Archery Lessons – Types Of Bows Explained

admin — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:15:48 +0000

The bow has been used by man for centuries, even thousands of years as a hunting equipment of choice and as a weapon of war. The ability to inflict damage upon targets meters away was the main reason why the bow was a staple in every mayor civilization’s army. As the time went by bows got replaced by gunpowder weapons since their range and power were far more superior. From that point on in history bows were mainly used for hunting and at a later date for competition purposes. In recent years, due to a rising demand for recreational and competitive archery we’ve seen the introduction of different types of bows that are suitable for every skill level and are of archery. Mainly there are three main types of bows: longbow, recurve bow and the compound bow.

Longbow

The longbow has been around for ages and was popular for sport and as a weapon of war during the middle ages, especially during the hundred years’ war. The longbow is made out of a single piece of wood lacking any accessories which makes them really difficult to master compared to the compound and the recurve bow. Longbows are approximately as tall as the archer himself which allows its user a fairly long draw, at least to the jaw. Those that choose to use a longbow will have to settle on a style or form of using a longbow correctly or results will be disappointing. Because longbows do require a fairly high level of skill to shoot accurately, it might be a good idea to take some archery lessons to improve your form and accuracy. During the hundred years’ war you had to train by law at least from the age of seven and you’d shoot at least for two hours every Sunday after church.

Recurve Bow

The recurve bow is probably the most popular bow in existence since most beginners start their archery lessons with this type of bow. The difference between recurve and other bows is that the string touches sections of the limbs of recurve bows when the bow is strung. It’s main parts are the riser, usually made out of wood or plastic and two limbs that are attached to the riser. The name of the bow (recurve) comes from the shape of the limbs, where the bottom part of the limbs curve inside or towards the archer, meanwhile the outer part of the limbs curve away from the archer. Recurve bow, because of it’s design, can store more energy compared to the regular bow.

Compound Bow

First developed in 60’s by Holless Wilbur Allen in Missouri, the compound bow is technologically the most advanced bow of the three types. Main components of this bow include the riser, the limbs and a system of cables and pulleys. The riser is usually made out of aircraft-grade aluminum or magnesium designed to be firm as possible. It also serves as a central mount for the limbs and other accessories like the the magnifying scope, etc. The limbs of the compound bow are made out of composite materials and are much stiffer compared to the limbs of a recurve bow or the longbow. In order to successfully pull the string back enough, a system of cables and pulleys (cams) is set in place at the both extremities of the bow’s limbs. The thing that sets aside this bow from all the other bows is that as the bow is drawn, the draw weight increases to a peak and then “lets off”. The “let off” lets you aim for a longer period of time since the force needed to hold the string is greatly reduced.

Technorati Tags: archery class, archery classes, archery clubs, archery course, archery lesson, archery lessons, archery school, archery schools, history of archery, learn archery, shooting lessons, traditional archery equipment

Archery Lessons » archery class

Archery Lessons – Types Of Bows Explained