New bows

[steve58]

I expect we all know the advice about shooting in a new bow gently. But how long before a new bow starts to really give of its best?

[BorderBows]

Presume your talking about "all wood" bows
Well, here is our thoughts!
When you first string a bow, it will probably shoot its fastest, due to it having the least amount of string follow!
As the bow starts to follow the string and takes it's follow, then the bow will settle down. The Bow will shoot with its best consistancy at this point!

The more the bow sets, and settles down the less it will set the next time you shoot it, the more consistancy you will get. Untill the day it will consistantly NOT shoot, if you get what im saying...

This all depends on the design of the bow, and the quality of the timber used, and the strain the bow has been put under during tiller, and shoot history. Includes arrow weights, draw length, bow length, Wood from the top of the tree/ bottom tree. South/north side of the tree. List goes on!

Sorry to be vague, but wood is wood.

[etherwill]

I love that last sentence

[steve58]

Originally Posted by BorderBows

Presume your talking about "all wood" bows
Well, here is our thoughts!
When you first string a bow, it will probably shoot its fastest, due to it having the least amount of string follow!
As the bow starts to follow the string and takes it's follow, then the bow will settle down. The Bow will shoot with its best consistancy at this point!

The more the bow sets, and settles down the less it will set the next time you shoot it, the more consistancy you will get. Untill the day it will consistantly NOT shoot, if you get what im saying...

This all depends on the design of the bow, and the quality of the timber used, and the strain the bow has been put under during tiller, and shoot history. Includes arrow weights, draw length, bow length, Wood from the top of the tree/ bottom tree. South/north side of the tree. List goes on!

Sorry to be vague, but wood is wood.

Wow! That's a serious list of variables!
And here was me hoping for a crude rule of thumb, like "twice as many arrows as your age multiplied by your height in feet, except in a leap year".
It's an English longbow as defined by GNAS/BLBS, 72" or thereabouts, made by Mr Bickerstaffe's merry men. Backing is single growth ring hickory, greenheart core, osage belly. I draw 28", arrow weight is in the range 430 to 500 grains, depending on which set I'm using. Have only shot about 180 arrows off it so far. At the moment it is already shooting better than the old bow, in that the rubber band is about 1/4" higher than my old bow, which is the same draw weight.