Avoid overdrawing a recurve bow to prevent injury and damage to the equipment.
Protective Gear and Maintenance
- Put on an arm guard when shooting to protect your arm from injury.
- Check your bow and arrows thoroughly before shooting; wood arrows can crack and bow limbs can become damaged.
- Safely string your bow with a bow-stringer.
- Keep the string waxed following manufacturer recommendations, or after every 100 shots if none given.
Understanding Overdraw
What is Overdraw?
Overdrawing a recurve bow implies pulling the string back past the bow’s design limit, which might injure yourself and damage your equipment.
When is Overdrawing Permissible?
- Only overdraw for clout shoots, not standard target archery.
Overdraw Limits for Compound Bows
- Yes, but World Archery limits overdraw to 6 cm from the grip.
The Impact of Overdraw
- Shorter, faster arrows.
- Hit farther distances.
- Affects arrow spine, adding 3-4 lb of draw weight per inch.
Risks and Consequences
- Risk of dry firing, damaging the bow and archer.
- Torque effects that cause inconsistent arrow flight.
Archery Injuries
- Muscle aches and bruises if dry fired.
Bow Care and String Maintenance
Why and When to Unstring Recurve Bows
- To prevent injury and bow damage from the pressure.
- Fiberglass bows only need unstringing for storage.
String Maintenance
- Change bow string every 300-500 shots, adjust frequency with heavier draw weights.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How fast can a 50 lb recurve shoot? A 50-55 lb recurve shoots around 175 fps with a 550 grain arrow.
- Ideal full draw hold time? 30 seconds, without shaking or struggling.
- Common recurve lengths? 58, 60, and 62 inches. Match to your draw length.