Archery Equipment Maintenance and Upkeep
If you’re an active archer, taking care of your equipment is going to make a big difference towards its durability and effectiveness. When you spend a good amount buying a quality bow, it deserves to be cared for the same way you would care for a car or other pricy investment.
Caring For Your Archery Equipment
The main aspect of your experience is going to be tied to the bow you’re using, so it’s important to learn about some general upkeep practices to makes sure that you’re getting the most out of it. In addition, there are a couple of accessories available that will help with the durability of your various archery equipment, which extremely important for how the bow will function.
Maintenance Tips For The Bow
A brand new bow, whether it’s a recurve, compound, or traditional, is going to be at its peak performance. Fresh from the manufacturer, it’s been tested, calibrated, and is ready to use! How long it maintains its effectiveness is entirely dependent on you and how you treat it. Firstly, and this might not be obvious to those new to the sport, but you should never dry fire your bow. This means taking the bow through the motions of firing a shot with no arrow locked in. The weight of the arrow is part of what slows the string down upon release and lessens any type of shock. When you dry fire, you’re exposing the string and the bow to unnecessary damage.
Another thing you can do to maintain quality is using a bow stringer when restringing. Ideally, you should be going through the process of unstringing whenever the bow is not in use, so using an quality stringer will ease any stress on the bow. In terms of storage, the bow should never be in prolonged heat or moisture. For example, never leave the bow in a car on a sunny day, as it can interfere with the more intricate mechanical features.
D Loop Material
Rather than using an arrow release mechanism, which puts a high amount of stress on your bowstring, you should consider using a ‘D Loop’. Besides providing an anchored location for the archer everytime they drawback, this is going to eliminate the friction of having your fingers or a release on the string. This means you can have consistent shot grouping, and better accuracy. D Loop material isn’t cut from the same cloth as a bowstring, which makes it more comfortable to use than if you had a loop of bowstring attached. The size and location of your D Loop are going to be a matter of personal preference, so play around with a few different spots to find what feels most comfortable.
Bowstring Wax
Taking care of your bow is its own task, but the bowstrings also need an appropriate amount of attention, which is when something like bowstring wax comes into play. This material is meant to be applied after you string your bow, and only on the areas of drawback. If wax gets into the gears or the more intricate areas of the bow’s mechanics, it can severely hinder the performance. Make sure you’re taking appropriate care of the bowstrings as they pertain to your bow to maximize effectiveness.
