Archie's Archery Depot

The Basics Of Archery

Archery – The skill of shooting an Arrow using a Bow was in the bygone ages a military weapon and also a hunting method before the invention of gunpowder. It is mainly confined now as a competitive sport used for target shooting.

A bow is a weapon that shoots arrows using the elasticity of the bow. The bow is made of a strip of flexible material with a cord linking the two ends of the strip to provide tension from which is propelled the arrow which is a straight shaft with a sharp point on one end or have flints and usually with feathers attached to the other end.

The modern day 'Target Archery' involves shooting arrows at a target from a pre-set distance. A Recurve bow is the only type of bow allowed to be used. Archery competitions may be held indoors or outdoors. Indoor distances are 18 m and 25 m. Outdoor distances range from 30 m to 90m depending on the seniority and 70 m is being used in the Olympic Games. Competition is divided into ends where an archer shoots either 3 or 6 arrows per end, depending on the type of round. There are 20 ends of 3 arrows in a round for indoor competition, but outdoor rounds generally involve more arrows per round. At the end, the competitors walk upto the target to score and retrieve their arrows.

Targets are painted with 10 evenly spaced concentric rings, which have score values from 1 through 10 assigned to them. Targets are colored as follows:

Outermost 1 ring & 2 ring - white
3 ring & 4 ring - black
5 ring & 6 ring - blue
7 ring & 8 ring - red
Innermost 9 rings & 10 ring - gold
There is an innermost ring, sometimes called the 10X ring or the Bull’s-eye.

The score for each arrow depends upon where it hits on the target. The highest score, a ten, is awarded by shooting an arrow into the two inner most circles. The bull’s-eye ring is typically as a tiebreaker with most X’s winning. Missing the rings on the target results in a zero score and in case of Line breaker where an arrow just touches a boundary line will be awarded the higher score. Scores are tallied at the end of each round or volley of arrows by summing the scores for their arrows which are recorded on a score sheet.

Archers have a set time limit in which to shoot their arrows. For indoor competition is 2 minutes for 3 arrows. Signaling devices such as lights and flags prompt the archers when it’s time to shoot.

The Evolution of Archery

Copyright 2009 Rob Daniels

The equipment used in archery has improved significantly since medieval times. While primitive bows were not very accurate, today's bows can accurately launch arrows at speeds over 148 miles (240 kilometers) per hour. Today's bows are a combination of wood, fiberglass, lightweight metals, and high-technology materials. Historically from early childhood children were provided with bows according to their height and are taught to shoot.

Today archery thrives as a competitive sport. Competitive archers have abandoned wooden bows and arrows in favor of new high-performance materials like fiberglass and laminated carbon.

Compound bows comprise the vast share of the archery market. The compound bow has a series of cables and pulleys, which reduces the amount of force needed to pull the bowstring back. Compound bows must be fitted first for draw weight and draw length, and then for bow length. Compound bows are also easier to hold cocked at Full Draw, which improves shooters' accuracy because it makes aiming more comfortable. Many compound bows today allow an adjustment of approximately three inches in draw length with the same size pulley.

Compound bows also require less arm strength and make it easier for children to comfortably learn the sport of archery. The draw weight of the bow also determines the ideal weight and diameter of the arrow shaft. Early arrows were made of wood and were fletched primarily with the feathers of such birds as eagle, crow, goose, and turkey.

Today there are several kinds of arrows differing in weight, length, thickness and design available. Most of today's arrows, are still made of wood, but some, are made from aluminum, fiberglass, and graphite. Most target shooters use the higher end carbon or aluminum arrows are very durable; they are made with an aluminum core and a carbon fiber coat. Aluminum shafted arrows are fast and accurate. Aluminum arrows with inserts allow more versatility by allowing different types of points to be easily interchanged for different hunting conditions.

Aluminum arrows are generally straighter than their carbon counterparts. Aluminum arrows are thicker than carbon/aluminum composite arrows. ess standing on the "Shooting Line" and the signal to start shooting has been given.

Wooden arrows are most used with traditional gear. A heavier arrow produces more energy, but if it is too heavy for a particular bow it will not perform well. The bowstrings are usually made of plastics or polyethylene cord and are flexible.

The bow and arrow is a complex technology. Potential energy, is transferred to the arrow, in the form of kinetic energy, when the arrow is released. The arrow's weight affects the amount of kinetic energy delivered to the target. As arrow mass increases, so does its kinetic energy.

While archery is an ancient sport, learned by the young as a necessity it is a fun sport that teaches discipline and skill. Archery kits are a great way to introduce archers into the sport without a big expense.