[ELI5] why is dry firing a bow so bad for it? Does the arrow really make that much of a difference in that regard?

Question

[ELI5] why is dry firing a bow so bad for it? Does the arrow really make that much of a difference in that regard?

In: 2366

Answer 1

I’ve made a video about it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPII-cFUKzY&pp=ygURbnVzZW5zZWkgZHJ5IGZpcmU%3D).

The main things to consider are:

* The energy transferred into the arrow
* The time taken to transfer that energy

While the arrow doesn’t weigh much, the string and limbs don’t weigh much either. That arrow mass makes a difference. Enough energy will be transferred into arrow, reducing the stress on the limbs. The presence of the arrow also means that the transfer is slower, which again reduces the stress on the limbs.

The limbs are not designed to handle an excessive amount of energy being transferred from that side. It can cause cracks and delamination. For a compound bow, the damage is much more severe due to the faster acceleration. The string will almost certain derail from the cams, but there is also a likelihood of more severe damage, such as bent or cracked limbs, or the bow even splitting. We don’t exaggerate when we say that the bow “explodes”.