|
|
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}
|
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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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.
|
|
.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
