When you are traveling to and from archery with your bow, it’s important to know how to take the best possible care of it to ensure it lasts.
However, if you’re new to the sport of archery you might be curious to know: Is it bad to leave a bow in a hot car?
In this article, I will cover some important information about maintaining your bow, including whether it’s bad to leave a bow in a hot car.
Keep reading to find out more.
When investing in a good bow, proper storage cannot be underestimated in terms of how long your bow will last. Proper storage ensures that your bow will keep shooting like its new and will also help to prevent accidental damage from occurring.
Good storage refers to keeping your bow in the right environment, as well as in a protective case to ensure that it remains in the best condition.
Is it bad to leave a bow in a hot car?
It’s fundamental to keep your bow protected when traveling to and from the shooting range. Sometimes you might feel tempted to leave your bow in a car for convenience, but when it is hot out, it is generally considered bad to do so.
You might think keeping your bow in the car while you are at work could save you from having to travel home for your bow before you head to the range. However, you should never do this, especially when it’s in the peak of summer.
Leaving a bow in a hot car won’t do it any good. The reason for this primarily comes down to the fact that the extreme heat can cause your bowstring to stretch and can even damage your bow if you’re not careful. Your bow’s strings and cables will be the first thing affected by excessive heat, then the limbs.
As a result, it’s best to avoid this event wherever possible, as the lifespan of your bow relies on you keeping it in a climate controlled environment. That being said, you shouldn’t keep your bow in a car that is too hot, or too cold for that matter.
The extent to which it is affected depends not only on how extreme the temperature is. If it’s imperative that you make a stop between the shooting range and your home when the sun is blazing hot, you will need to make sure that you park in the shade and that it’s only a quick visit.
You should also always keep your bow out of direct sunlight. This will also help to maintain and preserve your bow for longer periods of time.
Is cold weather bad for bows?
Yes, as I briefly mentioned above, your bow shouldn’t be kept in hot or cold temperatures. Any extreme is not good for the bow’s strings, cables, and limbs, and there are some potential problems that you should be aware of before shooting in the cold.
Cold weather tends to make your bow stiffer, which in turn puts more pressure on the bow’s string and limbs. To put it simply, the cold makes the bow harder to pull back, and could affect your overall performance as a result of this.
Archers sometimes complain about their accuracy being affected due to the cold weather when using a whisker biscuit style arrow rest. This generally happens because the whiskers have a tendency to stiffen and can cause some minor arrow deflection that wouldn’t usually occur to the same degree if it wasn’t cold.
That being said, shooting in cold weather is more likely to take its toll on you before it takes a toll on your bow. For instance, it is worth mentioning that the temperature might affect your accuracy. This comes down to the fact that you have to layer up and wear gloves while shooting in the winter, and this can hinder your normal shooting. Not only can your accuracy be affected by this, but your form can be, also.
You should also make sure that you keep it from a moisture prone environment, including your garden shed. This is because your bow’s limbs may absorb the moisture, causing the bow to deteriorate and the metal parts of it to rust.
In summary
Yes, it is bad to leave a bow in a hot car, and you should always take the precaution to avoid this if you are to keep your bow in the best condition.
This comes down to the fact that extreme temperatures can affect your bow’s strings and cables, and also affect the overall quality and performance of your bow.
The bottom line is that if you want your bow to last, then you shouldn’t keep your bow in any kind of extreme temperatures.
