Is Dacron safer in a dry-fire?

Diamond Paul · August 12, 2006, 06:52:00 PM

I dry-fired my recurve today; didn't notice that the nock was cracked (I guess), cause the arrow only went about a foot and the nock was broken on it. It delaminated one of my tips, no telling what else, I'll have to send the bow back and see if it can be fixed. Anyway, my question is, would a dacron string have prevented my bow from being damaged by this? My bow is built for ff, but it couldn't take a dry-fire. I prefer ff, because dacron seems to increase the vibration/hand-shock, and even seems louder to me than ff, but I might go back to dacron if it would prevent something like this from ruining a bow. Please let me know what you think, Paul. :(

James Wrenn · August 12, 2006, 08:09:00 PM

I think it would have happened anyway.I have had many dryfires with tiny D97 strings and never had anything happen to a bow.I dry fire every bow I build at least once before I put a finish on it.If it won't handle a few dry fires it was a just a stick pretending to be a bow. jmo

Brandon Stahl · August 12, 2006, 09:11:00 PM

Van/TX · August 12, 2006, 09:44:00 PM

Agree with James. A well built traditional bow shouldn't be harmed by the occasional dry fire...Van

Diamond Paul · August 12, 2006, 10:21:00 PM

So, basically you are saying that the bow wasn't built as well as it should have been? What about the dacron thing; do any of you feel that recurves "feel worse" with dacron? I had two Fox recurves, and they both felt better with ff than dacron, and sounded quieter, but I read all the time that dacron shoots "softer" and makes bows quieter. What is the truth? Thanks, Paul.

vermonster13 · August 12, 2006, 10:31:00 PM

A properly tuned bow with FF will be quieter and have less vibration in my experience others may vary.

O.L. Adcock · August 13, 2006, 09:10:00 AM

Paul, that's a hard one....Take a good 50# bow, it has to use up about 50ft/lbs of horsepower every time it's shot. With an arrow attached that 50ft/lbs is divided up between the arrow and bow/string in about a 80% to 20% ratio with the string part of it only 3-4%. In a dry fire now 100% is split between the string and bow with the string using up a bit more but not much. You've increased the stress on the bow about 400%! Dacron will be easier on the bow only because they tend to be a bit heavier and typically have thicker loops to spread the splitting forces out over a wider area. The difference isn't much but could be enough to save the bow. Take that logic of using Dacron cause it's easier on the bow a bit further and 1/4" nylon rope would be a better choice then Dacron!

Most bows will survive occasional dry fires with any string but recurves are more likely to be damaged then longbows. Stuff happens for sure!

.....O.L.

Diamond Paul · August 13, 2006, 10:12:00 AM

Thanks for the input O. L. I've never had this happen in over 15 years of shooting bows; I only use one arrow when I practice, so I know I didn't hit the nock with another arrow (not likely that I could, anyway!!! LOL!). It sure did shake me up, though. I only have one bow right now, so this is about the most depressing thing that could happen to me. Normally, on a compound nothing will be hurt but the axles, or maybe the cam, being bent, which can easily and quickly be replaced. Not so easy to get a recurve fixed, especially right before hunting season!!! I guess I better start prowling the classifieds!!! Thanks, Paul.

donw · August 13, 2006, 11:13:00 AM

i don't know, but a bow seems to have a 'softer' feel of the draw when using dacron and it seems to me that a 'dry fire' would be easier on a bow when dry fired.

the FF compitable bows i have sure seem harsh using FF even when tuned correctly.

i reckon i'm an ole fashioned and prefer and use b-50 when ever i can ...

:eek: :(

Diamond Paul · August 13, 2006, 01:16:00 PM

Anyone shooting TS-1 with padded loops?
Rod Jenkins seems to feel that this gives the quietest, softest shot of all the ff type strings, though it has more stretch than most others. Thanks, Paul.

Steelhead · August 13, 2006, 03:36:00 PM

I have used the TS 1 and it quieted down my recurve quiet a bit.I would definatly recommend the padded loops.Its better to be safe than sorry.I had a antler overlay tip crack right in the string groove once.Horizontliy and all the way down to the limb glass.The bow was never even dry fired once.The loops werent padded.I am going with padded loops from here on out.

Vagrant · August 13, 2006, 03:53:00 PM

Well, I'm shooting a recurve with a Dynaflight 97 string on it, padded loops and had my first dry fire today. Scared me pretty good too, I, somehow, blew the nock right off of the arrow. I'm not sure if that arrow was hit earlier or what but I know I'm starting now to go back through my arrows and double and triple checking them for anything similar. The bow came through it just fine, there was a mark on both upper and lower limb where the string hit the limbs but I was able to somewhat buff that out with a soft cloth. I'm not sure if I just got lucky or what but I'm glad I didn't break it. Good luck with the repairs.

Diamond Paul · August 13, 2006, 09:05:00 PM

Wow, I hope I didn't jinx anybody!!! Hunting season is too close for this kind of stuff. You can bet I'll check every nock that ever goes on my string from here on out!! Paul.

Vagrant · August 13, 2006, 10:55:00 PM

Lol, it's funny cause I had read this thread yesterday and when I blew the nock off I instantly thought of this. Interesting how we're both named Paul too. Once again, good luck with getting everything good to go before the season starts, I'm working on currently taking off all of my nocks and putting them back on with epoxy putty instead of hot melt glue which was, for me, the culprit it seems.

O.L. Adcock · August 14, 2006, 12:08:00 AM

I loaned a recurve to a kid (16 or 17, 6 foot 200+#) and he proceeded to dry fire it 7 or 8 times in an hour! He'd take his thumb and push the nock off the string by habit with it still between his fingers but off the string. Finally I started watching him and every time I saw him touch the nock with his thumb I'd whack him with an arrow!

Had him broke by the time we got through the course!

....O.L.

Diamond Paul · August 14, 2006, 07:41:00 PM

O. L., I wish I had been shooting the bow that kid was shooting!!!! LOL! Must have been one tough recurve! I guess it was either break the kid or break the bow!!!! Luckily, Black Widow happened to have one in stock that is just what I want, so I won't be out too long. Always wanted a Widow, but this is a strange motivation for buying one!!!! Good luck everyone, and check those nocks!! Paul.

Allan Hundeby · June 09, 2007, 08:57:00 PM

I believe I dry-fired my 49# @ 62" Bob Lee Hunter recurve a couple days ago. What damage should I look for?

Hx:
I had taken about 10 or 12 shots with a slightly-thinner-string from the previous owner. (I had never tried this string before now, but the newer string had serving wear and I wanted to be, "safe".) Also I switched to shooting 3-under a few weeks ago. The string had one brass nock under which I place the arrow. After the bang, the arrow tumbled to my feet and the string gave me a nasty red mark in front of my armguard. The brass nock was gone.

Dx:
Is it possible the string nock the wasn't tight enough on the string, ...or that my arrow nocks were too large? ...or that I should use two string nocks for 3-under?

I checked the bow, and the brace height is now ~ 1/4" shorter than when I strung the bow. I don't see any damage that wasn't there previously (there are hairline ?cracks/delaminations? right near the limb bolts that have been there since I bought the bow last fall).

Rx:
If I "see" no damage, is it safe to shoot this bow once I get a nock secured onto the string? I'd like to eventually double serve the string.)

P.S. James, I like your attitude. Destruction tests are a GOOD quality control measure.

redfish · June 09, 2007, 09:07:00 PM

Several bowyers have told me that B50 would be better in the event of a dry fire. Can't say from experience though.

30coupe · June 10, 2007, 12:07:00 AM

I've never used ff string, but have had a few dry fires using B50 without any noticable damage to the bows. Scares the bejeesus out of me though!

SOS · June 10, 2007, 09:19:00 AM

A string with a little more stretch like B50 will be easier on a dry fire. As it stretches, it lengthens the time, or impulse, over which the force is applied to the limbs. Even if it only stretches an 1/8 of an inch more when the limbs bottom out, that still flattens the force curve as the limb decelerates. Kind of the difference between bungee jumping and a noose or crashing into a brick wall or a flexible guard rail.