Shooting in temperature extremes--?

[pcg]

After having my Miller longbow blow up on me while shooting in 87-88 F temps (a first for me for any bow), I'm wondering if bows just don't do well above or below certain temps. Any advice and experiences welcome!
Thanks, Pat

[Green]

After reading your disaster post (really glad you were wearin' glasses and God was lookin' out for ya), I'd say that's a legit question.  It's regularly 100-110 here during the summer afternoons, and I usually leave one or two bows strung and hanging in an Oak tree in my yard to shoot during the afternoons.  The bows aren't in direct sun, and never had an issue.  I won't, however, leave a strung bow in direct hot sun, in a vehicle, or anywhere the temps climb above 115 or so.

[gringol]

88 isn't very hot.  There was a flaw in that bow.  That temp shouldn't cause a blowup.

[Bjorn]

If you have black limbs in direct sun and high temps they can become too hot to touch. Could be a problem?

[pcg]

The bow was never hot to the touch. And frankly, if longbows can't be shot in summer temps, I'm shocked. So I have to assume there was a flaw in one of the lams that gave way.

Thanks to all. I'd never heard or read that bows shdn't be shot at certain temps. But as you can imagine, my doubts are creeping in!

[delongbows]

I've never had an issue with high temps....up to 100 degrees or so, but I did have a riser let loose on a takedown at 8 degrees. I can't really say if it was the low temps or a structural flaw, but it really surprised me. At the end of the day, I had a junk bow, 7 stitches and one heck of a headache!

[Orion]

Everything man puts together sooner or later falls apart.  99.9% of modern bows will handle temperature extremes without any problems, but every now and then, there's bad glue, wood, glass or carbon, or a glue job that didn't take.  Stuff happens.  It's rare, regardless of the temperature.

[stik&string]

I too had one let go in the cold (10 degrees), but I'd have to agree that it was a flaw in the bow more so than the temperature. I had a nice chunk taken out of my arm and a number of stitches.

[Stump73]

You don't want to leave your bow in a hot vehicle during the summer.

[Sam McMichael]

definitely a flaw in the bow. I shoot often in temperatures higher than that and have never had any of my bows encounter a problem. I have never shot in cold lower than the 20's but never had a problem. I once knew a guy who had a bow blow up while hunting caribou in Canada in the cold.

[pcg]

My conclusion as well. Simply a bad bow. And hopefully, a 1 in a million chance that won't be repeated.

[fmscan]

When I lived in CT. I saw a guy pull a wheelie out of his car trunk and it looked like a donut, the wheels were about 6 inches apart. As I remember it was around 85 deg. I know being in the car trunk was hotter. I HATE to shoot my bow when it is hot. Just do not want to temp fate...

[pcg]

Heck, if we can't shoot bows in normal summer temps...

[Jim Picarelli]

I guarentee shooting in 90* heat affects me more than it does my bow.

[Gordon Jabben]

In the past, I have had several bows come apart like yours.  I finally realized it might have been caused by the extreme temperature inside a PVC tube which I kept my longbows in and left in the sun.  In each case, the bow had been in the PVC tube before coming apart.  I haven't had any problems after I quit storing my bows this way.

[LoneWolf73]

No problems here in the South with high temps. 90-100+ in highest temp times Jul-Aug. Sometimes 90's during deer season. Bad glue joint most likely.

[WESTBROOK]

I'm with Mr Picareli, the heat bothers me way before it bothers my bow. 90 deg & up, the only place you'll find me shooting is indoor with A/C.

I'm ready for winter already!

Eric