Lady Forge

I am looking into putting a new string on my bow. I am shooting the Forge Lighting Strike SC and I am looking at prestreched bow strings I have looked at the ones made by Winners Choice Does anyone have any experience with the prestreched strings and what do you think of them?Does any one know of any other companies making prestreched strings that I can look into?How does the prestreched strings affect the speed of the bow? Is there any speed loss?Thanks for any help.

muzzyman88

I have just bought a set of strings from Muzzy. They are, in my opinion, not very good. I will be putting a set of Winners Choice on as soon as these strings are shot out.

Winners Choice makes the best strings on the market hands down. They are pre stretched, and will not stretch past what you ordered them at. My freind shoots them, and they are very nice, servings and all.

IroquoisArcher

I don't know the process WC uses but by reading their site i assume they stretch the material before making the string. They claim it will then not stretch. Any string maker can make one and then stretch the completed string (there was a post of how someone did this a long time ago). Is prestretching the naterial better then stretching the completed string? I don't know. Just know that I make mine with tension on them and after putting it on I set the peep and don't worry again about stretching or peep rotation (after getting the fine tuning down). So to me it isn't a factor to prestretch the material (again I'm not saying there isn't any benefits only that I don't do it). Will it add speed? I wouldn't think so, just eliminate any more settling in the string may do, though I would think it would settle some.
Muzzyman88, what don't you like about the string? Just curious as I've been following your posts on it. If you'd rather e-mail me then that's fine.

BobCo19-65

I'm interested too Muzzy. Please post.

Ossage

The thing I don't particularly get is how this pre-streching works. I'm agnostic on WC, but they are really popular, which either means folks are falling a little hard for them, or probably that they are better. The weird thing about all this is that all this is going on while we are dealing with the lowest stretch string materials that we have ever seen. Generally well engineered fibers have a low stretch at first, then when loads get high, they stretch out, then you reach the proportional limit, and they stop stretching in the elastic way recoverable way, then they break. I guess one can engineer these things any way one wants, both through the fibers, and also how they are layed up into strands, or ropes and loops. In other fields, however, where the materials are being worked at much closser to their limits, the materials are regarded as being essentialy equivelent to wire rope in stretchiness, essentialy zero. When Kevlar strings first became available we were looking to put stretch back in. But my basic point, that I would like to have corrected by someone who really knows is how are these strings that are only being streched when made at something like maybe a 10% load, how are they stretching at all.

That is why I disagree on the idea the stretch is in the fiber (though it could be, but if you have ever tied with the super fly tying threads you can't help but wonder). If you ask what is different about our use, the most obvious parts are these strings are being layed up differently than a lot of rope, some of which have minmal twist; Where they are covered, the covering is applied under great tension; The main string is used arround a pulley, but might be being layed up in a line; At least the tradition of strings is that they are made by hand. These are four areas that beg for the fibers to re-arrange themselves after the string is made, rather than to stretch as a result of some pre-existing stretch in the fibers.

Anyway, why do we have strings with twist? Originaly, going back 10-15 years (not really original) there was a convergence between the fact that the flemish strings (cool two colors) where gaining popularity due to the emergence of the Traditional market. For a short period in time the other makers needed a little more stretch than the new materials were giving, until they got the new bow structures right. There is the issue of the ability to double twist strings to get peep adjustibility into them. As far as I know FITA shooters are mostly using strings with minimal twist, though how much is a critical recurve adjustment issue. Twist usualy gives a quieter string, but there are a load of ways of doing that. If the only real reason is because the two colors look cool, that isn't much of a reason. Less twist is one way to get rid of stretch.

comndr45

I'm curious about Muzzy's dislike for their strings as well. I just put a set of strings and cables on and they aren't even shot in yet. I hope I didn't make a mistake. I thought they looked quite well made, but maybe looks are deceiving.

The most important bloodtrail leads right to the foot of the cross

muzzyman88

Ok, this is what I know. Winners Choice strings are pre stretched before assembly. This is better because each strand is stretched identical, whereas if you stretch an assembled string, you cant guarentee that all strands where stretched the same. Thats what makes them better.
A WC rep told me that this is one of the main reasons why your peep rotates so much. One strand stretching a little farther then the next. Makes sense.

As for Muzzy strings. Maybe I got a bad set, but the I really am huffed about them right now. The servings are already starting to seperate a tad around the cams and it was twisting like a Kansas tornado when I first put it on. I put a ton of twist in to remedy it, but had to take some out to get my draw length right.
All and all, I am not impressed with Muzzy strings. My next set will be Winners Choice.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Big Country

OK, here are a couple points....WC stretches each individual strand @ 900lbs. before assembly. Is this good? Absolutely..NOT! If a WC string is any better at stopping peep rotation, it is because their strings are assembled under a more even tension. My strings(which I make myself) have no peep rotation. Why? Because I apply even tension throughout the process of building the string. With todays string material available, if your string is stretching more than 4-5 twists worth, from initial installation through the life of the string, the string was spun with really uneven tension. A WC string WILL increase bow vibration, alot. There is no elasticity left in the string material. I admittedly have never shot a set of WC strings, but I have friends that shoot them. They all come off the bow in short order. I have examined several sets of them, new, unused. The serving job on every set I looked at...well, if they were a set I made, I would throw them in the trash. I may be a little bit anal retentive when it comes to quality of strings, but if you guys would get someone who really knows how to spin a set of strings make you a set, you would not be unhappy.

midwestxpress

I use WinnersChoice and have been very happy with them. Their servings, especially around the cam hasen't moved a hair. I had two different cables on my bow within a week, both servings slipped after a dozen shots. My WC cable and string have a ton of shots on them with no sign of slippage. They do not add any vibration to my set up. Maybe if you make your own strings you have more control over quality, but if you buy them in an archery shop I think WC is money well spent.

Big Country

midwest, I know that you can really get some junk strings, depending where you get them. Interesting that you have no vibration from your WC`s. Glad they are working good for you. I would try some firsthand, but I am too tight to buy something that I can make. I am funny that way. I don`t have a problem getting 2 or 3 bows a year, but I refuse to pay for premade strings. Anyway, thanks for your input on the WC`s.