What was once just a piece of wood and string, has now developed into a precision instrument made of futuristic materials, all designed to make you a better archer. 

Personal Equipment

Length of a Compound Bow

Bow Strings

Personal Equipment

         Almost every experienced archer will advise a new player not to buy cheap equipment. Some reasons include unreliability, it may break easily, provides for poor accuracy, and could even hurt someone due to bad materials. 

     After you have decided that you want to get into archery, the first thing that you will want to get is the bow. Most beginner bows should be laminated, have a center shot, and/or have working recurves. Arrows depend on the weight of the bow, so hold off on buying arrows until you have firmly decided what type of bow you want. Takedown bows are very popular among archers pro and beginners. They are convenient for storage and travel and you do not need to buy a brand new bow if a part should break. Just a new joint is needed to replace it.  A beginner's draw weight should start out with 15-20 pounds. The lighter it is, the more focus the archer can put on proper technique. Once the archer has learned the proper and basic ways of how to shoot a bow, then, the archer should progress to a heavier, longer, and more powerful bow. Recurve bows are more efficient than those of a straight limb bow. 
     If the archer likes the recurve bow, then the archer should figure out the proper length for it. For stability, it is recommended that no bow be less than 58 inches, even if used for hunting. The length of the bow depends on a person’s draw length. For short draws, get a shorter bow. For long draws, get a longer bow. Here is a chart with recommended lengths of recurve bows. 

 
(Chart from Archery: Instruction Manual Fourth Edition, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Pg. 39 Dubuque, Iowa, 1993)

Get professional help if you are having difficulty. 
Top

Length of a Compound Bow

    The distance between the wheels or cam axles determines the length of a Compound Bow. Most bows are 41 to 48 inches long from axle-to-axle. Precise length is determined by the type of shooting the archer wants. If the archer is a release-aid shooter, then he or she may shoot at any bow length. A finger-release may find shooting from a longer length Compound Bow more comfortable. Once again, a professional archer at a professional archery shop should determine the actual length. 
Top

Bow Strings

    Beginners should start out with a modest bow and get Dacron strings without center serving of multi-filament nylon thread. They will not stretch with use effecting brace height. Improper brace height will effect the arrow’s flight and may frustrate the archer. The best brace height is about eight inches for straight and semi-recurve bows. A brace height from eight to nine and a half inches is used if archer is shooting a more expensive recurve bow. It has also been recommended that archers should start out with a brace height suggested by the manufacturer of the bow. Adjustments may be made as time goes on and the archer becomes more comfortable with the bow. Acquiring the most efficient brace height is a very delicate process of tuning the bow. 
     The archer can tell if they have a good brace height if all his or her arrows bunch in one spot on the target. More serious archers use the Fast Flight strings that do not stretch and are very durable. Replacement of the string varies depending on the use and frequency the bow is used. If used very often, then, it should be checked
regularly to make sure everything is working, thus, protecting not only the archer but the other people and wildlife. However, there are some strings, which can last indefinitely." 
Top

Go to the Modern Archery Equipment for More Information

Go to the Bibliography