Dry Fire Massacre

[Michael Peschek]

Has anyone ever seen a bow explode because of a dry fire? Is there any places it typically breaks?

Yesterday I was shooting my Cook's Mountain Archery El Gato longbow and when I shot the arrow fell to the ground, and I look at my bow and the lower limb is bent 90 degrees back about 4 inches above the lower limb. At the top the tip overlay is only attached by a little strand. And the string was still attached.

It all happened so fast I want to make sure it really was a dry fire or if it might have broke. The only thing I can think of is that the arrow was pinched off the string by my fingers.

Should this have happened because of a dry fire?

[Doc Nock]

You should get good input from these guys cause there is a ton of experience here. I used to have that happen with the ole style nocks..mercury or whatever... nothing ever went flahooie but it was frightening.

I quit using them. Be interesting to see what others got to share...

[Ghost Dog]

Oh yea. I have dry fired four selfbows, just for the same reason; the nock came off the string due to, well, archer error. The arrow just lay there on the ground by my feet. Sick feeling. No damage to any of my bows as a result. A well made, well tillered selfbow can be very tough.

It happens to all of us sooner or later, and it does ruin a bow sometimes. My feelings go out to you.

[bmfer]

I had my Savannah about 2 weeks and it happened to me. I was shooting across my basement because it was raining, apparently I hit and cracked a nock. Not realising it I shot it again. CRACK! Man it was loud!! No damage though. It's been shut in a truck door, dry fired, and I shot it and hit the limb on something and chipped the phenolic limb tip, and it keeps shooting.

[dachba]

Wow, bmfer!  Remind me not to loan you my bow  

Dave in Ft. Collins, CO

[Dave Lay]

oh yea.. several times, I went back to a mild snap nock and it hasnt happened since. Luckly no damage to the blackwidow recurve  they are very durable bows!!

[WildmanSC]

I dry fired my Fox Royal Crown in the same manner as you did your bow.  The only problem I experienced was a loud buzzing in my ears for awhile due to my hearing aids being turned up so I could hear!  The bow is/was fine!

Bill

[C2@TheLibrary]

I seen bows and had bows explode at full draw but not from dry firing. Some were more than spectacular, others were just painful.
Dry fires have never hurt any bow I have accidently done it with. Rattled me some though.

[Golden Hawk]

I had the same problem with a Mosshorn I had. the nock broke om release and my top limb exploded. Looked like a banana that had been peeled. the core was intact but the glass was peeled back on both sides.

[Diamond Paul]

I dry-fired a Harrelson recurve last year because the nock broke when I fired the bow.  It destroyed the top tip, string actually split it and buried up into it.  I had the same thing happen on a Wes Wallace Stealth, but no damage at all to it.  I always check my nocks when I shoot groups now.  It can also happen if you have a very loose fitting nock.  I know it's a bummer, hope everything gets fixed.  Paul.

[swampbuck]

I,ve had some dry fire's 4 of them when I tried the winn winn 360 tab with the metal plate(it went by by LOL) and so far no damage.I've not had that happen using a glove for what ever reason.Sorry to hear about your misfortune

[bayoulongbowman]

I have seen bows pulled pasted the the draw marked on the bow, they actually exploded , everytime I was at a indoor range...talk about harry experience wood went everywhere!!!One of them is well known bow ...marco

[Dave Coalter]

I had a long bow explode at full draw but not dry fire, sure does get your attention.

[jhinaz]

I've broken the limb-tip off two different recurves due to dry-firing, neither bow was made to take modern non-stretch string.  I've also had dry-fire happen to modern ILF limbs with no adverse affect. - John

[JOKER]

A friend of mine dryfired (nock came off string) my super shrew. It broke the string but the bow was fine.

[Bjorn]

I too have had several dry fires with different bows; fortunately without ill effects, and one bow limb broke, at the fade, during the coutse of normal use.

[bowdude]

Back when I used to play with those wood shafts and old style knocks I had several knocks break or come off the wood due to glue??  White knocks regardless of brand are softer and not worth &*$%.
  Thankfully there are awesome large diameter carbon shafts now.  ( with awesome LED knocks!)

[draco]

I`ve never known of anyone getting hurt bad when a stickbow breaks but a machine bow break can nearly kill you. I was shooting one a friend owns,(yeah I know but I still like him) after some teasing about bows and had a nock break.I would pull it with 3 fingers and slowly let off 2 of them, just holding it with one finger. The top limb broke into at the top of the handle. The limb went over my shoulder,bruising my back for about 10 inches,the cables cut into my shoulder,the string almost cut my finger off. You can imagine if the top went that way where the bottom went. I dropped like I`d been spine shot. I thought I`d lost my hoo hoo`s. I swear I`ll never shoot one of those things again.