Cold Weather Effect On Longbows
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: JL
23-Jun-19
I tried to get on LW but I get the internal server failed message. Does anyone know if temps below 20 degrees F has any negative affect on longbows and recurves? Specifically, when I'm in the stand for many hours and draw back my compound, it "seems" a little slower on release but I know there will not be any damage to the bow. With a recurve or longbow, will cold-soaking or freezing damage the bow? It's common for me to hunt in the teens and single digits for 3-6 hours at a time in the late season. I'm somewhat unsure if a frozen RC or LB would be permanently damaged or affected when drawn. I guess the same question for cedar arrows too. Anyone have any experience with this?
From: Shawn
23-Jun-19
Not on modern bows built with fiberglass and such. Selfbows definitely!! I will say when it gets real cold, say 10 or below or so you may want to draw the bow now and than to keep you and the bow limber. I have killed deer with both recurves and longbows in temps well below zero. Shawn
From: Thornton
23-Jun-19
Indians used to cut the tree to make a bow on the coldest day of the year. They did this because the cold shunted all the moisture in the tree to the trunk. I would guess this saved them time on curing the wood they used for the bow.
From: Loghouse
23-Jun-19
Minus 41 no negative effect noticeable. I have to admit I was camped out with 5 other guys, no one was willing to draw a bow until I drew and shot mine. In case the question ever arrises, Jack Daniels gets pretty thick at -41.
From: LBshooter
24-Jun-19
Haven't notice with my bows.
From: JL
24-Jun-19
I was at a outdoor store this afternoon playing with some longbows in the bow shop. I forgot to ask about the temp thing. I tried to go full draw with a 64" 50lb Samack and I couldn't pull it back without fear of damaging it. One of the guys let me try his and I didn't want to risk damaging it.
From: Treeline
25-Jun-19
Never worried about it and never had any issues.
Have had several buddies shoot musk ox and polar bears with longbows and recurves in about the most extreme cold you can expect to hunt in on this planet and they had no issues.
From: Jaquomo
25-Jun-19
JL, just curious, why were you afraid of damaging a bow by drawing it?
As far as cold temps, -10 is about as cold as I've shot my glass backed longbows. Never worried about it.
From: Nick Muche
25-Jun-19
No idea on cold weather but I watched two recurves blow up this spring and both were just laying around minding their own business.
From: JL
25-Jun-19
Jaq, I drew back with fingers and the stack-up (or wall) hit a point prior to what would be my natural anchor point that if I kept drawing back, I was concerned the bow would fracture or get damaged. Plus the fact the bow belonged to one of the guys there led me to not want to push it. The guy measured my draw on the wall (finger to finger) and it calculated to 31".
From: Treeline
25-Jun-19
Had a recurve blow up that I had left strung in a hot pickup. Still will not leave a strung recurve in a vehicle, even in the high country of Colorado. Have not had any issues with longbows other than string stretch that causes brace height loss that’s worse in a hot vehicle.