Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Greebe on December 05, 2014, 12:38:13 pm
-
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. >:D What do you guys think? Is this OK for your wood bows?
Thanks
Greebe
-
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.
-
Wrap it in a scarf. It should be OK :D
-
tape some hand warmers to it,, :)
-
I like that idea Brad!
-
You guys make me laugh. ;D
-
I'm thinking not too many people with triple digit IQs :laugh:
-
Yea, only osage for me too. My buddy who hunts in WI uses those camo limb sleeves on his osage bows in the winter.
-
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.
-
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
-
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
-
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!!! ;D
-
I've shot other woods besides osage in sub zero F temps. Pretty much in my younger days though. :)
Jawge
-
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. ;D Hehe
Mostly the bow would just sit getting cold before taking a shot.
-
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 )
-
Interesting question here, what did NA do in Canada and upper northern US? I would say they shot their bows...Maybe something to consider is building a cold weather bow from a Hickory stave...I do know that my arrow spine is different at 20 degrees vs 98 degrees...
Don
-
I do know that my arrow spine is different at 20 degrees vs 98 degrees...
Don
And the bows draw weight would be too, therefore...I can't see a difference... ??? :) ;)
DBar
-
I've shot my bows @. Minus 44. For a short spell.
-
Do you think the Natives of the far North stopped hunting when it was cold or magically pulled out some Osage? I have shot HHB, Maple and Elm at temps that would give Santa a high voice.
-
Do you think the Natives of the far North stopped hunting when it was cold or magically pulled out some Osage? I have shot HHB, Maple and Elm at temps that would give Santa a high voice.
+1, I know the cold doesn't stop me. The first time I shot a wooden bow was in winter last year. I live in WI and last year was cold. I shot all winter with a Rudderbows Hickory ELB and the bow dealt with the weather better than I did :). My handmade cherry bark backed red oak ELB has also held up well in the weather so far this year. Archery season is still open in WI and I will be hunting every chance I get till it closes :)
-
Archery season is still open in WI and I will be hunting every chance I get till it closes :)
[/quote]
Here any buck with a bow season starts in January... and janary here can drop below -40. wont catch me out there, but im sure others must hunt em at colder temps.
-
Don't mean to high jack the post...but it is related.
What do you guys do different in this extreme weather to shoot your bow ??? as far as clothing, equipment, tabs, gloves etc....??? any tips?
DBar
-
hold the bow in yer armpit so you can have your hands in yer pockets, a bag over the fletchings and man up for the one wet or ice cold shot XD
-
Could always use an Inuit bow
-
What is an inuit bow?
-
Usually a cable backed bow.