I have a used Sundog 54" recurve 59# @ 29" draw.  I draw 28". It came with a 50" string. I drew back and the string popped off. I just placed a 52"  string on and the same thing happened. While writing this I checked the bow again and I now see that it appears the lower is twisted. The limbs are black but I cannot tell if they are carbon or black glass. Any suggestions on how to straighten limbs? Thank you so much in advance.

I've had this happen before.  Unfortunately, my experience is that if the limbs are so badly twisted that the string pops off, it's too late to do anything about it.  However, no reason not to try.  With the bow unstring, twist the limb in the opposite direction of the twist and hold it in place.  Repeat until the limb is straight.  If it stays straight after you shoot it for a while, you're home free.

A slight limb twist is easy to correct and usually stays corrected, so long as you avoid torquing the string when your shoot the bow, which is something that most of us do from time to time.  For that reason, I check for limb twist by sighting down the string from the end of the bow each time I finish shooting one of my recurves.  I've never had this problem on a longbow.

I've had no permanent luck  for a limb twisted that bad.  Have straightened out limbs that the string would stay on though.

Thank you for thr suggestions. I'll give it a try and see.

Not familiar with that bow, but I'm assuming it's a recurve.  A bow that short develops an obtuse string angle between the string and limb tip at full draw that exacerbates the twisted limb problem.  Even without a twisted limb, one is close to pulling the string off the bow. 


Regardless, I agree with others that you have nothing to lose by trying to fix it.  It's unshootable as it is.  I generally correct a twist by just overbending in the opposite direction. But on severe twists, I heat the limb first, usually with a hair drier, and hold it in the overbent position until cool.  I find the heat helps retain the correction. Even so you may have to do it more than once.  And don't forget to check the top limb as well.  It may be twisted, too, though perhaps to a lesser extent.  Good luck.

Thank you. It's too bad the bow was not cared for.

  I've had good luck twice fixing pretty badly twisted limbs. I heat up a tea pot of boiling water and slowly poor it over both sides of limb, then while twisting limb by hand and holding it there i run it under cold water. Worked great and both limbs are straight even after being shot alot. Just make sure all of this is done unstrung.

I have used heat and counter twisting the limb.  I fill a bathtub with water as hot as I can stand submerge the bow for several minutes, twist till cool, repeat as needed.  I was told to be careful about overheating the limb and the tube method was a bit safer.  YMMV

Thank you as well. Right now I've work the limb back and have strung the bow. I intend to let it rest that way for several weeks then try to draw it and see what happens. If that does not work, I'll  try the heat method.