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String Questions

dalton916

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2018
Messages
3,911
Ok, so I’m new to trad and my bow is a 68” Bill Stewart multicam recurve.

I’ve read in several places that the string should be 4” shorter than the bow and several places that the string should be 3” shorter......which is it?

What is the correct way to measure the string?

What string material and number of strands would be recommended?

I’ve also read that bow the size of mine should have a brace height of 8-9”. When I take all the twist out of my string my brace height is slightly over 9”......I can only assume my string is too short.....is my logic sound on this?

If I’m correct in assuming I need a different string who would y’all recommend?

That should be enough to start with, lol

b1cd45f88485c30c475d4d251eae08fb.jpg
 
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About the 2:00 mark on the video below shows string measurement. The whole video is pretty informative and worth watching though. I've tried to support them over the years just because they're so helpful. You can call them before you buy and they'll shoot ya straight too.

 
Ok, so I’m new to trad and my bow is a 68” Bill Stewart multicam recurve.

I’ve read in several places that the string should be 4” shorter than the bow and several places that the string should be 3” shorter......which is it?

What is the correct way to measure the string?

What string material and number of strands would be recommended?

I’ve also read that bow the size of mine should have a brace height of 8-9”. When I take all the twist out of my string my brace height is slightly over 9”......I can only assume my string is too short.....is my logic sound on this?

If I’m correct in assuming I need a different string who would y’all recommend?

That should be enough to start with, lol

b1cd45f88485c30c475d4d251eae08fb.jpg

Most of the time recurve strings are four inches shorter but there are a few exceptions out there. how long is your string now if you measure it from end to end? I don't know what the recommended brace height was for Stewart bows but, it does sound like it's a little short. It's possible a prior owner determined it shot better with a little higher brace height.

If you're interested ( and I've never met a surveyor who wasn't interested in history :) ) here is a history of Bill Stewart I stumbled across one day. http://leatherwall.bowsite.com/TF/lw/thread2.cfm?forum=23&threadid=110439&messages=44&CATEGORY=3
 
I dont recall ever hearing of a bow that needed a brace over 8" but not familiar with Stewart bows. About the only one that comes to mind that might be in that range would be the Bear super mag 48. Addictive archery makes strings but I cant speak to the quality or materials he uses. Video I saw the strings looked fine to me and they come pre-stretched.
 
I dont recall ever hearing of a bow that needed a brace over 8" but not familiar with Stewart bows. About the only one that comes to mind that might be in that range would be the Bear super mag 48. Addictive archery makes strings but I cant speak to the quality or materials he uses. Video I saw the strings looked fine to me and they come pre-stretched.

There isn't a lot of 66"+ recurves out there but, an 8"+ brace height isn't unheard of on longer bows. https://archery360.com/2020/07/29/h...elines work for most,to 9½-inch brace heights.

Believe it or not, I have a 56" Shakespeare recurve from the 60's and when doing a little research on the recommended brace height I kept coming across posts were people were recommending 9". I couldn't believe it at first but, the bow shoots like a dream at that brace height.
 
The more brace height needed, the more performance suffers. I think the more fine tuned a bow is built, the less brace height it should need. More brace height fixes a lot of issues, wether it’s the bow, arrow, or shooting form.
 
I’ve read in several places that the string should be 4” shorter than the bow and several places that the string should be 3” shorter......which is it? Depends on the bow. You can usually twist the string about an inch or more so if you get one that is 3 inches shorter you can shorten it if needed.

What is the correct way to measure the string? Loops pinched tight and string pulled taught.

What string material and number of strands would be recommended? There are tons of opinions on this. Some love skinny strings and others fat. I prefer 14 strand D97 strings but your best bet is contact the manufacturer and see what they recommend.

I’ve also read that bow the size of mine should have a brace height of 8-9”. When I take all the twist out of my string my brace height is slightly over 9”......I can only assume my string is too short.....is my logic sound on this? Yes your string is too short. With no twist in the string you should be at the bottom of the recommended brace height.

If I’m correct in assuming I need a different string who would y’all recommend? Thier are tons of great string makers out thier. If you are serious about traditional archery consider making your own. It is fun and pretty easy with a minimal investment. If that doesnt sound good to you I am sure thier are some good string makers on this page that can hook you up.

One more thing. Regardless of the length of your bow I would order a string one inch longer than your current string. That should get you where you need to be.
 
Strings are measured under 100# of tension. A recurve string should likely be 4” shorter than AMO bow length. Longbow should have 3” shorter strings. Super Recurves are another story. I don’t have much experience with them.

I build 12-16 strand D97 and Brownell Rhino strings with Halo serving of differing diameter depending on nock fit needed.

Your string is too short. You also need to find out if the limb tips are reinforced. If they are not you will need to move to a Dacron string.

Pm me if you want to discuss a new string option
 
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Ok, so I’m new to trad and my bow is a 68” Bill Stewart multicam recurve.

I’ve read in several places that the string should be 4” shorter than the bow and several places that the string should be 3” shorter......which is it?

What is the correct way to measure the string?

What string material and number of strands would be recommended?

I’ve also read that bow the size of mine should have a brace height of 8-9”. When I take all the twist out of my string my brace height is slightly over 9”......I can only assume my string is too short.....is my logic sound on this?

If I’m correct in assuming I need a different string who would y’all recommend?

That should be enough to start with, lol

b1cd45f88485c30c475d4d251eae08fb.jpg


IMO experience (i've owned and operated HCBstrings.com since 2014) very few curves actually use 4" less. What JSEXTON is saying is true for AMO, but the problem is most people don't measure by the specs of AMO(#100 of pressure on 1/4" posts). I can't tell you how many "amo" strings I have had to redo after making them to AMO specs. It's one reason I swapped to ASL(Actual String Length). When I make a string, I want to know EXACTLY what string length I need, not what it's "supposed to be".

On that bow, I would bet you need a 64.5" B55 string. I don't know the exact year that one was made or what the tips are made of. If you want to be safe, use B55. Sure, some people use fast flight material on non FF bows, but that's a ticking time bomb imo.

BTW, I own an operate HCBstrings.com and would gladly help you out with a string if you would like one.

God Bless,
Daniel
 
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