Looking to compile here info on # of turns for letting off compound bows

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The owners' manuals on compounds are usually woefully inadequate on this subject.

What I would like to know, and have posted here in this thread, *if you happen to know for your particular bow*, the following: How many full turns from tight can you loosen, that you know for positive, for certain, and still be completely safe from the bow "unhinging", that you learned *either* through trial/observation, or from your owner's manual. E.g. "I know that on brand X, model Y, you can go at *least* Z full turns, because I've done it.", etc.

The *standard* conventional wisdom is 4.5 turns and be safe. But I want to know what brands and makes of bows have variations in them. I'm sure there are some variations at least.

I just got a used Hoyt bow from a member on this site, and it's a 60-70, but I need and want to turn it as far out as I can possibly safely go, to get it to the 60 or lower range. Can I go 5? 5.5? What?

Also, other miscellaneous questions on this subject (which drives me mad with lack of good info):

1. It is the case, or is it not the case, that you can state "ALL bow models" of any particular brand/make have the same answer, such as something like: "ALL Hoyts can go at least 4.5 turns, but Matthews vary by model", or whatever.
2. Which bows brands/models will actually literally unhinge and pop you in the mouth if you just keep on loosening?
3. Are there any makes/models which will NOT do this - i.e. they have a failsafe "stopper" mechanism to keep them from going "CF" on you ? CF which stand for catastrophic failure, of course.
4. If so, which models do and which don't?
5. If none or just a few have such a failsafe mechanism, then why in the $@%##@$#$%, #$$%^%^#$$@, #$%@#$#@$% do they NOT have such an obvious, simple, needed mechanism??????!!!!!????? It would take, what, 1.5 cents of additional machining on the bolts to chisel/flay/widen them at the bottom, to keep them from going CF? If they just did that, then it would be realy simple - just stop loosening when you feel resistance. Go back maybe 1/8th turn to ensure full engagement along the length of the threading, and you're golden!

Maybe I'm misunderstanding here - maybe they all DO have stops on the bolts, and you can loosen any of them until you feel that resistance.

Thank you for your time and listening to my rant. :)

List your Year, Make, & Model of bow, then list Unknown, or if you know, the number of full turns you have gone and shot the bow in that state (or what your owner's manual states).
 

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any manufacture will tell u not to loosen any more than your min weight on the limbs...a properly setup bow will be at max weight with the limb bolts bottomed out so for me and my wife we shoot mathews switchbacks and a SBXT and its 2lb per turn so for our bows it would be no more that 5 turns from bottom... that being said there are pleny of threads left inside the riser to do probably double that.
now the only bows i konw of that have long enough limb bolts that u can back them down to zero lbs is oneida and thats one of the reasons we use them for bowfishing cause u can take any 70lb oneida and back them down til the limbs are just plum dang floppy... there are also youth bows like the diamond razors egde that have 30-60 limbs on them which means they have really long bolts but the manufacture will suggest not going any lower than 30lb...
is your question based on safety or what it will physically do cause for safety i wouldnt recomend going much futher than manufactures spec.
 

Davs2601

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maybe archerytalk forums can give you the info you are looking for. I have learned a ton from that site. I thought that most bows even when fully backed out still had a bit of tention on the limbs, the newer ones anyway.
 
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Thank you for the info, guys.


a properly setup bow will be at max weight with the limb bolts bottomed out so for me

What do you mean, EXACTLY, by the phrase "bottomed out"? Do you turn it a quarter turn, then measure the actually peak draw weight with your scale, then keep repeating this process until you hit the stated manufacturer draw weight, or how, exactly, are you determining just when it is 'bottomed out'?


and my wife we shoot mathews switchbacks and a SBXT and its 2lb per turn so for our bows it would be no more that 5 turns from bottom

That's very helpful - does the manual actually say that? If so, is that only for Switchbacks and SBXTs, or all Matthews bows?



that being said there are pleny of threads left inside the riser to do probably double that.

that being the case, what would happen if you backed it out some more and shot? What negative consequences would or could happen, exactly?


now the only bows i konw of that have long enough limb bolts that u can back them down to zero lbs is oneida and thats one of the reasons we use them for bowfishing cause u can take any 70lb oneida and back them down til the limbs are just plum dang floppy

Interesting and thanks, but what do you mean by "back them down to zero lbs" - you mean you can undo them all the way until the string falls limp, and there's still threading left?



... there are also youth bows like the diamond razors egde that have 30-60 limbs on them which means they have really long bolts but the manufacture will suggest not going any lower than 30lb...

Ahhh, cool. I see.


is your question based on safety or what it will physically do

Safety - I don't want the thing to fly apart and knock my teeth out, but I want to back it down to 55 or 60. But mainly just educate myself generally on the subject, also.

cause for safety i wouldnt recomend going much futher than manufactures spec.

Since I don't have a scale to meausure the draw weight, I don't and won't *know* when I'm at or further than the manufacturer's specs, unless the owner's manual says something like what Matthews does: 1 full turn = 2 lbs draw weight.

there is also nothing on the limb bolt to keep it from comming out of the riser

On which makes / models can you say this about?

maybe archerytalk forums can give you the info you are looking for. I have learned a ton from that site.

Thanks.
 
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Found this:

Hoyt bows are capable of being reduced to 10 pounds lower
than the peak weight. For example, a Hoyt bow with a 60 lb.
max weight can be adjusted to as low as 50 lbs. Do not let out
or loosen your limb bolts more than 8 turns.

from the 2010 Hoyt manual covering ALL of their bows - very helpful.

http://www.hoyt.com/assets/downloads/manuals/110_compound_manual.pdf

In the 2009 and all prior manuals, the manuals are absolutely silent on this issue - for example this is all the 2009 manual says (for all Hoyt bows) about draw weight adjustment:

Weight adjustments can easily be made by turning the weight adjustment bolt clockwise to increase weight or counter clockwise
to decrease weight. Note: Always turn the top and bottom adjustment bolts in equal amounts. Some Hoyt model bows are equipped with a Dual Locking Pocket System. Before draw weight adjustments are made on these models you must first loosen the pocket locking screws located on both sides of the pocket. (fig. 10) When adjustments are complete, re-tighten screws.
 

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bottomed out... tighten the limb bolts till it stops and the limbs are touching the limb pocket (u shouldnt see a gap between the limb and rizer).

a lot of bow make and modles run around 2lb per turn

it shouldnt make much diffence if u back it out a few pounds and shoot but i wouldnt go much more than 4-5lbs if u go to much the limbs could come out of the pockets or u could jump the string or cable of the cam... not good!

oneida... yes u can back them off and take the string off and the bolts will still be in the riser.

as far as i know no bow manuufacture has anything that keeps the limb bolts from comming out, since the bolt is inside the riser and only sticks out a very little when tightened all the way its not much of an option unless they made them longer.

there are othe ways to adjust weight other than the limb bolts... u can twist your strings and cables as well but this can put your bow out of spec and u can have timing issues making it hard to tune.

like mentioned look at AT they have a tuning section that has more knowledge then u will
 

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