Modern Archery Equipment and Terms

Go to: Bow Bow Equipment Arrow Other Equipment Bow The bows of today differ mainly from those of yesterday in materials. Wood is still the most common material, but molded fiberglass, tubular steel, and plastics replace the more "natural" elements of design. Even the old gut bowstring is being replaced with linen, Fortisan, or Dacron cords. Longbow—The longbow of today is quite similar to those used in history. It is made of a single piece wooden stave, string, and handgrip. Sometimes a sight is used. [No picture available} Recurve—Originally one piece bows, they are now usually made of three pieces, the risen and two limbs, which are of layered, laminated carbon. It is currently the only bow used at the Olympics. Compound—This bow was originally used only for hunting, but has gained popularity for recreation. It has two pulleys positioned on the tips of the limbs, which allows the archer to hold the bow with less power than the amount it fires the arrow. It is usually smaller than the recurve with movable limbs that can be set to different strengths. Top [No picture available} Bow Equipment Handle/Grip—Handles are used on recurve and compound bows. They are usually made of plastic or wood. Different types of handles are used for producing different kinds of shots by holding the bow in different positions. Handles and grips are generally chosen to fit the individual and bow. Riser/Handle—The riser is the middle part of the bow that holds together most of the equipment attached to the bow: limbs, sight, button, etc. Different risers effect how the bow is held, though the effects with a riser are more noticeable than the handle (riser is sometimes called a handle). Some risers have aerodynamic qualities such as holes which let wind pass through it rather than disturbing an archer’s aim. Limbs—A bow is not a bow without its limbs, which are the longest pieces of the bow. They bend with the draw and they produce the power of the bow. The limbs attach to the riser. Special limbs require special risers and vice versa. Many limbs are layered of different types of material to make it more smooth, that is, with a smooth bend ability and make it resistant to deformities, thus allowing greater consistency and greater accuracy. Recently limbs can be made of carbon, which is a lighter and more efficient material. String—Strings are usually made by twining several strings of Kevlar or Dacron to make a single cord. Dacron is cheap, but prone to creep, meaning that it may stretch and make for inconsistent shots. Rest—This is where the arrow sits right before being shot. The longbow has no rest beside the hand, which can be kind of tricky because of the shape of the hand. Other bows use plastic or metal rests, while some more complex bows may be fitted with a magnetic rest. Compound bows are sometimes fitted with vibration sensitive rests. These rests collapse as soon as the arrow is released to prevent it from hitting the rest which could knock the arrow off course. Button i.e. Plunger, Burger Button—The button is a device that, when the arrow is being shot, prevents the rear of the arrow from overtaking the front. It also aligns the arrow in the center of the bow and keeps it from hitting the bow once shot. Sight—The sight can come in many forms, but the most usual ones would be a circle with a cross-hairs or pin at its center. Some compound bows incorporate a "spirit level" which tells the archer if his or her bow is tilted. Clicker—Used only with the recurve bow, this device tells the archer when he or she has pulled the bow a certain distance. This helps the archer know when the string is pulled back far enough to fire, as too far or too short a pull will not produce an accurate shot.   Longrod—The longrod is a 2ft extension of the bow which dampens vibration produced by the shot, and also tilts the bow foreword slightly once the shot has been made.   V-bar/Stabilizers—Various types of attachments designed to steady the bow when held.   Nocking Point—This can either be a piece of string or a metal clip attached to the bowstring that holds the arrow nock in a fixed place on the bowstring, keeping it from sliding up and down.   Sling—The sling allows the bow to rest in the archer’s hand without having to actually hold the bow.   Kisser—A nocking point fixed onto the string that rests at the corners of the mouth when the string is pulled back. This is used as a marking point to let the archer know he or she has pulled the string to the same position. Top   Arrow Pile—The point of the arrow that goes into the target. Most often a bullet style is used. Nock—A clip, usually of plastic, at the rear of the arrow that fits onto the bowstring and nocking point.   Vanes—Also called the fletching. These three feathers near the rear of the arrow called the shaftment (which includes the nock) keep the arrow on course. The feather is set at a right angle to the nock. Vanes can be made of plastic but some longbow archers use real feathers, such as turkey feathers.   Shaft—The shaft is the long, middle part of the arrow that connects all the parts together. Longbow arrow shafts are made of wood, while recurve and compound arrow shafts are made from either aluminum or carbon. Aluminum is heavier but cheap, while carbon is lighter, expensive, and very fragile. It is best for beginners to start with wood, go to aluminum, then to carbon. Top   Other Equipment Arm Guard—This piece fits over the bow arm, keeping the string from coming in contact with your arm when the string is released.   Chest Guard—Protects the chest and keeps loose clothing from getting caught by the string.   Finger Tab—These are used to protect the fingers while drawing the bow. Compound archers use a release aid which is a device that fixes onto the string, and is used to pull it back without the fingers in contact with the string. A release button lets the arrow fly. This is similar to the Mongolian thumb rings which work to the same purpose.   Stringer—Recurve archers use this device to string their bows. Compound bows are permanently strung and many longbows have built in stringers.   Arrow Straightener—Sometimes arrows can be bent, like aluminum arrows. This device straightens them out. A dial measures how bent your arrow is and a plunger pushes against the bend to straighten it. [No picture available} Nocking Jig—Allows you to fix a nock to the shaft. [No picture available} Fletching Jig—Allows you to fletch a shaft, that is put vanes on it. [No picture available} Stringing Rig—A device you can make your own strings with. [No picture available} String Server—A device that allows you to create nocking points on the string.   Grip/Arrow Pull—A rubber grip that helps in removing arrows from the target. Top   You, the Archer            Any experienced archer will recommend that you start out with quality equipment. Cheap bows and arrows may be unreliable, poorly constructed, inaccurate, and could even injure someone. Most dealers in sports equipment carry quality, if expensive, merchandise.      Choosing the right bow is very important, since bows can be as individual as the archers themselves. It must not have too large a draw weight or be too long or short or you are apt to pull a muscle. Arrows depend on the type of bow, so they should be chosen after the bow. Particularly long bows with large draw weights require long arrows, and shorter bows need correspondingly short arrows.      As for draw weight, it is advised that beginners start out with 15-20 lb. because the lighter it is, the more focus the archer can put on proper technique. However, such a light draw will not have a great range. Once the archer has mastered the basic skills, he or she may progress to a more powerful and heavy bow.      It is always important to have proper instruction when learning a new skill. An instructor will help you select the right bow, and keep you on track with posture and technique. Learning safety is extremely important because a loaded bow is as dangerous as a loaded gun.