If there's a single rule that you must know before handling a bow, it's to never dry fire.
This is drop dead obvious for any archer.
But for others, the immediate question will be: Why not?
For those who don't know: Dry firing is when you release the string without an arrow loaded.
This can be done with any kind of bow: Recurve, compound, crossbow,
and it's usually accidental.
Now, what happens if you pull it back and let it go?
[over-dramatized sound effect] , [ambulance sirens]
No, no, no, I'm not going to do a live demonstration.
What I've got here though, is a club bow that was dry fired a couple of weeks ago.
The story is fairly typical,
a new archer turned up, to do some practice,
he pulled the string back for a practice shot, and let it go.
Next thing he knew, there was a loud crack
As you can see here, what's happened is that the fiberglass and the wood beneath it has splintered.
So, this limb is no longer usable.
So the question is: Why does this happen?
Normally, when you pull the string back, the limbs are put under tension, storing energy.
When the string is released, this energy is transferred into the arrow, which pushes it forward.
Only a small amount of energy is transferred back into the bow, resulting in vibrations.
However, when there's no arrow loaded onto the string, there's no place where the energy is to be transferred.
So the energy goes back into the limbs.
And the limbs aren't made to handle that kind of stress from that direction.
That can result in catastrophic material damage to the limbs.
Damage can include cracking, splintering, and even delamination.
That's when the layers of the limbs burst apart.
Now, the stronger the bow, the more likely the damage will be heavy.
Now, thankfully, in this case it was a 20 pound bow
It's a very light bow, and as a result only a few splinters appeared on the limb.
But in any case, this limb is not only unusable,
any further usage of this limb may result in the entire limb splitting apart.
It's important to note that if you're using arrows that are way too light for your bow,
this can also cause a pseudo-dry fire effect,
as not enough energy is transferred into the arrow.
Now, for most archers, this isn't going to be a problem.
However, if you're making your own arrows,
and you've got a heavy bow, then this is something you have to consider.
Now, this kind of damage doesn't always happen.
Older wooden recurves, like this one, are often more susceptible to dry fire damage,
whereas newer, modern target bows, like this one, are more resilient and durable against dry fire damage.
These can handle hundreds of dry fire without cracking.
Not that you should dry fire your bow, but it can handle the stress.
I've dry fired this bow many times, accidentally of course,
and while it's terrifying that it happens,
it doesn't compromise the integrity of the bow or the limbs.
So, this can handle an extent of dry fires,
you don't have to worry about significant damage.
But you really shouldn't dry fire, especially since these bows cost thousands of dollars.
Now, you probably won't see anything too dramatic when a recurve bow is dry fired.
This is much different, when you see a compound being dry fired.
Sometimes, you get lucky and nothing happens.
Often, the strings or cables will derail or break,
Sometimes, everything flies off.
The strongest kind of bow you can shoot is a compound crossbow.
Here's what happens if you dry fire it.
[SNAP]
One of the most common things you hear when someone dry fires his compound bow,
is how ''lucky'' they are.
Even a broken string is considered very light damage.
Compound bows are much more powerful than recurve bows.
They store much more energy in their limbs,
and dry firing a compound bow can result in completely catastrophic results.
You have fiberglass and carbon splits going everywhere,
and considering compound bows are a few inches from your face,
you really don't want that happening.
Otherwise you have cables and strings slapping your arms
You've got cams flying off and screws coming off,
you even have to peep if something goes anywhere.
This can be a significant risk to the user.
Not only is it dangerous to you,
it can also be dangerous to people around you.
Even if nothing happened to your bow, it's best to get it checked out at the shop.
The reason is, there's a high chance there are micro fractures in your limbs.
And if you use the bow with fractures in your limbs, then there's a high chance that it will explode.
If we get back to the Lemon Kid for a moment,
The reason why so many people are giving this guy a hard time, even now,
is because of how lightly he brushed off the whole dry fire accident.
Now, I'm not saying that we should keep sending hate messages for something put up years ago,
but you have to consider how serious the risk was.
Within a minute of unboxing his new bow, he could've taken out his eye.
That's the danger of dry firing a compound bow.
And he is an example of someone who is very ''lucky''.
He was lucky it was only a 15 pound Genesis bow,
he was lucky that nothing happened, nothing came off.
He was lucky that he didn't hurt himself,
and he's lucky that there's hundreds of people telling him why he shouldn't dry fire a bow.
As archers, you should know better than to dry fire your bow.
The main risk however, is not you.
It's when other people handle your bow.
As an archer, you really should make a point that people should not touch your bow,
and most people understand this.
Most of the time, an archer will ask permission to hold your bow or even pull it back.
It's not just politeness, it's safety,
because you really don't want someone picking your bow up, pulling it back and then dry firing it.
even if it's someone you know and trust, make sure they ask every single time,
and make sure you are watching them.
This is probably the most common cause of dry fires.
Someone picks up your bow from your display rack or from the shelf or from your stand,
they pull it back and then they let it go,
even if you tell them not to do it, they will do it.
If you're working in a club or range environment,
make this the number one rule:
Never dry fire.
Make sure every visitor who comes in and uses a bow, knows this rule.
Now, if it's a club regular, who's just testing a bow string,
I can live with that.
But if it's a guest shooter or a beginner, or someone who's doing a come and try program,
and I see them pick up a bow and pulling it back, stop and drop!
There's absolutely no reason why you should be doing this.
Be vigilant in making sure that everyone one the line is using their bows appropiately,
because all it takes is one guy who's having a bit too much fun, pulling it back and 'BANG'
There goes your bow, or even worse, they might be hurt.
Safety first!
This is NUSensei, hope you found this helpful and I'll see you next time!