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Dry Fire…

Wirrex

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Oct 8, 2016
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Wisconsin
Well, it finally happened. Deep conversation and a lapse of judgment had me dry fire my Mathews Triax on the 3D course yesterday. Completely forgot to knock an arrow! Unbelievable…

As far as I can tell, the only damage is a knot blew off my peep and cables or strings stretched evidenced by my timing holes being equally off. My peep and D loop were spun 180

After a long inspection I couldn’t find anything else wrong. I shot it a few times and it seems ok. I’m not sure what I should do next. Do I just retune the bow? Should I replace strings?

Does anyone have some insight?
 
After a long inspection I couldn’t find anything else wrong. I shot it a few times and it seems ok. I’m not sure what I should do next. Do I just retune the bow? Should I replace strings?
It happens. It’s easy to do when you get distracted. Don’t beat yourself up too much. After shooting it I don’t know if an inspection by a bow shop would provide any additional information. You may have dodged the bullet on that one. Good Luck!
 
First off it happen man’s. Ik a guy who dry fired his bow in a tournament. Like a legit tournament too. Then I shot a wall at an archery shop I worked at haha

Step one, take it to an authorized dealer to have them inspect it. They will look over limbs and what not. Then I’d restring it. It stretches be heck out of strings. I’d measure your ata and see if that’s off. Pro shop should know to do that. Then after that just return and get back at it man.
 
i would replace strings and cables and i would stop shooting it for now until you've checked it over fully/had a shop do it

the new bows get some of their speed by making the cams very flimsy (compared to 20 years ago when bows could often take a dry fire with no issue)....i mention that because your change on timing marks, etc could also be caused, in part, by cam deformation that your eye isn't picking up (they can bend side to side but also compress along their longer axis)

you also could have bent an axle or damaged a bearing

the standard test for limbs is a careful inspection with a light and magnifier and then running a cotton ball along every square inch to check for splinters

if you don't have a press and/or aren't comfortable completely tearing down your bow, then i'd take it to a mathews dealer that you trust to have it looked over
 
I had it happen once. It all looked fine after, but there must have been internal microfractures because it blew up later that season while out practicing.
 
I did the same thing a year ago on a Bowtech Revolt X. Obvious damage to the cams. Shop order the cams and a new string. When in the press he heard a strange sound. Both limbs were fractured inside the limb pockets. You could not see the damage inspecting the bow. I would have the shop remove the limbs to inspect them. An honest but costly mistake.
 
I noticed both cams were crushed so I put it on the vise, dropped the string, and found the axle and bearing were also toast. A quick search online found nothing for parts so I brought it to the shop I bought it and they are going to fix it. I am praying my limbs don’t let loose.

It might be time to buy some hunting limbs for the ol wharf.
 
I have heard that Mathews was having some problems with bearings failing . Hope they get it fixed for you ,Mathews is a good shooting bow .
 
I noticed both cams were crushed so I put it on the vise, dropped the string, and found the axle and bearing were also toast. A quick search online found nothing for parts so I brought it to the shop I bought it and they are going to fix it. I am praying my limbs don’t let loose.

It might be time to buy some hunting limbs for the ol wharf.
Man that sucks! Tbh I really thought a Mathews would handle a dry fire better than that. I guess no bow is meant to but still. Sorry to hear about all this man. It can happen to anyone!
 
I screwed myself so bad....
After I had covid for a week, and it finally started to recuperate, I decided to see if I could draw my bow back. It was just a spontaneous decision, really just to see if I was strong enough.
I was, but I didn't pay attention to my wrist release being attached to my string. I pulled the bow back with my fingers, and when I did the release jammed into the cam on the bottom.. splitting the lower limb.
Stoopid!
 
I dry fired my vxr last year, got distracted and forgot the arrow. String came off, heat shrink on the weights came off. I took it to the local shop and they inspected and reinstalled everything. Put it on a draw board, inspected cams,limbs, axle. Somehow no major damage.
 
We had one guy dry fire his Mathew VXR28 8 times... The only damage was to the strings and cables, and the last time was the top cam. On a curious note, with no additional evidence for backup, it seems than (other than the string/cables) that if the peep is not still in the string, most of the bows are fairly ok (like the peep is the release of energy).

Checking for visible damage, timing, liberal use of a straight edge/laser, and spec'ing the bow are really the only things that you can do at this point. Although, sometimes the limbs will start to creak once pressure is applied with a bow press (if no visible fractures are present).
 
Done that to my Creed 2 times. Tech said only damage was a crush washer 2nd time but I replaced strings on both time just in case. Still shoot fine. It happens.

But I blame the 2nd time on a cheap Amazon bow scale that I paid $8 for...why....why...am I so cheap on certain things that I am using on something A LOT more expensive????
 
Man that sucks! I dry fired my crossbow (really just a horizontal compound bow) last year during the season. (This is why I got a backup crossbow now.) At first everything seemed to be OK, but then I started getting very erratic arrow hits, so would be dead center one shot and then 8in to the left, right or down the very next shot.

I took to the local Sportsman Warehouse to see what they could figure out. Took them several hours to find a cracked string stop. (Not sure what everyone else's experience with SW is, but here locally the archery department is better than any pro shop we have around.)

My advise would be take to your pro shop and let them look it over real good. If it's questionable and you have the money, replace what ever now before the season get rolling. Good luck and hope everything works out for you!
 
Crazy how you can shoot thousands of arrows and then get distracted and dry fire. I did It last year on my Mathews switchback, took it to the local shop with my tail between my legs. Full inspection, no damage, they put it back together and I shot it rest of season and got new string/cable after season closed.
 
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