How To Take Care of a Recurve Bow

Getting a new bow is always exciting, especially if it's your first bow!

But to get the most out of your bow you have to know how to take care of your bow.

In this article you'll learn how to take care of your recurve bow to make it last as long as possible.

How To Store Your Recurve Bow

For starters you want to make sure wherever you are storing your bow it is not in extreme temperatures or humidity.

This is due to the fact that many recurve bows are made of wood and this would warp the wood and therefore affect the integrity and safety of shooting that bow.

The best way to store a bow is in a case that fits the recurve, look for one with foam padding on the inside (soft or hard cover is your preference).

If you have wooden limbs on your bow it is incredibly important that you unstring your bow before storage.

If your limbs are made of fiberglass, carbon, or foam it should not matter if you unstring your bow.

However, all bows, even ones still strung, should NEVER lean against a wall or stand on the limbs tip at all.

The best way is to keep it on a rack with the belly facing upwards. However if you do not have a rack then you can lay it in a case on its side.

​Overall if you are worried, or do not know what your bow is made of, store it in constant middle temperatures, (avoid extreme highs and lows as well as high levels of humidity) unstring, in a case on a rack belly side up.

Waxing Your Bow String

The best way to take care of your bow is to take really good care of your bowstring.

Think of your bowstring as the engine that drives your car.

It needs maintenance to make sure it is safe and running smoothly.

So does your bowstring!

The simplest maintenance is waxing your string.

There are many factors to consider when figuring out when to wax? What to wax? How to wax?

Let’s start with how to wax.

Go to your local archery store and ask for bowstring wax and they should be able to find a wax stick for your bow or even just in your price range.

Okay you have the wax, now what parts do you wax? Wax all parts of the bowstring (if doing a compound bow you also want to do the cables).

When should you wax your bow string?

A simple answer is after every time you shoot your bow.

The best way to know if your bowstring needs wax is if you touch any part of it you should feel a slight tackiness.

If it is dry or slick go ahead and apply a layer of wax.

Another instance to wax is if you see “hairs” sticking up off the bowstring (like it is furry) then apply a layer.

Now if you see individual strands sticking out of your string then it is damaged and it is time to replace your bow string.

DO NOT fire a bow that has strands sticking out. It is EXTREMELY dangerous!

Related: ​Best Recurve Bows for Beginners

Stringing Your Bow

First thing to do is make sure your limbs are put together according to the manufacturer's instructions (if a take down recurve).

Once you have your limbs put together you want to pick up the two ends of the bowstring.

You will notice there is a larger loop and a smaller loop.

Take the larger loop and slide it over your top limb and down onto the limb just to wear it starts to slow down when moving it.

Then take the small loop and hook it into the string groove on the bottom limb.

Now take your bow stringer.

You should notice one end makes a small pouch and the other a “saddle”.

You want to start with the saddle end and loop it over your top limb just under where your bow string is looped around your limb.

Then take the pouch end and slip it over the bottom limbs tip.

Now turn the bow to face the ground so that you can step on the bow stringer (DO NOT step on the actual bowstring).

Now hold the grip of your bow and pull straight up until you see the limbs start to flex.

As the bow flexes you should be able to slide the large loop of your bowstring into the string groove of your top limb.

Once the loop is secured, slowly release the pressure off the bow stringer, then turn the bow so the limbs face away from you (the same way you would hold it to shoot it).

This ensures that if the string is not looped in correctly and it slips the limbs will expand away from you (this is to keep you safe in case of failure).

Now you can remove the bow stringer from the limbs (start by removing the pouch from the bottom limb then remove the saddle from the top limb.

​Finally just check your bowstring and make sure both loops are properly on the string grooves.

​Now your bow is strung.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can You Store A Bow Strung?

NOOOOOOOOO, storing your bow while still strung will shorten the life of your bow and bow limbs.​

Can a recurve bow get wet?

Most bows bought now typically have a thick lacquer seal that helps prevent any water damage if it gets wet.

These bows should be alright as long as they are not soaked in water like being left out in heavy rainstorm for hours on end.

Now if you have a wooden recurve make sure to read the manufacturer's information on its seal to make sure your wood is protected (most modern bows should be good but make sure the manufacturer is not cutting corners).

If your bow does get wet just make sure to thoroughly dry both the limbs and the string before storing it away again.

​Probably not a bad idea to wax the bowstrings again as well.

Can a recurve bow be dry fired?

First off, what does it mean to be dry fired? This means drawing your bow and releasing it without and arrow loaded.

This is a highly debated idea on the internet when talking about recurve bows. (If discussing a compound you should NEVER dry fire).

However even on a recurve it is risky to dry fire your bow and is truly a bad idea.

Dry firing a recurve can create damage to your limbs or even the coating on your limbs that may not be seen by the naked eye.

Therefore it is very dangerous to dry fire your recurve.

If you are thinking of dry firing as a form of practice you can think of using a Form Master for training without an arrow.

This creates a safe way to work on your draw and adjust your mechanics without an arrow!

The bottom line: NEVER dry fire any bow!