History UsefulNotes / Archery

Ah, archery. Basically the art of using a bent stick with a string tied between the ends to shoot a smaller pointed stick at something [[Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus quite a long way away]], it began as a techinique of primitive survival, spent a long time as a major force on the battlefield, and has finally become a rewarding pastime enjoyed by athletes and hobbyists the world over. Fiction loves to depict archery, as demonstrated by the enduring popularity of {{folk hero}}es such as Myth/RobinHood, along with more modern characters such as [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Legolas]], {{ComicBook/Hawkeye}}, ComicBook/GreenArrow, and [[Literature/TheHungerGames Katniss Everdeen]]. However, what you see is often determined by RuleOfCool and may give you an unrealistic or overly narrow idea of what archery is. This summary can help you to start learning about archery.

# Follow all laws and regulations pertaining to archery in the place where you wish to practice it. Seek out a licensed club or professional instructor: they will make sure what you're doing is safe, and you will not bear sole legal responsibility if there is an accident.

* ''Shooting glove/finger tab:'' Protection for the draw hand. The former is a glove that covers the first three fingers, while the second is a piece of leather held against the fingers. Do not confuse shooting gloves with FingerlessGloves; fingerless gloves are the exact opposite and do absolutely nothing for protection. While one can develop calluses akin to that of string musicians, nobody short of a {{determinator}} would tolerate the constant pain long enough to do so. A Middle- and Far-Eastern alternative is a thumb ring, which may be made of leather, bone, jade or a myriad of other materials. There are a number of other options, as well as the mechanical releases commonly used on modern compounds.

* ''The compound bow'': Invented by Holless Wilbur Allen during the 60s and patented in 1969, the compound bow uses cables and cams (irregularly-shaped wheels) to provide mechanical advantage when drawing the bow, causing the weight felt by the archer to actually "lighten up" as it approaches full draw, in contrast to all other bows which feel progressively heavier up to full draw. Thanks in part to this assisted draw, the limbs can be made significantly shorter and stiffer than those of recurves and other bows, which increases the efficiency of energy transfer to the arrow. Their constuction incorporates significant amounts of metal, usually aluminum or magnesium: they're as far away from primitive bows as you can get in terms of their radically different appearance and mechanical complexity. While compounds can be used like a traditional bow, it is unusual to find a compound bow set up for barebow shooting or a finger release. In order to take advantage of their higher potential for accuracy, they are normally fitted out with a sight and stabilizers, and used together with a mechanical arrow release. As a result, high performance compound bows tend to dominate in any comparison of arrow speed, flatness of arrow trajectory, accuracy, and projectile energy. Compound archery has still not been incorporated into the Olympic Games for a variety of reasons, and even optimistic predictions by advocates speak of making it happen in 2024. Nevertheless, compound bow competitions are increasingly popular, and many bow hunters favor compound bows.

* ''The compound bow'': Invented by Holless Wilbur Allen during the 60s and patented in 1969, the compound bow uses cables and cams (wheels) to provide mechanical advantage when drawing the bow, causing the weight felt by the archer to actually "lighten up" as it approaches full draw, in contrast to all other bows which feel progressively heavier up to full draw. Thanks in part to this assisted draw, the limbs can be made significantly shorter and stiffer than those of recurves and other bows, which increases the efficiency of energy transfer to the arrow. Their constuction incorporates significant amounts of metal, usually aluminum or magnesium: they're as far away from primitive bows as you can get in terms of their radically different appearance and mechanical complexity. While compounds can be used like a traditional bow, it is unusual to find a compound bow set up for barebow shooting or a finger release. In order to take advantage of their higher potential for accuracy, they are normally fitted out with a sight and stabilizers, and used together with a mechanical arrow release. As a result, high performance compound bows tend to dominate in any comparison of arrow speed, flatness of arrow trajectory, accuracy, and projectile energy. Compound archery has still not been incorporated into the Olympic Games for a variety of reasons, and even optimistic predictions by advocates speak of making it happen in 2024. Nevertheless, compound bow competitions are increasingly popular, and many bow hunters favor compound bows.

* ''Bow length:'' In traditional archery, the length of the ''unstrung'' bow. This is important, since correctly-sized strings are about four inches shorter than the bow. Longer strings would decrease the bow's power and make it difficult to shoot, and significantly shorter strings run the risk of damaging the bow. A sixty-inch bow would ideally have a fifty-six-inch string.
* ''Chest guard:'' ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. A virtual necessity for women, particularly if that woman has a more generous chest - otherwise that woman will be wearing turtlenecks most of her life to cover the bruises. It should be noted that as with many sports, enough practice with the bow will shrink one's bust size, and chest guards should be adjustable to accommodate that.

There are common misconceptions to the effect that modern archery is "easier" than traditional archery, or that modern bows don't require skill because they practically "shoot themselves". However, asking which requires more skill is like comparing apples and oranges because they are different tools and are judged by different standards. A modern recurve or compound bow has mechanical aids to accuracy and consistency, but such aids merely increase the maximum potential accuracy and precision that can be achieved. They do not shoot the bow for you, and how much accuracy you get out of your bow still depends on how good your technique is. Skilled traditional bow archers can shoot them almost as accurately and precisely as modern recurve bows at the relatively short distances you might encounter in indoor ranges, but they become far less precise and accurate than the modern bows at long range where tools like a clicker, sights, and stabilizers become necessities. Modern style archers can do much more than a traditional archer, but because of this a lot more is expected of them. The distances at which they have to shoot and the precision with which they're supposed to hit the target are beyond the capability of something like an English longbow. At the extreme end, the expectations in compound bow competitions are so high that the winner isn't the one who surpasses the others by reaching closest to perfection, so much as they're the one who deviates the least from the perfection required by making the fewest screwups. So using a modern bow isn't easier or harder than using a traditional one; the goal is made to fit the tool.

Some fans of traditional archery sneer at modern competition archery, claiming that

[[DifficultButAwesome It's pretty damn awesome once you get it right, though.]]

# Everyone at a practice must shoot while standing behind the same line, since to do otherwise would violate the rule not to shoot with people between you and your target. If you want to increase the distance between yourself and the target, never move further behind the shooting line than the people next to you. Instead, wait for shooting to be stopped and then move your target farther away from the shooting line.

# Everyone at a practice must shoot while standing behind the same line. If you want to increase the distance between yourself and the target, never move further behind the shooting line than the people next to you. Instead, move your target farther away from the shooting line while shooting is stopped.

* ''The takedown bow:'' A bow assembled out of a riser and two limbs, which form a complete bow when strung. The riser is the central piece that includes the grip and the attachment points for the limbs, and the limbs are the parts that bend when the bow is drawn. The advantages of the takedown bow are that it can be [[IKEAWeaponry disassembled and transported in a shorter case]] than a one-piece bow, and that once an archer has the riser, they can buy additional limbs that are longer/shorter, stronger/weaker, etc. without having to buy a whole new bow.
* ''The composite bow:'' Made of different materials laminated together, and despite often being the smallest in size they can be even more powerful than ordinary bows because of their high efficiency. The most powerful bows use horn and sinew, and can reach over 160 pounds of draw weight. It should be noted that while many composite bows are recurves, not all recurves are composites. These were often used in areas where quality bow-wood was hard to find.
* ''The recurve bow:'' The main differences between recurve bows and longbows are size, and shape. Recurve bows are smaller than longbows with tips that curve away from the archer when unstrung, and they require comparatively less effort for more power than the straight bow. They were common in heavily-forested areas and with mounted archers. The recurve bow is the only kind used in the UsefulNotes/OlympicGames, and the bows used in Olympic archery are takedown bows made of modern materials and fitted with various aids to accuracy and consistency, including a clicker[[note]]a device that lets the archer know when he or she has reached full draw[[/note]], sights, and stabilizers.
* ''The (English) longbow:'' This classic self bow was made from a single piece of wood, often taken from the place where the springy sapwood meets the stiff heartwood: the heartwood forms the belly of the bow and the sapwood forms its back. One reason they might have done this is so that the tensile strength of the sapwood and the compressive strength of the heartwood would combine to make it more efficent, like a composite bow, but it's just as likely that they did this to make manufacturing easier, and bows made entirely of heartwood were not unheard of. And although yew was preferred (and often called the King of Bow-woods), it wasn't rare to make the bow out of ash or elm either. A yew bow would have plenty of knots in it, which were left standing proud when the bow was shaved into shape because shaving them off would create weak points. The cross-section of the bow was D-shaped, with the back of the bow flat and the belly of the bow curved. While less efficent than a bow with flat limbs, the D-section reduced the danger of breaking under the enormous stresses they were subjected to. Unlike Victorian longbows, which have a hand grip and only bend in the arms, the medieval longbow usually had no special grip and would bend along its entire length. Since the wood changes shape and balance slightly in response to moisture, archers may have preferred the freedom to adjust their grip to wherever the arms were balanced. Nice ones had knocks made of horn on the ends, and the tips of the arms were slightly recurved, although not enough to make them actual recurve bows. On lighter bows the string could be made of linen, but the heaviest bows used hemp as one could get a single long fiber that would be guaranteed not to snap. Hunting bows were rarely more than 50-60 pounds in draw weight, as all but the largest game can be penetrated and dropped with that much power, and more power would have been a waste. This is because animals don't wear armor, and are usually engaged at relatively close range. Since warbows had to deal with long ranges and armored foes, their draw weights could be truly monstrous: surviving warbows recovered from the wreck of a Tudor warship, the Mary Rose, range from 100-185 pounds at a 30 inch draw, with the median being 150-160 lbs. The average length of the Mary Rose bows is 6 ft, 6 in (1.98m). The high draw weight of the warbow was used to propel heavy war arrows, which carried more force to the target than light arrows and were more likely to penetrate. Boys practiced from a young age, using progressively more powerful bows as they developed the powerful back and shoulder muscles required to draw heavy bows. The basic form of the longbow has been around since prehistoric times, and bows similar to the English longbow were used throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. What made the English different was that they had a pervasive and organized bow-shooting culture that enabled them to raise large numbers of archers for military service who were proficient with very powerful bows, to a degree unmatched by the other European states.

* ''The compound bow'': Invented by Holless Wilbur Allen during the 60s and patented in 1969, the compound bow uses cables and cams (wheels) to provide mechanical advantage when drawing the bow, causing the weight felt by the archer to actually "lighten up" as it approaches full draw, in contrast to all other bows which feel progressively heavier up to full draw. Thanks in part to this assisted draw, the limbs can be made significantly shorter and stiffer than those of recurves and other bows, which increases the efficiency of energy transfer to the arrow. Their constuction incorporates significant amounts of metal, usually aluminum or magnesium: they're as far away from primitive bows as you can get in terms of their radically different appearance and mechanical complexity. While compounds can be used like a traditional bow, it is unusual to find a compound bow set up for barebow shooting or a finger release. In order to take advantage of their higher potential for accuracy, they are normally fitted out with a sight and stabilizers, and used together with a mechanical arrow release. As a result, high performance compound bows tend to dominate in any comparison of arrow speed, flatness of arrow trajectory, accuracy, and projectile energy. Compound archery has still not been incorporated into the Olympic Games for a variety of reasons, and even optimistic predictions by advocates speak of making it happen in 2024. Nevertheless, compound bow competitions are increasingly popular, and many bow hunters favor compound bows.

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<<|UsefulNotes|>>

The main drawback of archery as a basis for military forces was the learning time needed: It takes weeks to build up the strength to shoot even a light 25-pound bow, and it takes ''more'' weeks to become proficient enough to hit targets consistently with the [[https://secretstorages.com/best-compound-bow/ best compound bow]]. Altogether, it takes months and years of continuous practice to get to the point where you can shoot a heavy war bow repeatedly and accurately: a popular saying was that "To make a good archer, start with his grandfather." Also, something as minor as slouching or head position can affect your shooting drastically, while guns can be shot from any reasonable position. The fact that early guns were comparatively quicker to learn[[note]]emphasis on "comparatively" quicker; performing the many steps of reloading quickly and in the proper sequence took a lot of drilling, and was especially hard to do under the stress of combat[[/note]]--and did not require the shooter to be impressively strong in muscle groups that most people rarely use--was a major factor in them replacing bows in a military contexts. Other factors were that bullets struck with more energy and penetrated armor more easily than arrows, that the lead ammunition was a lot easier to mass-produce than arrows, that opponents unused to guns could be terrified by all that noise and smoke, and that the butt or bayonet of a musket could make it a viable melee weapon, while the bow was basically useless as soon as you ran out of arrows. These advantages helped to make up for the musket's lower rate of fire. That said, the disappearance of the bow from military conflict was mainly a Western European phenomenon: in Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, many warriors carried and used both bow and musket for different applications.

# At the range, obey all commands from the appointed person. Do not draw or shoot until you recieve the signal to do so, and do not go to retrieve your arrows until everyone on the line has recieved the signal to stop shooting.

* ''The compound bow'': Invented by Holless Wilbur Allen during the 60s and patented in 1969, the compound bow uses cables and cams (wheels) to provide mechanical advantage when drawing the bow, causing the weight felt by the archer to actually "lighten up" as it approaches full draw, in contrast to all other bows which feel progressively heavier up to full draw. Thanks in part to this assisted draw, the limbs can be made significantly shorter and stiffer than those of recurves and other bows, which increases the efficiency of energy transfer to the arrow. Their constuction incorporates significant amounts of metal, usually aluminum or magnesium: they're as far away from primitive bows as you can get in terms of their radically different appearance and mechanical complexity. While compounds can be used like a traditional bow, it is unusual to find a compound bow set up for instinctive shooting or a finger release. In order to take advantage of their higher potential for accuracy, they are normally fitted out with a sight and stabilizers, and used together with a mechanical arrow release. As a result, high performance compound bows tend to dominate in any comparison of arrow speed, flatness of arrow trajectory, accuracy, and projectile energy. Compound archery has still not been incorporated into the Olympic Games for a variety of reasons, and even optimistic predictions by advocates speak of making it happen in 2024. Nevertheless, compound bow competitions are increasingly popular, and many bow hunters favor compound bows.

# Tie back your hair, and remove any jewelry that might catch on the string. Use a forearm guard and a shooting glove or tab. If female, wrest a chest guard.

# Never draw an arrow if there are any people between you and your target. Do not go to retrieve your arrows until everyone has stopped shooting.
# Maintain your equipment, and make sure your bow, string, and arrows are undamaged every time before you shoot. Replace any worn or damaged equipment immediately.

# Do not use broadheads on other people's targets without permission; they destroy a target much quicker. Never leave broadheads behind in the target or on the ground; someone might hurt themselves.

* ''Bow arm/hand:'' [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The hand that holds the bow]]. Requires an arm-guard/bracer to keep from injured by the bowstring if it strikes the forearm (resulting in a potentially nasty bruise). Modern bowyers often make specifically right- or left-handed bows with an ergonomic grip and right- or left-side cutout in the riser, while traditional bows are interchangeable.

* ''The takedown bow:'' A bow assembled out of a riser and two limbs, which form a complete bow when strung. The riser is the central piece that includes the grip and the attachment points for the limbs, and the limbs are the parts that bend when the bow is drawn. The advantages of the takedown bow are that it can be [[IKEAWeaponry disassembled and transported in a shorter case]] than a one-piece bow, and that once an archer has the riser, they can buy additinal limbs that are longer/shorter, stronger/weaker, etc. without having to buy a whole new bow.

* ''The compound bow'': Invented by Holless Wilbur Allen during the 60s and patented in 1969, the compound bow uses cables and cams or wheels to provide mechanical advantage when drawing the bow, causing the weight felt by the archer to actually "lighten up" as it approaches full draw, in contrast to all other bows which feel progressively heavier up to full draw. Thanks in part to this assisted draw, the limbs can be made significantly shorter and stiffer than those of recurves and other bows, which increases the efficiency of energy transfer to the arrow. Their constuction incorporates significant amounts of metal, usually aluminum or magnesium: they're as far away from primitive bows as you can get in terms of their radically different appearance and mechanical complexity. While compounds can be used like a traditional bow, it is unusual to find a compound bow set up for instinctive shooting or a finger release. In order to take advantage of their higher potential for accuracy, they are normally fitted out with a sight and stabilizers, and used together with a mechanical arrow release. As a result, high performance compound bows tend to dominate in any comparison of arrow speed, flatness of arrow trajectory, accuracy, and projectile energy. Compound archery has still not been incorporated into the Olympic Games for a variety of reasons, and even optimistic predictions by advocates speak of making it happen in 2024. Nevertheless, compound bow competitions are increasingly popular, and many bow hunters favor compound bows.

# Never dry fire your bow. In other words, don't draw and then release the bowstring without having an arrow knocked. This gives the energy that's supposed to be transferred to the arrow nowhere to go but back into the limbs, which are not designed to handle that kind of strain. If you're lucky it'll just crack a limb and render the bow unsafe to use, but--especially if it's a compound or similarly high draw weight and delicately tuned bow--it could cause the limbs to shatter and throw all kinds of fragments that could injure you and others.
# Do not use broadheads on other people's targets without permission. Never leave broadheads behind; someone might hurt themselves.

Ah, archery. Basically the art of using a bent stick with a string tied between the ends to shoot a smaller pointed stick at something [[Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus quite a long way away]], it began as a techinique of primitive survival, spent a long time as a major force on the battlefield, and has finally become a rewarding pastime enjoyed by athletes and hobbyists the world over. Fiction loves to depict archery, as demonstrated by the enduring popularity of {{folk hero}}es such as Myth/RobinHood, along with more modern characters such as [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Legolas]], ComicBook/GreenArrow, and [[Literature/TheHungerGames Katniss Everdeen]]. However, what you see is often determined by RuleOfCool and may give you an unrealistic or overly narrow idea of what archery is. This summary can help you to start learning about archery.

The main drawback of archery as a basis for military forces was the learning time needed: It takes weeks to build up the strength to shoot even a light 25-pound bow, and it takes ''more'' weeks to become proficient enough to hit targets consistently. Altogether, it takes months and years of continuous practice to get to the point where you can shoot a heavy war bow repeatedly and accurately: a popular saying was that "To make a good archer, start with his grandfather." Also, something as minor as slouching or head position can affect your shooting drastically, while guns can be shot from any reasonable position. The fact that early guns were comparatively quicker to learn[[note]]emphasis on "comparatively" quicker; performing the many steps of reloading quickly and in the proper sequence took a lot of drilling, and was especially hard to do under the stress of combat[[/note]]--and did not require the shooter to be impressively strong in muscle groups that most people rarely use--was a major factor in them replacing bows in a military contexts. Other factors were that bullets struck with more energy and penetrated armor more easily than arrows, that the lead ammunition was a lot easier to mass-produce than arrows, that opponents unused to guns could be terrified by all that noise and smoke, and that the butt or bayonet of a musket could make it a viable melee weapon, while the bow was basically useless as soon as you ran out of arrows. These advantages helped to make up for the musket's lower rate of fire. That said, the disappearance of the bow from military conflict was mainly a Western European phenomenon: in Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, many warriors carried and used both bow and musket for different applications.