Frozen bow

[wolfshadow]

I hunted all season with a hickory self-bow. In late season it go down to 16 degrees and I was camping out. Apparently bow froze and blew up. Could have I avoided this tragedy by gently heating it over my cook stove?

[wtpops]

You might ask this question in the Bowyer's Bench forum and get a quick answer. I would try to help but know nothing about self bows  

[Sixby]

Possibly but better yet would be to have it sealed against moisture really well.
Sorry aboutr the bow.
God bless, Steve

[DVSHUNTER]

No. Unless it was frigid cold and the bow came from a very high moisture content then it didn't blow from the cold. Colder temps generally bring dry climate that is good for Selfbows especially hickory.

However, it is a possibility, very unlikely. But it is a possibility and IF that is why is broke then yes, gently heating would PROBABLY have saved it.

[Roger Norris]

I am not a self-bowyer at all, but it sounds to me like you  had moisture in the bow.

I have a pignut hickory that shoots almost as fast as a Hill of the same poundage. It got soaked a couple of years back, my finish was not good enough and it sucked in water like a shop vac.  Pig nut needs to be very dry to work right, I thought it was ruined. I sanded it off and stuck in a furnace duct for a year.  Last spring I took it out retillered it and put some serious finish on it.  It is going hunting this afternoon. Pig nut hickory if it is grained straight and very dry, is the most under rated of all bow woods.

[BRIARS]

Moisture content needs to be down around 7-8% if I remember correctly.

We always used a pin type moisture meter prior to tillering. It would work to check the bow even after finish as the pins would go below the finish.

Would be curious to know what the M. C. is on that bow.

[Pat B]

Like DVS said it was probably not the cold that caused your bow to blow and a good chance it was not too dry. Hickory performs best at about 6% M/C, which is way too dry for most other woods.
 Under extreme conditions and after a long idle time I like to reeducate the wood to bend by slowly drawing it in small incriments before hitting full draw.
  Without seeing the broken bow it is hard to tell why it broke.

[lpcjon2]

Maybe a bow case and some pocket warmers next time and it may keep it warm. If there was snow and it wasnt sealed it could have absorbed some moisture and then froze,who knows.

[Bjorn]

Self bows made from many different woods have been used in cold climates for thousands of years. I don't think it was the cold that destroyed the bow.

[ddauler]

I doubt it was moisture if the moisture content was high enough for that to happen the limbs would take such a set the bow would become usless. I never have had an issue with my hickory selfbows. I have several with pyramid style limbs that shoot better than my hill style bows.