How long do recurve bow limbs last

The limb shapes are now just about all the same or very close to one another , so the design factor reduces to how many laminations and what thickness those lams are. The material factor should be obvious. Most top end limbs have no natural materials in them any more wood, bamboo, etc. We want the path the limb takes between those two states to be repeatable. If the top limb finished before the bottom limb one time and then behind it the next, you will not be consistent.

So, we all want fast , stable limbs that last a very long time and that depends upon their design, the materials they are made of, and the draw eight specs they are made to. Will they lose poundage over a certain time? How often should they be replaced or when should they be replaced? Like Like. Unless they are damaged, I do not know of any limitation on their use. Fiberglass is the critical material in recurve limbs.

When fiberglass limbs were made, early on anyway, someone wanted to see if they, too, would follow the string, so an experimenter took a bow and measured its draw weight, then strung it and hung it on a wall for two years.

When taken down from the wall that bow had the same draw weight as when first placed upon it. So, limb tip protectors can crack, limb butts can crack if made of wood they can dehydrate and weaken and they may break, but I have never heard of a limb failing due to failure of the fiberglass, even glass limbs that had surface cracks.

Surface cracks parallel to the limb are usually no threat to the limb. Surface cracks sideways on the limb may indicate an underlying fault that could cause the limb to break. Of course, I am referring to high quality limbs made by reputable manufacturers. If you need more evidence, note that almost all compound bow limbs are now made purely of fiberglass and they stay strung days in a year and can go many years with no hint of a failure.

You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. As part of your routine pre-shooting check list, go over everything and make sure nothing rattles.

A regular tightening of all the fastenings and an application of lubricant as waterproofing can prevent problems with the fasteners.

Finally, allow your recurve bow to relax by removing its bowstring for storage. Keep the pressure off the limbs by using a hard shell case or carefully positioned wall pegs. Never hang your bow in direct sunlight as this causes bleaching and brittleness to all of the materials that your bow is made up of. The lifespan of a recurve bow depends heavily on the materials in the riser and limbs.

Typical materials, alone and combined, include metal risers , carbon fiber, and fiberglass and wood. The durability of the materials is not the issue — fatigue through flexing and vibrating is what puts wear on the bow over time. A well made recurve bow can last a long time, there are recurve bows that still shoot and remain in good condition after five decades of use. If you take good care of a recurve bow it can last 20 years or more with proper storage and maintenance.

The longbow is the classic bow shape and has minimal components to break or replace. A properly maintained longbow with regular restringing can last as long as your body can use the bow, with the average around 20 to 30 years, and it will still be in good enough condition to pass on to someone else.

All these factors are in your control. Wooden bows need more love and care than synthetic bows because wood needs conditioning and warming up before shooting.

Wood is sensitive to temperature and moisture. But if you treat your bow right, store it unstrung, and in a cool, dry space, then you and your bow can be shooting companions for life. Good habits in shooting and maintaining your longbow ensure that you can enjoy it for between 20 and 30 years on average. Compound or recurve crossbows both contain many components and moving parts.

Most modern crossbows have a stock and trigger section, in addition to the limbs, cams, cable, and string. But a crossbow has plenty of moving parts, and like most things in life, it works better if you give it some care and attention. It would help if you then lubricated the rail to minimize bolt friction and improve shooting accuracy , the trigger box, and any exposed mounting bolts.

Every time you pick up your crossbow, give it quick a once over to make sure your bowstring, limbs, and other components are all in good condition. Ideally, you should complete a visual inspection before and after any shooting session. Regular inspection means you can notice the need for maintenance or repair before it becomes a big issue, keeping your weapon both safe and functional. Removing dirt and grit from the rail and any other part of your crossbow helps prevent damage.

If you want a quick and straightforward clean taking about two or three minutes after a shooting session , use a can of compressed air. You can combine the post shooting clean with a post shooting inspection for best results. Keep a screwdriver and hex key in your crossbow kit and tighten up all the fastenings. Your crossbow packs plenty of power, and some of that energy is going to rattle the parts.

While you make sure everything is nice and tight, look out for signs of corrosion as well. If you only use your crossbow during the hunting season, you might want to consider removing the string and cables for off season storage — especially if you have a recurve crossbow. This step reduces some of the stress on the crossbow.

For general storage, you can hang your crossbow by the stirrup or use a storage case. Cool and dry storage prolongs the life of your crossbow. Provided you can access the parts and accessories you need, you can keep a crossbow in top working condition for decades. With proper care and maintenance a crossbow can last 15 years or more.

How long a bow lasts in your possession depends on several factors, most of which are in your control. You invest time and effort into learning how to shoot well and accurately with a good shooting form. That extra care and attention to bow maintenance and storage will pay dividends in your shooting accuracy, safety, and protecting your investment.

So, how long does a bow last? Skip to content Everything has a lifespan — your fridge, car, and your bow is no different.

Quality Time The amount of time you spend on shooting with your bow will impact on its wear and lifespan. A bows life is measured by: Number and type of arrows it fires. Frequency of use. Your shooting form. Accidents — Dropping the bow or an accidental dry fire. The short answer is that a bow, either recurve or compound, will last forever at least compared with our archery lifespan.

Some people report that they had their bows for years and still working fine, with little to no loss of power. Of course, some factors can help increase its durability or conspire against your bow. I did some research and I summarize below what can worn out your bow, and how to do good maintenance to keep your bow in excellent conditions for years.

Since archery is not a contact sport, nor a violent discipline, there is nearly nothing that can damage a bow. However, there are some things we have to take into account to avoid increasing the chances. One of the first things to keep in mind is to look at your equipment in the search for some cracks of marks on it. The riser is the core piece of a bow. Either on a recurve or a compound bow, the riser is the part where the limbs will be attached, as well as most of the accessories sight, arrow rest, stabilizers, etc.

So, it is of utmost importance to check periodically the riser for cracks or marks. The area where the limbs go attached is a region that is under a lot of stress during a shot. Make sure that the limbs are correctly placed, and that this area is not deformed.

Related to the last one, it is advisable to unstring your bows after each shooting session before storing it. Many people claim that you can store your bow strung always and nothing will happen to it. It will most likely be unaffected if you keep it strung. On the contrary, if you have a wooden bow, of part of their limbs is made of wood, as we know, wood tends to try to keep its shape if we maintain it in a given position for too long. So, if we store the wood strung for a long time, the wood in the limbs will try to imitate that shape, even when we unstring it, partially losing its power.

Unstring it if you are going to transport it. This matter goes even beyond the security issues. In some places, if the police pull you over, a strung bow may be considered a weapon. So, to avoid friction with the police, just unstring it. Besides the limbs, there are other parts of the bow that break with time.

The most common piece is the string. It will gradually wear out with the pass of the months and have to be replaced. We have to pay attention to its aging look, mainly if it starts showing those little hairs. If we ignore this, it could snap while we are drawing it, causing some painful slashes on our arm or, if we are short on luck, on our face.

The lifespan of a string will depend strongly on the amount of time we use it.