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Like other sports, archery is a game of dos and don’ts. There are many of each, but they all don’t necessarily apply to every archer in every situation.There is, however, a fairly short list of don’ts that apply to every archer, in every level of the sport, in every corner of the globe.Here are six important archery don’ts:
DON'T ever point a loaded bow anywhere but toward the target you plan to hit. You can seriously injure or kill someone with a bow and arrow. So always make sure your bow is pointed in a safe direction.
DON'T ever dry fire a bow. A dry fire is when a bow is drawn and released with no arrow nocked. The arrow is what absorbs the energy released when the limbs snap back to their resting position. Without one nocked, the energy simply slams into the riser. You can damage a bow beyond repair with a dry fire - not to mention, injure yourself.
DON'T heat a carbon arrow. A lot of points and inserts today are secured in place inside carbon arrow shafts with hot-melt glue. To remove those accessories, you’ll need to heat the point with a torch or other fire source. But don’t let that heat source touch the arrow shaft. It will make your arrow bulge and/or become brittle. Either way, it’s a safety hazard.
DON'T ever shoot a cracked arrow. It’s hard to toss an otherwise perfect-looking arrow into the trash, just because it has a small crack. Do it anyway. Cracks only get bigger, and the arrow eventually could shatter at the shot. That could leave you with an arm or hand full of arrow parts.
DON'T ever draw a bow with your finger on the trigger of a mechanical release. Accidents happen. And if your finger is in the firing position on the trigger, all you’re doing is increasing the odds of an accident occurring.
DON'T ever shoot someone else’s arrow without knowing the length and spine. If you don’t know the length, then you won’t know until you’re at full draw if it’s too short. If it is, it’s going to fall off the back of the rest, and the point could rest against your arm. If you release the string or forcibly let down the bow, that point could cut you. If you shoot an arrow that has a spine too weak for your bow, you run the risk of that arrow shattering at the shot.
Here are six important archery don’ts: