How To Store Your Compound Bow In A Case

No matter if you’re taking a little break from hunting or if your season is over, it’s important to know how to properly store your compound bow in case. Of course, you can easily just hang it up or throw it in a case and not worry, but why not take a little time to make sure you’re doing it right?

The steps below are some of the same steps I take to store my bow each and every year. By doing so, I extended the life of my equipment and know that everything I own will be ready to perform for the following season. We hope the information below helps you feel at ease this offseason, and that you come back to reference this article time and time again.

Choose The Right Bow Case

Before you pack up things for the spring and store your bow for the offseason, the first and best step to properly store your bow is choosing the best bow case for you. Purchasing a high-quality bow case will ensure that it is well-protected and ready to go for the following year.

Also, here’s a quick list of the tops things to consider if you’re looking for a new bow case:

1. Outer Shell
2. Foam
3. Storage
4. Security

Lock Up Your Case

As mentioned in the list above, it’s nearly essential for a bow case to have some sort of security feature available. You’ll find that most hard bow cases have either a single, plastic hasp or multiple (padlock) stainless steel lock hasps. Of course, the latter offers hunters an added level of security and comfort and should be considered if you’re going to store you compound bow in less secure areas.

Unfortunately, many soft cases do not come with a lockable features. As a result, we do not recommend storing your bow in soft cases while traveling or if it’s going to sit extended periods of time.

Make Sure It Fits

Most manufactures will list both the interior and exterior dimensions of their case models. While exterior dimensions help you figure out where you can store your bow case, the interior dimensions are there to ensure you bow will fit. Most bows will fit within any case, but today’s accessories (e.g. Sights, Rests, etc.) often make the bow much wider. Be sure to measure your bow all of its permanently attached accessories before you make a final decision.

What Else Will A Bow Case Store?

Obviously, the most important thing here is the bow, but taking the time to properly store any accessories can extended the life of those tools and prevent any mishaps from occurring. Such accessories might include arrows, quivers, bow releases, stabilizers, etc. just to name a few.

While storing all of these items can be overwhelming, many of today’s top bow case brands are designing the cases with this problem in mind. For instance, the Pelican 1745 Bow Case offers organized storage compartments that hold all the aforementioned pieces of gear without worry. Take the time to review what storage options your bow case (or potentially new case) offers and how it matches up with the gear you usually carry.

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Cleaning and Storage Tips

Most people don’t take the time to clean your bow or bow case before packing it away for months. Of course, if you hunt with a gun you know that this is a big no-no. Storing your gun for months without cleaning is a terrible idea, and a concept that should be brought over to bows as well.

1. Cleaning Your Case First

If you have the time, it’s best to clean your bow case as dirt, dust, and other harmful materials can find its way into the nooks and crannies. Depending on the case, you should be able to remove all storage and foam pieces to properly clean the inner casing of the outside shells. Once everything is removed take a simple cleaning solution, along with a clean rag, and wipe down everything.

One additional note, if the interior of the case was recently exposed to water or intense moisture, try removing the foam to dry before placing your bow inside for long periods of time.

2. How To Prevent Rust On Your Bow

The first step you can take in preventing your bow from getting rust is to purchase a watertight case. By preventing outside water and moisture form entering the case, you ensure you’re putting your equipment in the best position possible.

From there, pick the right spot to store your bow. Pelican recommends that the temperature be somewhere around 70 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity of 50 to 55 percent. If this is not available, they recommend purchasing a humidifier to mitigate such issues.

Lastly, as many do with guns, it’s important to wipe down your bow every time you remove it from the case. Each time you touch the metal areas of your bow you increase the chances of items such as dirt, oil, etc. finding its way onto your bow – thus increasing the chances of rust.

Keep In Mind: Factors like heat, water, and oxygen play a large role in how fast rust can form.

3. Long Term Storage

Whether you’re storing your bow case for a few weeks or a few months, taking the correct action steps can make your bow last for years to come, while providing increased accuracy. And remember these are things you give up if you choose to store you bow without a case. Many of the tips above should be followed when storing a bow for long periods of time. In case you’re in a hurry, we’ve listed a few high-level, quick steps to remember:

1. Securely Strap Your Bow and Accessories
2. Make Sure All Debris Is Removed
3. Ensure Locks Are Secure
4. Place In A Proper and Safe Storage Area