Your friend thought your bow was cool. He asked if he could hold it. You reluctantly said yes. He dry fired it.
Now you feel like you could throw up.
Can a bow survive a dry fire? Bows can survive a dry fire, but often they will need repairs. Dry firing a bow is extremely dangerous and can cause severe damage to the bow and those around it. The higher the bow power, the higher the damage.
In case you haven’t already seen what can happen during a dry fire, here’s a pretty common example:
The higher the power of the bow, the more damage a dry fire will cause. All the energy that should have gone into launching an arrow is now being hammered against the bow itself.
A 70 pound bow is very likely to be damaged, and a 30 pound bow will often be fine after inspection.
Compound bows are especially likely to be damaged in a dry fire since there are so many components.
Assuming that everyone is unharmed after the incident, here’s how you can check your bow to see if it’s damaged.
I’ll also go over some checks that you can use for recurves and longbows.
If a compound bow has been dry fired, put the bow back in its bag. If it gives out, the pieces should be contained within the bag instead of flying out and hitting someone in the face.
Dry fired bows should always be checked by a professional before being used. This guide is intended only to be used as a reference. Very serious injury can occur from using a bow that has been dry fired.
Checking Your Bow for Obvious Damage
If your bow was damaged during the dry fire, you’ll usually know.
The bow will be in pieces.
Another obvious thing that can happen is called derailment. This is when (on a compound bow) the string comes off the cams. That’s what happened in the above video.
Again, super obvious. Your strings will be loose, it will be visibly damaged.
If either of these things happens, take it in to your local pro shop immediately. If there’s any visible damage, it is not safe to use.
That’s not to say that your bow is completely destroyed. It might be repairable.
For example, you might be able to get replacement cams or limbs. You’ll almost definitely need a new string and cable.
Depending on the value of your bow, it might not be worth it to get it fixed.
Compound bows have a lot more going on than traditional bows, so it takes some time to carefully go over the bow to check for damage.
So beyond the obvious “it’s now in pieces” type of damage, here are a few additional checks you can do to see if there was damage.
Checking for Less Obvious Dry Fire Damage
One thing to check on your compound bow after a dry fire is cam alignment. It’s not uncommon for the cams to get twisted/tilted after they absorb the energy from the unrestrained release.
You can try to check them by eye. This is easier for bows with larger cams.
A more reliable method would be to use a straight edge. Lay the straight edge against both cams and see if they’re tilted. Cam alignment needs to be dead on, even a slight misalignment can cause derailment.
Inspect the cams and axles for any cracks or visible damage. Look for anything that looks off-kilter, mushroomed, bent, or otherwise wonky. Also, ensure that the c-clips (or whatever they use to secure the axles) are properly seated.
Some cams have thin areas where the string hooks on, and these are stress zones. Damage can be really hard to see unless you’ve been trained to repair bows.
Inspect the limbs carefully. The limbs are what takes the brunt of the shock from a dry fire. It’s quite possible that they can be bent or cracked.
On a compound bow, the limbs are generally pretty strong. The main problem areas are typically around the axles. Inspect these areas thoroughly.
You should also check where the limbs are connected to the riser. This generally consists of a bolt that sets the draw weight, a pin/bolt that the limb pivots on, and the clamp that holds the limbs to the riser.
Ensure that everything is seated, that there are no cracked, and that there are zero signs that anything is bent. This is a really critical area of the bow.
Next, very carefully scrutinize the string. Examine individual strands for any damage, which could include cut, frayed, or out of place strands.
Examine the servings. one of the most likely failure areas is where the servings contact the cams, as well as where they are tied at the ends.
It can be hard to see what’s happened to the string underneath the servings, but gaps between the serving windings can indicate damage.
Method for Checking for Cracks
Since cracks can be really hard to see, a lot of people like to use the dry cotton ball method to check for small cracks.
This is especially effective for checking traditional bows, which are typically made from wood or composite materials.
It’s really simple to do, too.
Just get a dry cotton ball and gently rub it along the length of the limbs and riser.
If there are any small cracks, the fibers from the cotton ball will catch them, and you’ll feel pulling. You’ll probably also be able to see the strands catch into the sharp cracks.
This isn’t always effective for metals, but it can be a good method for recurves and longbows.
What the Professional Can Do
Aside from everything listed above, a professional will be able to take it a few steps further to ensure safe operation.
For one, they can unstring the bow and properly check the cams and axles, which are primary concern areas.
They can pull out the axles to see if they’re bent. A bent axle won’t roll smoothly on a tabletop.
They can also rotate the cams around without tension. If there’s any misalignment, wobble, or otherwise, it should be fairly visible.
Getting the strings off the cams will also provide an opportunity to carefully inspect the strings themselves.
These are all checks that can be done in a short amount of time by those with proper equipment, like a bow press.
Testing the Bow After Inspection
Always get a professional to examine the bow before drawing the bow back. A damaged bow can explode and seriously injure you and others.
After you’ve been given the OK by someone qualified, you should still proceed with caution.
Wear appropriate protective clothing, including eye protection. If something snaps, they’re not a lot between you and the bow.
Slowly draw the bow back in increments, relaxing the bow in between. Have a second set of eyes on your bow, looking for any unusual movement.
Listen carefully for any new creaks, grinding, cracking, or other sounds.
Don’t continue to draw the bow back if you hear or see something that is suspect. Hand it back to the professional and explain your concerns.
Pay attention to the performance of the bow over time. If the bow quickly becomes less accurate, or if the bow loses power and your arrows keep dropping lower on the target, that’s a strong indication that something is wrong.
Dry firing a bow is really serious, and especially so with high power bows for hunting. This is an incident that has broken many friendships.
Always be cautious when handling any kind of weapon, especially one that is potentially damaged.