Does rain harm a bow

Question

Does rain (or moisture in general) harm a modern (hunting) recurvebow (including the string)?

Let's talk about a "Bear Archery Grizzly" for example. A glass laminated, wooden recurve.

• Crowned, cut-on center arrow shelf with Bear Hair Rest and leather side plate
• Dacron Flemish string
• 58" AMO length
• FutureWood:

  Fred Bear introduced FutureWood in the 1970's and was re-introduced in the Bear line in 2013 due to request from customers wanting natural hardwoods reminiscent of the early 1970 era bows. This manufacturing process gives completely new physical properties to the wood in the handle section. A pressurized vacuum fills all the natural pores in the wood, increasing its weight and greatly strengthening it. After baking, the handle is no longer natural wood, but Futurewood: It is virtually impossible to warp, check, or crack. Yet, all the grain and original beauty of the natural wood are intact.

A picture may help:

Answer 1

In simple terms. Yes. But it is easily avoided. When not in use dry off the bow and keep it in a waterproof case. Like anything, prolonged moisture is damaging.

Using it in the rain is no problem, I'm talking about days or weeks without being dryed. Same goes with the string. They are usually coated in beeswax but moisture will eventually take effect.

It's nothing to be overly concerned about. Just make sure when you are done for the day give it some TLC. Dry off the string and give it another coat of beeswax before you unstring. Once unstrung dry the bow and put it in a protective case.

If you plan to take it out for a few days hunting there are plenty of lightweight leather cases that can be slung over the shoulder.

Answer 2

From the sales material you quote it sounds like the 'wood' in question has been vacuum stabilised. This involves completely saturating the wood with a polymer resin so it is in effect more like a plastic composite than natural wood but retains the grain and appearance of wood.

As long as the process has bee carried out correctly this should make the material pretty much impervious to moisture and normal rain and weather shouldn't be a problem. Here it sounds like this material has been chosen for aesthetic reasons ie customers want a bow that looks like it is made from wood but for all practical purposes it is a polymer composite material.