What To Look For In Bows Compound And Recurve

By Kevin Meyer


One sport that continues to be fun and exciting for many people is archery. Shooting bows compound or recurve takes a lot of skill and perseverance. Regardless of whether you will be shooting at targets or at animals that you are trying to hunt, knowing a bit about buying bows can help you out quite a bit. Here is what you need to know.

There have been many uses for bows throughout history. Man has needed to be able to hunt effectively and take down animals from a distance. Bows allow us to do this. Archers have also been a prized part of many ancient military units. Until the invention of the gun, a bow and arrow was one of the best long-distance weapons available.

Many people think of a long, curving bow that is strung with a single string. This style of bow is known as the recurve bow and it has been used for thousands of years. While the materials that are used to make a recurve bow have become more advanced over the years, the basic design has not changed.

The other style of bow looks very modern compared to the recurve. Some compound designs have very thin arms and are made from futuristic looking materials. The concept is the same, however. The wheels that you see will actually help reduce the amount of strength you need to keep the bow fully drawn and ready to shoot.

Regardless of which kind of bow you get you will need to make sure that it suits your body. You need to know your draw weight. This is the amount of tension on a bow string and it indicates how hard you have to pull on the string in order to shoot an arrow. Compound bows have a weight range while recurve bows tend to have more of a fixed draw weight.

One measurement that you will also need to know is your draw length. This is how far back you pull the bow string before loosing an arrow. If it is not the right length it may be uncomfortable for you to draw your bow. If you cannot pull the string all the way back on your compound bow you may be unable to take advantage of the cam system since you may not be drawing far enough for the let off to take effect.

If you are buying a compound model you may want to think about whether you want a bow that comes as a set or whether you want to add other accessories to it. There are many accessories that will make it easier for you to shoot. These include counterweights and sights although there are many others that you can purchase over time. Generally, a set will end up saving you money although you may want to upgrade some components at a later date.

If you really are unsure of which bow will suit you best you might want to look in a shop with a range attached to it. If you can, shoot a variety of different bows that have different draw strengths. That way you will be able to tell which is the most comfortable to draw, aim and shoot. Then you will know whether or not a particular type or model will meet your needs.




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