Your car deserves your time to time attention, and it demands that every part of it should be checked regularly to know the kind of treatment you will be giving them per time.
Of course, you know, if this is not done, your car will be on the path of destruction. Also, your body needs proper attention. If any irregularity is observed, you quickly swing into action and see how that will be corrected by going for a medical checkup on a regular basis to be sure that your body is in healthy condition.
The same way you treat and maintain your car and your body is the same way you should be attending to your bow if you are an archer because they are all mechanical.
It is quite understandable that any equipment or machine you make use of per time is susceptible to some mechanical faults if they are not properly handled or attended to.
So, you being a good and professional archer is not enough to keep the bow in good condition, but the quality of maintenance you give and your sensitivity to your bow is essential as this is one of the major factors that determine your professionalism.
Below are the top secrets on bow maintenance that will help you ensure you have your bow in proper condition which will extend the lifespan of the bow.
Every bow has a specific or a range of draw length they are adapted to, or they are adjusted to work with. Draw length is the amount of force exerted on a bow during the process of shooting to release an arrow.
To maintain your bow, you need to get familiar with your draw length and never go beyond that during shooting. Going beyond your bow draw length simply means you are on the path to destroy it.
Some do say it is not a sin in the world of archery to be stingy with your bow. Imagine a sixteen years old boy giving his bow to a thirty-two years old man to use.
He is sending the bow to the journey of no return. So make sure that the draw length of your bow is maintained to save it from a short lifespan.
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Before you make use of your bow at all, make sure you check your bowstring properly and make sure it is in good condition because it is the most important part of the bow.
If you notice that the bowstring is dried, make sure you wax it properly and use your finger to rub it thoroughly until the wax melt on it.
It is done to avoid malfunctioning which means, your bowstring must not be used once you notice it is dried. It came to my understanding that; irregular waxing of bowstring will eventually cut its lifespan to 20%.
Also, if peradventure, you fail to check if your bow is well tightened before shooting it. When you shoot, the bow will signal you either with an unusual sound or vibration.
Once you notice either of these two, you should know that your bowstring should be well tightened. This bow maintenance measures ensures you enjoy your bowstring to the fullest.
At the same time, if your bowstring serving is worn out, make sure your bowstring is replaced completely, to avoid malfunctioning or casualty.
There is one important part of a bow called the rail, and it should be given good attention because it is the central point of the bow. Failure of your rail makes your bow to disappoint you.
The only problem that rail has is it can get rust because of the material used in producing the rail. Also, to avoid friction, you are expected to keep lubricating it regularly so that it will function properly.
But proper care must be taken when lubricating it and you must not use any Vaseline but you can make use of silicone spray lubricant.
The greatest sin in the world of archery is the dry firing of a bow. A well experienced and good bowman can go to any length to scold anybody that dry fire their bow.
Dry firing of bow means shooting of bow without an arrow in it. The truth of the matter is that on no account should you dry fire your bow.
This one of the main reason you should not give your bow to just anybody. If you shoot a bow without an arrow in it, every force you inserted that is supposed to force arrow out of it will all be congested on the bow.
That can make the bow to tear apart. It may even lead to an injury for that person that shoot the bow and that may be the end of the bow.
This warning goes to learners, you and any of your friend should not dry fire any of your newly bought bows all in the name of testing it because it is dangerous.
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Anything you store is what you cherish. But storing your bow without following the normal protocol might eventually lead to regret.
What I mean is that it is good to store your bow but storing it properly is the best to increase its longevity. Firstly, when your bow is not used, you must not store it vertically on the ground let alone leaning on it.
This makes the bow to get spoil easily. You are to put it inside a soft case, zip it up and store it horizontally in a safe place. Better still, you can hang it on the wall that is very safe. Ensure that it doesn’t fall from where you hang it and keep it out of the reach of children.
And in case you are traveling, don’t put it on a soft case because it might not be able to withstand the stress of the long journey. Put it in a hard case and place it in a place where it will not be disturbed and be free from heat.
What I mean by this is that you should only use the bow for what it is designed for. You should not use it for anything else apart from shooting an arrow.
If you are in a war front or you are hunting, you should only use your bow to hit your enemy or animal that is trying to attack when you do not have an arrow in your quiver again.
It is to save your life, knowing fully well that your bow may not be useful again. But it is at least better for you to save your life at the expense of a bow.
Also, before you start shooting, check to know if the bolts in the bow are well tightened to avoid disappointment or injury. A bow that has its bolts loosed will surely malfunction.
All that you need to do is to bring out your multi-tools and re-tightened your bolts properly, and then your bow is good to go.
For you to have a long lasting bow, it is highly imperative that this particular bow maintenance is not taken with levity hand. Your bow should be kept away from the following; dirt, heat, rain and direct sunlight.
Dirt makes your bow to be exposed to external factors that are not preferable for its proper functioning. Heat makes your bow sometimes to change form which may not be easily noticed, prolong exposure to heat makes it destroy rapidly.
Before you know it, many irregularities will be noticed, and that may automatically be a threat to the efficacy of your bow. Rainfall may also cause corrosion as parts of the bow are made of metals.
Does that mean it is bad to be use a bow when it’s raining? NO! What you have to do immediately you use the bow in the rain, is to make sure that it is well cleaned with a clean and dry towel.
Just as you take yourself to the hospital for a medical checkup, and as you take your car to the workshop for servicing. Your bow also needs an annual inspection; this is a good bow maintenance measure that should not be compromised at all.
This inspection must be carried out on your bow by an expert technician. Some people are well trained in bow maintenance, and these people should be contacted annually to check your bow for you and make sure it is in good working condition.
This will increase the longevity of your bow and make it bounce back to action always.
Conclusion
Your bow works for you, and it usually acts according to your dictates, so it deserves your adequate attention for it to be more obedient to your skills and tactics.
Follow the above bow maintenance tips and you will enjoy a good working and lasting bow. Irrespective of the level of your knowledge in archery, be ye beginner or expert, bow maintenance should be your hobby and priority.
