Late last year, I purchased a longbow, custom made to my order. In the time I have had the bow, between myself and my son, we have put more than 2,000 arrows through the bow. While the number of arrows is only approximate, probably a low estimate, there is good evidence for the number. On week ends, my son and I will shoot 100 to 200 arrows.

How many cycles will a bow with stand before it fails?

The bow is a string follow longbow, 66 inches, and 50 pounds at 28 inches. The riser is cocobolo diamond wood with an inch phenolic center. The limbs have a carbon lamination on the back, resin infused bamblo limb cores, a center lamination of uni-glass for increased stability, and dark myrtle laminations on the belly which are over layed with clear glass. The bow is in two pieces with a locket socket connection. The limbs are very narrow and have a deep stack at the fades. The grip is wraped with leather.

After over 2,000 arrows, the bow is in brand new condition showing no stress in the limbs. We replaced the strike pad and rest because of wear.

How long can a quality bow be expected to retain it'performance?

My Frontier 66 has lost nothing in speed of it's cast.

I have bows that go on for generations and have had bows break within days. Ya' never know.

My 2005 bow still shots the same and I shoot like a madman. I would think a laminated bow like that would last a long time.

Been shooting a Black Widow P M A since '09 still going strong. Been shooting a Ben Pearson Lord Mercury since the late 80's still going strong. So unless something is fundamently wrong with your bow your grandchildren should be able to shoot this LB that you have

If you don't make a habit of leaving it in your car in the summer or storing it in your attic it will probably out last you. I wouldn't take it apart any more than I had to.

So long as the bow is made well and you take care of it properly a bow like that should last many decades.

Probably you, nor your son will live long enough to find that out. LOL. My goodness, there are bows from the 50's still going..and a few from earlier than that. I think your joints will fail before the bow....as long as there isn't an inboard issue in the lams or some such. I shoot 2000 shots or more about every three months minimum, and I've put more than twice that amount through bows made in the 50's and 60's. Fear not.

I worked this one out to probably just a bit more than 200,000 arrows before it blew up on me. Loved that bow!

Jeff

Geez, just noticed the date. It happened last summer not 2009. ???

I dropped a bow on the floor the other day and am wondering about it theres no evidence of any issues? I shot it following but I wonder one day will it pop on me? Darn expensive bow too.

The weather plays a factor its important. You can go to a shoot in the winter or summer and bow stress while its in the vehicle very easily say you have a couple bows with you and one stays in the vehicle your not shooting. During the day its either very cold or warm out after it came from a controled tempature then it changes considerablly that can effect it maybe? Some say yes and some say don't worry?

I guess if she lets loose you worry after the horse ran out the barn?

Did you get hurt I guess thats whats important really that we don't get hurt if it happens.

Jeffer, 200,000 shots? That's 200 shots a day for 1000 days, everyday for 2 years and 7 months with that bow only and I know you shoot others. I never really stopped to think how many total shots I've taken over a given period of time. The bow I shot the most and had the longest (18 years) was my MAII and I'm sure it's nowhere near 200,000 from that bow. No wonder you're such a good shot! Frank

I shoot for hours and hours. Once July gets here garden is manageable, grass quits growing so fast etc..., I may shoot 5-6 hours a day on the weekends off and on. An hour or two in the evenings during the week after work. I Figure 300-400 shots per week minimum. I expect my bows to last my lifetime plus. Lord willing another 40-50 yeas anyway. God Bless

You can never tell! I had a '59 Kodiak replica that lasted 4 months, and have a an ACTUAL '57 Kodiak that's still goin strong. Too many variables to really be able to predict!

i had friends that would shoot 100 or 200 a day,,, they well made bow can take it

I have several bows that have been shot daily for multiple years. Both were made in the 60's and 45 years old before I started working them. I don't know that fiberglass laminate bows have a set number of cycles before they fail. I suppose they might - but as Jeffer mentioned it is likely in the high tens or even hundreds of thousands of repititions.

Abuse, heat, cold, arrow weight. All will have an effect. I shoot and hunt with bows from the 60's and 70's and have only ever had one fail. That was when an arrow nock split and the bow dry-fired. And it was a bow known for it's tiny limb tips. It might have gone on for a long time if that had not happened.

I put over 500,000 shots through one mild R&D longbow over the years and it had no ill efects and was dry fired a few times as well.The bow was kept strung for years as well.A well made bow with good materials should last and last with resasonabke care.

I expect that my son and I have now pushed the total arrows through the bow to 3700. The bow is like new with no changes.

I bought a second bow of the same modal, Frontier 66, from Sixby. The first bow will become my son's.

At my request, Sixby made several changes. My bow is a double carbon bow with maple limb cores instead of bamboo. My bow has very thin wedges inserted at the tips, and short power laminations inserted in the riser. These changes to the single carbon bow result in a bow with a different character and feel. My double carbon bow is appreciably faster at the same draw weight. It has greater resistance when beginning the draw. It is more difficult to brace. Although it is the same length, nock to nock, as the single carbon bow, 66 inches. my double carbon bow requires a 64 inch string. The single carbon bow string length is 63 inches.

Sixby did not change any of the dimensions, only the materials.

At twenty yards, holding on the same spot, with the same arrows, the double carbon places arrows 2 to 3 inches above arrows from the single carbon bow.

The double carbon bow is incredibly stable. I have moderate skills as an archer. At 40 yards, Arrow Dynamics Traditional Light arrows, 125 grain points, cut to 29 inches, I shot a group of 3 arrows that were all touching.

The difference between the single carbon and the double carbon is enhanced performance.

My double carbon bow is beautiful. It has highly figured Koa veneer on the belly. In addition to his work as a bowyer, Sixby is an artist. He added animal tracks to the riser and an arrow head figure to the lower limb.

My double carbon bow is a two piece using the locket-socket connection system. The fit between the two pieces is excellent. There is no delectable movement when the limbs are joined even before the bow is braced.

My double carbon bow is beautiful. It has highly figured Koa veneer on the belly. In addition to his work as a bowyer, Sixby is an artist. He added animal tracks to the riser and an arrow head figure to the lower limb.

My double carbon bow is a two piece using the locket-socket connection system. The fit between the two pieces is excellent. There is no delectable movement when the limbs are joined even before the bow is braced.

I have a 37 year old bow still cranking them out.It has seen some hard times.Its been refinished 3 times .Really dont know what longevety any bow may or may not have.If they were well built in the first place the majority should last a long time.Then again you could just be lucky.I am shooting mine till it dies a natural death.Just remember a broken bow can be duplicated and almost shoot the same.Thats what I intend to do with mine if it eventually breaks. OSR

Here is an update. Between my son and I, we are over 10,000 arrows shooting Sixby's Frontier 66 longbow. I have measured the speed using a chronometer. There is no difference between the speed as measured when new and today. There is no change in the bow, in appearance, or feel.

A bow is the sum total of its parts. If each component is made within spec then the burden lies on the glue and the person laminating it. Surface prep and acute monitoring still cqnnot remove the "human element" and a few bad ones will slip by quality control. When its in the hands of the end user(s), it then becomes a matter of how that individual cares for his equipment.

I'll bet your string needs replacing pretty often with that much shooting.

Watch for string wear.

Frank, you may have an infarction if I told you how many thousands of shots I can put through one string....so I won't. I shoot a lot and am shooting strings that I bought five years ago.

The Frontier 66 still lives, well over 20,000 arrows now.

Gil, it sound's like you have a real keeper.

I have about 200,000 arrows through a Hill Big 5, 65#/68" that I shot for over twenty years. I had Craig refinish the bow a few years ago and it looks and shoots like the day I received it new. Using that bow over that period I also estimated that I made about 500 POC arrows over that same period, or an average of 400 shots/arrow. 10-20 strings, about a dozen Hill gloves, one Hill quiver. Besides hunting, I mostly stump shoot and rove.

One year I shot 84000 arrows threw the same bow, it was a Damon Howatt Mamba, 86#. One time I got myself a brand new Damon Howatt Hunter and it blew up on the second arrow I shot, it was 75#. In about 30 years I have had seven bows blow up while shooting them. You just never know.

I shoot a lot and the one and only time I've had a laminated bow let go on me was when I hit a rock with the bottom limb on my old Bear Black Bear Hunter about 30 years ago.

Other wise they'd only blow up if there's a manufacturing fault, which is not high numbers from what I see.

If looked after, a good laminated bow will out last you.

I know of a couple guys that only shot a few arrows and bows delaminated on them a new bow recently to. I guess its unwritten when but generally I'd say generations of shooters are out there.

One thing we don't really know is how its been handled prior to us but in the case of the bow above I think something failed and just what unsure but bowyer built him anoher bow and replaced it.

An older bow I guess bow rack of lamp stand and a lot of crying.

Bother, it may break; quit shooting it & hang it on the wall. Now no more worry.

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