Bow strings

[hoyt77]

I have a couple questions for you all

1. How often should you have your bow restrung?
2. What is a good string to use? I own a Hoyt Trykon shooting 65lbs
3. Any place in Whatcom county that does this or near by counties?

[croix]

I don't know about questions 2 and 3 but I just read an article in NAH about frequency of string change and this is the jist of it.

The hunter that practices a month before season and hunts just one species can go three years on the same string, but strings should be changed at least every three years.

The hunter that practices longer and hunts multiple species or multiple seasons should change at least every other year.

The hunter that shoots 3d tourneys in the off season and hunts every chance he gets should change strings every year.

Bottom line is that it depends on how much you shoot, but these are some guidelines.

Keep in mind that I don't even own a bow and I am only regurgitating what I read in a magazine 2 days ago, so if there are those of you out there that think this guidance is crap... flame NAH magazine.

[bowhuntin]

I think it all depends on how much you actually shoot. If you shoot year round, I would replace it every year. If not you can probably get more use out of your bow if you only shoot a few months out of the year.

Get a string that has been stretched like a winner's choice bow string. There are other manufacturer's like Vapor Trail that make good strings for less money. XXX archery on here makes bowstrings, maybe you could PM him.

Any proshop should be able to handle changing out your bow string and cables.

[bowkid]

Depends on how you treat your string, keep'in it waxed, how often you shoot and quality of the string.  I would not go more that 3 years and don't wait 2 weeks before hunting season starts, as you may not get it done, unless you do it yourself.

[Shootmoore]

Please don't do like I did.  Broke a strand this year on my compound.  Once I got to thinking about it, I had not replaced the string in over 20 years!    I could visually see a difference in arrow speed with the new string.  .

That being said, Riverside Archery in Mt. Vernon will fix you up with a new string.  Good guy running the shop and know what they are doing.

Shootmoore

[Dipsnort]

I have a hard time with this one.  I'd have to guess that the string that came with my bow was not pre-stretched and has since stretched out, causing me to adjust the sights accordingly.  I fail to see signs of wear after 4 years although I probably shoot my bow probably as much as the average hunter and I just can't figure out why I would need to replace it.  Sure, occasionally I see the slightest amount of fraying but I wax it regularly and it looks to be fine.

I'm still looking for the logic that I need to replace the thing every other year.  No doubt anyone who manufactures or sells replacement strings will say I need to replace them frequently but then again Jiffy Lube thinks I should change my oil 3 times as often as my vehicle maintenance schedule tells me to.

[Intruder]

Second part if this question is what about the cables.  Do you need to change those w/ the string or will they last longer?   

[Broken Arrow]

Winners Choice and you will not have to worry about this question for years.....regardless of how much you shoot. Spendy, but in MHO...worth every penny.....and I shoot 5 x per week.

[bonkellekter]

Winners Choice and you will not have to worry about this question for years.....regardless of how much you shoot. Spendy, but in MHO...worth every penny.....and I shoot 5 x per week.

+1 for the winners choice string and cables and the only time that I have adjusted my sights is when I am trying new tuning methods and or new arrows/broadheads, I shoot my bow all year long as much as I can. I have had my winners choice string now for two years and will replace before this next hunting season due to a broken strand. However my dad has had his bowstring (the original string) on his mathews for 11 years with no problems and he hunts harder and more than just about anyone I know. I keep telling him to change the damn thing before somthing does happen though.

If you have a warranty on your bow it will likely have a note about this - my warranty states that the string must be replaced every other year or after 5000 shots - whichever comes first. Hope this helps

[D-Rock425]

I shoot winners choice strings too.  you have a few bow shops in skagit county.  wilderness archery in bow and riverside in mount vernon.

[Crunchy]

If your replace the string because of wear issues is a good idea to replace the cable as well.  More than likely over time u will see  a little seperation with the end serving with the string/cable(s) attach to the cam(s).

[Todd_ID]

If you put your stings through as much troubled time as you can, meaning not waxing it and beating the brush and shooting every day and setting your bow in the dirt, and, and, and...., then you'd have to replace it every year.  I make it about 2 years on my strings and cables before replacing them, and I'm not a poster child for string care; yeah, it can be used to push the huckleberry brush aside.  There's nothing inherently WRONG with replacing just the string if you break a strand, but you have to realize that the cable has stretched a certain amount, and that new string you're putting on won't be settled in for quite a few shots.  This will probably change your cam timing to the point that you're pulling your hair out with poor arrow flight.  Changing both at the same time gives you peace of mind that both are ready to hunt without problems; they will settle/stretch at the same rate; and, there's a chance that the timing might stay correct. 

As for custom (like xXx's strings) versus off-the-shelf (like Winner's Choice), that's a personal decision.  The price will be the same, or close.  You can get any color combination you can dream of from xXx, but you'll have to settle with the stock color with the bigger companies or pay a bunch more for a custom color.  The biggest difference comes in quality.  A custom maker can produce a far superior product, if, and only if, they put the effort into paying attention to detail; they can also produce a lump-of-coal-quality product if they aren't paying attention to those same details.  A machine-made string can only be as good as its settings and tolerances allow, but they will all be the same.  I've never heard anything but good about xXx's strings, so I think he is one of the custom guys that I'd trust to build a better-than-factory product.  Also, I've never heard anything bad about Winner's Choice, so the decision comes down to personal preference.

[xXx Archery]

Thanks Todd
yes there are a lot of good string makers now days..the strings that came stock on the trykon are not that good.
if you bow with custom strings on it ...you will gain some speed and the bow will feel tighter.
most of us use BCY 452X ..I just got some NEW ..BCY 452X Trophy...with GORE in it...its the same as 452X but less fuzz...Im going to make a set for my new bow and do some testing.

[gutsnthegrass]

I have Hoyt Vectrix and the factory strings stretched pretty bad after about 2 years.  I shoot about three times a week, for about half an hour.  I had Doug at Great Northwest archery put some Stone mountain strings on and it made all the difference. Strings have been on for about 5-6 months now and the peep still hasn't moved.  They seem to be good strings, but I have also heard that xXx makes good strings also.

[rooselk]

...Riverside Archery in Mt. Vernon will fix you up with a new string.  Good guy running the shop and know what they are doing.

Shootmoore

I will second that one. Riverside is an excellent archery shop.