Compound Bow Maintenance and Cleaning
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By James Holbert · Explained Archery
Compound bow maintenance is mostly five minutes of looking and a stick of wax. Wax the string every two to three weeks of shooting, check the strands, cams, limbs and accessory screws each month, clean the bow with a damp cloth and nothing stronger, and leave anything that needs a bow press to a shop. Do that and a string lasts two to three years instead of failing mid-draw.
Quick answer: the maintenance schedule
| How often | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Every session | Glance at the string and serving, check the rest and sight are tight, wipe the bow down if it got wet | 1 minute |
| Every 2 to 3 weeks of shooting | Wax the string and cables, work it in, wipe off the excess | 5 minutes |
| Monthly | Full inspection: strands, serving, cam lean and timing, limbs, axles, every screw | 15 minutes |
| Every 6 months | Measure axle-to-axle and brace height against the maker's spec, deep clean, re-torque accessories | 30 minutes |
| Every 2 to 3 years, or 2,000 to 3,000 shots | New string and cable set, fitted and timed at a shop | Shop visit |
| Immediately | After a dry fire, a fall, a hard knock, or any new noise or feel | Stop shooting |
Shoot in rain, mud or salt air and everything on this list moves up a step.
How to wax a bowstring
Wax is what stops the individual strands abrading against each other. A dry string fuzzes, then frays, then breaks, and a string that breaks under draw is effectively a dry fire.
If the string still looks fuzzy after waxing, the fuzz is broken strand fiber and the string is nearing the end of its life.
How often: every two to three weeks if you shoot regularly, after any session in rain or heavy dew, and before storing the bow for a season. Over-waxing does no harm beyond attracting dirt.
The monthly inspection
Do this with the bow at rest and in good light. Work top to bottom so you never skip a part.
String and cables
Run a finger along the full length of each. You are feeling for cut or lifted strands and looking for serving that has separated, slid along the string, or opened into a visible gap. A single cut strand means the set is finished. Serving separation at the cam or the loop is the most common failure and it is repairable, but only by a shop with a press.
Cams
Every maker puts timing marks or holes on the cams. The safe way to check them is a draw board, which holds the bow at full draw so nobody is standing at the string. If you have no draw board, a shop will check timing in seconds. Then sight down the bow from one end and look for cam lean, where the cam tips sideways rather than sitting square to the string. New lean or timing drift usually means the string has stretched.
Limbs
Check the face and both edges of each limb, paying most attention to where the limb meets the pocket and to the last few inches near the cam. Hairline cracks running across the limb, lifting layers and splinters all mean stop. Limbs are replaced in pairs and never repaired.
D-loop and peep serving
These two get missed and both fail at full draw. Check the D-loop for fraying or a glazed, shiny patch where it runs on the string, and check the knots have not crept. Check the serving above and below the peep for gaps and for the peep rotating away from your eye. A D-loop that lets go at full draw is a dry fire with your release hand attached to it, so replace one that looks worn rather than shooting it out.
Screws and mounts
Check the sight, rest, quiver mount, stabilizer and any dampeners. Use the hex key that fits properly, not one that nearly fits, and tighten to the torque in your manual. If the manual is long gone, every major maker publishes specs on its website, and a small inch-pound torque wrench costs less than one stripped riser thread. Overtightening an accessory bolt into an aluminum riser strips the thread, which is a worse problem than a loose sight.
How to clean a compound bow
Cleaning is simple and the main skill is knowing what to keep away from it.
| Part | Use | Never use |
|---|---|---|
| Riser and limbs | A cloth damp with water, or mild soap and water, then dry | Solvents, acetone, alcohol, abrasive pads |
| String and cables | Bowstring wax only, and fingers to work it in | Any petroleum product, WD-40, degreaser, or soap |
| Cams and axles | A dry cloth or soft brush, then a trace of light machine oil on the axle ends only if the manual allows it | WD-40 and spray lubricants that creep onto the string |
| Sight glass and lens | A lens cloth | Paper towel, shirt cuff, glass cleaner |
| Rest launcher | Dry cloth, and a dry lubricant on moving parts if the maker specifies one | Sticky oils that hold grit against the arrow |
| Grip | Soap and water | Anything that leaves the grip slippery |
The common thread: nothing petroleum-based goes near the string, and nothing abrasive goes near a finish.
If the bow has been in salt air or mud, rinse the metal with fresh water on a cloth, dry it fully and re-wax the string the same day. Water on its own does not hurt a modern bow, but water left sitting in a cam bearing does.
Checking axle-to-axle and brace height
These two measurements are the quiet early warning that a string set is stretching, and both are in your bow's spec sheet.
Axle-to-axle is measured center to center between the two cam axles. Brace height is from the deepest part of the grip, the pivot point, straight back to the string. Measure them when the bow is new, write the numbers down, and compare every six months.
| What you find | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Both match the spec sheet | The string set is stable | Nothing |
| Brace height has dropped by 1/8 in or more | The string has stretched or the cables have crept | Shop visit for a twist adjustment |
| Axle-to-axle has grown | Cables stretched, cams likely out of time too | Shop visit |
| Numbers shift and the bow is also noisier | Stretch is far enough along to change tune | Plan a new string set |
A shop can add twists to recover a small amount of stretch. Past that, the set is worn out.
Twisting a string or cable to move brace height also shifts draw length and cam timing, so re-check draw weight with a bow scale and re-sight the bow after any adjustment.
When to replace the string and cables
Replace the set on whichever of these comes first.
- Age: two to three years for a regularly shot bow, even if it looks fine. String material creeps and loses its finish with time alone.
- Shot count: roughly 2,000 to 3,000 shots. A competitive target archer reaches that in a season; a hunter may take five years.
- Damage: any cut strand, any separated or sliding serving, any burn mark. Immediately, not at the end of the season.
- After a dry fire: assume the set is finished. See dry firing a compound bow for the full inspection.
- Persistent tuning drift: if peep rotation or nock travel keeps moving after you correct it, the set is stretching.
A new set is fitted and timed in a press, and the bow needs re-sighting afterwards. Budget for the shop time as well as the string.
What to leave to a bow shop
| Do it yourself | Take it to a shop |
|---|---|
| Waxing the string and cables | Fitting a new string or cable set |
| Visual inspection of strands, limbs and cams | Any work needing a bow press |
| Tightening accessory screws to spec | Cam timing and cam lean correction |
| Cleaning the riser, limbs and grip | Replacing limbs, axles or bearings |
| Measuring axle-to-axle and brace height | Adjusting draw length modules you are unsure about |
| Adjusting your own sight and rest | Peep sight installation and serving repair |
| Turning limb bolts within the manual's range | Anything after a dry fire or a fall |
The dividing line is the press. A compound at rest still holds most of its stored energy, and releasing it without a press is how people get hurt.
What not to do to a compound bow
- Never put WD-40, oil or solvent on the string or cables
- Never back a limb bolt out past the maximum number of turns in the manual
- Never use a bow press unless you have been shown how on that model
- Never store a bow in a hot car or a damp shed; see how to store a compound bow
- Never draw a bow with no arrow to test how it feels
- Never shoot an arrow below 5 grains per pound of draw weight
- Never ignore a new noise, a new vibration or a change in draw feel
These are the avoidable ones. Wear is predictable and cheap to stay ahead of; the list above is what turns a service item into a repair.
Pre-season and pre-hunt checks
Do this two weeks before the season, not the night before, so there is time for a shop visit if something is wrong.
Related guides
Storage, setup and the checks that pair with maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the maintenance questions people ask most.
How often should you wax a bowstring?
Every two to three weeks of regular shooting, and after any session in rain or heavy dew. Work the wax into the strands with your fingers and wipe off the excess.
How do you clean a compound bow?
A cloth damp with water, or mild soap and water, on the riser, limbs and grip, then dry it. Keep every solvent and petroleum product away from the string and cables.
Can you use WD-40 on a compound bow?
No. It creeps into the string and cables and breaks down the wax and the fibers. Use bowstring wax on the string and, at most, a trace of light machine oil on axle ends if the manual allows it.
How long does a compound bow string last?
Two to three years of regular shooting, or roughly 2,000 to 3,000 shots. Replace it immediately if you find a cut strand or separated serving, whatever its age.
How do I know if my bow string needs replacing?
Look for cut or lifted strands, serving that has separated or slid, fuzz that stays after waxing, and brace height that has dropped by an eighth of an inch or more.
What maintenance can I do without a bow press?
Waxing, inspection, cleaning, tightening accessories to spec, measuring brace height and axle-to-axle, and turning limb bolts within the manual's range. Everything else needs a press and a shop.
How tight should limb bolts be?
Follow the manual. It gives a maximum number of turns out from fully bottomed, and going past it can let a limb shift in its pocket. Turn both bolts equally.
Do I need to do anything after shooting in the rain?
Dry the bow with a cloth, pay attention to the cam bearings and any water sitting in the riser cutouts, and re-wax the string the same day.
References
These sources support the schedule, cleaning and replacement guidance on this page.