bow bolt creep, or movement???

[suttoman]

I have to do this again to make sure but I think my bow bolt might not be holding the bow securely.  

I normally shoot my bow a few times then untwist it and put it away in two sections.  However I am in Sydney for a week preparing for my hunt to New Zealand on Sat the 9th.  I am sure I twisted my bow hard up as I always do when I put it together.  After shooting it all week - I noticed yesterday when I went up to the car to leave, that the bow had untwisted slightly - meaning there was a ridge I could click with my fingnail where there was some overlap in the join.

My bowyer has made the bow perfectly and when the two halves are snapped together, the join on the handle is perfect.  I then took the string off the bow and was able to twist the two halves together until the bow clicked back into place.  This means that it had come apart slightly at the join whilst shooting for the week.  I was disappointed but will have to do the experiment again and see what happens.

Has anybody had this experience with their bow-bolt??

sutto

[suttoman]

ttt

[bowquiver]

Haven't noticed any movement in mine but, it's only about 6 months old and i haven't taken it apart since i got it.

[wapiti]

I have the bow bolt in mine and it is IMO you didn't twist it together firm enough. I did it once too thinking I had twisted it together but after stringing it and feeling the "lip" you talk about I unstrung it and gave it a bit more. Locked together great. I have never had that problem since because I now check and make sure it is twisted together completely. I have had my bow for almost 2 years and have taken it apart many times and put it back together with nary a problem. Shoots as great today as when I first got it.

[Jeremy]

Hey Sutto!      
I agree with wapiti.  If the bolt had slipped that much you'd be able to see and feel it on one the halves when it's apart.  If the slop was in the threads you'd feel the play.  If there was any sort of grit on the threads when you put it together I could see that making it a bit more difficult to twist it all the way.

[Craig Warren]

Sutto,

Jeremy and Wapity are probably correct, but I have heard of an instance after dry firing (God forbid) that the bow would loosten very slightly after ten or fifteen shots.  The persumption is that the dry firing stretched the threads a little.  Shooting too light an arrow can be somewhat equivalent to dry firing too.  I presume that neither of these things have happened to your bow?

Also, as Jeremy suggests,take extra care to keep both parts clean since the tollarances are very close (.0005" at some points) and a little dirt can keep the bolt from tightening all the way and it can also keep it from ever coming apart again.  I heard of this happening once when a bow, while apart, was dropped in the dirt and then put together without cleaning.

I doubt that you have a problem, but if you do, e-mail me or call me and we can straighten it out.  

Craig

[Naphtali]

There are, I believe, three grades of Loc-Tite (or knock-off versions). The least binding of them would probably be adequate to solve your problem while leaving the bow easy to dismount.

While I do not routinely disassemble anything I've bound with Loc-Tite, it is likely that the binding agent remains pliable indefinitely. So you should be able to store your bows as you have.

[suttoman]

Hey thanks guys - Really appreciate the words of wisdom.  

When I went on the range today, I took special note that I had twisted the bow fully locked before I strung it up - I twisted it hard and heard it click into place.  By the time I got back to the car in the afternoon I could feel a small ridge with my fingernail - which was not there before (the join was not fully flush).  I unstrung the bow and gave it a sharp twist back into place - I heard it click back into the fully locked postion and the ridge was gone!!

I am not looking for any problems here because I love my new bow and the bowyer did an awesome job.  You may already know some of the bows that I shoot but I don't want to say which bow I am specifically talking about here in case it in anyway badmouths the bowyer or his product- this is not my intent.

I obviosly do have a problem - nothing that I can't live with - but for a perfectionist - it is a bit grating!!

I have written to my bowyer to see what he says about it all.  

'Naphtali' it is funny that you mentioned 'Loc-tite', I am familiar with some of their products and i had wondered out loud if they may help in my case.  However I won't do anything without consulting the manufacturer and bowyer.

I did wonder (as mentioned) if my arrows (am shooting a mixture of 11gr/LB and 9gr/LB) or shooting style was the culprit.  

I shoot with a very high wrist grip and I do not grip the bow at all or hold the handle.  My fingers are stretched out wide and I have to have a finger sling or I drop the bow.  Perhaps by not holding the bow firmly or gripping it is allowing it to shudder or jar a little on each shot - which in turn backs off the thread a little!!  Any thoughts on this??

sutto

[suttoman]

Forgot to mention - the bow has never been dry-fired (I am the only one who shoots it), and no grit in the thread.  As soon as I take the two halves apart it goes straight into the bowcase!

Cheers - Sutto

[Jeremy]

Here's a thought: if the tips are slightly out of line the act of drawing and shooting the bow could untwist the bolt to the point where the tips line up?  It could be a very slight problem like the side of one string groove is a little deeper.