#archery 101

So I am going to be talking about two common bows used in archery. The recurve bow and the compound bow.

The Recurve Bow:

This is usually the popular choice for beginners because it is very basic. Which looks like this. It can also come in other styles you can choose from once you become more familiar, but this is just the basics.

Now and days, most recurve bows are made of better materials. The limb is typically made up of fiberglass and the riser can be made of wood, carbon, or aluminum/magnesium alloy. The string can be made of any natural fibers like hemp, linen, or vegetable fibers.

It is important to keep up with maintenance on your bow to ensure it lasts a long time. For the string, you can buy wax to put in it to keep the frayed parts controlled and to keep more from coming when knocking your arrow and drawing. There are many YouTube videos that can explain how to properly apply the wax and I’ll add those at the end.

(Source: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/shoot-bow-arrow/)

The above article also explains the basics to technique and stance when shooting. It is hard to explain this since I am not with you, so I will stick with equipment and structure.

Continuing! In order to shoot at your best performance, you have to first fit your bow. Now this process is essentially the same for recurve and compound bows and it is the most important part when doing archery. Without the correct size, you can’t learn to shoot correctly.

First is the draw length, meaning, how far back the string can be pulled. To calculate your draw length, spread our both arms to be perpendicular to the rest of your body. Measure from the tip of both of your middles fingers and divide by 2.5

Now that you have a measurement, you can measure the bow that fits you best and it is measure the same way you measure yourself, from tip to tip, but you don’t need to divide it.

Here is a chart to help determine proper draw length:

DRAW LENGTH……………..BOW LENGTH

14-16 inches……………….48 inches

17-20 inches……………….54 inches

20-22 inches……………….58 inches

22-24 inches……………….62 inches

24-26 inches……………….64-66 inches

26-28 inches……………….66-68 inches

28-30 inches……………….68-70 inches

31 inches and longer…………70-72 inches

(Source: http://www.lancasterarchery.com/blog/what-size-recurve-bow-is-right-for-me/)

If you choose the wrong length, you could end up over-drawing or under-drawing your bow. This will make an impact accuracy and how fast the arrow can fly. I recommend you talk with an expert the first time so they can explain how this is done so you know for future purchases.

FOR MY LEFTIES: 

Unfortunately a lot of archery equipment is made for right handed people, so you will likely have to special order sights to fit for you. Most sights are made for right handed people and can be ‘switched’ to be left handed but end up being upside down and this is not the best use of them, so you may have to order a special one. For your grips or release aids, these can be easily adjusted to use on the left or right. Most are set up for right handed people, but the equipment can be changed to suit a left handed person. And the left hand bows are not in abundance at most shops, but if you search you can find one (Mathews is a brand that I know sells some).

Now onto other measurements for your bow. Your draw weight. Measured in pounds. This is how much force it takes to draw the string back to its ideal length (not always the full draw length, refer back to over-drawing). There isn’t really a way to measure this for yourself except how much force can you draw back comfortably. 

For beginners with a recurve:

Youth (Age 8 to 10) 10 - 12 pounds

Youth (Age 11 to 13) 10 - 14 pounds

Teens (Age 14 to 17) 12 - 16 pounds

Young Adults (Age 18 to 20) 16 - 22 pounds

Adult Women 16 - 26 pounds

Adult Men 22 - 28 pounds

For intermediate to professionals with a recurve:

Youth (Age 8 to 10) 10 - 14 pounds

Youth (Age 11 to 13) 12 - 18

Teens (Age 14 to 17) 16 - 22 pounds

Young Adults (Age 18 to 20) 18 - 26 pounds

Adult Women 22 - 32 pounds

Adult Men 26 - 38 pounds

(Source: http://www.learn-archery.com/proper-draw-weight.html)

In summary of the recurve bow, it is important to have a proper fitting as this promotes accuracy, efficiency and limits injuries too. Be sure to talk with a expert when first purchasing a recurve bow and have them explain to you what to do the next time you are purchasing. This will help you understand not only how to properly fit a bow, but you will also come to learn your personal measurements.

The Compound Bow:

This is what I currently use. I used the recurve as a beginner, but when you become more familiar with how to fit a bow, and the equipment you like, or brands you like. You can really use anything you want. The imagine below is the compound bow I currently own.

The fitting for a compound is basically the same for a recurve bow, but there is one more factor that comes into play with these that can help you find a bow right for you. This is due to the cam systems (which includes a top and bottom cam) and the multiple cable systems of the bow (as shown in the diagram below).

Your let-off. In a compound bow, this is how much draw weight is taken off when the bow is fully drawn. The cam systems use stored energy to help ‘fling’ the arrow without the added strength, which can reduce the draw weight between half or two-thirds of the weight. In a recurve it’s all of your strength to get the arrow to fly where as in a compound, you have the aid of the cam systems. 

To better understand let-off percentages, check this website: http://www.lancasterarchery.com/blog/what-is-compound-bow-let-off/

Now I am going to talk about the anatomy of the compound bow because it’s a little more complicated than a recurve. 

With the limbs of the compound, this is where the energy is stored when you draw the string. In the diagram you can see the traditional “D” shape of the bow. However, with compound bows you can also have what is referred to as parallel limbs and split limbs. 

Parallel limbs are just when the limbs are well...parallel and less curved. They can have different degrees of being parallel or not, it just depends on what you prefer. However, the benefits to a bow with parallel limbs is that they are typically quieter and have less recoil. 

With a split limb bow, the benefits are more durable and produce less hand shock than a solid limb. 

(Source: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/a-primer-on-the-compound-bow/)

Now with the cams, the part that makes a compound bow unique. There are many types of cams including round wheels, soft cams, hard cams, single cams, or 1.5 hybrid cams (It’s best to look these up if you want to know the difference). When it comes to choosing these, it’s really based on what you will be using them for like hunting maybe, and preference. 

Now the cam systems. There are four types of cam systems including a single cam (the most popular and most common), hybrid cams, binary cams, and twin cams. 

There are many benefits and disadvantages to each, again it’s based on what they are used for and preference. 

Now there is some important information regarding the string and the cables, but I will attach a website that explains it better. (https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/a-primer-on-the-compound-bow/)

The Equipment:

The arrow rest. This is exactly what it sounds like. This is the spot where you rest the arrow once its placed and ready to be fired. There are several types of rests such as a containment rest (this is the one you usually find this one on starter compounds), but as you become more experienced you can use the drop away (my favorite and one I use now), the shoot-thru, and the pressure. 

The peep sight. This is a tiny whole made by a little plastic ring that is inserted between your strings that you look through to see your sight. 

The Sight. This is used to determine the distance of your target and gain better accuracy when shooting. There are also different types to these as well. The most common being the fixed pin. This sight has little pins that equate to different distances, and it can have 3-5 pins. Other types are the movable pin and pendulum pin sights. These are just simpler when you need to adjust the sight quickly, but it is meant for more experienced archers who can determine distance very accurately. 

(Fixed pin sight with three pins. Top pin is set for 10 yards, the middle is 20 and the bottom is 30, these can be adjusted as needed.)

The string vibration arrester. This just helps absorb sound and vibration when shooting your bow. No sense in using a quiet weapon if it’s not quiet. 

The stabilizer. This is optional to add to your bow.  This attaches right below where you rest your hand on the grip. This is used to steady your bow and keep it from moving around a lot. It also helps to reduce vibration and noise. It isn’t necessary to have unless you’re hunting. 

The mechanical release. This is my favorite part, and I’m not sure why, but I own like five of these. The mechanical release is used to pull the string back instead of using your fingers. You can also use the release for a recurve. A mechanical release is set up to attach to the knocking point on a recurve and compound. Sometimes on a compound there is a little loop on the cable that this release can attach to. Much like a gun, the release has a little trigger than you press to release the string. It saves your fingers from drawing so much, and it makes any outside force on the bow, minimal.

The quiver. This is just a bag or plastic container to carry your arrows. Some attach to your bow, you can have some that sling across your body, or one that attaches like a thigh holster. 

The arm guard. This is some kind of fabric that covers the fore arm to prevent the bow string from hitting you. It can be painful, but I recommend using it when first learning to do archery to prevent injuries. 

Maintenance:

The bow strings. Whether your using a recurve or compound. The maintenance is the same. Depending on your draw weight and how often you shoot. Make sure you are checking your strings. They do wear down, but of they are cared for they can last up to 3 years. If they are broken or frayed. Replace it! If your unsure, go find an expert. Injuries from a snapped bow string are not fun or pretty! 

To help maintain your bow string integrity you can purchase wax. It usually comes in a stick form like chapstick or deodorant. Just rub it onto the string and then rub it into the string with your fingers and apply enough pressure to heat up the wax so it gets into the string. There are some YouTube videos that can show you how to do this.

General. Things can get loose or worn down. Just do a tune up every year to make sure the bow is in good condition. This can prevent injuries or just having to buy an entire new bow which gets expensive. 

https://www.completeguidetoarchery.com/bow-maintenance-tips-for-archers/

Arrows:

There is not much to know about arrows except the different types. You have the ones used in hunting, the ones for practice or sport. 

For hunting or any arrow you want to do serious damage. You can buy sharpened metal arrow heads. These arrows are heavier and sturdier so they can pierce through an animal. For practice arrows they are lighter and made of lighter materials. I like to use practice arrows that are very vibrant to help me find them easier and you can usually buy a pack of them. 

Expenses:

Bows can range from less than $100 USD to over $1000 USD. It depends on the quality, brand and if you are having it customized.

The equipment can be about the same, maybe not $1000 USD, but again it depends on the brand and if its custom.

And last but not least, one piece of terminology most archers will use is FPS. Or feet per second. This refers to how fast an arrow flies. A bow with a higher fps shoots the arrow fast. So the higher the fps the faster the bow.