X2 DRY FIRES X2 WEEKS

[outheretryin]

Well I bet there is a lot of people getting out and shooting there bows. hoping this brings people some comfort, a big cringe, and maybe a chuckle.

My previous and only dry fire was around 10 years ago when I was about 14 with my hoyt turbohawk. No damage to the bow. no harm no foul.

2 weeks ago I was out shooting my fancy 1 y.o. mathews in the backyard when BOOM! my heart sank as I realized my string had been ejected from my bow, and left a nice little mark across my forearm. So a walk of shame into the bow shop cost me several hundred dollars for 2 new cams and a new string. (on the bright side, I would have a fresh new setup rolling into September and enough time to break in the string and get all dialed.)
well.. a few days ago I was shooting now, my newly equipped bow. Doing some serious tweaking on my release and running back and forth to my gear room to make adjustments to my stabilizers. When BOOM! This time no noticeable damage to the bow. Havent worked up the courage to take it back into the shop yet. But need to soon or ill be using my back up bow, which should work just fine but isnt as fancy.

Ill be working a religious arrow check into my pre shot sequence from now on.
LEARN FROM ME! AND LAUGH AT ME!

 

[TylerDurden3]

Damn. Glad you didn’t get hurt. It happens, we all get complacent.

 

[rclouse79]

I will admit to dry firing my bow twice, but luckily that was over the span of almost three decades. I have yet to find anything more frustrating than self-inflicted agony. I am still shocked at the people who buy used bows after all of these dry fire stories that constantly pop up on online. Somebody needs to make some cash and invent a device that sprays you in the face with pepper spray when you start to draw your bow without an arrow.

 

[Billy Goat]

It's like getting thrown from a horse, or wrecking a motorcycle.

There's those who have, and those who haven't yet.

 

[3forks]

I shoot a lot of tournaments and a couple of winter leagues… I don’t see it in the target/open classes, but I’m no longer surprised when I see or hear someone dry fire a bow. For whatever reason, it’s always the bow hunter classes and it’s never a kid or a woman.

 

[BigSky]

This reminds me of the speech I used to give to the crews of the Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFV) in my company when I was 1SG. I told them that muscle memory is great because things become second nature. Notwithstanding that I told them they MUST go through their checklist before firing up their BFV each day because of that “muscle memory”. When things become second nature, it is easier to overlook them and subconsciously “assume” we did them.

Good luck with your bow OP.

 

[patagonialuke]

If it makes you feel better, I also dry-fired my bow twice within a month of getting it.

First time was literally the first practice session after getting it from the shop — on my birthday. Second time was a few weeks later while I was hyper-focused trying to self-diagnose what was wrong with my technique. Haven't felt shame like that in a while.

Got very lucky with no injuries and, after having my local shop triple check it both times, only had to replace the minorly frayed string (was shooting w/ limbs fully backed out, FWIW). Was very relieved when I brought it in the second time and didn't see the same employee who helped me the first time...

My attempt at a lighthearted spin on the experience was that, if progressing in a new activity is all about making mistakes, then I'm gonna be the fastest-learning archery student ever. To no one's surprise, that hasn't proven true. But I can no longer get to my anchor point without checking 1-5x that I have an arrow nocked.

(Bow will soon be serving backup duty / never hitting the used market)

 

[JeffRaines]

It wasn’t until this year that I had two near misses.

I had changed schedules at work from swing to days - in the woods is different, but at home I’ve never been an early riser… and I’m required to be at work at 5am so that means 3am wake up, and a 8pm bed time. Yuck. This wasn’t by choice, and with any luck come the end of September that’ll be over. ANYWAY…

Both instances I was out shooting after work so I know fatigue played a role. I noticed both times at full draw something didn’t look right and sure enough an arrow was missing.

Hasn’t happened since, but still spooky. I’ve seriously NEVER gotten that close before this year.