Home » How to Set-Up and String a Conventional Recurve Bow in Archery

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There you are: raring to smash some arrows into the gold, you've opened the box, ripped out a few pieces but are left thinking, "where does this bit go?"At this point you can do one of two things: find out how to put it together or shove it together any old way. The latter will most likely leave you with nothing to shoot with.

When putting the bow together you must be very careful to do it right. If you mess up certain things you could damage your bow or, in extreme cases, break your bow.

Like all instruction manuals we're going to start by seeing if we have what we need. You will need:

•    A riser (x1) - this is the main part of the bow which has the handle that you hold.
•    Limbs (x2) - two curved pieces.
•    String (x1) - ensure there are no knots in it.
•    Stringer - a bit of string with a loop at one end and a slot at the other.

If you have all these pieces then you are ready to go.

1. The riser

Pick up the riser and hold it by the handle. The reason you pick it up is to make sure you have it the right way up - if it's the wrong way up your hand will uncomfortable in the handle.

2. Put in the Limbs

At both ends of the riser there will be slots where your limbs will fit in. Some limbs slide and click where others you have to screw in. Look at your limbs and decide which one your limbs are.

Now you need to get the limbs the right way around. One limb goes on the bottom (the lower limb) and the other goes on the top (the upper limb). It is fundamentally important that you get them the right way around.

If you are very lucky the limbs will have written on it: "upper limb" and "lower limb". Should this not be the case, we need to go to plan B. It is convention that the lower limb will have a sticker telling you the poundage etc.

Don't put them in yet. You now know which goes where but not what way round. The limbs need to curve away from you so when you put the string on it will pull the limbs backwards - that is why it is called a recurve bow.

Now slot in the limbs

3. The String

Pick up the string and hold it up by one end. You will see two metal rings on the string.  Immediately below and above these you will notice two regions were the string is thicker. One of the two will be longer than the other. Put the longest one to the bottom.

Holding the string with the longest bit to the bottom with one hand, pick up your bow with the other. Take hold of the loop on the string that is at the top. Slide the loop about a sixth of the way down the bow and hold it with your thumb.

Take the other loop and loop it around the funny shaped bit on the lower limb. Ensure that the string is perfectly straight - in line with the bow. If possible, get someone to check that the string is on correctly.

Turn the bow so it is horizontal and then pick up your stringer. On the end where the string loop is a sixth of the way down, place the looped end of the stringer over it. Hold the stringer in place with your thumb. Take the other end of the stringer and slide it over the end of the limb.

Hold the bow with one hand -leave the other hand free - and stand on the stringer with your foot. Slowly pull the bow upwards and with your remaining hand pull the end of the string, which is a sixth of the way down, over the knob at the end. When you are sure that it is properly attached let the bow down very slowly.