Bow Injuries

[gfugal]

What's the worst injury you've obtained from a bow breaking on you? Not so concerned about cuts from knives, saws or hatchets. Call me a little paranoid but I have this fear that one is going to break on me one day while I'm tillering up close and personal and either knock my teeth out or blind me. Debating if I the risk is real or imaginary. Haha I'm debating whether to wear safety glasses and a mouth guard while tillering.

[osage outlaw]

I've broken a few on purpose but never sustained any injuries.  I prefer the squint your eyes and go for it approach.

[Hrothgar]

Eye protection is always a good idea. The worst injury to date--a young man who was shooting with a damaged arrow; it broke, splintered and went through his forearm. Lesson--always discard cracked/damaged arrows.

[bjrogg]

So far I only broke one and it was not an explosive break just  ccrrracck and s*&.t. It was in front of a bunch of the old timers that got a big laugh out of it. They used to think I'm crazy now they know I am.lol. I watched Clint do unspeakable things to a piece  of Osage at Marshall. It was unbelievable what that price of wood indurered. He had it almost in a complete circle

Bjrogg

[Green Mountain Man]

Broke a maple bow while string it with a stringer,,broke at the top fade and the broke end of the top limb came up and punched me in the man boob
Had a 4" bruse for a week

[bubbles]

I took a nice chunk out of my forehead with a bow that let go on the last inch. I hadn't rounded the edges of the tips yet......big mistake.

[loefflerchuck]

Haha! I'm with Clint. just squint and hope for the best. I've broken a few at full draw for many lessons. I've been hit by a few pieces and at worst think I got a tiny scratch once. I have a cool picture I got on a timer. The overstrained sinew backed Mt mahogany blew into 7 pieces. The timer took the picture perfectly and you can see all the shrapnel with me in the middle holding a 15" stick and a limp string. I'll try to find that picture. I feel like a bad injury from a break is lottery win odds.

[make-n-break]

I haven't been injured yet but I've gotta say that I was the same way. I was always picturing a bow breaking in the tree and gouging my eye out lol. A pulley system that allowed me to stand back and tiller was worth the ten bucks and time. It made the process much more enjoyable.

[George Tsoukalas]

Well, I had a tillering stick break on me and the bow gave me a pretty good whack on the head.
I ended up burning the t stick in my fireplace.
Now I use a rope and pulley and am safe about 10' away.
Jawge

[bubby]

Click on the pic it's a video

[helmet]

I haven't been injured from a bow breaking, but had a rawhide string break on a bow once and that left a scar for a while.

[mikekeswick]

I know a fella that got a 6 inch splinter right through his cheek....
I would say that laminated bows are the most likely to pop out a sharp piece, grain runoff and all that.
I broke a sinew backed juniper once though that didn't half go with a bang, no actual injury but I had to check my pants.....

[Dances with squirrels]

No tillering stick for me. They're too dangerous, hold the bow drawn too long, and don't hold the bow how I do.

Many years ago I had one explode in my hand at full draw. I did a stupid thing and tried to make a selfbow with an ornamental arborvitae from my yard. It disintegrated, but no injuries.

Nowadays, I tiller them completely on the rope and pulley system, drawing them how I will by hand, and when I feel it's finished, draw it another 50+ times. I have a lot of confidence in it when I first draw it by hand.

[BowEd]

Fortunately so far all the bows that have broke for me have done so on the tillering tree.Wrecked a poundage tester in the process.I give them a thorough test on that and tiller them an inch beyond my designated anchor length to insure that.
Seen even an FG bow break once with the shooter getting a bump on the head though.A violated handle at the arrow pass was the culprit on that one.

[Buckeye Guy]

Bopped on the head a few times but your not gona hurt me hitting me in the Head so no injuries yet here
the one that hit the hardest was a FG beast