Too close for comfort

[WhitehartFB]

Yesterday a compound archer after shooting for 3 hours on our indoor range came in to the shop and just happened to mention in the conversation that when he pulls his bow up he got a clicking sound he was not too concerned because it had been doing it for a while

On checking we found that the screw holding the string on the cam was loose.

In fact it was so loose (half a turn) that just holding it we were concerned it would let go any second.

Fortunately we got it safely in the press, but this was a very close thing and a very serious accident or worse could have happened.

So if something does not seem right with your bow please get it checked out and give the bow the once over regulary.

[TJ Mason]

Ouch, could have been nasty. It's so easy to miss these things. I had a similar near-miss with my first compound - one of the e-clips holding the top axle in place popped off, and the axle had nearly worked its way out of the hole in the limb before I spotted it. I only spotted it when the protruding axle caught on my sleeve.

[Random_guy]

Hmmm, here's a question for you. My UltraElite, my clubmates Razortec, and another clubmate's Apex 7, after having not been drawn for a short time (usually 20 mins or so) creak slightly when being drawn for the first time afterwards, but only the first time. I was concerned until I learnt that theirs did it as well, but then thought that was probably a logical explanation for it.

Anyone else experience this? I've checked the bow over but can't find anything loose that might cause the noise.

[not dead yet]

had that on my recurve it was the btm of the top limb the black stiffener that the limb bolt goes through had cracked away from the main limb,

still got the limbs they were carbon plus.

going back to the first post a juniors compound had come apart the bolt that goes through the side of the limb pocket had fallen out. all the others were loose. his father tightened them up and told him to carry on we'll get it fixed.


all the archers were looking dumbfounded but no one said anything.
so guess what i stepped in. i was more concerned for the junior. but the judge stopped him shooting it in the end anyway.

talk about close call. must have been 10 archers about ..the bloke standing on the line next to him wasn't going to say anything either

[bimble]

I once a bearing in the bottom axle collapse which caused a clicking noise. Stopped after two shots to hunt down the change.... still got charged for full target fees though!!!

[WhitehartFB]

Had another one where a guy walks in laughing and joking that his friend had unscrewed the limb bolt and could we put it all back together.

I asked if his friend was hurt he said no and made a joke of it, I soon wiped that smile off when I said he was lucky to be a live and I was not joking.

Oh how about this one a mother comes in and buys two bows for her sons (they were having archery lessons at school) to "play with" in the field next to their house. She was most surprised when I told her the kit she had bought was dangerous and quite capable of killing and she would have to supervise them when shooting. I am sure she had thoughts of suckers on the end of the arrows and green hats.

[not dead yet]

bloke in work bought a bow over the bar in france while s### f####. and on a work party.
brought it home puts it together to shoot in the garden not having any look took a piccy on his mobile and brought it in to work to find me.(i get all the Idiots.)

the limbs were bolted in back to front. advised him to bring it in to let me have a look as he wanted to shoot at his shed.????????????
this is where the fun started..
string serving had come apart on the top limb, arrows were all carbon.
and the bow was lefthanded.

well tryin to explain that if he had tried to shoot the shed with a left handed bow. not only would the arrows have shattered. the possibility of the arrow leaving the bow at an angle and going through the window of the house over the back.
i gave him what he pd for the bow it is now a club beginners bow as it was only 18lb.

we do get them now and then.

[PaulT]

Reminds me of a shoot last year, Fugue will remember this.
The young compound archer stood behind me noticed that a bolt had come out of the limb mounting. After a brief look on the ground he declared "Oh, well. Its not the kind of thing you check regularly is it?"!!
It was explained that it was exactly the kind of thing you check regularly and the bow may well not survive another shot. At which point he returned to the shooting line!! It wasn't until a judge instructed him to stop shooting (at the request of those of us shooting nearby) that he did so.
I suppose in the past these things would just go down as natural selection!

[WhitehartFB]

Originally Posted by PaulT

Reminds me of a shoot last year, Fugue will remember this.
The young compound archer stood behind me noticed that a bolt had come out of the limb mounting. After a brief look on the ground he declared "Oh, well. Its not the kind of thing you check regularly is it?"!!
It was explained that it was exactly the kind of thing you check regularly and the bow may well not survive another shot. At which point he returned to the shooting line!! It wasn't until a judge instructed him to stop shooting (at the request of those of us shooting nearby) that he did so.
I suppose in the past these things would just go down as natural selection!

This why I now make a quick cursory visual check on the equipment of my shooting companions - things can easily be missed and I think others do the same, as I was greatful that somebody noticed one of my fletchings was coming loose just before a county shoot - I am sure I checked beforehand but obviously not. Not in the same league as a limb bolt but all part of the preparation.

[Adam]

At an indoor shoot a couple of years ago, the guy standing in front of me on the line was shooting a Merlin which had strings and cables with unserved loops. When he drew the bow and the cams rolled over, I could see that one of the cables only had about 2 or 3 strands actually on the peg, the rest having slipped off the side.

I told him to come down immediately and carefully and, after taking one look at the cable, he stuck the bow back in his bag in double-quick time!

Adam