Dry Fired Bow
09-03-2008, 10:39 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 1
Dry Fired Bow
Ok so I have or I should say had a new bow,my first one. While my father was visiting, he wanted for some reason to see if my RH bow could be shot LH. Why , I have no idea. Anyway it was dry fired, because of course he is RH'd and there for his LH is weaker. I am furious and I told him right before that it would happen. What do I do? So farI don't see any damage, but then again I don't have x-ray vision either.My husband bought it for me at Hunters Friend. It is a Diamond Rapture Lite. Any ideas? Thanks
09-05-2008, 08:11 PM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,679
RE: Dry Fired Bow
Take a cotton ball and go over every inch of the limbsfowards, backwards, and side to sideand look for any cotton getting hung on any small splinters that might not be visible. If no cotton gets hung then your limbs are not cracked. At least not externally where any one could tell with out an x-ray machine.
Check your strings and cables to see if there was any dramatic seaperation of serving or frayed spots on the strings. If the serving is seaperated in places that it wasn't already seaperated in and / o there are frayed spots then you will need new strings and cables and you might want to replace them any way.
If all of this looks good then you can slowly draw the bow and check to make sure the cam isn't rubbing on the inside of the limb.
Oh, and thensmackyourdumb buttdad on the back side of his head
and hand him a bill for any work that has to be done. 
Check your strings and cables to see if there was any dramatic seaperation of serving or frayed spots on the strings. If the serving is seaperated in places that it wasn't already seaperated in and / o there are frayed spots then you will need new strings and cables and you might want to replace them any way.
If all of this looks good then you can slowly draw the bow and check to make sure the cam isn't rubbing on the inside of the limb.
Oh, and thensmackyourdumb buttdad on the back side of his head
and hand him a bill for any work that has to be done. 
09-06-2008, 06:55 PM
#6
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: (39.02N -95.68W)
Posts: 533
RE: Dry Fired Bow
First, all of the advice here is spot on and should be followed. But, don't worry too much, yet. Today's bow designs are pretty tough and can often take a dry fire, though it is not recommended by any stretch of the imagination. If you have any vibration dampening devices on the limbs and strings; all the better. Chances are good everything is fine.
Additionally, the first time you draw it after you check it over, listen as well as look. Listen for cracking, ticking or clicking noises. Often times these will tell you far more than anything that you can see.
Additionally, the first time you draw it after you check it over, listen as well as look. Listen for cracking, ticking or clicking noises. Often times these will tell you far more than anything that you can see.
09-07-2008, 04:23 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 868
RE: Dry Fired Bow
I would say that the informaiton presented here is very accurate.
One other thing you may have going for you is that fact that you may have not been pushing too much KE.
Shorter draw lengths and lighter poundages have less KE to dissapate on a dry fire. Not that you can't damage a bow, but you will be less prone to than someone with a 31" draw length with a draw weight set up around 70#.
One thing that has not been mentioned is looking for bent axles. This will most likely require the help of a shop so that the strings/cables can be removed.
Spin each of the cams slowly, feeling for any spot in the rotation that "drags" or quickly looking for any wobble along the perimeter of the cam. If either of these cases is true, your axles and/or cams are bent and will need replacing. Don't fire your bow before doing this check! If you have a bent cam, the string or cable may slip off the track when you are at or near full draw, causing the bow to get hung up or dry fire again.
One other thing you may have going for you is that fact that you may have not been pushing too much KE.
Shorter draw lengths and lighter poundages have less KE to dissapate on a dry fire. Not that you can't damage a bow, but you will be less prone to than someone with a 31" draw length with a draw weight set up around 70#.
One thing that has not been mentioned is looking for bent axles. This will most likely require the help of a shop so that the strings/cables can be removed.
Spin each of the cams slowly, feeling for any spot in the rotation that "drags" or quickly looking for any wobble along the perimeter of the cam. If either of these cases is true, your axles and/or cams are bent and will need replacing. Don't fire your bow before doing this check! If you have a bent cam, the string or cable may slip off the track when you are at or near full draw, causing the bow to get hung up or dry fire again.
