Stringing and unstringing a bow is an art, and you need to master it as you are doing this most often in your whole career. As an archer, whenever you buy a new bow sight or use an old one, you want to learn how to string a recurve bow. Once you learn it, you have your recurve bow ready to use.
There are a couple of ways to string a recurve bow.
- The first one is by doing it yourself, and if you have strong muscles, else you will find it difficult.
- The other way is by using a bow-stringer, which we recommend.
No worries, we are about to share a few steps to string a recurve bow, with or without a bow-stringer. Without any further delay, let’s keep things going.
How to String a Recurve Bow
When you order a recurve bow online, it will arrive in a small package. You will find all the parts of the bow along with instructions on how to put the bow together in the package. Firstly, you need to connect the bow’s limbs to the riser, then attach the bowstring.
Few of you will do it manually for this stringing purpose, and there is nothing wrong with it if you can do it. At the same time, others will use bowstrings for this purpose, which is undoubtedly the best and easiest way to do it. Follow the steps we will share with you so that you will find it easy the next time you try to string a recurve bow.
Setting up the Bow for Stringing
To begin with, first of all, inspect the limbs of the bow for warping or cracks. If you find either one of them, avoid stringing the bow. On the other hand, if it is good to go, place the bow on your left shoulder with your cheek facing straight. Next, locate the upper string loop, which is marginally bigger than the bottom string loop.
Slide the upper string loop down to the upper limb, and put the bottom loop into the string grooves of the bottom limb. Following these easy steps, we mentioned here will let your new recurve bow ready and make it easier for you to see what is happening. Up to this mark, we are all done with setting up our bow process, and now it’s the right time to start the stringing process.
Overview of 3 Basic Steps to String a Recurve Bow
Stringing a recurve bow with a bow-stringer can be done in three simplest ways.
- If using your old recurve, lose the old string and remove it.
- Now attach the new string using a stringer.
- Tighten the new string and tie it off.
Before you start this whole process, choose an appropriate string for your bow because the string is the king of the bow.
Step 1: Loose and Remove Old String
The initial and basic step is to lose and remove the old string attached to your recurve. For instance, you can roll it down to the end of the bow to string a new one onto it.
Lose this bowstring enough so that you can place your hands around it. Place it around your recurve bow and cut it to the appropriate length, then thread it through the available loops of your bow. Remember one thing, and you must pull it out of the nock and over the bowstring because there is no room for a hanging loop to hold the string.
Step 2: Install the New String
The second and most technical step is installing a new string to a recurve bow. For this, you need to look around to find the hole in the stringer. Most of the time, this hole is usually attached to the nose of the bow. A flat item, such as a piece of paper or a flat-edge object, must pass the string through this hole.
This step is comparatively easy to step 1, but a tricky one. A wrong move and everything is made and dusted. So, to be on target, you need five inches of extra string on each end of the bowstring. Firstly, pull back one end of the string to either side of the node on the bow’s frame. Secondly, check whether both pieces of the string are pulled back properly while they meet on the other side of the node.
Suppose the old string on your bow is damaged or was not installed properly, then apply a double-loop method to cover this issue. The double loop method involves making two loops at the one end of your string and attaching them with one loop around each end of your recurve bow.
Step 3: Tight and Tie off New String
Tightening and tying-off new strings are the final step in stringing the bow. Once you find the hole in the stringer, all you need to do is tighten the stringer. Here you are tightening the string you will use to attach the new string.
Start this step by placing one end of the string on the nocking. Start wrapping the string around limbs until it is tight enough and you are sure it will not move under any pressure. In the end, tie it off to secure it. That’s it.
String a Recurve Bow Without Bow-Stringer
String a recurve bow without a bow stringer is a doable but risky task. As it is done manually, the chances of injury or damage to the bow are always on the card. You need help from another person who can hold the ends of the bow while you place the front of the curved lower limb through a loop at the end of your fingers.
When new archers do this for the first time by hand, we recommend doing it under the supervision of a senior archer, as they will let them know how to perform this task accurately and precisely. Stringing a bow by hand is easier on a lighter-weight bow than on a heavier one.
The heavier the bow is, the more difficult it is to string on it. Before doing it, remove all the attached accessories, like arrow rests, trigger guards, and quivers. Now let’s start learning the steps to do it one by one.
Step 1: Inspect the Bow before Stringing
The initial step here is to inspect your bow and string thoroughly. Take a deep look from top to bottom and ensure no cracks on the limbs and riser of the bow.
Moreover, try to look deeper and ensure that the string is kept intact at any point. If you find any issue, get it fixed before placing a new string on the bow arms. If you fix these issues, then the situation will get better later.
Step 2: Use Safety Gears
There are too many safety measures we suggest someone do when stringing a bow without a stringer. Firstly, use shoes with thick soles to protect your undersoles.
Secondly, use an armed guard to protect your lower arm if the string snaps while stringing the bow. The final gear is gloves to protect your hand and provide a decent grip.
Step 3: Step-Through Technique
To string a recurve bow using this method, you need to attach the top loop of the bow to the top bow limb. Avoid putting the larger loop into its notch. Try to move it down the limb to the center of your bow as much as possible. By performing this simple activity, you can easily slide the small bottom loop of your string into the bottom limb string notch.
Next, slide the top loop into the top limb string notch, which could be done by simply putting your bow on flow and placing your right leg in the middle of the bow. Now pick up the top end of the bow, so your right leg is in the middle of your bow with the bottom bow limb leaning behind your leg (specifically touching almost your calves) with string in front of it.
As your bottom bow limb is now touching the calf of your right leg, move your left leg and position it behind the bottom bow limb. You can easily pull the top bow limb when you stand upright and slide the non-attached bowstring outward to the notch.
Which one is the Best Way to String a Recurve Bow?
You have used both ways of stringing a bow, either using a bow stringer or manually. Now it’s totally up to you to choose the perfect way that suits you. We recommend using a bow stringer as it is more accurate, easier, and safer than performing it using hands.
We have discussed all the steps involved in stringing a recurve bow. But if you still have any questions or face any issues while performing these steps. Then don’t hesitate and write in the comment box. We will get back to you quickly and solve your problem with our best knowledge.