Bows and arrows are the main constituents of archery. Studies have shown that the bows were developed in either early Mesolithic age or late Paleolithic age. Pines were used for making arrows.

Bows are of different types such as Longbow, shortbow, flatbow, recurve bow, crossbow and compound bow. Longbow as the name suggests is very long; the length of the bow is equal to the height of the user and in some cases even exceeds the height of the user. The limb of the Flatbow is wider and the cross-section is rectangular in shape.

Shortbow is shorter in length; it is light weight and has a short range. It was basically used for hunting purpose. In crossbow the limbs are mounted in a horizontal manner and not in a vertical manner. The compound bow is designed in such as manner that the archer is at his ease while mounting the bow.

An arrow is made up of shaft; it has an arrowhead which is at the front portion of the arrow. These arrowheads which are made of metals or some other materials are used to target points. In order to properly shoot an arrow the archer has to maintain a proper stance. The posture of the body, the eye and the way the archer is holding the bow should be proper.

Sight shooting and instinctive shooting are the two methods adopted by an archer while shooting n arrow. In instinctive shooting the archer has to completely concentrate on the target while shooting the arrow. It requires a lot of practice. Whereas in case of sight shooting the archer can adjust the pins which are there on the bows to target an object, his is relatively easy. Previously instinctive shooting was the norm but at present sight shooting is more preferred.

As the civilization started advancing materialistically, people started thinking of developing some mechanism which was more lethal and more effective in comparison to bows and arrows. Development of firearms was a step in this direction; it made bows and arrows completely obsolete.

Bows and arrows which were extensively used in wars by the soldiers gave way to firearms. Those kingdoms which did not possess firearms started losing their stronghold and were defeated in the war filed. The firearms had many advantages over bows and arrows. They had long range, they were more lethal, using them did not require lots of training and no major skill was required to use this weapons.

Today archery has become a sporting activity; some even use it for recreational purposes. Although today archery has lost its sheen but we should not forget that it has played a pivotal role in shaping human civilization.

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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.

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