Equipment Safety
Archery is a fantastic sport that involves both physical training and equipment maintenance. Since safety is our top priority, we’re going to cover the important topics for checking and maintaining equipment both prior to and during the season.
Limbs
Cracks, Fissures, and Delamination
While delicate, the limbs of a bow are incredibly powerful when intact. Each time an archer picks up a bow before training, it is important for them to check the limbs for cracks, fissures, or delamination. If any of these are noted, the limbs should be removed from the equipment cache and replaced immediately.
Proper Use and Storage
To ensure the longevity of your limbs, make sure all archers are aware of the dangers and repercussions of dry-firing (drawing and releasing the bowstring without an arrow) and rest the bottom limb-tip on their shoe rather than on the ground while idling about as this is a sure-fire way to cause cracks and fissures.
Ensure that limbs are stored in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight. This will prevent warping (twisting) and delamination.
Bowstrings
Fraying
Bowstrings are an important part of every bow. The lion’s share of strings will be made from one continuous strand of string material (which varies in composition). This means that if one “strand” frays, the entire bowstring needs replacing. Check for fraying between the different servings (from the limb tips to where the arrow is nocked) to ensure that the string is intact.
Waxing
One great way to maintain bowstrings is to wax them. How often to do this is dependent on location and weather as well as the material itself. While dry weather will result in the need for more frequent maintenance, waxing is also necessary for wet weather to ensure rainwater doesn’t saturate into the string.
Waxing a bowstring is rather simple and involves either a chunk of pure beeswax or a wax stick purchased from archery supply, a small, rectangular piece of leather, and a piece of serving material with two buttons tied to each end.
Run the wax up and down the string between the servings to ensure it’s properly coated.
Take your leather, encase the string within it, and run it along the string quickly to generate heat. This will allow the wax to melt into the strands and moisturize them, thus preventing future fraying.
Once the wax is properly distributed, use the serving material (preferably doubled or tripled for reinforcement) with the buttons knotted to the ends to remove the excess wax by wrapping the string material around the string once and, beginning near the center serving at all times, hold the buttons firmly creating tension on the bowstring with the serving thread to pull down to the limb-tip serving. Excess wax will gather for removal.
Arrows
Aluminum
Aluminum shafts are great for beginners: there are various spines from which to choose, keep costs low, and are suitable to introductory bow weight. An archer, in their first lesson, should learn how to remove an arrow from the target safely and effectively (see note below).
Aluminum is prone to bending, so a hand at the base of the arrow, where it is connected with the target, and a hand placed toward the middle of the arrow helps to keep the arrows straight for as long as possible.
Carbon
Carbon arrows are another versatile arrow with a range of options from low-end introductory to a more advanced (and likely expensive) arrow; I would only choose the latter for individuals when ready for such a change, but more on that later.
Carbon arrows, while less likely to bend, should also be removed with care to keep them in working order for longer.
Keep an eye out for any chipped or shattered arrows, you’ll want to remove them from the field of play as soon as the incident occurs to avoid splinters. Train archers to look for fissures or cracks in the carbon so they are aware of when an arrow is no longer safe as well.
Points
Ensure points are the correct weight for the arrow and bow being shot, as a baseline. Check with the manufacturer or the Easton Tuning Guide for more information
Archers should also check to ensure that points are still glued or screwed in properly after each end. Dented points should be removed and replaced.
Tip: Bent arrows can result in false tuning and unnecessary form corrections, so teach your archers to check for arrow straightness during practice. This encourages archers to learn to respect the equipment as well as earn gear maintenance competency.
Manufacturer Warnings: Make sure to read and review all manufacturer warnings before equipment use which usually include safety guidelines.
A Note on Arrow Removal: It is recommended that archers remove arrows from the sides of the target (which allows for two archers to remove arrows at a time), rather than in front which leaves them open to self-injury. All archers waiting to remove arrows from the target should be behind the target line. See Chapter Blank of the OAS Program Handbook for a diagram on field/range setup.
Nocks
Nocks are an integral part of a good shot in target archery. A nock with even the slightest crack could result in dry-firing which causes limb damage over time.
Archers should know to check each nock as they shoot; a solid click as the arrow is nocked indicates a healthy nock. Any arrows with damaged nocks should be removed from the field of play until the nocks have been replaced.
Fletching
Each arrow should have three fletchings. When shooting with feathers (common for aluminum arrows), you’ll likely have an index fletching (which faces away from the bow when nocked) and two fletchings of the same color (facing the riser with a plunger - or berger button - running between them).
If an arrow is missing fletchings, make sure to replace them to ensure proper arrow flight. A good rule of thumb is to never shoot an arrow with less than two fletchings for the sake of stability.
Carbon arrows tend to use plastic vanes or spin-wings. The same rules apply here.
If you have questions or need further clarification, Contact the OAS National Office for more information.