Dry fired my bow........$%#@$%

[LongStick64]

Never going to use Alaskan Bowhunting Grizzlystik arrows again. I was shooting my priced bow a Rose Oak B riser with Yew veneer limbs, very very sweet bow, very nice on the eyes. Bow shoots lasers, she is super quick. So I decided to use the Grizzlystik arrows for more weight. The shooting was going well until......BAM........What the.......CR#$. The arrow nocks split in two, right where they meet the shaft. Never ever had that happen with any other shaft. Doesn't look like anything happened to the bow except a slight vertical line in the glass down where the riser meets the limbs on the belly. I'll have to keep an eye on it, but I continued to shoot the bow the rest of the day, aluminum arrows this time, and the bow shot well and the lines in the glass did not grow.

[njloco]

I'm sorry to hear that, but at least you didn't get hurt.

[magnus]

Glad you and the bow survived. Deffinetly keep an eye on that line.

Magnus

[Benny Nganabbarru]

That sucks. I've had a nock break when shooting my 83# Silvertip, with no damage at all to the bow. It's not a nice feeling. My friend had a nock break when shooting his 65# Black Widow recurve, again with no damage to the bow.

[WESTBROOK]

Kinda screws up your concentration for a while dont it!

Eric

[Brad_Gentry]

I've had that happen with a 60# silvertip and an 80# great northern... wakes you up for sure! I've never used grizzly sticks, but I don't know that I'd blame the arrow. Nocks just break sometimes.  

[RAU]

Im not sure I'd blame the arrows either. I had a bad experience a few months ago where I had a loose nock let go of the string just as I started to relax my fingers. The arrow fell to my feet. I completely dryfired the bow. The bow shot out of my hand and landed 3 feet in front of me unstrung! I cant remeber a more sickening sound and feeling!! But once I calmed down and assessed the dameges all was fine, i changed the nock, and kept shooting.

[xtrema312]

I change out all my GT see through plastic nocks to Easton solid color nocks for just this reason.  I have split the Easton nocks down one side and not broken them in half.  I have even robin hooded many arrows and only open the nock like a book, but not blown off a nock side.  I have had two of those GT nocks break on loosing an arrow.

[Ken Taylor]

I was having problems with finger position and very loose nocks.

Dry fired my bow for the first time in years...TWICE in the same week this past spring.

Stopped shooting while I analyzed the problem and found a solution.

Never happened again and everything seems O.K.-thank goodness my bow is alright!

[pete p]

sounds like a nock issue not an arrow issue. keep an eye on that line.

[Plumber]

I would think it is the nock not the arrow. it also could be the serving. any time you get new componets you should take the time to look things over. things arnet all the same it only takes a small variance for things to go wrong.

[Red4arm]

I built a 42lb takedown for my wife. We were shooting one day and I was at the target pulling arrows and I here something. Turned around and saw her dry firing the bow. Bocote limbs ,clear  glass,  bubinga and bocote riser.  She did 2 or three times before I stopped her. My fault, she didn't know it's a bad thing. The bow was fine, still shoots great. I would be concerned with the "line". Lines are usually cracks. Have someone check it or at least have someone check it at full draw to see if it opens any.

[Keefer]

Sorry to hear of the dryfire but also remember knocks can be a little too tight or a little too loose and if the nock has to open and close to fit the serving it can become weak...Temperature changes can affect the material the nock is made of...Wonder if anyone ever invented a nock with fiberglass mixed in the material? Could make them a lot stronger if mixed with the right plastics when molded...I use to work for a co. that is a big tool maker and I set up and processed molds and got to see how fiberglass made a product stronger depending on the way it was designed...Also nocks that aren't cured in the molding process could become weak and split...Just my 2 cents worth which ain't much...  

[myshootinstinks]

Originally posted by Keefer:
knocks can be a little too tight or a little too loose and if the nock has to open and close to fit the serving it can become weak...Temperature changes can affect the material the nock is made of

To add to this, I've found that a fairly short time of exposure to direct sunlight weakens the nocks. I left a couple of arrows sticking in a target for a day in the bright sun and broke a nock the next time I shot.

[LongStick64]

Well I took the bow out again and I shot it for a few hours and she did just fine. I used a sharpie to fill in the lines in the glass to keep an eye on it.
What bothers me about the nocks is that it broke somewhat inside the arrow, no way I could of seen it before hand. They fit snug on the string and I always check my equipment for any possible failure.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Originally posted by Red4arm:
I built a 42lb takedown for my wife. We were shooting one day and I was at the target pulling arrows and I here something. Turned around and saw her dry firing the bow. Bocote limbs ,clear  glass,  bubinga and bocote riser.  She did 2 or three times before I stopped her. My fault, she didn't know it's a bad thing. The bow was fine, still shoots great. I would be concerned with the "line". Lines are usually cracks. Have someone check it or at least have someone check it at full draw to see if it opens any.

 

You must make a good bow, Sir!

[jsweka]

It happens.  I had a glue on nock on a douglas fir shaft explode at release a couple weeks ago.  I know I didn't hit that nock with another arrow beforehand because I was shooting lousy that day.  Shot the arrow several times before it exploded and never noticed anything wrong with it.  I think any bow that's worth it salt should be able to handle a dry fire from time to time.  But it sure does scare the hell out of you and makes you pretty squimish on the next shot.

[MercilessMing]

Glad that you are OK.  Keep an eye on the line...

I had a dryfire once due to nock split.  It was because of an hairline crack due to prior arrows hitting.  Now I always check the arrow before nocking.

[vtmtnman]

I had a nock bust apart on a 2216 earlier this year while shooting my prized 54# silvertip.Saddest man alive described only half of how I felt when it happened.It gave no warning it was going to happen.Just was it's time.

[longarrow]

Keep a fine eye on the "line"....I know it's close to huntin season, but you might get bow doc to look at it and I would at least fill the crack with super glue.