I was brought up on old military rifles. We would tie the rifle to a tire and tie a string to the trigger and hide behind a tree, and then pull the string. If the rifle held together after a few shots, we'd shoot it. Same thing with an old bow. Put it on a bracket of some sort, stand back a few feet, and pull the string to about your draw length. Listen for strange noises. Do it several times. If it holds together and you don't hear cracks and pops, go for it.