crooked bow still usable?

[Ufatz]

I have come up with a long bow, about 68" that has a "set" in one limb; i.e., one limb does not return to straight when string is removed. Can this "set" be taken out? Is the bow still shootable? It appears to be of modest draw weight.I want to fool around with archery a bit, nothing serious, and using only traditional stuff. Oh....and did I mention CHEAP! Ha!

[harvey lee]

I would call a archery shop to make sure it is safe to shoot.

[delmuts]

this was a a problem that would show up with recurve bows also. one can try to place in some kind of a brace and twist it back , but i never heard of any one having much luck. as far as safe? i don't think the bow it self has been compromized, but not having the string coming back into the grooves with each shot,your accuracy will suffer.i would start looking for a different bow. del

[HuskerBen]

Can you post a pic? Tough to say without seeing it.

Set happens in most longbows, especially selfbows. The less set there is, the faster the bow will shoot, all else being equal.

If you lay the bow on its back (the side facing away from you as you hold it), on level ground, and measure the distance from the nocks to the ground, what is the difference? If it's not too extreme, like the top limb is an inch or so different, then it should be okay. That is called "positive tiller," and is often built into the bow intentionally. Most of the bows I have built so far have at least 1.5" of set in both limbs, and some have up to an inch of positive tiller. It may not shoot as well as it was meant to, but it might still be shootable.

Is this a laminated bow, with fiberglass backing, or is it a selfbow? If it's all wood, what kind of wood?

Do a search on something called a "tiller tree." It's pretty easy to set up and you can check the bend of a longbow or recurve from a safe distance. If it blows up, you won't be holding it.

Hope that helps.

[DonBo]

I'd be afraid of any used stick bow that didn't appear perfect. I have seen too many break over the years, it's never pretty.

[Ufatz]

Nah Husker...its just an old wooden bow, no markings. Decades ago (can you say Howard Hill) I fooled around a bit. Just thought it might be fun to fool around again. I looked for a nice long bow. Can't afford it. Went poking around and came up with this. It appears sound;no check, no obvious splits and it is not twisted. Going to take it to the kids in the Sheels store in FAR to see if they can find a string and some cheap arrows, guard,glove etc. Am not planning to get into it whole hog. I AM aware of the dangers of a bow breaking. Ever see a graphite marlin rod let go? Sounds like a 105 going off.

Thanks for comments fellas. Will know more after I stagger into Sheels next week. It might be the guys will laugh me out of the place. The kid I talked with on the phone said they have a very nice long bow for $750. Apparently I must have been using my stupid voice. Ha!

[HuskerBen]

Good luck, Ufatz. Longbows are fun.

My best find was a longbow at an estate sale a while back. Got it for $1. The people running the sale had no idea what it was. It's an old lemonwood bow, probably made in the 50's, and it still shoots like a dream.

Keep your eyes open. They are out there, and can be had for cheap. Good luck.