Questions about bow that blew up
Equipment
While on my pronghorn hunt, I was using my new bow, a Bowtech Carbon Icon. I first used it last year and shot 4 white tail with it - I haven't had any problems with it and it shoots really well. I got it because I wanted a carbon bow with the same dimensions as my Invasion.
Anyways, I drew on a pronghorn last month and it came unglued. It seemed like the string kinda came off track and right before I got to full draw, it stuck in position. I couldn't draw down or back all the way and it seemed the string was caught in the cam and the cam was all off kilter, angled to the side.
I gave the string a tug and it freed something and the bow dry fired, almost taking my left index finger off in the process.
The bow now has intact cables and the string got cut from the rapidly retracting cam.
Is this bow toast? Does it just need new limbs/string? Can I salvage this thing?
Fortunately I brought my trusty Invasion, "Fawn's Bane" along and was able to continue hunting. I almost never have a backup bow on a hunt - man was I glad that I did...
Possible damage would be to strings, cables, cams, or/and limbs. I might have dry fired a bow a couple summers ago and the cams were toast. Hairline fractures next to the posts. Everything else was fine. Easiest thing is to take it to a good pro shop and have them tear it down. If not, you can run a cotton ball all over the limbs and see if there are any splinters. The cams USUALLY are goners. Look for any bends or tiny hairline spiderweb cracks. The string and cables are probably ok if they aren’t frayed or anything. Look it over good then look it over better. If you have a draw board I would put it on there if everything looks good and check it that way.
I was at a 3D shoot and had been holding my Hoyt Carbon Defiant up as my son & nephew shot, gauging the distance. When it was my turn, I was in the zone! Just pulled up & shot with no arrow on the string... The bow made a bad noise and I got my cohones broken by the youngers. But, the bow was fine. I did a couple of test draws as carefully as I could and then went back to shooting arrows. It worked fine then and still does. This year I replaced the string & cables as they were 2 years old and for no other reason. I did the dry fire in 2018.
I would inspect the bow, replace the string & cables and if it looks good, shoot it.... Good luck....
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As said above, take it to a “good” pro shop and have them check it out. I dry fired a bow in Africa, and very fortunately had a back up bow. Killed a Cape buffalo with the back up. I’m packing for an elk trip right now, and I always have a sighted in backup bow with me on out of town hunts.
Don't forget to spin the axles. I have seen bows that were dryfired also bent axles. I good proshop will catch that.
