Dry firing is the act of shooting a crossbow without an arrow. It can cause severe damage to the crossbow, especially compound crossbows, and usually breaches the warranty of the crossbow. Before dry firing your crossbow, examining it for any damage is essential. Check the limbs and riser for splinters or cracks. If you dry fire your crossbow, cock it slowly and take a practice shot to check accuracy. The dry firing of a crossbow can ruin it. Many modern crossbows come with features such as anti-dry fire mechanisms preventing this. However, if you do not have one of these features on your crossbow, you may be lucky enough to avoid any damage if you dry-fire your crossbow correctly and cautiously. It is always best to consult an expert before attempting this to ensure you do not compromise your safety and those around you.