OK OK I know get a stringer. Well I do have one and use it every time. But what if? What if you forget it back home and you are in Alberta? What if the airline misplaces it and you still have your bow?
I saw Ron LeClair string his with just a slide of his hand and a wiggle in his hip. I tried this and about lost my first digit under the string. I have a Morrison Cougar with a good deal of deflex to it and 55 pounds of "no way you ain't going to string me up pal"!
If I HAD to I would use the step thru.
John III
I always make sure I have a spare stringer with me. I keep one in the truck, one in my fanny pack, and usually one in my bow case.
Yup, having an extra stringer or two can't hurt.
BUT, if ya had to string it without a stringer I have used the push pull method several times. I believe that was what Ron did. Place the bottom limb tip into the arch of your foot,pull up on the center of the bow and push the top limb away from you stringing the bow. (disclaimer: However, I am NOT recommending that you string your bow in this manner.) It can be very dangerous.
Whats a step thru?
mylong bow is only 45# I dont even own a stringer. does this do something to the bow.I do what I think you are calling the step through..
Stringer, or if need be push-pull. I shoot mostly longbows, and have made a couple stringers to have around-they seem to be pretty simple to make.
RonP
I use push-pull for my long bows and a stringer for my curves.
I would never push/pull, have 5 stringers because that's what the bowyers recommended for these bows.
I had a Hummingbird longbow that Ben Graham made for me in 1999 that I use to 'step through' because he watched the way I did it and said that would be fine; that he had tried to twist a limb on his but it wouldn't.
He did give me a leg strap stringer that he recommended for his recurves; with the purchase of the longbow.
Back injury forced me to trade that particular bow.
I use a stringer on most of my bows.On some of the shorter milder r/d longbows I just step through and string them if a stringer in not right at hand.
What's the concern with the step thru method? Limb twist?
Push-pull method works just fine for me up to about 70 lbs. Longbows are simple to string that way, recurves can be tricky sometimes. I own a good stringer that I ocasionally use on my recurves.
I use push pull for stringing and step thru for unstringing. Sometimes I'll use step thru when stringing some recurves. It's a bit safer for the person but has to be done right to not twist a limb. I still have both limbs and have not twisted an eye yet :scared: ...Van
Push/pull on everything 65# or lighter. The exceptions are my two 64" recurves and my one static tip recurve. Those get a stringer. I am always very careful about leaning over during the push pull stringing. 15 years ago I watched a guy forget that part and literally put his eye out with a 58" Bighorn.
Brannon
I use the push/pull. Yikes bsh_jr, I will be more careful about it from now on.
Sean
Nothing but push/pull for me on all my bows. Recurve or longbow.
Stringer for everything!
Stringer!
(John,the 2-eyed chicken)
stringer have em stashed everywhere, but have used push/pull in emergency.
Years ago, I used the push/pull. On one hot day, my hand was sweaty and it slipped off of the top limb and it came back and hit me about 1/4 inch from my eye. Not fun. I use a stringer now.
stringer allways no buts or ifs :readit: :thumbsup:
I've been wondering...
One of my longbows is 72" long. There's no way I can reach the tip when using a stringer. What technique was used back in the day when men were 5'7" and bows were longer than they were tall?
Ron LaClair uses the "push pull" method to string and unstring his bows. BUT when you get a bow from him he always recommends to use a stringer. I have done the push pull and if I was in a pinch I would not hesitate but I do always carry a stringer so normally dont have to resort to that.
Stringer and Push Pull. Prefer a stringer. its was safer. I have even made several stringers from 550 Cord. They are easy to stash away too.
I have a number of stringers where I can always find one.
But I grew up using the push-pull (against the in-step of the foot) method.
..but I have also twisted a limb using the step-though method through the years...
I love my bows so I make sure I have a stringer...
I always use a stringer now. They are very cheap insurance.
My longbows I push-pull,recurves I use a Selway stringer
I would personally take the time to find some kind of cord or twine and make a stringer if I didn't have one. It's the safest way IMHO. I always think of re-sale on a bow. I won't sell one saying "always used a stringer" and didn't. To each his on, I just really thought the majority of folks were using stringers exclusively. Reality check for me.
Push-pull. I know stringers are supposed to be safer, but I can't trust that tiny little pocket.
Oh I forgot. As for Ron LaClair not using a stringer - I won't debate any archery topic with him. He is the only person on this planet that can afford to take chances (if it can be called that?) with his bows. If I broke one and had to wait another year or more to replace it, I would probably require therapy. They are really nice bows, just imagine being able to have a handful laying around anytime... OK Reality again.
I have always used Step-Through on my 70" HH Big Five I could not twist it's limbs with a vice.
I do use a stringer for my AMF Red Wing Hunter.
AMG Bowstringer....best and safest on the market. Handles both Recurve and longbow.
I use a stringer, but in emergencies use the push-pull method. Easy with a longbow, less so with a recurve. The tough part is unstringing a recurve without a stringer. Real easy for your hand to slip off the limb tip, which then comes back and usually hits you in the head or eye.
After reading John Schultz's and his telling of his brother Dan losing an eye stringing a stout bow I'll use a stringer.
Recurves and Longbows, I use the step-thru if I have no stringer. I was never taught the push-pull so I do not use it. I will admit I step thru the longbow most of the time, as limb twist is unlikely in the LBs I have owned. Shawn
Look at the original post. It says if you do not have a stringer for whatever reason, what would you do if ya did not have one, no matter what. Shawn
I tried the push-pull thing once, that was enough for me. If I had no choice (as Shawn pointed out), I'd have to go with the step-through method. I did that for years before I even knew there was such a thing as a bow stringer, but now I have a couple of stringers and make sure one is in my pack and one in the garage by my target. I would hate to ruin any of the bows I have now. Even more, I would hate to have to switch to lefty because I poked out my right eye with a bow tip! :banghead:
I use push-pull on my recurves, step-through on my longbow. BUT as has been mentioned before, the stringer is the right way to do it. The other ways are dangerous to the bow or the shooter or BOTH. I teach archery, but I never teach stringing a bow with anything but a stringer. A perfect example of do what I say, not what I do!
I use a stringer on all of my bows. I use it on recurves, D/R longbows and even the one straight limbed longbow I have.
I used the push/pull method on a Hill longbow, NOT a Howard Hill, and the tip broke that was "resting" against the arch of my foot. It didn't really bother because the bow had more hand/elbow shock than I cared to deal with. I would have never traded or sold that bow because I don't care to pass a problem bow onto someone else! That was the first, and last, time I used the push/pull method for stringing a bow.
Bill
Push/Pull on longbows except my ACS-CX's, I use a stringer on them and recurves.
I 've used and still use the step through method.(45 + years) I use a stout nylon cord around my ankle (instead of over my ankle) and the lower limb end goes into that . Never have had a problem with twisted limbs.
Don't try it though unless you know what you're doing ! Better to use a bowstringer.