By Richard Douglas, ScopesField.com
After hours of research and shopping around at your local hunting store, you’re finally ready to make the big purchase and buy a compound hunting bow. This heavy, beast of a bow is built for both accuracy and power, meaning you’ll be able to hunt with precision and take down different types of game. Frequent use without proper care, however, can weaken your bow and even put you in harm’s way.
Whether you’re a seasoned hunter or new to the game, caring for your bow is the best way to make sure your arrows hit their mark. Here are six easy ways to help you keep your bow good as new!
1. Tune your bow.
Tuning your bow is one of the most important and easiest ways to maintain your equipment, and it begins with finding the measurements of the draw length and the draw weight. Because compound bows are meant to only be drawn back so far before stopping, it’s pretty easy to measure the draw length and tailor it to fit your needs.
Once you have those measurements, figure out the draw weight that fits your body best. Draw weight differs between each person and is determined using your body frame. The larger your frame, the stronger the draw weight should be. This should be challenging for you, but not uncomfortable.
Like any musical instrument, tuning your bow is an important part of maintenance, and should happen every few weeks or every time you change the equipment. If you’re new to archery and find that you’re struggling to tune your bow, feel free to stop by your local sports shop, and they can show you the ropes.
2. If you have accessories, make sure they’re properly installed.
Compound bows are built to handle accessories that are meant to enhance your hunting experience and are completely customizable with many great options such as arrow rests, bow sights, red dots, bow releases, silencers, stabilizers, and more.
When attaching any of these to your bow, make sure the accessories are properly installed and installed tightly. Not only can loose accessories be ineffective if installed improperly, you run the risk of adding unnecessary wear and tear to your equipment.
3. Wax your string.
Maintaining the integrity of your bow string is crucial when taking your bow into the field, and one of the best ways to keep it in great shape is to apply wax. The more you use your bow, the more wear begins to show as tiny fibers split away from your string, giving it a fuzzy, almost dirty appearance. Bow wax often comes in stick, like deodorant, and should be applied after every few sessions, or when your string starts to take on that fuzzy appearance.
4. Invest in a bow case.
After all of the money you spent on acquiring your bow, you’ll want to keep it safe, even when you’re not using it. A quality bow case is an investment, but one that’ll keep your bow protected during travel is better in the long run as you spend less money on any needless repairs your bow may sustain during transportation.
Bow cases come in many shapes and sizes, and it’s important to determine your needs before buying one. A few things to consider are:
Size
Weight
Extra pockets
Handle size
Material of case
High-density foam
Tolerance to different types of weather
Make sure to sit down and determine what your needs are before making the decision.
5. Change your string regularly.
Even if you’ve been waxing and maintaining your bowstring regularly, it will eventually wear out. A worn-out bowstring can run the risk of breaking mid-fire, which can snap back and harm you. Avoid this danger by keeping track of how old your string is and make sure you’re changing it when the time is appropriate.
While it depends on the frequency of use and your level as an archer, the general consensus for when to replace your bowstring is once every three years. If you’ve purchased a second-hand bow and you’re unsure of how old the string is, a good rule of thumb is to change it anyway. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
6. Visit a professional service store occasionally.
Even if you take all of the steps to making sure your bow is in tiptop shape, it’s important to get your bow inspected and serviced by professionals. Not only are they going to have specific tools that are meant to ensure the safety and quality of your bow, they’re also going have more knowledge for you when it comes to making sure you’re properly taking care of your equipment.
Archery is an equipment driven sport, meaning that maintaining your equipment is just as important as practicing with it. To be a good archer, you need to have good equipment, and good equipment is made great with care. Be safe and invest in your bow to make sure it is kept in quality condition.