How to Maintain Your Bow

Bows need maintenance to stay in top shape. Just like cars, they need to be checked and replaced regularly for oil and fluids, and tire pressure and tread.

An experienced technician at your equipment dealer or your club's equipment room can keep your bow in top shape. But how do you know how often you should take your bow in for maintenance? What needs repair or maintenance? Here's what you need to know.

Compound Bowstring Maintenance

Before shooting each day, check your bowstring for fuzz and run your fingers along the string to feel for dry spots. If you find fuzz or dry spots, apply some string wax and rub your fingers until the wax is completely melted into the string.

General Wear and Tear
A bow is a mechanical device that will wear out over time, and the bowstring is the most susceptible part of the bow. Bowstrings on both recurve and compound bows need to be maintained and replaced regularly. Watching a slow-motion video of a bow firing is mesmerizing, and the huge burst of power that occurs in an instant is fascinating. The bowstring is the first to be affected and will gradually wear out over time.

The life of your bowstring can be extended through proper maintenance and proper storage. Also, apply string wax regularly, which is available at all equipment stores. This is an essential part of bow maintenance. Before shooting each day, check for fuzz on the bowstring and run your fingers along the string to feel for dry spots. If there are fuzz or dry spots, apply some string wax and rub it with your fingers until the wax is completely melted into the string.

Storing your bow in a constant temperature and humidity environment can extend its life by preventing the string from stretching. If you have a recurve or longbow, remove the string after each practice. The draw length, bow weight, and bow settings of a compound bow are all affected by bowstring stretch. High temperatures can cause bowstrings to stretch significantly. Keeping your bow in a constant temperature indoors when you are not shooting can prevent unnecessary bowstring stretch. (Additional note: If you are at an outdoor competition site, try to avoid exposing your bow to the sun for a long time.)

The string guard will also wear out. The string guard is the stranded cord wrapped around the outside of the bowstring where it is most susceptible to wear. You can see the string guard around the nock in the middle of the bowstring and where the ends of the bowstring connect to the bow. The string guard may become loose over time. If you find that the string guard is loose, take your bow to the nearest equipment store for inspection. The equipment store technicians can repair the string guard or replace the bowstring.

Compound Bowstring Care

A properly maintained bowstring will generally last about three years. If you notice wear or broken strands on the bowstring, replace it immediately.

Replacing Bowstrings
Much like car tires, bowstrings wear out over time. When should they be replaced? This usually depends on the draw weight of the bow, how often you shoot with it, the quality of maintenance you have done, and the environmental conditions in which you use the bow.

A properly maintained bowstring will generally last about three years before it needs to be replaced. If you notice wear or broken strands, you should also replace it immediately. If you are not sure whether it is time to replace it, go to the equipment store for professional advice. The best part about changing bowstrings is that you can choose the color, or even a combination of colors, to make your bow unique.

Measuring Draw Length on Compound Bows

As teenage archers grow, their bows will need to be adjusted for optimal comfort and accuracy. A bow store can help you measure your draw length and determine what bow will work best for you.

Growing Pains
Growing teenage archers may find themselves with a bow that no longer fits them. This is because as they grow, their bows must adjust to provide optimal comfort and accuracy. Most youth bows have a wide adjustment margin, but these adjustments are best done by a professional at a bow store.

Annual Adjustments
A lot can happen in a year, so it’s a good idea to visit your most trusted bow tuner once a year. Bowstrings stretch, parts vibrate and loosen, centerlines and more can drift. The bow tuner will inspect and re-tune the bow thoroughly.

There’s one downside to re-tuning: You can’t blame the bow if you miss again.

Drops, Bumps and Air Releases
Everyone has their moments, even experienced archers. If you drop your bow or air release it, see a bow technician right away. Dry firing means shooting a bow without an arrow on it. Bows are not made to shoot air. If you draw the bow and release it without an arrow on it, all the energy that was originally stored to send the arrow flying will be released directly into the bow. That noise is very scary.

Dry firing is scary and dangerous, but it happens from time to time. If you accidentally dry fire a bow, first check if you are injured. If you are fine, quickly put the bow into a bow box or cabinet. Because the bow box or cabinet will contain all the components if the bow starts to fall apart. Then take the bow and the box to a bow shop and have a technician evaluate and repair your bow.

A properly maintained bow can give you many good years. If your bow has been sitting for a long time and needs a re-tuning, a bow shop can give it a new lease of life.

For every archer, a bow is like a lover. Please take good care of it.