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For Beginners
Commonly Used Archery Terms
Arrow: Made of wood, aluminum or carbon. It's a fin-stabilized projectile that is launched via a bow, and usually consists of a long straight stiff shaft with stabilizers called fletchings, as well as a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, and a slot at the rear end called the nock for engaging the bowstring.
Broadhead: A large cutting point assembly, attached to an arrow shaft for hunting.
Draw Weight: The number of pounds of force required to draw a bow to its draw length.
Draw Length: At full draw the distance in inches from nock point on bow string to deepest grip spot (pivot-point) plus 1 3/4″. With another words - the total length of the string when at full draw.
Limbs: The upper and lower arms of a bow. They got compressed when the bow is drawn back.
Nock: The notch at the rear end of an arrow; also the notches at the ends of the bow limbs to which the bowstring is attached, or looped over
Quiver: A container for holding arrows, bolts, or darts. It can be carried on an archer's body, the bow, or the ground, depending on the type of shooting and the archer's personal preference.
Release: A mechanical device with a trigger that you attach the bow string. Used to help you draw the bow.
Rest: A shoulder of horn or metal used on some bows to support the arrow.
Sight: A bow accessory that contains pins that can be adjusted. Used for aiming at the target.
String Loop: An addition to the bowstring for attaching your release to. Used to prolong the life of your bowstring.
Types of Archery Bows
There are basically 4 types of bows that you can choose from when beginning archery. The following is a list of the 4 types of bows and a description of each:
Compound – A bow that has cams and/or wheels that the string uses instead of just attaching to the bow limbs. A compound bow is a new type of bow and one of the more popular types and can have added advantages such as let-off, increased speed, smoother draw cycles and the availability of adding more accessories.
CrossBow – This is gun type of a regular bow. The crossbow features a stock and trigger just like a gun, but instead of a barrel has a shelf where the arrow sits on top of and is propelled by the bow string. This is another very popular option and also comes with the ability to add accessories.
Traditional Bow – This is the original type bow so to speak. It is basically just a piece of wood or other type of material with notches cut into the tip of the limps where the string attaches to. There is no let-off and does not allow for the addition of accessories. This type of bow is slowly gaining in popularity as it is more of a challenge to shoot and master.
Recurve Bow – A recurve bow is essentially the same concept as the traditional type bow, however the limbs are curved back a bit.
