Archery Bows & Targets

Below is some basic information about the different types of bows been used today. Plus information on how to make archery targets at little to no cost. If you have any hints or tips on archery & targets please leave them in the comments at the bottom of the page.

The three main types of bow that are used in archery are recurve - compound and longbow, there ARE other types of bow but for the sake of keeping this BASIC and for the people who are just wanting to get started with archery I have only mentioned the 3 main types.

The recurve is a bow with four main parts 1 : The riser 2: The limbs, and 3 : The sting.

The riser is the part of the bow that you hold onto and it contains mounts for the sights, limbs and sight.

The limbs are the parts of the bow that store the energy after pulling the string back before you release, there are two that attach to the top and the bottom of the riser and the string is the part which you pull back, it is attached between the tips of the limbs.

This type of bow is fairly basic, and is a good bow to start archery with as it is not too complicated, it is easily fired and is reliable.

A compound bow is much more different from a recurve bow. In most cases it cannot be taken down for storage.so it stays as one unit.

A lot of people find a compound bow easier to fire than a recurve bow as when the string is pulled back past a point, most of the force is taken in by the cams at the tips of each limb, making this type of bow good for hunting, because you can keep it held back for as long as you like before you release,

Most compound bows are usually used with release aids, a trigger which is clipped onto the string and when you need to fire the bow, you click a button or pull a trigger and the string will release.

The compound bow is made up of two limbs with cams at the two ends, a riser and a string,

The string is much more different from a recurve as well because it is wound round the cams, making it longer.

The longbow is one of the first types of bows to become popular, and it is still used today! longbows are only made up of two pieces, the string and the bow itself.

The longbows can also be considered the most difficult bows to aim and fire, shooting a longbow is also similar to shooting a recurve bow.

But if you can master the longbow they are great fun to use and very easy to maintain

Below is a video showing how to make some different types of archery targets. They are basic but they do work and will only cost you little to nothing.

Armguard : A guard that, when an arrow is shot, protects the arm from being hit by the bowstring. can come in plastic or leather

Arrow : Arrows have a maximum diameter of 9.3 millimetres, although, for faster flight and less wind drift, most are as small as 5.5 millimetres. Each arrow must be marked with the competitor's name or initials, while archers use distinctive colours for the nocks and vanes to distinguish their arrows. Most arrows come with removable tips for different types of archey targets.

Bow : The bow’s draw weight is around 22 kilograms (48 pounds) for men, and over 17 kg (38 lbs.) for women. As mentioned above their are three main bows / Compound - Recurve - Longbow

Bowstring : The string of a bow.Most strings are made of high-tech polyethylene fibres, which are stronger than steel. When buying a new string make sure you buy one to suit your bow as their are different types for different types of bows

Chestguard : These come in Plastic or leather and are to keep clothing out of the way and to protect against a bowstring at release from injuring the body.

Finger tab or shooting glove : These are a flat piece of leather which is worn as a guard to protect the finger when the arrow releases.

Fletching : Real or artificial feathers at the back of each arrow designed to make it fly straight. These also come in different colours

Hand grip or handle : The handle of the bow. which can also come in a left hand or a right hand

Quiver : This is a container for holding arrows, usually worn around the waist and come's in different sizes to suit all people

Nock : The attachment on the rear end of an arrow that holds it in place on the bowstring. These also come in different shapes and some will not suit some of the compound bows.

Sight : This is a mechanical device placed on the bow to help the archer aim; also called a "bowsight". Their are many different types around

Stabiliser : This is a weight which is mounted on the bow to stabilise it during and after you take a shot.

Target : This target is used for competition which is 1.22 metres in diameter, but, to the archer, standing at 70 metres away, it appears about the size of a thumbtack held at arm's length. The centre of the target stands 1.3 metres above the ground and the centre ring is 12.2 centimetres in diameter. There is also a smaller X10-ring, which is 6.1 centimetres in diameter. It does not give extra point, but it serves as tie-breaker for the archers during qualifications or for world record. You do not need one of these targets to get you started you might do better to make your own one DIY Style watch the video abouve for some ideas.