Why did this happen??

[TimBo]

Probably Oklahoma.

[dylanholderman]

Now that there’s more pics I’ll throw my vote into the “bad wood” pile.
Good wood shouldn’t snap clean across the back like that did.

Is it possible that it was dead standing?
I’ve heard of dead standing Osage having its sapwood gain the appearance of heartwood and then failing when it’s made into a bow

[Bob Barnes]

sorry to see that happen Arvin.  It looks exactly like the break I had on my favorite Joe Mattingly black locust bow.  I put it on the draw weight tree for the MoJam flight shoot and it blew at about 20" as well.  Joe made the bow in 1998 and I had shot it thousands of times...even in the Flight Shoot the year vefore while you were there.  It looked like 'punky' poor quality wood inside the break...just like yours.

[Selfbowman]

Well I had 10-15 hrs in it at that point. Another reason for this to be a hobby. 😀😀😀 Arvin

[Selfbowman]

I did trap the bow but I’m don’t think that was the problem. Arvin

[Badger]

  I have never liked the wood that comes out of Kansas, Missouri, Northern Oklahoma, anywhere on the plains for some reason. Might just have been my own luck, hard to say.

[George Tsoukalas]

Arvin, did it have a heartwood back? Jawge

[Selfbowman]

Yes Jawge. Went down probably 2-3 below sap wood.

[bownarra]

The grain looks like it is half figured.

[Selfbowman]

Back where we stopped on the last one.😃
Arvin

[Selfbowman]

Success the second try! Yeaaa .
Arvin

[eastcreekarchery]

I think the wood would (no pun intended hehe) have had a much more fibrous look after the break if it had been good wood. I agree that it was some sort of decay.

[AndrewS]

May be a combination of different reasons.
Decay, growth disturbance, somewhat too dry.
Good bow performance always stresses the wood on the edge and wood with small defects or in a less than optimal condition gives up faster than the wood we prefer to use.

[bushboy]

This stave was riddled with delamination of the rings.....early wood was very punky.was cut in Tennessee I think?being in Canada...a very expensive failure....