Your bowstring is under enormous stress every time you shoot — thousands of pounds of cyclic load, UV exposure, moisture, and abrasion from the rest and arrow. Most bowhunters ignore their strings until something goes wrong. That's a mistake, because a worn or poorly maintained string doesn't just break — it stretches, creeps, and slowly undermines your accuracy before it fails. Here's what you actually need to know about keeping your string in top condition.
Understanding Your Bowstring System
A modern compound bow has two strings and usually one or two cables. The buss cable and control cable work with the cams to drive the system — they are under load at rest and experience even more stress during the draw cycle. The bowstring itself connects the two cams and transfers energy to the arrow. All three components are covered in serving — a tightly wound thread wrapped around the string to protect high-wear areas like the center serving (where the arrow nocks) and the loop areas at each cam.
Modern strings are made from high-modulus polyethylene fibers — Dyneema, Spectra, BCY materials like 452X or 8125. These materials have very low stretch, high strength, and good UV resistance. They still require maintenance, but they are dramatically more stable than the Dacron strings that were standard 25 years ago.
Waxing: How Often and How to Do It Right
String wax keeps the individual fibers of your bowstring lubricated and bonded together. Dry fibers move against each other under load and break down faster. Wax prevents this and also repels moisture that can weaken the string over time.
How Often
As a starting point: wax your string every 2–3 weeks of regular shooting, or any time it visually looks fuzzy or dry. The "pinch test" tells you everything — pinch the string between your fingers and rub. If you feel any roughness or see individual fibers standing up from the bundle, it needs wax. A healthy, well-waxed string should feel smooth and slightly tacky.
Additional wax triggers: after shooting in rain or snow (moisture displaces wax), after a particularly high-volume practice session, and at the start of every hunting season regardless of when you last waxed.
How to Apply Wax Correctly
- Apply wax directly to the string by rubbing the wax stick along the strands — avoid the center serving and the loop areas at each cam (these are served and don't benefit from wax).
- Work the wax into the string using your fingers, generating heat through friction until the wax penetrates between the strands.
- Wipe away any excess wax from the surface — you want wax inside the bundle, not sitting on top of it. Excess surface wax attracts grit that acts as an abrasive.
Don't wax the serving. Wax on center serving makes your nocking point slippery, which can cause inconsistent nock fit and erratic arrow release. Keep wax on the string strands only.
Serving: What to Inspect and When It Needs Attention
Serving wraps around the string to prevent abrasion in high-wear zones. The critical areas to inspect are:
- Center serving: Where your arrow nocks and your D-loop or release nocking point sits. This is the highest-wear area on the bow. Look for separation, fraying, or worn-through gaps in the thread.
- Cam loop areas: Where the string wraps around the cam at each end. High cyclic stress — look for fraying or serving gaps.
- Cable guard/slide contact: If your bow uses a cable guard rod, the cables rub against a slide. This area wears faster than any other on the bow — check it every 200–300 shots.
Minor fuzzing of the serving is normal and cosmetic. What matters is separation — when the serving thread actually pulls apart, revealing the bare string beneath. A gap of even a few millimeters at the center serving will allow the string fibers to spread under nock pressure, which changes your nocking point height and destabilizes every shot. Have it re-served immediately.
String Stretch and What It Does to Your Accuracy
Even low-stretch materials like Dyneema creep slightly over time, particularly in the first few hundred shots after the string is installed. This creep elongates the string, which changes your bow's draw length, draw weight, brace height, and — critically — cam timing and sync.
String stretch and your sight tape: A stretched bowstring lowers your bow's brace height, which typically reduces arrow speed and drops your point of impact. If your arrows are hitting low on targets you've been hitting for months without touching your sight, string stretch is a common culprit. Verify your brace height against spec before rechecking your tape. If your speed has changed, rebuild your sight tape at SightTapeGen with your current actual speed.
New strings from reputable manufacturers are pre-stretched before they leave the shop, but some additional break-in is normal. Shoot 50–100 arrows, re-check brace height and cam timing, then re-zero your sight. After that initial break-in, a quality string should be stable for the life of the string.
When to Replace Your Bowstring
| Condition | Action |
|---|---|
| Visible fuzz on the string strands | Apply wax immediately; monitor closely |
| Individual broken strands visible | Replace the string before shooting again |
| Serving separation at center serving | Re-serve or replace; don't shoot until fixed |
| Loop area fraying at cam | Replace string; cam contact is abrasive and fast-moving |
| 1,000–2,000 shots (active shooter) | Inspect thoroughly; replace proactively if any doubt |
| 3+ years of use regardless of shot count | Replace; UV and heat degrade fibers even with low use |
| Bow stored for multiple seasons | Inspect and likely replace before hunting season |
The single rule that matters most: never shoot a bow with a broken string strand. Modern compound bows store enormous amounts of energy at full draw. A string that fails while you're at anchor is dangerous. If you see a broken strand, stop shooting and get the string replaced before the bow comes to full draw again.
Choosing a Replacement String
When buying a new bowstring, stick with aftermarket string makers who use quality materials. Factory strings from bow manufacturers are often functional, but aftermarket strings from companies like Winners Choice, Vapor Trail, 60X Custom Strings, or your local pro shop typically use higher-quality fibers and tighter tolerances. Custom strings also let you choose your color and serving material.
Key specs to match when ordering: string length (measured unstrung or pull from the spec sheet for your bow model), number of strands (usually 16–20 depending on the bow's cam design), and cable lengths if you're replacing the full string and cable set.
Pre-Season String Checklist
- Inspect the full string for broken strands, fraying, or separation
- Check all serving for gaps or worn areas
- Apply fresh wax to the string (not the serving) and work it in
- Verify brace height against your bow's specification
- Check cam timing — both cams should reach the wall simultaneously
- Shoot 10–15 arrows and re-check brace height
- Re-zero your sight at 20 yards and verify at 40 yards
The Bottom Line on String Maintenance
Wax every 2–3 weeks of regular shooting or whenever the string looks dry — it takes 2 minutes and extends string life significantly.
Inspect serving before every season. A serving separation at the center nocking area will cost you accuracy before it causes a visible problem.
Replace strings proactively. A new string costs $60–$150. A string failure at full draw costs a lot more.
After a new string, re-verify your setup — including brace height, cam timing, and sight tape accuracy at distance.
String maintenance and sight tape accuracy are linked. Any change to brace height or string length subtly changes your arrow's speed and trajectory. If you've replaced a string or noticed your bow's brace height has shifted, verify your sight marks at 40+ yards before hunting season — or generate a fresh tape at SightTapeGen using your current arrow speed.