How do I safely let down a compound bow from full draw?

The Codex opens at once, for this is a matter the Committee neglected to stamp with a warning and ought to have. A dry-fire - releasing the string without an arrow - is among the most reliably destructive acts in archery. It transfers the full energy of the limbs into the bow's own structure rather than into a projectile, and it can shatter cams, crack limbs, and send fragments toward the archer's face. You will not do it.

To let down a compound bow safely from full draw, you hold your anchor, relax your back tension deliberately, and allow the draw hand to move forward - slowly, under muscular control - while the bow hand holds the grip steady. You are fighting the peak weight only briefly; most compounds drop off sharply past the valley, so the critical moment is getting back through the wall and into the ramp without losing grip on the string. Keep the bow pointed safely downrange throughout. Never simply open your fingers. Maintain your grip on the string with your draw hand and guide it forward until the bow returns to brace height.

If the bow is too heavy to let down under control - if your muscles are already failing at full draw - this is diagnostic information. It means the draw weight is above your current capacity, and you should have the draw weight reduced by a qualified technician before shooting again. Operating a bow you cannot safely let down is not a technique problem; it is a setup problem. Draw weight can typically be reduced by backing out the limb bolts evenly, a quarter-turn at a time, consulting the bow's specification for the minimum safe adjustment. Do not exceed the manufacturer's limb-bolt range.

Some archers use a bow-mounted let-down aid or work with a partner who can assist with forward pressure on the string - both acceptable. The fourth vane would have steadied the shot and perhaps spared you the need to abort it, but even in a three-fletch world the let-down must be executed with patience and muscular honesty.