Archery bows are one of the essential pieces of equipment for any archer. A robust and well-made bow will do wonders to improve your accuracy and performance in the field, But with so many different kinds of offers and archery bow types, how can you choose?
This blog post is designed to help you find the right archery bow type for your needs, which means that it doesn’t matter whether you’re hunting or competing!
Types of Archery Bows
There are many different types of bows, some of them are: recurve bows, compound bows, longbows, crossbows, and recurve crossbows. these all bows have different uses and styles. Moreover, Archers who like the traditional style go with recurved ones. And those who like modern style archery loves to go with compound bows.
But it totally depends on the archer’s choice and needs for what they are going to use that specific bow either for hunting or target shooting. In this article, we will look at different types of archery bows to guide you in-depth
How do Archery bow work?
The Archery bow types are infinite. For example, they can be used for hunting, target shooting, or bow fishing. It is essential to know the kinds of bows you want so that you can find them more easily and quickly. This article will discuss all types of archery bows- from recurve bows to compound bows and everything in between!
A bow is a name given to any weapon or tool that uses tension to propel projectiles, such as an arrow. A regular bow might be made up of a long piece of wood with two ends shaped like curves, joined together by a string tied to each end.
As you pull back on one of the strings, usually using your dominant hand, you cause both ends of the bow to bend in opposite directions until they are facing away from each other when it reaches full draw.
The arrow is then placed onto the bowstring and released to send it flying through the air towards its target at high speed. Want to know more different bow styles? Keep on reading.
Recurve bows
A recurve bow is a classic design that offers excellent performance and durability. This archery bow type is made up of two arms that curve away from the archer before coming back together to form an open loop or “recurve.”
The points where the limbs meet make it easier for you to pull them toward your body as you draw back the string. This produces more energy, making it easier for you to shoot at high speeds without losing accuracy.
Recurve bows are the perfect choice if your main aim is hunting or target shooting because they offer outstanding performance and control over where your arrow lands. However, these kinds of bows can be a little difficult to master due to a steep learning curve.
If you want the best recurve bow for hunting or target shooting, make sure it’s durable and comes from a reputable brand. Whether you’re hunting small games or hitting targets from far away, this kind of weapon should be able to keep up with your needs.
Build of Recurve bow
The vast majority of recurve bows ( for hunting and target shooting ) are built from one solid piece of wood, referred to as the riser. While some models come with fiberglass laminations, most are crafted entirely from wood because it’s lighter, more durable, and provide better stabilization when in use.
Moreover, Extremely lightweight options have magnesium risers, while advanced competition recurves include carbon risers. The string is attached directly to the center of the riser using a nocking point, which is simply a small hole that has been drilled into the wood.
There are also takedown recurves with removable limbs that can be replaced if they get damaged or lose their springiness. While these are popular with hunters, they aren’t as widely used in Olympic competitions.
Price of recurve bows:
High-quality recurve bows are often more expensive than their compound cousins. However, if you’re on a budget, you can get good quality models starting at around $100. Moreover, If you don’t need something that’s lightning-fast and has an incredible velocity rating, then there’s no need to spend over $300 on a bow.
When it comes to archery equipment, price should not be your primary concern; but performance should be because that will directly affect your accuracy. As long as you choose a model from one of the top brands in this niche, such as Samick Sage Bows, PSE, Martin, Bear Grizzly, etc, you won’t go wrong.
The draw weight of Recurve bow should know:
Draw weight is the amount of physical force you need to apply to pull back your bow. The higher the draw weight, the more energy will be required by the archer to fully draw and hold a recurve bow.
Here we can separate recurve bows into different categories as per their draw weights:
40 pounds (or less) 41-45 pounds 46-50 pounds 51-55 pounds 56+ pounds.
For target shooting, a lightweight option that weighs below 40 pounds is usually best. You want something that feels easy to use and maneuver; it shouldn’t be too heavy (a heavyweight recurve will tire your arms rather quickly).
However, if your aim is hunting, you’ll need something with at least 45 pounds of draw weight. This applies to both short-range and long-distance hunting. If you’re an experienced shooter, you can use a recurve bow with less than 40 pounds, but it takes lots of practice to make shots consistently, particularly at longer ranges.
Recurve bows for beginners
Beginner’s recurve bows are somewhat different from those designed for more advanced shooters because they tend to be lighter and easier to use (usually weighing 20 pounds or less). You’ll also notice that the grip is more straightforward in design as this kind of weapon doesn’t require complex grips as their compound cousins do. Bows for beginners tend to be more specific because they are designed for target shooting rather than hunting.
Recurve bow for Olympics
The name implies that recurve bows are the only archery bow type used in Olympic archery competitions. Like compound bows, they are technologically advanced because of their use of cams and pulleys.
When looking for a recurve bow that you’ll bring to the competition or Olympics, there are several things to consider: draw weight, arrow size, bow length, bow weight, etc.
The ultimate goal is to find something that produces the highest accuracy possible while still easy enough to carry around. For this type of event we have an excellent guide on choosing Olympic to recurve bows; feel free to check it out Best Olympics recurve bows here if you want to know more about this topic.
Longbows
Longbows are the traditional English archery bow type used in battle before gunpowder was invented. As the name implies, longbows are very lengthy and could even be equal to or more than the archer’s height. Pound for pound, the longbow is one of the most powerful weapons in history. It was (and still is) commonly used for hunting games.
Longbow Design
A longbow is a classic, simple design that offers excellent performance with minimal fuss! These kinds of bows are made up of one very long piece of wood (usually yew or ash), along with a string that runs down its entire length and is called the bowstring.
Longbow Draw Weight
Typically, a longbow will have a draw weight of at least 40 pounds, although some can reach 100 pounds or more. This is the amount of force needed to draw the string back and then hold it at full draw. It depends on your personal preference, physical fitness, and skill set as well.
Range and velocity
Longbow can fire arrows downrange very quickly – often at speeds over 180 feet per second! These kinds of bows are extremely effective and accurate when used correctly, and their range can be anywhere from 50 yards to 200 yards or even greater.
Usage in History of Longbows
This archery bow type were used for hunting by medieval peasants. Still, they rose to prominence when their tremendous power made them decisive weapons on English battlefields during the Hundred Years War against France in the 14th century.
The English Longbow was an excellent two-way weapon, defending against cavalry charges or taking out horses with good shot placement. Because of their dominance, the English were able to conquer and then successfully defend their land against a much larger and more powerful French army.
LongBows for hunting
Longbows are the type of bow for hunting and are popular with hunters because, unlike short bows, which can be more accurate, they have enough power to take down a deer from around 60 – 80 yards away. In this sense, longbows offer an excellent combination of accuracy and distance – much like rifles.
Longbows are perfect for hunting because they offer the same kind of power and speed as compound bows but with a lower learning curve involved! They’re also good if you have poor muscle control over your upper body since all of the pullings are done using your arms rather than your back or shoulders. However, this lack of features means that longbows offer significantly less control than compound bows, so they’re not suitable for hunting or target practice.
Hunters still use Wooden longbows, especially in areas where it is illegal to use a compound or other modern bow. These archery bow types have been chosen for hunting animals for thousands of years, and some people argue they’re a more “pure” form of archery because there’s no electronic gadgetry involved!
Military Usage of Long Bows
Today, longbows are popular with traditional archers and hunters who wish to recreate medieval combat or hunt deer, etc. Still, they’re also sometimes used by militaries around the world as part of their training regime because of how strenuous they can be on the body.
This archery bow type requires great strength and stamina in order to wield them effectively, which has many parallels with real-life situations such as firing machine guns from a prone position!
Longbows are now back in fashion after they fell out of favor due to being considered old-fashioned by many scholars. However, modern tests have revealed that it took much more strength, training, and stamina than previously thought to use a longbow and that they were one of history’s most effective and deadly weapons.
Compound bow
Compound bows have a system of pulleys that help to keep them more stable when they’re drawn back. Choosing the best compound bow can be difficult because there’s such a large variety available, and everyone has their own opinions.
This type of archery bow also comes with various draw weights, draw lengths, and widths, making it more difficult to choose one that suits your exact requirements. Before buying a bow, you should make sure it feels comfortable in your hands, is well made, and especially check its draw weight against your strength, so you won’t injure yourself later down the line!
Design of Compound bow
A compound bow is a modern design that uses levers and cables to help you draw the string back with greater ease. The limbs are usually made up of two separate pieces, which means they can be adjusted for length as your strength changes over time! This also helps improve accuracy because all of the energy you produce is transferred directly to your arrow.
A compound bow will suit an archer with good muscle control over their upper body but struggles with pulling back a traditional recurve bow. They’re also great for hunting because they offer increased speed and more power than other kinds of bows on the market! However, many people find it difficult to adjust to the different kinds of levers and pulleys involved in compound bows.
Compound Bow for hunting
Compound bows are a powerful weapon for hunting and are considered the best type of bow for hunting big game. The speed and power offered by a compound bow are ideal for taking down big game such as deer and wild pigs or bears.
Hunters prefer compound bows because they offer increased accuracy and increased speeds. However, one downside to compound bows is that it can be difficult to maintain accuracy when shooting because all of the force involved in pulling back the string transfers onto your arrow.
Recurve bows vs. Compound bows
Choosing between recurve bows vs. compound can sometimes be complex because different bows suit different people. However, there are a few things you should think about before investing in one of these bows.
Most hunters opt for traditional recurve bows over compound bows simply because they’re easier to use, making them more accessible for beginners! Overall, we recommend trying out several different kinds of bows before investing in one. But if you do plan on using it specifically to hunt, compound bows are an excellent choice!
Draw-Weight of Compound bow
The draw weight of a compound bow will depend on the size and strength of the archer. It’s often said that you should be able to hold your bow at full draw for five seconds, but this isn’t always true because it depends on how strong you are! There are compound bows available with a minimum draw weight of around 10 pounds or even less if you’re just beginning to use them! Others can weigh up to 150 pounds, though, so it is all down to preference.
Draw length for Compound bow
Most modern compound bows can be adjusted to suit different draw lengths because they have cam systems. These allow your bow to bend as you pull, so it feels more comfortable, as well as increasing the velocity of your arrow. Most compounds will let you adjust from around 24 inches all the way up to 31 inches or even more!
However, if you’re a beginner, then we would recommend going for something around 28-30 inches so you won’t injure yourself.
Once again, though, it’s completely down to personal preference, and everyone has a different idea on how long their bows should be! If possible, try holding a few different kinds of bows before buying one, just if one is more comfortable than another. You can also ask an experienced coach for their opinion.
Build of Compound Bows
Bows can be made from many materials such as wood, plastic, carbon fiber, and other types of high-tech composites. The vast majority of compound bows on the market at this time are made up of some kind of composite because they’re much lighter than wooden or even traditional recurve bows! They also tend to last longer and make it easier for beginners to learn how to use them and get accurate shots.
It’s also worth mentioning that compounds do not require regular stringing like regular longbows do, meaning they can take less maintenance overall. You’ll never need to restring a compound bow unless you’re switching between different types of arrows.
Crossbows
The crossbow is a weapon that has been around for many centuries. It’s a bow and arrow-like device which fires projectiles called bolts. They are best used in hunting but can also be great for target practice or even self-defense purposes.
Usage in history:
The first time crossbows were used was during medieval times, when both archers and knights would use them for wars. They would compete against each other whether it was who had gotten the most kills, who had the best armor and weapons, how long it took them to kill an enemy or even to challenge one another.
Crossbows were also used in wars during ancient times when people couldn’t afford armor, so they would use crossbows when invading countries for conquering purposes of stealing gold, food, etc. But they are mostly known for being used throughout medieval wars because knights had more wealth than regular people, so if you want armor, you’re gonna have to pay.
Draw-Weight of Crossbows:
It is how much force/weight the bow takes to move its limbs back and draw an arrow before firing it. Draw-weight is an important factor to look out for when buying a crossbow because you want one that isn’t too heavy for you but powerful enough to fire the arrow with high speed or velocity since this will help pierce through your target’s armor better.
Before you buy a crossbow, you need to find out if the draw-weight is too much for your body type because even though you might be strong enough to pull back one with too high of weight, it’ll just tire you out before long.
Types of Crossbows:
There are many types and variations of crossbows, but here we’ll go over the most common ones people usually buy. First off is a recurve crossbow with two limbs that bend or curve away from you as you hold it in your hands.
The second is compound crossbows with cams (wheels) that allow the bow to bend as you pull it back. These types of bows are also much easier for beginners since they’re already pre-adjusted and ready to use out of the box, but compound crossbows will cost more than recurve ones because there’s a lot more work put into them before shipping them off to customers.
FAQs
Conclusion
Archery is a sport and hobby that has been around for centuries. Archery bows come in a variety of different styles and materials. We have reviewed different archery bow types popular among archers today, including recurve bows, longbows, compound bows, and crossbows.
The type of archery bow that you choose will be determined by all the points that we have mentioned in this article. We hope that now you have clarity in your mind about what kind of task each bow is best suitable to complete,
such as hunting small game with field points or shooting at targets out in the woods with target tips while practicing archery skills.
Best of Luck