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Author Topic: Extreme cold and Osage  (Read 2486 times)

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Offline JW_Halverson

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Extreme cold and Osage
« on: December 02, 2011, 01:52:37 pm »
One of my osage bows ended up in Noatak (Nuataaq), AK.  It's wayyy the heck up in the far northwest corner on the coast.  He's not the brightest candle on the chandelier and for some reason thinks he wants to go outside and shoot this bow.  The other day it had warmed up to -21F.  He wants to know if he can safely shoot this bow.  I can't remember the exact dimensions, but about 63", flatbow, 1 1/2 at the fades, stiff handle with 1 1/2 fadeouts sounds right.

Anyone have experience with osage and extreme cold. 

(put it this way, if I was a 63" flatbow in the lower 48, I'd be a kid's horsebow up in those temps)
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Offline Kpete

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Re: Extreme cold and Osage
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2011, 03:11:50 pm »
John,
The cold temp would probably reduce the heat from air/bow limb friction to safer levels. :o
Didn't one of the archery pioneers from the pre-fiberglass era shoot a polar bear-probably with osage or yew?  Art Young perhaps?
I shot a fiberglass recurve at -14 degrees one time-bow came through it ok but my fingers felt like they were pulling on a knife blade.  By the way, a deer got in the way of the arrow and was flash frozen before she hit the ground! ::)
kp
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Extreme cold and Osage
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2011, 09:48:38 pm »
Tell him to wrap some pipe heat tape on the limbs >:D
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Extreme cold and Osage
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2011, 10:04:07 pm »
It's a really nice bow, shoots hard and sweet.  But if you think I'd have any qualms of conscience busting it up for firewood, you are living in a fantasy world. 

I'll tell him to wrap it, OO!

I take it from the lack of responses most of you have never shot osage at -21F before.   :laugh:
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Extreme cold and Osage
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2011, 10:46:08 pm »
Add 25-30 degrees to it and I have experience J-Dub-ya. If he took it out of his toasty warm igloo and shot for maybe 5 minutes at a time I dont think he woud hurt it any. Unless it was a matter or life and death, I wouldnt wnat to find out how long it would last in that temp.
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Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: Extreme cold and Osage
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2011, 11:06:41 pm »
If it explodes and hits him in the head he wont feel it.  :o
Wood definitely gets more brittle as it freezes so I would be nervous.
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Offline JackCrafty

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Re: Extreme cold and Osage
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2011, 11:29:19 pm »
Well, this is probably on of those stories where the guy takes the bow out, drops it in the snow by accident, then goes back inside to get some coffee, comes back out and spills steaming hot coffee on it when he picks it up out of the snow, then target practices with it for a couple hours, drops it in the ocean while shooting a seal, dries it over a fire, and then runs over it with a dogsled on the way home.  Oh yeah, the string broke and was replaced twice during target practice.

The bow remained in good condition but no one knew because the guy thought no one would believe him.

Moral of the story:  KEEP US POSTED!   :o ;D
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Offline Badger

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Re: Extreme cold and Osage
« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2011, 11:57:18 pm »
  The bulk of osage bows that I have broken were mostly because I let them get too dry. I know super cold weather will dry them out and make them a bit stiffer on top of that. I would certainly be cautious. I hunted at plus 10 degrees but looking back I never got a shot off so really couldn't say
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Extreme cold and Osage
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2011, 12:38:32 am »
Tell him to shoot it inside the house.  Just make sure the wife and kids are not home. 

I've shot a modern bow inside a house before.  And that has absolutely nothing to do with the field point lodged in the door frame ;D
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Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Extreme cold and Osage
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2011, 01:24:03 am »
I shot one buck with a sinew backed osage bow at -5, probably the high point of my hunting career.  The bow felt very stiff, then again I'd been kneeling in the snow for almost an hour when he trotted by and I was very stiff too.  I don't think I got it all the way back, but the arrow didn't have to travel very far.  The bow held together just fine.  Sinew works really well in the very low temps.  Not sure how an unbacked bow would do.

George
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St Paul, TX
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