Then, when the string is finally released, it becomes kinetic energy that is transferred into the bolt and pushes it forward. It is basic science. This quick burst of energy is what gives your bolt the speed and momentum it needs to strike a target downrange. Firing without a bolt in place causes both the string and limbs to vibrate powerfully. All of that built up energy has no other place to go. This means kinetic energy is redirected back onto the bow itself in a violent shock wave.
Firing a bolt usually causes small vibrations in a bow. Dry firing will amplify those vibrations to dangerous levels and create major stress on both the string and the limbs. A majority of dry firing incidents are not intentional. These can occur simply because you make a mistake. Sometimes the string slips. Other times, the bolt is not correctly nocked to the string. Using too light of a bolt can also lead to a dry fire because too much energy is sent back into the bow instead of being absorbed by the bolt.
Inexperienced crossbow users can make the mistake of dry firing a cocked crossbow. Then there is the rare breed who think it is easier to learn to shoot without a bolt than with one and will fire a cocked bow just to see what happens.
Shooting without a bolt because it supposedly is easier to learn how to shoot this way is careless and incorrect. Many newer crossbow models have anti-dry fire mechanisms in place to prevent dry fires.
If you do end up dry firing a crossbow, it has an immediate impact. The limbs are not made to absorb the excess energy you have redirected back into the bow.
Tons of power is generated upon releasing the string. A loud snap or bang follows and your troubles are just beginning. What really does is your second attempt at shooting an already dry fired crossbow. So here is what is recommended when your bow has been dry fired. The first thing you should do when your crossbow has been dryfired is to give it a thorough inspection.
Check if there has been a major damage. While some damage may be minor, other may be serious. Next is to get a cotton ball and run it up and down your crossbow limbs. The reason you need to do this is that the cotton ball will detect if any splinters have developed in limbs of the bow. If no splinters are present, this is good, but definitely not a sign that your bow is completely damage free.
If after doing this, you notice nothing, cock the crossbow with precaution and see if you hear anything unusual. If not, the coast may be clear and you are good to go. Take a practice round and see how the in-flight trajectory and accuracy is just to make sure.
The good news is, many manufacturers are aware of the dry fire situation and have done something about it. That is why nowadays most modern crossbows come with anti-dry fire features…but not all of them. So if you have planned to buy a new crossbow, I would recommend buying one with an anti-dry fire mechanism for precautionary purposes. Many archers like to dry fire their crossbows when they are testing them out for the first time.
Even some shop owners do this to show a potential buyer he is buying a great product. At other times though, people dry fire their bows without them knowing it. It is after they have fired a shot that they begin to notice that something is unusual with their bow.
But such people may get lucky to find that their bows are still intact. Recurve crossbows have less potential for damage after a dry-fire. If you are going through your check list as to whether you should buy a recurve or compound as a beginning crossbow archer, give one point to the recurve in this department. Buy a crossbow that comes standard with an anti-dry fire feature. This should help you manage it and stay away from dry firing your bow.
But if you have already dry fired it, make sure you check it properly before shooting it again, to prevent it from being damaged, whether slightly or irreparably. A lot of money goes into this great sport and the worse thing ever is to spend a lot of money on a really nice bow and then damage it for no reason by dry-firing it.
Educate yourself and you will save a lot of headache. If everything looks to be intact, the next step is to inspect the strings and cables. Gently run your fingers along each asserting a moderate amount of pressure to make certain that there is still tension on the string and that no strands have been damaged.
Next a complete limb inspection should be performed. Visually inspect the limbs for splinters, cracks or chips. If none are noted, rub a cotton ball over the complete surface and edges of the limbs. If any limb flaws are encountered they will pull small fibers from the cotton ball and be revealed immediately. If no damage has been found to this point, slowly cock the crossbow listening for any unusual sounds.
If nothing has been detected again visually inspect the entire crossbow and perform the cotton ball test on the limbs one more time.
If any problems are detected during the entire inspection process, take the crossbow to your local pro shop or contact the manufacturer immediately. Rare is the instance that a crossbow can withstand a dry-fire without some type of damage. Click here to subscribe to Crossbow Magazine! No abusive comments, threats, or personal attacks. Use clean language. No discussion of illegal activity. Racist, sexist, homophobic, and generally hateful comments are not tolerated.
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