Have I been strung along

[Spanners]

Being fairly new to the sport I’m still building up my kit and sometimes find myself buying kit that is not quite right. I recently bought a new string on ebay to have as a spare, it was sold as being suitable for a 68” recurve.

The string I bought is a Winner’s Choice, 20 strands made from 8125 and is 66” long.
In order to get my normal bracing height of 22cm I need to put between 50 and 60 twists on this string

My riser is 25” & limbs are medium making a standard 68” bow (draw weight 36lb)

My question is, are 20 strands too many for the draw weight of my bow and is 50 - 60 twist too many for this string.

Should I just forget this string and get another shorter string, perhaps have a go at making my own?

[Tony_zelah]

The string sounds too long to me, 65.5" string for a 68" is whats
recommended according to the Quicks catalog

[King Custard]

Originally Posted by Spanners

Being fairly new to the sport I’m still building up my kit and sometimes find myself buying kit that is not quite right. I recently bought a new string on ebay to have as a spare, it was sold as being suitable for a 68” recurve.

The string I bought is a Winner’s Choice, 20 strands made from 8125 and is 66” long.
In order to get my normal bracing height of 22cm I need to put between 50 and 60 twists on this string

My riser is 25” & limbs are medium making a standard 68” bow (draw weight 36lb)

My question is, are 20 strands too many for the draw weight of my bow and is 50 - 60 twist too many for this string.

Should I just forget this string and get another shorter string, perhaps have a go at making my own?

Well really it depends on what you want the change in string to acomplish.
20 strands of 8125 isnt 'wrong', - certainly if youre pulling more than 36lbs on your fingers in my experience but you could get away with a couple less if you needed- but the string does sound on the over-long side...by almost 3/4 inch to my reckonning - but someone with similar kit will add their bit Im sure. its trial and error really- until you get the 'right string' and then specifically order or make a copy.
50-60 twists might be bunching up a bit - is it? that amount of twists will slow the string down a little , might be a bit more springy than your previous string- but maybe thats what shoots best for you - you've bought it now, so try it out and learn from there.

Whats the chance that your old string was shooting perfectly - and youcan take it to a shop that will produce a copy or two for you?
Making your own strings is a doddle - the first few I found very scrappy on the end servings but there's shortcuts to perfection there to be found on the net and on AI.

It all boils down to what your resultant shot ( and results) are like with the new string - but if you can describe to any competent maker what you 'want' from the string, and the equipment you are using, they should be able to produce something in the ballpark area of 'spot-on' for you.

[Mufti]

I have 40-50 twists in my string - I like it that way.
I feel the string is slightly more pleasing to my style of shooting.

I prefer a slightly slower shot to most archers I have come across giving me (imagined) more control.

Shoot it and decide if you like it more or less than your previous string.
Don't count twists unless you don't like it or until it's time for a new one.

[WhitehartFB]

I would suggest that 66" is too long for a 68" bow

Length of string does depend on the bracing height you require.

For most 68" bow using most materials FROM 64.5" is a good starting point although for some reason the Hoyts (Nexus & Helix) require a minimum of 65"
(Whitehart 64" although I used to use 64.25")

Obviously if you like a low bracing height you need to add a few 8ths to these.

Too many twists will put an element of elasticity and inconsistancy into the string and adds extra unnecessary weight.

Mufti just out of interest what length, BH and tiller are you shooting with your FiberBow

[slartibartfast]

Mufti - what string material are you using?

[worthipa]

Originally Posted by Spanners

Being fairly new to the sport I’m still building up my kit and sometimes find myself buying kit that is not quite right.

Next time you're tempted ask on here first, there's always someone who knows ....

Originally Posted by Spanners

I recently bought a new string on ebay to have as a spare, it was sold as being suitable for a 68” recurve.The string I bought is a Winner’s Choice, 20 strands made from 8125 and is 66” long.

String length is (generally) calculated by subtracting 3" from the overall bow length, so in your case 68" bow 65" string.

Originally Posted by Spanners

Should I just forget this string and get another shorter string, perhaps have a go at making my own?

That's up to you really, personally I'd email whoever you bought it off on ebay and ask for an explanation or/and a refund.

[wingate_52]

I have 64 1/2" strings for my 68" bow. 24 full clockwise turns in the 18 strand string.

[Spanners]

Thanks for all your advice, I think perhaps I may have rushed into it without doing the full research, hindsight is a wonderful thing.
After going over the info that came with the string I think this particular string has been made for use with a peep sight!
I guess this would explain the extra length.
I plan to look for a 65” string next and talk to the supplier before I buy.

[Rik]

65 might still work out a little on the long side... It depends on what bracing height you want to hit, and how many twists you want in the string.

For example, when I make a string for my 66" bow, I tend to make it 62-62.5" long, and put about 20 twists in it to take it into the lower part of the BH range on my bow (after stretching/shooting in). IIRC the AMO standard is something like "bow length minus 3.5 inches" (anyone able to confirm that? I can't find my copy of the standard at the moment), but then they're talking about measuring the length of a string pre-stretched under a 50lb load...