You can get a new compound bow from anywhere, as many shops have archery products. There is a significant range of these compound bows, from a few hundred dollars to two thousand dollars.
Compound bows in the market today comprise different qualities; their life depends mainly on these qualities. You will want it to last long if you pay a reasonable amount for a compound.
If you have a compound bow and want to figure out how long it will last, you are reading the right article, as it contains all the information about its life and durability.
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How Long Does a Compound Bow Last?
Many modern bows in the market today have a long life, but that life depends mainly on their use and how you shoot the bow. The average life of a good-quality compound bow is 50 years. But most people don’t like to keep a single bow for their entire life, and bow companies keep introducing new designs and features in these bows that make the archers irresistible to buy the latest bows. Compound bows are intricate bows with complex parts; if you want to decide how long a bow will last, you can say it depends on the life of the parts of these bows.
Strength of a Compound Bow
A compound bow gains strength from its different components that join together and give a compact bow that looks sturdy and robust. If we want to decide the strength of the compound bow, we will have to break the bow into its components and then decide the strength of each component.
If all these parts have a premium built quality, we can say the bow is powerful. But, if any of those parts have light material or begin to fail, the whole bow will not work, or we can say that the bow’s life has ended.
Asking about the life of the bow is directly related to the life of the parts of the bow, you should ask about the life of the bow. A compound bow has a long life because you can easily replace some of the old parts of the bow that are not working correctly and replace them with new parts. This replacement will make your bow new.
Life of Compound Bow Components
A compound bow is a great weapon and has many vital components. All these components combine to give a smooth archery experience. Each component has a different life, which I tried to explain below:
The Bowstring
One of the most miniature, durable components of a compound bow is the bowstring, which can break with a slight mistake. But it is not always true; some modern compound bows contain a potent, synthetic material that strengthens the string.
You cannot always say that the string was not of good quality; there might be a wrong process of releasing the arrow that broke the bowstring. The bowstring has some crucial functions as it is the central conductor of energy that delivers through the bow and enters the arrow so that it can impact the target strongly.
When a bow claims 330 feet per second speed, it is due to the energy stored in the string that gives speed and energy to the bow. When you use a bow and combine the nocking and un-nocking of hundred of arrows from the same bow and bowstring, the string might get loose, and you end up damaging the bowstring.
There is a special bowstring wax available in the market these days that keeps the fiber of the string together. These bowstrings consist of strong fiber created by twisting multiple fiber strands together.
One of the other reasons for damaging the bowstring is that some archers completely untwist the string while changing the bow’s brace height. It is more likely to damage the bowstring. You can always unstring the bowstring and exchange it with a brand-new string if waxing or keeping it with care does not help.
You should use the tool available at the market to unstring the bow; avoid doing it with your hand if you don’t have prior experience. You can also go to the nearby archery shop and ask them for help. They can professionally unstring and restring the bow. It would help to replace your bowstring once a year to avoid damage.
Cams
Sometimes, the cams attached to the limbs can also break; cams are at every end of the bow with the limbs and consist of metal discs. Cams are available in the market in different sizes and shapes. They help pull the string to increase the tension in the bow and always stay on the tracks with the strings to pull the string to its maximum draw weight.
If the bow’s cams are not working correctly, you can fix this malfunction, and it does not take much time if the bow is of good quality. The amount of money and time spent on a bow depends totally on the quality of the bow.
Limbs
Limbs are more likely to break compared to the cams; these limbs are the long ones present at the top and bottom of the bow. When an archer pulls the string, there might be an increase or decrease in the tension on the string that results in the splintering of limbs. These limbs can stretch, and if the archer exceeds this strength, there is a big chance that the bow will collapse.
Modern compound bows contain multiple layers of durable fiberglass that give great strength to the wooden limbs and become less likely to break. The limb’s material, quality, and elastic limit are essential to determine its life.
If any of these things are not of good quality, the first thing that will break in your compound bow will be the limbs. Other components stay put if the bow’s limbs are working fine; limbs contain a lot of tension to hold the string, and the limbs also maintain the bent position of the bow frame.
Screws
When talking about the number of components of a compound bow, the thing that holds all these components together is screws. Screws are responsible for the quick assembly of the bow.
Screws are the reason to hold the release of tension of the bow, and sometimes they become loose due to excessive shooting and roughly release the bowstring. Usually, archers are busy taking care of other bow components, so they forget to take care of the screws and check if any of the screws are not damaged.
There is a vast vibration each time an arrow is shot; you can feel this vibration in your hands and arms. Even if the manufacturing company of the bow has tightened the screws to an incredible limit, there is a significant chance that these screws will be out after constant shooting and vibrations. If pieces of your bow are coming apart, you should immediately check the screws. If you shoot with loosened screws, this might be your last shot from that bow.
How To Keep Your Bow in Great Condition?
You can do several things to prevent your bow from breaking and keep them in excellent condition. One of the most important things is to keep applying the wax on your bowstring. It is a simple technique through which you can easily protect your bowstring, keeping it intact and saving you from fraying off the bow.
How to Keep Limbs of Compound Bow in Great Condition?
You can keep the limbs of the compound bow in excellent condition by looking closely at them and not stretching them more than their endurance. There is not much you can do to protect your limbs other than checking them now and then.
How To Increase the Life Span of a Compound Bow?
To increase the life span of your compound, you will have to use it carefully and check for every wear and tear. Keep an eye on the string, don’t draw off limits, store the bow properly, check for the repairing parts of the bow and avoid the bow from heat contacts.
How Many Shots Will Compound Bow Last?
It depends on the parts and components of the compound bow; if you keep the components of the bow intact and check for minor wear and tear, your bow will last for more than 20 years. This case is ideal; mainly, the bows do not last this long because their components get worn out. A good bowstring lasts 3 to 5 years, and you must replace it.
How Can You Protect the Limbs of a Compound bow?
There is nothing much you can do to protect the limbs of the compound bow. You can look for the damage that occurred to the limbs. Do not stretch them off their limit and break their durability. Limbs have a specific bearing capacity; if you increase the tension in the string and draw it more, then the draw weight of the bow limbs will collapse immediately.
