Compound Bow and Crossbow Arrows Durability
 

How many times can compound bow arrows and crossbow bolts be reused without needing to be resharped or fixed?
can the same arrow or bolt be used for life as long as you keep repairing it?
Does the durability vary on the arrow/bolt type?
I read that you need to test it before using, by "spinning" for aluminum arrow and check for cracks for the carbon arrow.

Welcome to the forum. The shafts themselves can be used indefinitely as long as they are straight, or in the case of carbon, not compromised. The bolts are usually short and stout enough so that bending is unlikely. Inspection is always a good idea. The broadheads should be resharpened, if possible, or replaced if not, after every use.

all things will wear with time, and time alone can weaken about any thing, the issue becomes more of a GAMBLE as time passes
at what point to do you feel is old enough to replace, as the human eye cannot see the damages a shaft can have, all them sudden stops,m friction rubs in and out of targets, does play into wear and tear, and can structurally damage things
as the shafts DO flex on launch and stop
slight damages can lead to MAJOR failures if things line up right!
I personally retire my arrows/bolts after killing a deer with them, I know MANY DON"T, and re use over and over again!

but to each there own, but damage does occur, and its many times the damage you DON"T see that get you!
as for repairing a shaft
I do NOT Know of how anyone could do so, its made once and that's it
you can re feather things, and change/replace inserts and or nocks
but that's NOT repairing a shaft, that's making the arrow able to be shot again and or fly better!

as for boradheads
they need to be re sharpened as they get dull, how fast they get dull depends on what they are shot into

and they do / can be repaired some what , as in one's that have replaceable parts, but NOT all do

and filling off metal in the process of sharpening things can also effect balance on them
so HOW Much can you remove before things get effected??
that's a unknown impossible question, as a lot comes down to HOW the head/blades are damaged and how much metal has to be removed to correct

if the MAIN body of broad head gets bent, things can get damaged past being able to save, making them useless
I personally think things just need to be examined as they happen and make decisions based on the damages done to things


pure aluminum shafts are more prone to damage too, than carbon/carbon wrapped aluminum shafts
but they all can be damaged to being in an unsafe state

best advice, MIGHT be to look up your arrow makers info on THERE product, and follow there safety recommendations, over advice given freely on a tread!

they spent a LOT of money testing things, and have a liability worry to protect, so there advice will be more accurate than the average hunters shooters, and again things can vary, from brand to brand,a s there NOT all made of the same materials or process!

I put safety always before trying to get more use out of anything!
some folks again will take things closer to the edge than me,
I don;t drive on low tread tires, I don;t wait for a blow out to tell me to replace them, I replace when I feel its time
as an example here
it can be personal, and or you can USE the OEM"S recommendation to make YOUR decision!

My reply failed to go through for some reason. Here it is again. Approximately, how many times could the bolt/arrow be used consecutively on big game without needing to do absolutely any repairs?

I would say "none". Broadhead needs to be sharpened after every use. Shaft should be at least inspected for straightness and /or damage. I've killed as many as 4 deer with the same arrow before needing to replace either the shaft or the blades.

it all comes down to again, WHAT the arrow, broadhead hits or NOT
when it hits softer things and has time to slow down, odds of damage is less, so many many times before NON fix able damage happens,

hit hard objects, be it large bones and or pass thru's and then rocks and such, and damages can happen in ONE Shot, that make them un safe to use
so there is NO real answer that will work all the time, each shot is different, each impact is different,!

I would';t BUY arrows/broad heads with expectations of large amounts of use , I would plan for damage with each kill, and adjust as needed
if still good to keep using, feel free to do so, but its NOT about trying to make use of things the longest, its about using what is safe to use and replacing as needed!

I completed the survey.

What type of tree stands are you focused on?