Dry fire a bow...

So... I bought a Martin Firehawk bow (used) on eBay. I talked it over with my step-dad and he said that it was a decent price for the bow. It arrives today.... I'm playing with it, pulling it back, seeing how long I can hold it, having some fun with it.

I tell my neighbour about it, he wants to hold it, he draws it back, the fucker dry fires it... I may not have the greatest bow knowledge but I sure as hell know you never dry fire a bow. I'm curious what kind of problems I may have for it from here?

Tomorrow, I'm taking it to get tuned by a tech and having someone get a better look. I'm more worried that the bow will be toast. Any suggestions other than skinning my neighbour?

 

Broken limbs, broken cams, broken string. More or less it could be nothing, or it could be expensive. Look for cracks in the limbs and cams, if the string broke, you would already know. You may have gotten lucky and have no damage.

 

I've always heard that when you dry fire a bow, it's done. Every time I've picked up a bow or fired one, I was told I dry fire it, I bought it.

You got the right idea, take it to a bow repair shop and let them check it out. Beyond that, all I can tell you is don't let the neighbor touch your weapons.

 

The string is done for sure but as far as I've looked at it, it seems fine but I am a little nervous about whether a cam is bent. The neighbour said that he'll pay for any damage. But we'll see tomorrow... I'm pissed still though.... he won't touch anything of mine anymore.

 

Whats funny is that it was my own ignorance that probably caused this because I assumed because he knew firearms, he could handle a bow but apparently gun owners and bow owners are different.

 

Dry firing a bow is bad. One dry-firing ruining it? Ridiculous.

If you have a modern bow made with synthetic material, halfway decent strings, and non-crap plastic pulleys you'll be fine. Dry firing was abhorrent 100 years ago when they were using compound technology using bone and different strengths of wood held together with a very fickle type of glue. The snap would cause the glue to crack and therefore one dry fire *could* ruin it. A modern bow? not so much...

Also: If you buy a used bow, just assume it's probably been dry fired half a dozen times already.

 

I bought my first bow because no one cautioned me about dry firing it. All the features were explained and among them were silencers on the string. I was buying it from a fellow employee and took it outside to examine it while I took a smoke break. Wondered how well the silencers worked so I pulled it back and let her go. Broke the string, opened up my wrist with a nasty cut and made my buying decision pretty easy. When I took it back in and told the guy that I guessed I was buying it he was concerned about my wound and amazed that I had dry fired it. You can assume that someone knows about bows or any other weapon for that matter, but it never hurts to review the basics for a novice.

Sent the bow off to Eagle and had it checked out and restrung before firing it again. Seller felt bad and payed half the cost of the repair.

 

One dry fire isn't likely going to toast a bow. You bought it on e-bay was it new in box or used? If it's used you can't be sure it hasn't been dry fired several times. I bow hunted for years and I've owned about 4 different types. I had an old Bear a friend gave me when I first started, he up graded and gave me his old bow. I used it for a year or so and then decided I'd jump in a buy a new one. Years later I came home from work to find my HS aged daughter standing next to my barn with her then boyfriend. Said boyfriend is standing next to my fire pit smoking a cigarette and dry firing that old bow. Just one dry fire after another. I got about 25 yards from them before they noticed me and he tossed the butt into the fire. I thought the kid was an idiot and that day he confirmed my thoughts. I parked and walked over, he smell like a tapped beer keg. Needless to say he got a ride form from his dad, who was equally moronic. I used that bow for target practice and one 4th of July shot flaming arrows at Acetylene filled balloons, that'll wake up the neighbors.

Long short I'll bet your bow is fine.