# Is there a risk of the bow breaking as I am shooting?



## Chaosduck7 (Jun 26, 2013)

Second topic of the day. Can you tell Im new?




Anyways. I bought a PSE stalker 45 pounds. It shoots great and im starting to get the hang of it but im worried about the bow being under so much tension, the limbs will snap off and hit me in the face. I mean, they are screwed in so its not like 1 solid piece. Is there actually a risk of that happening or am i being irrationally scared?


----------



## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

If your bow is well-built, properly set up, and put together correctly, then you should be safe and sound. 

It does make sense to ponder this, however, for bows can indeed come apart in various ways.

Keep your peepers on your bow, make sure you follow the instructions as to assembling your bow and tightening things down, listen for odd sounds when shooting, and visually inspect your limbs, riser, and joining mechanisms frequently for oddball cracks, wiggles, etc. 

As with any bow, you're fine ... until you're not ... and hopefully the peepers and ears will note any developing problems before they become catastrophic.

Have fun.


----------



## Chaosduck7 (Jun 26, 2013)

Haha that doesnt exactly make me feel any easier since Im a complete novice and I dont have the eye you guys do when it comes to finding things that are "off".


Is it normal for the screws to loosen as you shoot?


----------



## rattus58 (Jul 9, 2007)

Chaosduck7 said:


> Second topic of the day. Can you tell Im new?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In a word *YES!* Inspect your bow is all you can do. Others will be telling you that well constructed bows are safe, and they truly are... but you're right... they are under tension and they do occasionally fail catastrophically... but they rarely leave you racooned... but they can... keep your bow inspected and be suspicious of funny sounds or arrow flight unexpectedly and you should be fine.... :grin:

Aloha.. :beer:


----------



## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

The limb bolts shouldn't come loose as you shoot, at least they don't in any of my bows. Maybe give them another fraction of a turn when you tighten them, no need for a gorilla grip, but nice and snug is a good thing.

When you string your bow, and it sounds like you got the hang of it, carefully inspect each loop and make sure it is all the way in both sides of the string grooves in both limbs. Very easy to string the bow and leave one side part way out...it usually seats itself but not always. Also, if you aren't traveling there is really no need to unstring your bow every time you shoot. Obviously you don't want kids to get into it but it doesn't hurt the bow to leave it strung.


----------



## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

It will probably definitely hit you in the face.

It told me so. I think it is irritated that you doubt its loyalty.

I'd suggest leaving it in the house, running away, and never looking back....




Just kidding. It's probably fine. And if it does hit you in the face, you can have a full refund on everything you paid for my input


----------



## Old Sarge (Sep 9, 2008)

I would be more concerned about the sky falling!


----------



## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

so long as you don't twist/torque the limbs stringing/unstringing, don't make a habit of leaving it sitting outside, always inspect the limbs...you'll be fine.

Brakes do happen but it's not often.


----------



## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

There are many of us that take thousands of shots a year and the bows hang together....well, most of the time. I have had two blow up, each nearly hitting me in the eyes. The risk is very low. Just checkout anything that does not sound normal. Sid of Border Bows has a video where he is pulling a bow to something like 40 inches. It is amazing what a good quality bow can withstand. I have seen more accidents from strings popping off, arrows breaking, nocks exploding, etc, than limbs breaking.


----------



## WillAdams (Jun 6, 2009)

With a commercial fiberglass backed traditional bow (non-compound --- compounds store a lot more energy) in good condition, properly assembled, breaking is as close to impossible as can be achieved w/ mass production. It's incredibly tough stuff.

Even if one breaks, the impetus of the force is away from the pull of drawing --- I've broken two wooden bows of my own making. Things which work to mitigate the forces:

- energy is distributed at point of break, so is halved
- unlikely the string breaks at the same time so energy is further reduced by the friction of it getting dragged through the tab/glove
- the break won't include the mass of the riser which is still held in the hand, so the mass of the moving broken part is low
- broken bow limbs w/ dangling strings aren't particularly aerodynamic, so slow quickly

I wear safety glasses and insist my kids do, but if I'm alone and have forgotten them, I'll shoot.


----------



## jusoldave (Apr 28, 2012)

Simple engineering physics says that any lever under load has the potential to fail under a load, so yes: your bow could break. 

But: 



Old Sarge said:


> I would be more concerned about the sky falling!


I've had a couple break at or near full draw over the past thirty-some years; WillAdams does a good job of describing the event, in #10, above.


----------



## rattus58 (Jul 9, 2007)

WillAdams said:


> With a commercial fiberglass backed traditional bow (non-compound --- compounds store a lot more energy) in good condition, properly assembled, breaking is as close to impossible as can be achieved w/ mass production. It's incredibly tough stuff.
> 
> Even if one breaks, the impetus of the force is away from the pull of drawing --- I've broken two wooden bows of my own making. Things which work to mitigate the forces:
> 
> ...


Absolutely not true... if you're saying that the limbs fly away from your face... If you're thinking that a catastrophic loss is able to be dodged.... for someone expecting it maybe... for someone just shooting.... not likely.... 

Inspect your equipment and be distrustful of all unusual occurrence.


----------



## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

Fury90flier said:


> so long as you don't twist/torque the limbs stringing/unstringing, don't make a habit of leaving it sitting outside, always inspect the limbs...you'll be fine.
> 
> Brakes do happen but it's not often.


Good point....

I have never seen anybody get hit while shooting. I have had a string break while shooting, and nothing bad happened to me, and the bow was fine too.

However, I have seen many people get hurt while stringing and unstringing a bow. I've lost skin on my shin, another person I know is partially blind because of it, even a guy using a stringer had the stringer slip off his antler limb tips, lucky he didn't lose an eye, destroyed his glasses. Pay attention, be careful.


----------



## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

Hank D Thoreau said:


> There are many of us that take thousands of shots a year and the bows hang together....well, most of the time. I have had two blow up, each nearly hitting me in the eyes. The risk is very low. Just checkout anything that does not sound normal. Sid of Border Bows has a video where he is pulling a bow to something like 40 inches. It is amazing what a good quality bow can withstand. I have seen more accidents from strings popping off, arrows breaking, nocks exploding, etc, than limbs breaking.


Got a link? I'd like to see that!


----------



## Chaosduck7 (Jun 26, 2013)

Im worried now because i have a PSE stalker. I did research before i bought it and it seemed like a great bow. But of course after i buy it i read all these stories about PSE stalkers specifically breaking


----------



## UrbanDeerSlayer (Feb 10, 2012)

Hank D Thoreau said:


> . I have seen more accidents from strings popping off, arrows breaking, nocks exploding, etc, than limbs breaking.


I've had all of those happen. String breaking at loop at full draw, nock busting, arrow snapping...... but the bow survived every time and I didn't lose an eye! But for certain, make sure the string loops are securely set on the bow tips after stringing. Also, inspect your arrows for cracks, bend them a little every once in a while to see if they are solid. Check your nocks as they tend to break with a lot of use. Inspect your string often, and wax it often, and if it looks worn replace it. Make sure your limb bolts are tight. 

If your bow makes any unusual sounds when you are using it then be sure to carefully inspect the bow. A weird sound is usually indicative that something is not right.


----------



## Xero (Apr 20, 2013)

> Also, if you aren't traveling there is really no need to unstring your bow every time you shoot. Obviously you don't want kids to get into it but it doesn't hurt the bow to leave it strung.


Strung bow is a weapon. Unstrung bow is a stick. 

That said, the dozens of bows in the shop, rentals for their range, are strung, left strung day-in, day-out. They never unstring them. It's good to check that string loops are set in their notches ("nocks"), checking that the limb bolts are secure (tight, not wrenched down), that things are in good order, no weird sounds, no obvious defects.

Your bow is a high-tech, manufactured to tight specifications and "over-engineered" so that it's not bound to come apart -- not even close. Just like you don't worry about a firearm blowing to pieces every time you pull the trigger.


----------



## WillAdams (Jun 6, 2009)

rattus58 said:


> Absolutely not true... if you're saying that the limbs fly away from your face


I didn't say that



> If you're thinking that a catastrophic loss is able to be dodged


I didn't say that either. I was hit by the broken limb the time it was an upper limb --- for the reasons I gave, it had a fraction of the 54 lbs. of the bow's draw weight.



> Inspect your equipment and be distrustful of all unusual occurrence.


I did imply a need to inspect, and agree w/ it.

A bow breaking is something to be concerned about when setting up a bow for a session, it's not something to worry about while practicing safe shooting techniques w/ equipment in good condition.


----------



## rattus58 (Jul 9, 2007)

WillAdams said:


> I didn't say that
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Here is what you said... *Even if one breaks, the impetus of the force is away from the pull of drawing --- I've broken two wooden bows of my own making. Things which work to mitigate the forces:*

You see what I sayed.... If you have ever been hit across the face with a bow limb regardless of the force, you wouldn't be suggesting that anything is "mitigated? The broken limb could, in my case didn't, strike your eye or nose and as flying things do, bounce and re-enter maybe hitting your eye... or have the sharp edges of the limb hit you in or across the face, as it did me two days later leaving me looking like a raccoon. I've broken several bows over my career and most all have been separations, breaks across the back without catastrophic (though all breaks are catastrophic by definition) result but a bow is a tension device and under draw weight, you are increasing tensions and the results in my opinion of any break could be cause for great concern. Vigilence to me is the best defense and good bows rarely even separate... but my friend.. never say never... nor... suggest that things don't conspire... a mitigated sharp splinter is of no benefit to ones eye... for example.


----------



## WillAdams (Jun 6, 2009)

The end of the broken bow part in one's hand wants to move away from one as it straightens out (the impetus of the force is away from the pull of drawing), but the broken limb end moves towards one (energy is further reduced by the friction of it getting dragged through the tab/glove) --- I didn't explicitly note that a broken part was moving toward one, but if it wasn't there'd be no need to make note of the reductions in forces.


----------



## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

Though they are rare, bow breaks can be serious when they happen. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It is just that not all breaks are explosive. I had a bow go at full draw during a tournament and it sounded like an explosion. The upper limb hit me an inch below my eye. I had an English longbow explode into three sharp daggers. I was hit an inch above each eye with two of the pieces, leaving bumps. The other piece flew over my head. In each case these were catastrophic failures that generated a lot of force. I have seen folks have simple delamination's that were relatively mild in comparison.


----------



## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

This is a single limb test that Border did. They are stressing the limb until it explodes. I could not find the full bow video. The resolution of that one is better, and the bow does not blow up.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151267190086181&set=vb.265096826849079&type=3&theater


----------



## icedtheater (Dec 2, 2012)

A person I shoot with had a PSE blow up on her. She had it drew back and the riser came apart in a few pieces. Luckily neither her or anyone else around her got hit.

I had a string break on my bow. Broke both of my limbs. A piece smacked me and a guy standing next to me.


----------



## rraming (Aug 5, 2006)

I have had a riser break in half on me during a shot. No sign of it happening, new bow, happened on maybe the 50th shot or so. Nothing hit my face, just my hand. Not very common and I would not worry about it. Odds are probably better of an arrow failure than a bow failure.


----------

