For The Beginner
Archery Hunter: What Type of Archery Bow Do I Need?
As the beginner archery hunter, there is much to learn regarding
the equipment needed for archery hunting.
The first piece of equipment to familiarize yourself with is the archery
bow and the various types available.
Compound Bow
The compound bow uses a system of cables, pulleys, cams,
wheels, and limbs to allow the shooter to draw the bow and hold it for an
extended period of time. The advantages
of this archery bow are the fast arrow flight and good accuracy. The limbs are stiffer than the recurve or
longbow making it more energy efficient.
The compound bow is minimally affected by changes in temperature and
humidity as compared to bows made of natural materials. The archery hunter can use various pieces of
equipment to improve their hunting with the compound bow. Archery hunters using a compound bow
typically use a mechanical release aid which attaches to the bowstring near the
point where the arrow attaches, and permits the archery hunter to release the
string with a squeeze of a trigger or a slight increase of tension. A mechanical release gives a more consistent
release than the use of fingers on the string.
Archery hunters may also use sights which are magnifying or adjustable
for targets at different distances.
Stabilizers and dampers allow the archery hunter to hold steady at full
draw and reduce movement of the bow as the arrow is released resulting in
better accuracy.
Crossbow
The crossbow consists of a bow
mounted on a stick called a stock or tiller with a mechanism in it which holds
the drawn bow string. A trigger system is used to shoot the bolts, which are
the arrow-like projectiles of a crossbow. Crossbows have a shorter draw length than
bows, resulting in the need of a greater amount of draw force in order to store
the same amount of energy. Very light crossbows can be drawn by hand, but
heavier crossbows need the help of mechanical devices.
The advantages of this archery bow are that crossbows can be kept drawn and
ready to shoot for some time with little effort which allows for better
accuracy. The crossbow can be useful for
shooters with reduced strength or inability to hold the weight of the draw
string. The disadvantage is the greater
weight and clumsiness compared to a bow, as well as the slower rate of fire and
the lower efficiency of the acceleration system
Crossbow sights often use similar technology to modern firearm sights
such red dot sights, laser sights, and telescopic sights.
Longbow
A longbow is a type of bow that is tall (roughly equal to the height of the
person who uses it) which allows the hunter a fairly long draw, at least to the
jaw. A longbow is made from a single
piece of wood with relatively narrow limbs so that they are circular or D-shaped
in cross section. The archery hunter using
a longbow does not use a sight or arrow rest.
The longbow can be difficult to shoot and may take years of practice to
become proficient. A good laminated
longbow may be made of wood or can be purchased commercially. Any wooden bow must be protected from
excessive damp or dry conditions. Wooden
bows may shoot as well as fiberglass, but they are more easily dented or broken
by abuse. Bows made of modern materials can be left strung for longer amounts
of time than wood bows. Wooden bows should be unstrung immediately after use to
avoid large amounts of set.
Recurve Bow
A recurve bow has tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is
unstrung. A recurve bow stores more energy than an equivalent straight-limbed
bow resulting in a faster arrow that the longbow. The limbs are usually made from multiple
layers of fiberglass, carbon and/or wood on a core of carbon foam or wood. The riser (the handle section of the bow) is
generally separate and is constructed from wood, carbon, aluminum alloy or
magnesium alloy. Risers for beginners
are usually made of wood or plastic.
Recurved limbs put greater strain on the materials used to make the bow
and may make more noise when shot. Archery
hunters using a recurve bow often have various pieces of equipment attached to
their recurve bows such as a clicker, kisser, plunger button, and stabilizer.
The information presented above is only a brief overview of four common
types of archery bows. The beginner
archery hunter should take the time to research archery bows and speak with
experienced archery hunters to help determine the best archery bow for their
hunting needs.
