Everything around us has a lifespan, even humans do (an average human being lives for 70-75 years according to science), but sometimes humans don’t last for that long.
It could be a result of accidents, bad health, neglect, or other unforeseen circumstances. Yet, some humans live for longer years, exceeding the expected lifespan.
Apart from technical errors from the factory, how you use your instruments or equipment is also a determining factor of how long they last. If you don’t take care of it properly, you risk reducing its lifespan.
An object could last for as long as 100 years but with improper usage, it may only be available for months or even weeks, depending on how bad your maintenance routines are.
A compound bow is a complex mechanism made up of parts. The compound bow needs the cooperation of all these parts, working together to function effectively. It can last for up to 25-30 years if properly cared for.
The important question is how long these parts can last. If you know the estimated lifespan of each of the parts, you can be sure that you would use your compound bow for a long enough period.
Changing its parts is one of the important ways of maintaining your compound bow because once they start to fall apart, the functionality of the bow begins to decline.
Another factor that could affect the lifespan of the compound bow is how frequently you use it. If you use it too often without proper care, you could reduce its lifespan.
When you use it frequently, some of its parts could wear or get damaged. This can be helped by replacing these parts and also a regular service of your bow would help you avoid damages, extending the lifespan.
How The Lifespan Of A Compound Bow Is Measured?
There are different ways by which the lifespan of a compound now is measured. They include;
How often you use it– This talks about how often you use your compound bow. If you use it too often without proper care, you overwork it, causing it to wear and this can reduce its lifespan.
Types and numbers of arrows shot – There are thick and thin arrows and firing the different types of arrows off your compound bow gives off different energy waves and over time, this affects the lifespan of the bow.
Also, the number of arrows shot is a factor that is used to measure a compound bow’s lifespan.
The average number of arrows to be shot on the compound bow is 200. Nocking and un-nocking many hundred arrows on the same spot of the bowstrings would eventually cause it to fray.
Accident – Accidents happen and your bow could be a victim. If you have dropped your bow, you should take it to a bow technician to check it out because some screws could have come loose or something has been knocked out of alignment.
An accident such as this is also a determining factor of your bow’s lifespan.
Storage– How you store your compound bow is really important. The weather could hurt your bow. You should store your compound bow in a weather-controlled environment to prevent damage.
High temperatures could stretch your bowstrings, reducing their effectiveness. You should store your bow indoors.
Maintenance – Regularly servicing your compound bow is a bright idea. Replacing parts when necessary and tuning them after every use.
Just like you go to the doctor for regular checkups, you should take your compound bow to a bow technician to have a thorough look at it.
In Conclusion
The bowstrings are the part of the compound bow that suffers the most stress when the bow is in use. It holds potential energy which is activated and turned into kinetic energy when an arrow is fired.
The average speed for a compound bow to fire an arrow is 330 feet per second and this comes with a lot of force. The force at which the strings shoot the arrow weakens the string over time and so it is important to check for frays on the string before use.
Your bowstrings can last for up to 3 years with proper maintenance. Treat your bowstrings with a bow wax and don’t try to replace them yourself because of the complexity of the compound bow.
You should avoid ‘dry firing’. This means firing an empty bow. This is very dangerous to you, it can harm you.
The dry firing also ruins the bow, in that the energy that was supposed to be transferred to the arrow goes into the limbs of the bow, which in turn break. If this happens, you should take it to a bow technician to fix it.
If you are purchasing a used bow, be sure to buy one that is not up to 10 years as replacing an older bow’s components might prove difficult.
The difficulties could arise from the absence of that model’s component on the market, or technological advancement of the model
The lifespan of your compound bow is mostly dependent on you. So no matter what anyone says, if you don’t care well for your bow, it will never serve you for a long time.
If you don’t know when to replace your bow’s components, you should take it to a Pro bow technician to help you.