Everything You Should Know About Dry-Firing Bows 2023

“Dry firing a bow” has become a well-known phrase in archery circles. Many shooters have heard of it but few know what it is or why it is used. In this article, we are going to break down this phrase so that you can understand exactly what it means.

If you have been following my blog for a while you know that I am a big fan of compound bows. I tried dry firing several times but only managed to break one of my favorite bows. Well, it was surprising for me that a compound bow could be damaged so easily.

In many cases, bow hunters only practice shooting with an arrow. When they are dry firing their bow, they want to test the strength of the string and the tension. However, their aim is not to damage their bow. So what happens is that they tie the string of the bow around a small pulley and then pull it. The pulley gives enough resistance to slow down the bowstring but not enough to completely stop it. After a certain amount of string pulling (or shooting) the string breaks.

Dry Firing a Bow – Why Is It Done?

Most people think that a bow needs to be shot before it can be used. Well, this is true for some bows, but not all. In fact, not many people know that they can fire a bow without having taken it out of its case.

You have to get used to the feeling of pulling back the bowstring and releasing an arrow in order to practice your aiming and shot. If you’re new to archery, dry firing is a great way to practice aiming and target shooting before you go out with your bow. However, Practice makes perfect! You have to be comfortable with your bow and with your equipment.

Considerable Things to Dry Fire Bow

When dry firing, make sure you aim your bow at a target so that you can see exactly where you are hitting. If you are using a compound bow, aim your arrow at the center of the string for a proper shooting position.
Dry firing is different from regular practice because you will be shooting at paper targets. You won’t be using a full-sized bow and arrow, just a single arrow.
A good dry firing position is to kneel or stand behind a target with one foot forward.
Practice for five to ten minutes often because you can’t expect to become perfect overnight.

Why is Dry Firing a Bow Bad?

If you shoot a bow and arrow without any kind of guide, it will be a waste of time. Even if you think you can hit something with a dry-firing bow, you won’t be able to. The main reason for this is that you can’t get the same type of flexing that you do when you are shooting an actual bow.

Many archers will tell you that dry firing should be used as it is considered a good practice. However, there are things wrong with dry firing a bow.
First of all, this method isn’t safe. While the string can hold tension, it can also be cut, which can lead to serious injury.

Secondly, it is expensive. Not only does it cost dollars to buy a bow, but even the smallest amount of damage to the bow can require it to be completely replaced.

Compound Bow Dry Firing

As a compound bowhunter, you have to make sure that your equipment works. For example, you know that if you go to the range and practice shooting the bow, the arrow will come out correctly the first time you shoot it. But as a new bow user, you need to be extra careful. You might think about dry firing.

Well, a compound bow has two main components: the limbs and the cams. Both are made of wood, plastic, or metal and they are attached to a set of pulleys. In a traditional bow, the cam is turned by the hand. With a compound bow, you use a string to do this job. This means that you can shoot faster because the cam moves much faster. If you do a dry fire, which means pulling back the string and letting it go again, you won’t break anything, but it will damage the cams.

Conclusion

For years, bowhunters have been talking about dry firing. Many believe that dry-firing damages their bows. Some even believe that this damage causes future problems. But the truth is that my experience was in favor of the popular opinion, that dry-firing can harm your bow. The damage could also be because of improper storage and care.

Additional Common Questions

What does it mean to dry fire a bow?

Dry firing a bow, also referred to as dry loosing, is the action of drawing back the bowstring and releasing it without having an arrow nocked in place. This could occur on any sort of bow, including traditional bows, compound bows, and crossbows. Dry firing might occur accidentally, perhaps if your arrow isn’t properly nocked, or if your fingers slip off the string while you’re preparing to shoot. A friend of mine once dry fired his traditional bow when his arrow slipped off the rest; this wasn’t just surprising, but it also caused damage to his bow.

Is dry firing a bow considered safe?

The act of Dry Firing a Compound Bow or any other type of bow (that is, firing the bow without an arrow) could potentially result in serious damage to the bow. Further, it could even lead to catastrophic failure, posing a risk of injury to the archer. For your safety and the longevity of your equipment, it’s strongly advised not to dry fire a bow. If, however, a bow has been dry fired, it needs to be inspected thoroughly for any damage before using it again. A fellow archer of mine learned this lesson the hard way, when he dry fired his compound bow and it splintered, narrowly missing him.

Is the danger of dry firing a bow just a myth?

Contrary to what some beginners might believe, the dangers of dry firing a bow are not a myth in the world of archery. This practice should be avoided as much as possible, because the lack of an arrow means that there is nothing to absorb the elastic energy that is released upon firing. Instead, this energy is released through the bowstring and the limbs of the bow, causing them to vibrate vigorously. This can result in significant structural damage to the bow. I remember a story I read about an archer who didn’t believe this, dry fired his bow, and broke one of the limbs. It was a stark reminder to never underestimate the power stored in a drawn bow.

What should be inspected after a bow has been dry fired?

If your bow has been dry fired, one crucial aspect to inspect is the alignment of the cams. Given that cams are forced to absorb a substantial amount of energy during an unrestrained release, it’s not abnormal for them to become twisted or tilted. You might be able to see this with your naked eye, although this might be simpler with bows that have larger cams. An old mentor of mine used to say, “If you doubt the bow, check the cams.”