String derailment, need some opinions

mmcdonough

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So I had a new peep installed. Was trying it out and everything looked and acted fine. After about the 20th shot, I noticed that the peep was starting to come loose and was way out of alignment. We tried to realign it but there was too much pressure.

This is when I made a serious error in judgement. We decided to pull it back with no arrow to loosen the tension enough to pop the peep back in. I had it drawn and my brother in law aligned one side. He moved to the other and all of the sudden it just popped. I’m not sure if he hit my release and it dry fired or if messing with the peep housing somehow triggered the string to derail but regardless it came completely off and I lost my hamskea raptor peep to the lawn.

I examined the limbs and couldn’t fine any cracks or splinters. The cams don’t appear to be warped at all. I’m hoping that I got lucky and all I need is a new string. I’m planning on taking it in this week to have it looked at. My question is, would it be a good idea to replace the strings and cables? The cables look fine but I honestly don’t know what to look for. I’d like to just replace the string if I can.
 

Trial153

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If it was just a de railing and not a dry fire there is chance you string and cables are just fine. You need to press the bow and look at the set and see if there is any obvious damage. If you find bent axle or cams...the bow as dry fired most likely
 
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I had It happen to me twice the first month of owning a bow, I was torqueing the bow while letting down and it jumped the cam track, first time it needed strings and cables and flex guard, second time it did not, no other damage to cams or limbs
 

87TT

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When I was first getting into bowhunting I accidentally dry fired my Basspro Redhead bow 2x about a year apart. I was able to press it myself with some ratchet straps and put the string back on after inspection.. Bow is still fine even though it just hangs on a hook now. I was working on my Hoyt PowerMax one time and had it pulled back and had it derail(brand new string too). The string got damaged but I was able to just replace the string.
 
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mmcdonough

mmcdonough

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Just one question.......how did you expect that drawing the bow would "relax" the string?

We were just hoping to just get a better angle on the peep since nothing was working. We got it on one side, but when he switched to the other it failed spectacularly. As I said it was a serious error in judgement. In hindsight I should have either cranked the poundage down to the lowest setting since it has the manual adjustment or just left it and taken it back in.

I live 45 minutes from my nearest bow shop and he works the same hours I do so frustration definitely played into it and it seemed like an easy fix at the time.
 

87TT

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Lesson # 1, never ever ever draw back a bow without an arrow nocked. I use an old arrow with no point installed and aim at a safe target like a large box of magazines.
Lesson #2, a bow press is your friend. I have used ratchet straps before but they are not ideal.
 
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mmcdonough

mmcdonough

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Lesson # 1, never ever ever draw back a bow without an arrow nocked. I use an old arrow with no point installed and aim at a safe target like a large box of magazines.
Lesson #2, a bow press is your friend. I have used ratchet straps before but they are not ideal.

Definitely learned that lesson the hard way this week. I'll honestly never draw one back without an arrow again. Just glad it didn't snap me in the face or something.
 

87TT

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"I live 45 minutes from my nearest bow shop and he works the same hours I do so frustration definitely played into it and it seemed like an easy fix at the time."

That's why I built a bow press and draw board. I live 2 hrs from the shop
 

jmez

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Just one question.......how did you expect that drawing the bow would "relax" the string?

Because the string has very little tension on it at full draw, all of the tension is transferred to the cables. Draw a bow and you can easily split the string and move the peep up and down while it is at full draw.
 

RosinBag

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Out in the field, we mess with peeps all the time. When you draw the bow back most of the tension is taken up in the cables, the string has hardly any and you can take a peep out and put one in without issue. I would recommend having an arrow in it and using a release that has a lock or pin to prevent it firing though.
 

5MilesBack

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Because the string has very little tension on it at full draw, all of the tension is transferred to the cables. Draw a bow and you can easily split the string and move the peep up and down while it is at full draw.

Every time I've had my bows on the draw board, that string is as tight as it is at rest or close to it. Certainly nowhere near where I'd want it to be sliding my peep around.
 

RosinBag

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Every time I've had my bows on the draw board, that string is as tight as it is at rest or close to it. Certainly nowhere near where I'd want it to be sliding my peep around.

What bow? On all the ones I have worked on, there is very little. I take peeps in and out without issue. On Hoyts for example, I bet there isn’t more 20% of the starting tension, maybe less.

The reduced string tension is why facial contact can have such a drastic affect on arrow flight.
 

5MilesBack

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Next time I put one in the draw board again I'll check it out. That's not something I would regularly check in the draw board, so who knows. I have an old school draw board with a turnbuckle to tighten it down all the way and have held the string steadying the bow while tightening and have never felt anything but a tight string all the way to full draw.

EDIT: I just put my 2006 Old Glory on the draw board, and that string feels as tight as at rest all the way out to full draw. Certainly nowhere near what it does when in the press to move a peep. I even tried to separate the string strands with my fingers and that wasn't happening.
 
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Marble

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So a couple things... learn how to set a peep so you can slide it slightly. Sliding in the string well rotate the peep Yes it will change zero but its easily correctable.

Second, getting an aftermarket string bcy 452x will almost eliminate any peep rotation. Strings wont stretch after a couple firings.
 
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