Types of Bow
Longbow
Archery in it's simplest and most original form. A wooden, one-piece bow, a string, wooden arrows with feather fletchings. That's it. No arrow rests (it rests on your hand), no sights, no stabilisers. A difficult bow to shoot accurately but fun. With experience, skill and instinct it becomes immensely rewarding.
Some argue that it originated in Wales around 1150AD but bows of the same length (5' 7" upwards) and shape have been found dating back to 9000-6000BC. It is more likely that the Welsh found the strength of Yew wood made a significant difference to the power of the bow. Traditionally, a longbow was made of one stave of yew, cut so that the stiff heartwood formed the centre (grip) of the bow and the more supple outer wood provided the power.
It's first recorded use was at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298. It 's use spread quickly and the bow evolved during the late 13th Century to the extent that it dominated the battlefield until the middle of the 16th Century. At times, up to 85% of armies were made up of longbowmen.
For almost 300 years it was the foremost weapon of war.
It's effective range was 220yds. It could shoot further but it lacked the power to penetrate light armour above that distance. Infantry that tried to cover that 220yds would be decimated. The only effective counter were horse-borne knights who could cover that distance in 15 seconds.
But to shoot that distance the draw weight of the bow needed to be 100-120lbs. A longbow does not put as much energy into an arrow as modern bows so it had to be more powerful.
Today, longbows are generally not much more than 50lb draw weight.
Mainly used in Field archery, though they have their own classifications in Target archery.
Recurve Bow
The recurve bow is the most popular bow in the UK today and the one most used to teach beginners. The name derives from the side profile of the bow. The more central part of the limbs curve towards the archer whilst the tips of the limbs curve away (hence re-curve) from the archer.
It is mainly used for Target archery (though it can be used for Field, Clout and Flight) and is the only form of bow allowed in the Olympic Games. Archery first appeared in the Olympic Games in Paris in 1900, then sporadically until 1972 when the rules and regulations formulated by FITA helped to guarantee it's inclusion ever since.
The shape of the bow makes it more efficient at storing energy - and so imparting more energy to the arrow - than a straight or simple arc traditional bow. It is thought to have been developed as a bow for horsemen (think Genghis Khan) as the recurve shape allowed the bow to be shorter and more powerful than a longbow.
You can buy one-piece wooden recurve bows (and replicas of older bows like the Mongolian Horse Bow) and some bows for juniors can be one-piece wood or fibreglass, but most recurve bows today are what as known as 'Takedown' bows. These have three basic parts. A 'handle' or 'body', known as a riser, and an upper and a lower detachable limb.
Modern recurve bows use advanced materials and technology in their construction. The risers can be machined or cast from magnesium or aluminium and the very latest technology uses carbon fibre for the riser (much lighter). The limbs are made from layers of wood, fibreglass or carbon on a core of wood or carbon foam. When fitted, the limbs are held in place by the tension of the string.
As with anything, there are cheaper versions and more expensive ones. Good limbs can cost anything from £70 upwards to £500+ for a pair. Fortunately, most risers and limbs nowadays utilise a universal fitting system where the limbs fit into the pockets on the riser. This means that limbs and risers from different manufacturers are interchangeable.
You can shoot a modern recurve 'barebow' i.e. riser, limbs, string and an arrow rest. Arrow rests are needed on modern recurves because of the design of the bow. But, so long as you keep within the regulations defined by FITA, you can add several aids to accuracy to a recurve bow. In brief these are:
- Sights.
- Pressure Button.
- Clickers.
- Stabilisers.
Compound Bows
This is a modern bow that was developed in the USA in the late 60's, primarily as a hunting bow. It is the most popular bow type in America. (As an aside, hunting with a bow in the UK is illegal.)
The design is an innovative departure from the centuries-old construction of bows. Eccentric cams attached to the end of the limbs combined with a pulley system for the bowstring allows the archer to draw a far heavier weight than would be possible with a recurve or longbow. The weight still has to be drawn initially (50lb+ is common) to the point where the cams tip over. From that point the effort needed to hold the draw drops from 50lb+ to something like 20lb or less. This makes it much easier to aim, giving the archer more time before their muscles give out. With a recurve or longbow, the full draw weight has to be held until the moment of release. Most compound bows nowadays have a wide adjustment of draw weight, compared to recurve where the draw weight is determined by the limbs fitted.
They use much the same materials and technology in their construction as modern recurve bows but a compound bow is superior in speed, accuracy and distance. The aids to accuracy are less restricted (and in some cases there are no restrictions). Back sights - peep sights - are allowed which attach to the string to give fore and rear sights as you would find in a rifle. These sights can be magnified also. The string is held by a release aid (a trigger, in effect) which effectively eliminates the 'Archer's Paradox' which affects recurve and longbows.
Compound bows are used for Field and Target shoots mainly. They are the predominant bow type for Flight archery, because of their power/speed (capable of 300+ ft/sec). They are not a beginner's bow, given their complication.
But if you really want to go out there and shoot a bow that's like a small-bore rifle without the gunpowder, just remember that everyone else you are competing against has one too!
