Stringing your bow: how to use a bow stringer?

Are you having trouble stringing your bow? In fact, it's a task that every archery enthusiast must master. It's not just about bending the limbs and installing the string. Bow stringing is a process that requires technique and know-how to avoid damaging the bow. How to go about it? That's what we're going to discover in this article.

Stringing Your Bow: What's Its Definition?

Stringing your bow has two meanings in the discipline of archery. The first meaning is the action of properly and skillfully putting the string on the bow. The second meaning can simply be translated as the act of drawing the bow before shooting. In other words, it's the action of bringing the string to the anchor point to shoot. What interests us in this article is the first meaning.

What Techniques are Used to String Your Bow?

While researching, you will have the opportunity to find countless techniques for stringing your bow. Although archers often have their own techniques, to properly string your bow, we suggest proceeding as follows. To mount your string,

• Hold your bow between your legs. However, be very careful of the risks of accidents such as limb twisting.
• Use a Bow Stringer to allow you to easily bend the bow and install both ends of the string on the corresponding limbs. It is often installed on a wall or on the side of a target.
• Use the technique of sliding the string along the upper limb of the bow. To do this, install the string at the end of one of the limbs. While bending the bow, exerting an upward pull on the bow, slide the other end of the string to the end of the other limb. To accomplish this, you must have strength and good control. Otherwise, you risk twisting or breaking the limbs, etc.

How to string your bow using a bow stringer?

Stringing your bow with a bow stringer is not recommended for beginner archers. In fact, like other techniques, it also carries risks of twisting the bow limbs. The difference is that if you don't apply it correctly, the risk of accident will be greater.

As its name suggests, this technique aims to use a bow stringer to allow the installation of the real string on the bow. To do this, here is the procedure to follow:

The bow stringer is attached to the upper and lower limb tips

It is held in place using our feet.

Start by engaging the string in the lower limb tip. The upper loop remains waiting around the corresponding bow limb.

Slide the real string along the limb and put it in place by exerting an upward pull on the bow. Be sure to hold the bow firmly by the grip to prevent its limbs from twisting.

After installing the real string, remove the bow stringer

Check that the string is properly in the limb tips and that its alignment is correct. It is suggested to always use an arrow during the check even if it's not for shooting.

If you need to unstring the bow, simply put the stringer back in place on the limb tips and release the real string from the upper limb tip by pulling upward. Then, you just need to let the string slide along the limb while gradually releasing the tension on the bow.

At rest, keeping the string mounted or not

When we're not using our bow, should we keep the bow with a string mounted or not? This question often comes up among archers. Referring to ancient bows, it is possible to keep them strung due to some storage conditions:

• The duration of use;
• The place where it was stored;
• Duration;
• Humidity;
• Transport;
• Etc.

However, it is wise to unstring a bow after each use to let it rest. Know that in this way, the bow relieves itself of any possible distortions during transport, etc.

How to draw (string) a compound bow?

The compound bow, unlike the classic bow and more closely resembling the crossbow, is equipped with a more modern and complete aiming and shooting system. With the string and cables already installed through the cam grooves, the need for a bow stringer or a stringing device for drawing is no longer required. Moreover, when shooting with a compound bow, the drawing is done using a release aid that will be placed on the D-loop.

To manage to properly draw your compound bow, here are simple steps to follow:

• Start by nocking the arrow on the arrow rest
• Before being able to put tension on the bow, you need to install the release aid in the nocking point loop (being careful to always keep your fingers behind the string)
• Pull on the string so that it is well tensioned and aim
• Engage the release aid to free the arrow.

A tip to never forget when drawing a compound bow, even if it's just to make certain adjustments, is to always nock an arrow. Indeed, cases of dry firing are not rare, while it can cause a lot of damage to your compound bow: disassembled strings, warped cams, breaks or cracks...