What does it mean to "dry fire" a compound bow...and why is that bad?

Question

Thank you for your answers. I'm buying a used bow for my husband as a surprise and had someone tell me to make sure it didn't have this happen to it. I couldn't make sure this hadn't happened without understanding what it was...so thanks! You guys are great! Now I know better what to look for when inspecting the bow.

Answer 1

To dry fire it is to fire it with no arrow.  With no arrow there is no resistance and it can cause the bow limbs to break.

Answer 2

Dry fire is when you fire a bow without and arrow in it. This is bad because unless its a 5x laminated limb bow which only Hoyt makes it will most likely shatter the limbs. The only way I have found getting around the limbs shattering is A. Get really Lucky B. 5x Laminated Limbs by Hoyt C. Glass Limbs 50/50 by Hoyt and Mathews

Answer 3

OMG archery NooB jk it means to pull back and release your bow without an arrow in it it can break and stretch your bow string so its bad  

Answer 4

it will break your shlt

Answer 5

It means shooting with "NO" arrow. It can cause hair line cracks in the bow from the vibrations

edit:

the thumbs down person is un-educated on bows

Answer 6

It means to pull back on the bow string with no arrow mounted, and then release it.

The dynamics of arrow release involve resistance against the stored energy in the limbs, the release of  energy through the cams, if used, and the amount of impact against the string at the final rest position. Dry firing has been known to exceed the strength of the bow strings and cause failure.There is no arrow to counterbalance the forces.  At that point, you have thin, wire cables and a bowstring whipcracking around your arms and face. Not good. Major arterial damage and muscle laceration are a big concern.

Always inspect your cables and strings for wear, and don't shoot a bow if there is any wear. A new bowstring is a lot cheaper than an E-room bill.  

Answer 7

To dry fire means release the string with no arrow. It's bad because the energy stored in the taut string is not released into the arrow as it flies, so it is released into the arms of the bow, which can cause them to break or deteriorate due to the massive amounts of energy being sent through them.