Doc]

Mine simply hangs in a rack on the basement wall that has 1" dowels wrapped in leather. The bows that I am not currently shooting are wrapped in clear plastic garbage bags and also hung in this rack. They are hung by the string which I assume is probably quite harmless. There is no relative motion of the strings vs. the dowels (aside from the occasional Adirondack tremor ....lol). The only pressure against the strings are the weight of the bow itself (negligible). Recurves are wrapped and hung with the limbs resting on the leather clad dowels. No direct sunlight and fairly stable temperatures.

[biggamefish]

I keep mine strung all year. At least the ones I am shooting. I was told to keep them strung all the time if you are shooting them.

[landtracdeerhunter]

My recurve is all waxed up, bow sling installed, strapped in a hard case. The crossbow is housed in a strapped in hard shell case. Both stored in a dark location. I question whether the arrows should be stored in their respective compartment above the bows, but that's where they are.

[sweet old bill]

Hi all just aq few tips from this older archer. When I started selling recurve bows, I called martin and sked if they should be strung and unstrung after each usage and let them just hand in the shop. I was told they had some bows strung for years to see oif they last peak weight or kast. They found no loss even after 5 years. Now they said the biggest problem with recurve or long bows was damage from the process of stringing a bow. They said sell the bow and include a stringer with the bow and show the new or older archer how to use the string. Had they said over time that over 95% of damage to bows was from trying to put a bow over the knee to string.

With compound bows only take off the peak weight or setup weight and turn back about 3 full turns if you are going to store for a long period. Otherwise just keep it hung by the string or upper cam. I store mine from the upper cam in the shop if possible. I have metal that is covered with plstic hook to hang them by. If I am going to store any bow for the winter etc. I make sure I lube the bow ( compound ) and for bow trad and compound boiw I then make sure I wax the string. I also use pledge wax on a old dishtowel and wipe off the bow. Makes the bow look like it just came out of the package from the mfg...

[WNYBuckHunter]

I wax and lube everything and then hang it from one of those padded ladder storage hooks you get at the hardware store. I hang it from the limbs. Never had a problem doing it that way.

[Doc]

I wax and lube everything and then hang it from one of those padded ladder storage hooks you get at the hardware store. I hang it from the limbs. Never had a problem doing it that way.

No, these things are not pieces of delicate china or something. Generally speaking, you have to abuse the hell out of them to actually create damage. And I'm talking about more than just how you store them.

Actually, the Matthews that I use never does get stored. It is strung all the time, at full hunting weight and simply hung on the wall and normally used at least once a week. If that is going to do any damage, then I wouldn't even want to be shooting it .... lol.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Yeah I just use the padded hook so the finish stays decent.

[Dom]

Thank's for the info.

[bkln]

wax it and keep it in a hard case, it lasts forever.....

[Doc]

Probably one thing that I would not recommend is that you hang your bow in the back window of your pick-up truck. On some of these 90 degree days, I wouldn't even put my bow in the trunk or back seat for any extended length of time. I can't scientifically prove it, but I really do believe that temperature extremes can't do a whole lot of good to something that is laminated and held bent under pressure.

[sweet old bill]

that sure is a no no, if you do and or even on a gun rack on the truck window is a no no. when I am going to a shoot I make sure the bow is unstrung and in a case for a trad bow and in a case for a compound bow.

[hunterguy1961]

I hang mine on wooden dowls also and always back of the tension if it not be shot for more than a month , just make sure you count the number of turns as you back off the bow