Why does dry firing a bow

Joints and connections between different parts can be broken, while weak material can be fractured. I mean, the entire bow can pretty much shatter and fly in different directions. Obviously, other parts of the bow can be damaged by dry fire, but these are both the most likely and the most dangerous things that can be damaged. It depends on the type of bow, the quality of the bow, and the draw weight. Still, dry firing a bow is dangerous, and should always be avoided. In any case, a bow that was dry-fired should not be used before it was inspected by a professional at an archery shop.

But accidents do happen, so hopefully if it did, no one got hurt. Your inspection is not enough, because some of the damage that can happen is not easily visible. The main reason you should do a quick inspection yourself is to know how urgent it is that you get the bow to an archery shop. Not all damage is equal, and there are things to look for. If you see serious wear on your bowstring, or fractures in the limb, for example, you should take your bow to a professional as soon as possible.

The reason is that this sort of damage can quickly derail. Some things are harder, while others are completely invisible to the naked eye. For example, there can be microscopic fractures in the bow that are only visible under a microscope. Especially for compound bows, the damage can be really hard to see. The first thing you should do before you start inspecting the bow is to bring it to a place where you can clearly look at it.

If you can get your hands on a magnifying glass it will come in handy. The first thing you should do is inspect the bowstring for any tear or damage. If the string snaps, the bow will typically get even more damaged. If possible, you should very carefully remove the bowstring off the bow. Try looking for any sign of fractures. If you have a magnifying glass, use it to detect any small damage. Shine the light on the bow's limbs and examine them with the magnifying glass.

Systematically check for any cracks or splinters. On a compound bow, pay special attention to the areas near the wheels or cams. If the limbs have any deformities, replace them before shooting the bow again. Examine the wheels or cams for cracks, bends or missing parts. If you have a recurve bow, skip to Step 3. If they show any signs of damage, replace them before shooting the bow.

Move your light and magnifying glass to the bowstring. Look for frayed areas and cut strands, especially near the axles and where the string wraps around the wheels or cams. If the string has any damage, replace it before shooting the bow.

If nothing looks damaged, shoot the bow with an arrow at a target. Make note of any odd vibrations or noises. Good eye!

Sometimes a bow that goes through a dry fire doesn't fall apart, and there are even some Hoyt bows that are specifically designed to endure dry firing mistakes. Those are rare, though, and you should always assume that your bow will experience severe damage during a dry fire. But just because your bow doesn't fall to pieces after a dry fire doesn't mean it's OK. You can be going about your business, shooting away, when all of us a sudden your bow falls to pieces in every direction.

We'll start with the obvious one: if you're bow is destroyed, that's the end of that. Do not try to put your bow back together again, or replace broken parts with equipment from other bows. If your bow has obvious structural damage from a dry fire, you'll need to retire that bow. If your bow somehow stays together, you'll need to take it to a pro shop and have them inspect it. Try to give them as much detail as possible about the event what happened, what went wrong, and what pieces went where , along with as much information about the bow as you can remember what make and model it is, how old it is, if it's been refurbished, etc.

They'll be able to tell you if the bow is safe to use, and if it's not, what you can do. Now you know the basics—what is a dry fire, and the damage it can do to a bow and to you. This is a very frequent scenario: you and your significant other have friends over for dinner or whatever. You just got a new bow, and it's beautiful. Your friend says, "I heard you just got a new bow! I'd love to see it. OK, so that's a worst-case scenario, but the first part of it—a newbie handling someone else's bow—is a very common way that dry fires occur.

If you're showing off a new bow, do NOT let newbies handle it, and if you are going to hand it over, make sure you say beforehand, "Listen, there's this thing called a dry fire, and it's when Here's an interesting fact that many archers overlook: if you're using arrows that are too light, that can mean that too much of the energy in the limbs is being transferred back to your bow instead of into the arrow.

That can result in all of the problems we mentioned above, so be sure to check the weight of your arrows. Because compound bows are so powerful—the force of the draw is magnified by the lever system—the damage to a compound bow after a dry fire will be much, much worse than the damage to a recurve bow.

Plus, because there are so many more parts to a compound bow—literally, there are more moving parts—those parts are more likely to break and scatter into the air. Broken parts that are scattered in the air are more likely to end up in your eye and blind you.

After all, most people are pretty smart and they want to be safe: you tell them something is dangerous, and they'll refrain from doing it. But here's the rub:. Most dry fires aren't committed because the person is being a hot dog, or forgetful, or anything like that: most dry fires are made by mistake. The string slips. You sneeze.