Well, I'd say you will be generally plenty safe sticking to no more than 4 full turns out. But since this is just a ballpark estimate, your mileage may vary. Some bows only have a 10 pound rated range on the limbs, while other manufacturers (like Martin) have a 15 pound range on their limb tags. Are the Martin limb bolts longer than other manufacturer's limb bolts to accomadate this? I dunno. I thought I remember reading somewhere that Mathews recommends backing their bolts out 10 turns before putting them in press(?). I'd just hate to see someone back out those bolts jusssst a little too far.... POW! Parts flying everywhere. That's why I think you're seeing some hesitation with responses on this subject.

ok, here's my soapbox yelling voice... BUY A SCALE! even the cheapo ones are better than nothing. They will at least give you a starting point to see how much poundage you're moving. And even a nice 100# Hansen hanging scale is less than $40. The thing will last you a lifetime.