Who shoots in sub-zero temps?

[Greebe]

Kind of along with my other post about leaving my bow in storage in sub-zero temps, I was thinking about if it is OK to shoot a self bow in these temps. The reason I ask is because it has been down to -13F already and will be down to -30F in the next few months.

When it is that cold I will not be out shooting, but I would like to do shooting when it warms up the negative single digits. What do you guys think? Is this OK for your wood bows?

Thanks
Greebe

[PEARL DRUMS]

Id trust osage and only osage. That's just my 2 cents on super cold bows. There isn't a more durable wood in my opinion.

[missilemaster]

Wrap it in a scarf. It should be OK

[bradsmith2010]

tape some hand warmers to it,,

[PEARL DRUMS]

I like that idea Brad!

[Greebe]

You guys make me laugh.

[bubby]

I'm thinking not too many people with triple digit IQs

[bowmo]

Yea, only osage for me too. My buddy who hunts in WI uses those camo limb sleeves on his osage bows in the winter.

[DarkSoul]

A wood that can tolerate low moisture content (MC) levels should be fine. I've heard several stories of yew bows breaking in winter, at low temperatures. Yew prefers a somewhat higher moisture content.
Hickory and (boo backed) ipé come to mind as woods that tolerate low MC.

[son of massey]

I have been out shooting when it is pretty cold. When it is much lower than -10 it is hard to stay out for very long, and the bow does seem stiffer (or my muscles are tighter due to the cold...either way) and as it is usually a short duration I don't sweat it too much. I haven't done it a ton, but some. Just shooting a few arrows is different than hunting where the wood will sit and chill for hours and suddenly get drawn.

SOM

[Marc St Louis]

I've used several species in temps up to -20, HHB, Elm, Osage, even Beech.  Dry wood will create problems for sure but the cold doesn't do that right away

[JW_Halverson]

Does minus 15 degrees F and hunting in 20 mph winds with a green ash selfbow count?  If so, then yeah.  How about right around zero with a hickory board bow, unbacked?  Then yeah, again. Or just above zero and shooting a bend in the handle hackberry selfbow that sat overnight in the vehicle for about a month reaching temps down to -10 degrees?  And then yeah once more. And with those absolute temps so low, the humidity starts to approach nothing at all, so I imagine they were all kinda on the dry side.  I kinda wonder if it is ever too dry for hickory, but other woods do reach a brittle point.

I don't think the cold is as serious as many people believe.  On the other hand, the older I get, the more willing I am to use it as an excuse to stay home!!!   

[George Tsoukalas]

I've shot other woods besides osage in sub zero F temps. Pretty much in my younger days though.

Jawge

[Greebe]

Thanks guys. The reason I ask is because I would like to do some small game hunting, but don't want to hurt my bows or myself.  Hehe

Mostly the bow would just sit getting cold before taking a shot.

[jayman448]

buddy of mine will shoot up until minus fifteen. ( he snapped a damn good bow at minus twenty seven.) and that was just hickory. we hold snow shoe shoots and our first shoot of the year is in an old horse arena that is around minus ten constantly. mind you most of us shoot fiberglass at that one but others don't think twice about it and there has never been a failure. plus, im sure these northern Canadian natives did it, and what about the inuit? (bear in mind im talking Celsius, not Fahrenheit )