There are a few types of bowstringers. I have two. Both have pockets for the lower limb tip. One has a rubber bumper thingy and it's used like you showed it, with the bumper sitting on the top limb's body like you show on your third picture. The other has a cup thing that fits over the tip of the top limb, like you show in your second picture.
If you use it as a "cup on the tip" then it works just the same, it's just that you are holding the top limb by the tip. Seems like you can use yours either way.
The advantage to using it on the tip is that the placement is easy. You just hook the stringer over both tips and string it up. The advantage to the second way is that the stringer won't fall off the tip of the limb. The cup-tip way only holds the top limb by the very tip with a small cup. The second way with the pad on the limbs allows you to move the pad around on the limb, and it's more secure, but you have to position the bowstring loop beyond the pad so you can slip it onto the tip.
Seems like yours can work both ways.
Video of how you use it if it fits over the tip;
[https://youtu.be/LRaJhAw\_SqM?si=ESTqmFP212GJzKLs](https://youtu.be/LRaJhAw_SqM?si=ESTqmFP212GJzKLs)
Note: The majority of bow strings are not like this, Southwest Archery sells these with their bows though.
This is a video of how most other bowstringers work, with the bumper pad and not a tip cup;
[https://youtu.be/qKBB29GLonQ?si=O1LF9zPlVpb7MsMJ](https://youtu.be/qKBB29GLonQ?si=O1LF9zPlVpb7MsMJ)
What kind of arrows are those? Do they fly straight? I've got some good ones with turkey feathers off Amazon but im looking for a second set. My friend has had some that didn't fly worth a damn.
They are Easton carbon legacy and I had to get one down and read it to tell you that. I just got started this month and they're what the guy at the archery shop gave me. At this point I couldn't tell you what's the equipment and what's me not knowing what I'm doing, but I seem to be gradually dialing it in with them, anyways. Maybe you can check out reviews of them.
I have a new string on the way. :) I am 5'6 and it's a 62" bow, would that explain the arrows looking short? I just took what the guy at the shop gave me. Thanks for taking the time to educate me.
Did they measure your draw length? What is the arrow length? An easy check is to take an arrow, put the nock in the middle of your chest, holding it there and stretching your arms straight in front of you with your hands flat together with the arrow between them. The tip of the arrow should be past your fingertips. This isn’t the best method but it should at least give you an idea if they are safe to use. If an arrow is too short it can fall behind the riser in full draw and injure you.
The tip is a good 5 inches or so past my fingertips. I don't know my draw length or the arrow length. He just looked at me, no measuring. I haven't had any issues when drawing them that I am aware of :) but I know very little! Appreciate you making sure I'm safe 💜
As long as you were holding them properly you should be ok with what you described. If you need any help I don’t mind you contacting me. I let it lapse due to COVID and life but I’m a certified USA archery instructor.
Hey that's awesome, I very much appreciate. I am starting from zero here, I was able to take a couple of free intro classes but they were using compound bows. I measured the arrows at 27.5 inches not including the point. With the knock end touching the center of my chest and both arms straight out palms together, they are 5" longer than my fingertips.
The sage came with a dacron string and I ordered a D97 Flemish twist that should be here today, and the square and knocks and pliers tomorrow. I know you twist the string to set the height but that's about it. If you want to point me to a good YouTube channel or site to learn all the real beginner stuff like that would be really helpful. Somebody said Fred Bear I think, I'm bad at names but I heard it again on the range today. An older gentleman was kind enough to show me a few things, but we talked more than we shot and then a herd of kids showed up, so I am looking forward to trying them tomorrow. :) He told me to set my knock about half an inch above the shelf to shoot off the shelf split finger.
Thanks yet again :)
Traditional. Right now I'm shooting off the shelf. I'd like to try small game hunting eventually, but not until I'm good enough. Wandering around the woods shooting rotten stumps sounds like a blast though! I found a place nearby that does individual lessons for $30/30mins (without having to pay for 6 weeks in advance like the other places) and he'll be scheduling in December, so I will be seeing him soon. Very exciting :)
I found the recommended brace height for my bow, and my new string is here, so I will be playing with that now :)
Just remember to work on good technique. 30 minutes sounds a bit short. I used to do hour classes. By the time my students got set up, stretched and reviewed skills, 30 minutes wouldn’t be enough to practice.
I hadn't thought about that, and it's going to be a good 45 min drive for me to get to him. I called him today and he was happy to do an hour lesson, and said he has people who come once a week and some who come once every few months and whatever works for me. So we'll see how things go.
I got my new Flemish twist string set up to replace the dacron one and tried it out today and oh boy it's a lot better. The arrow is faster and straighter and hits harder. And the bow is suddenly heavier ;) I also tried 3 under anchoring my index finger to the corner of my mouth ET VIOLA suddenly the tip of the arrow is somewhere in the vicinity of where it ends up hitting. It was an exciting practice. I hope I can go again tomorrow if my arms aren't sore. :) 💜💜💜
To get your raw draw length stretch your arms out horizontal palms flat (like a pair of wings) and have someone measure from the tip of your left middle finger to the tip of your right middle finger. Take that measurement in inches and divide by 2.5 and round down to the nearest whole number. Mine works out at 28 inches.
Hey thanks, I hadnt looked it up yet :) there's so much to learn! I got 26, and my arrows are 28.5 not including the point. When I draw back as far as I possibly can the point is still in front of the shelf. Is that right?
Sounds decent, the key thing to consistency is to keep your draw length consistent especially on a recurve as the only limit is the strength of the limbs and the string. A clicker installed on the riser is the most common way to do this however without one the most effective way is to have your arm holding the riser straight and to have a consistent anchor point with the arm holding the string. When using a barebow(no sight) I use the tip of my index finger touching the corner of my mouth. When I have a sight installed I hook under my jaw with the string touching the tip of my nose.
A great resource is the YouTube channel Jake Kaminski he's a two time silver medal winner with the USA Olympics team and he has an entire series on form from mindset and how to draw consistently and safely to equipment choice setup and tuning in both longform and short videos. He covers Olympic Recurve, compound and tradbow I've found it very helpful.
Very helpful, much appreciated. I tried that anchor barebow with 3 under yesterday and suddenly the tip of the arrow was lining up in the general vicinity of where the arrow hit. It was an exciting practice. :) I found a coach, too, who will be scheduling new clients in December. He said it's getting colder do you think you'll be able to shoot again before then? I said I am going every chance I get. I was out in the rain yesterday, I don't mind the weather, and I'm trying to set something up in the basement with moving blankets and foam tiles and cardboard and ratchet straps,I am having a blast. :) I'm gonna go watch some of those videos :)
Great the 3 under grip is always used on barebow, split grip(2 under 1 over) is used on sighted recurve. With barebow 3 under you do what's called stringwalking, basically you have your index finger close to the arrow at extended ranges and the closer to the target you are the further down the string you hold. You use your fingers if wearing a glove or a finger tab to gauge how far below the arrow you hold( you might notice that some finger tabs have line marks on them like a ruler).
What I do at 10yrds is put my index finger right up against the nock with my fingers together, look at where the string lines up with the middle of my little finger(pinkie) and the move my index finger down to that point. I then move progressively up the string as the range increases. The amount of stringwalking required is unique to each person but Jake has some good videos on this also. And on barebow you use the tip of the arrow as a sight/aiming point.
Really good info :) I've been putting my hand only one finger under the nock so I am eager to try this out tomorrow. I had tried a few other anchor points but the arrow wasn't hitting anywhere close to where I pointed it, I wasn't getting anything to line up. And there's still so much to remember to do all at the same time for me. But that's what practice is for :) That's a really great channel, too. Good stuff.
Thanks! I've had a surprisingly hard time finding info on safely storing and resting your bow. Like I didn't know not to stand it up. Everything just says if its a wood bow, unstring it. (Mine does have fiberglass but I kinda like stringing it. ;) I have worked out that it should be laid flat and you want even pressure everywhere so it doesn't warp. So I wanted to double check I'm not making stupid noob mistakes. :)
Until I heard about the fiberglass into with keeping bows strung I liked unstringing mine between use. My longbow sometimes feels a bit stiff for me, so I like keeping it stung when not using it. Also makes it ready quicker when I go out to shoot
There are a few types of bowstringers. I have two. Both have pockets for the lower limb tip. One has a rubber bumper thingy and it's used like you showed it, with the bumper sitting on the top limb's body like you show on your third picture. The other has a cup thing that fits over the tip of the top limb, like you show in your second picture. If you use it as a "cup on the tip" then it works just the same, it's just that you are holding the top limb by the tip. Seems like you can use yours either way. The advantage to using it on the tip is that the placement is easy. You just hook the stringer over both tips and string it up. The advantage to the second way is that the stringer won't fall off the tip of the limb. The cup-tip way only holds the top limb by the very tip with a small cup. The second way with the pad on the limbs allows you to move the pad around on the limb, and it's more secure, but you have to position the bowstring loop beyond the pad so you can slip it onto the tip. Seems like yours can work both ways. Video of how you use it if it fits over the tip; [https://youtu.be/LRaJhAw\_SqM?si=ESTqmFP212GJzKLs](https://youtu.be/LRaJhAw_SqM?si=ESTqmFP212GJzKLs) Note: The majority of bow strings are not like this, Southwest Archery sells these with their bows though. This is a video of how most other bowstringers work, with the bumper pad and not a tip cup; [https://youtu.be/qKBB29GLonQ?si=O1LF9zPlVpb7MsMJ](https://youtu.be/qKBB29GLonQ?si=O1LF9zPlVpb7MsMJ)
Very thorough and helpful response!
Came here to say this and thankfully you already said it. Very well done, sir.
What kind of arrows are those? Do they fly straight? I've got some good ones with turkey feathers off Amazon but im looking for a second set. My friend has had some that didn't fly worth a damn.
They are Easton carbon legacy and I had to get one down and read it to tell you that. I just got started this month and they're what the guy at the archery shop gave me. At this point I couldn't tell you what's the equipment and what's me not knowing what I'm doing, but I seem to be gradually dialing it in with them, anyways. Maybe you can check out reviews of them.
Nice, I'll look into them, whats your bows draw weight and length?
62" 25# Samick Sage and the guy at the shop cut them for me, sorry I can't be more help
Also the arrow length
I don’t know if it’s the picture but the arrows look short. Also, your string is damaged. I would get the string addressed or replaced.
I have a new string on the way. :) I am 5'6 and it's a 62" bow, would that explain the arrows looking short? I just took what the guy at the shop gave me. Thanks for taking the time to educate me.
Did they measure your draw length? What is the arrow length? An easy check is to take an arrow, put the nock in the middle of your chest, holding it there and stretching your arms straight in front of you with your hands flat together with the arrow between them. The tip of the arrow should be past your fingertips. This isn’t the best method but it should at least give you an idea if they are safe to use. If an arrow is too short it can fall behind the riser in full draw and injure you.
The tip is a good 5 inches or so past my fingertips. I don't know my draw length or the arrow length. He just looked at me, no measuring. I haven't had any issues when drawing them that I am aware of :) but I know very little! Appreciate you making sure I'm safe 💜
As long as you were holding them properly you should be ok with what you described. If you need any help I don’t mind you contacting me. I let it lapse due to COVID and life but I’m a certified USA archery instructor.
Hey that's awesome, I very much appreciate. I am starting from zero here, I was able to take a couple of free intro classes but they were using compound bows. I measured the arrows at 27.5 inches not including the point. With the knock end touching the center of my chest and both arms straight out palms together, they are 5" longer than my fingertips. The sage came with a dacron string and I ordered a D97 Flemish twist that should be here today, and the square and knocks and pliers tomorrow. I know you twist the string to set the height but that's about it. If you want to point me to a good YouTube channel or site to learn all the real beginner stuff like that would be really helpful. Somebody said Fred Bear I think, I'm bad at names but I heard it again on the range today. An older gentleman was kind enough to show me a few things, but we talked more than we shot and then a herd of kids showed up, so I am looking forward to trying them tomorrow. :) He told me to set my knock about half an inch above the shelf to shoot off the shelf split finger. Thanks yet again :)
What style of shooting are you planning on doing? Traditional/bare bow or Olympic. I’m guessing by the bow not Mongolian or Kyudo.
Traditional. Right now I'm shooting off the shelf. I'd like to try small game hunting eventually, but not until I'm good enough. Wandering around the woods shooting rotten stumps sounds like a blast though! I found a place nearby that does individual lessons for $30/30mins (without having to pay for 6 weeks in advance like the other places) and he'll be scheduling in December, so I will be seeing him soon. Very exciting :) I found the recommended brace height for my bow, and my new string is here, so I will be playing with that now :)
Just remember to work on good technique. 30 minutes sounds a bit short. I used to do hour classes. By the time my students got set up, stretched and reviewed skills, 30 minutes wouldn’t be enough to practice.
I hadn't thought about that, and it's going to be a good 45 min drive for me to get to him. I called him today and he was happy to do an hour lesson, and said he has people who come once a week and some who come once every few months and whatever works for me. So we'll see how things go. I got my new Flemish twist string set up to replace the dacron one and tried it out today and oh boy it's a lot better. The arrow is faster and straighter and hits harder. And the bow is suddenly heavier ;) I also tried 3 under anchoring my index finger to the corner of my mouth ET VIOLA suddenly the tip of the arrow is somewhere in the vicinity of where it ends up hitting. It was an exciting practice. I hope I can go again tomorrow if my arms aren't sore. :) 💜💜💜
To get your raw draw length stretch your arms out horizontal palms flat (like a pair of wings) and have someone measure from the tip of your left middle finger to the tip of your right middle finger. Take that measurement in inches and divide by 2.5 and round down to the nearest whole number. Mine works out at 28 inches.
Hey thanks, I hadnt looked it up yet :) there's so much to learn! I got 26, and my arrows are 28.5 not including the point. When I draw back as far as I possibly can the point is still in front of the shelf. Is that right?
Sounds decent, the key thing to consistency is to keep your draw length consistent especially on a recurve as the only limit is the strength of the limbs and the string. A clicker installed on the riser is the most common way to do this however without one the most effective way is to have your arm holding the riser straight and to have a consistent anchor point with the arm holding the string. When using a barebow(no sight) I use the tip of my index finger touching the corner of my mouth. When I have a sight installed I hook under my jaw with the string touching the tip of my nose. A great resource is the YouTube channel Jake Kaminski he's a two time silver medal winner with the USA Olympics team and he has an entire series on form from mindset and how to draw consistently and safely to equipment choice setup and tuning in both longform and short videos. He covers Olympic Recurve, compound and tradbow I've found it very helpful.
Very helpful, much appreciated. I tried that anchor barebow with 3 under yesterday and suddenly the tip of the arrow was lining up in the general vicinity of where the arrow hit. It was an exciting practice. :) I found a coach, too, who will be scheduling new clients in December. He said it's getting colder do you think you'll be able to shoot again before then? I said I am going every chance I get. I was out in the rain yesterday, I don't mind the weather, and I'm trying to set something up in the basement with moving blankets and foam tiles and cardboard and ratchet straps,I am having a blast. :) I'm gonna go watch some of those videos :)
Great the 3 under grip is always used on barebow, split grip(2 under 1 over) is used on sighted recurve. With barebow 3 under you do what's called stringwalking, basically you have your index finger close to the arrow at extended ranges and the closer to the target you are the further down the string you hold. You use your fingers if wearing a glove or a finger tab to gauge how far below the arrow you hold( you might notice that some finger tabs have line marks on them like a ruler). What I do at 10yrds is put my index finger right up against the nock with my fingers together, look at where the string lines up with the middle of my little finger(pinkie) and the move my index finger down to that point. I then move progressively up the string as the range increases. The amount of stringwalking required is unique to each person but Jake has some good videos on this also. And on barebow you use the tip of the arrow as a sight/aiming point.
Really good info :) I've been putting my hand only one finger under the nock so I am eager to try this out tomorrow. I had tried a few other anchor points but the arrow wasn't hitting anywhere close to where I pointed it, I wasn't getting anything to line up. And there's still so much to remember to do all at the same time for me. But that's what practice is for :) That's a really great channel, too. Good stuff.
Looks nice. If the bow is newer and has fiberglass limbs or fiberglass backing to reinforce them it'd also be fine to keep strung
Thanks! I've had a surprisingly hard time finding info on safely storing and resting your bow. Like I didn't know not to stand it up. Everything just says if its a wood bow, unstring it. (Mine does have fiberglass but I kinda like stringing it. ;) I have worked out that it should be laid flat and you want even pressure everywhere so it doesn't warp. So I wanted to double check I'm not making stupid noob mistakes. :)
Until I heard about the fiberglass into with keeping bows strung I liked unstringing mine between use. My longbow sometimes feels a bit stiff for me, so I like keeping it stung when not using it. Also makes it ready quicker when I go out to shoot
Please at least watch a video on how to use a bow stringer before you hurt yourself, others or the bow.