In target archery, the archer shoots the arrows from distinct distances at a given target, while in field archery the archer is allowed to move around and then shoot at the various targets of different sizes from varying distances. In archery targets, closer the archer shoots the arrow at the target, higher are the points allotted to him. The scores of each archer are thus tallied and thus the person with the highest score wins the competition.

The bows having traditional looks are more often used in this game. These bows are used both in archery targets and also in the field archery. The archery bows are made using fiberglass or carbon which also consists of a stabilizer and the sight window. The stabilizer attached to the bow helps the archer to stabilize the bows during the game. The arrows used in archery targets are attached with a pointed tip of metal (iron or copper) in the front and also at the rare end.

Straw ropes are stitched together to make the targets and are then covered using canvas targets of different colored papers. Also multi-layered archery targets of lighter weight are made as targets for the game. These multi layered targets are made of three layers, comprising of the front and the last layer made from polyethylene, while the middle layer is made of polystyrene. The layers of polyethylene are comparably denser than the polystyrene layer and have self-closing characteristics for the holes created by the high speed arrows.

The expanded polystyrene layer adds bulk and also has arrow stopping characteristics. The multi-layered target is lighter than the other predictable target types. The pro weave targets used in the game are durable and are stuck by using pressure and heat.

These are generally used to improve the shooting skills of the archer. Nowadays, 3D archery targets are also used by the experts and also by the beginners. These can be easily made at home using ridged cardboards, foam padding, wooden boards (2 * 4 size), cording etc.

These targets used are easily available in the market and are also exciting to use. They are thus useful in creating enthusiasm in the new archers and also help to increase their concentration in the game.

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It is a very modern development in the field of archery. It has a leverage system of cables and pulleys to operate it. The limb of this bow is stiffer than that of a longbow or recurve bow. Because of this stiffness that it possesses it is more efficient energy wise, compared to other bows.

If a string is directly attached to the bow then it would be very difficult to shoot with a compound bow. It would require great physical strength and skill on the part of the archer. The string of the compound bow is attached to the pulleys. A cable is joined from one of the pulleys to the other end. When the string is drawn, the pulleys are turned and energy is stored in the limbs.

This is the main form of bow used in the United States.

Advantages of a Compound Bow:-

–When the bow is drawn there is an increase in the draw weight and then there is a ‘let off’, which is 65 per cent to 80 per cent of the peak weight. The ‘let off’ allows the archer to hold the bow in the drawn condition for a longer period and take more time to aim and shoot.

–The compound bow also possesses greater resistance to variations in temperature, humidity and other climatic conditions giving it better accuracy and greater range as compared to other bows.

–The design of the pulleys also can control the acceleration of the arrows.

–These bows also have draw stops so as to facilitate a consistent draw for novice archers. Novice archers can artificially regulate how much they draw their bows.

Recurve Bow

It has tips that point away from the bow when it is strung. More energy is stored in it than other bows. It is of shorter length than other bows of comparable energy and so it is preferred by archers in situations where longer bows are troublesome. However they put more stress on the material of the bow and also make more noise when an arrow is shot.

Advantages of a Recurve Bow

–It is the only bow permitted in the ‘Olympics’ except for a few categories.

–It has a better mass-weight ratio and helps in stability and also increases accuracy.

–It is made of advanced materials and is preferred by Europeans and Asians for sport.

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Archery involves the use of whole lot of equipments right from bows, arrows, broad heads,stabilizers and protective equipments like gloves, thumb rings etc…It is not only a sport which has been developed very well among the adults but it has become a famous sport among the children too.

The increasing interest in archery has led t the development of many companies that manufactures a lot of archery supplies with various varieties. There are many manufacturers and suppliers all over the world that manufacture and supply various kinds of archery equipments.

One needs to select their required one from the list which is available on their websites. Some people develop archery as their passion and hence they always like to select the best one available and one more factor that is involved while selecting the archery equipment is the cost because different suppliers have different rates based on their status and the quality of the instrument. Many companies have also started up with online selling of their products which becomes really helpful for the customers.

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All this changed 1911 when a Native American called Ishi came out of the forest and came in contact with Dr. Saxton Pope, a medical doctor attached with University of California at San Francisco. They became great friends till Ishi died of tuberculosis in 1916. From Ishi, Dr. Pope learnt skills making of bows of arrows and how to use them for hunting. He also wrote a number of books regarding Archery. This led to the development of archery, as we know today.

Today, Mathews Archery is one such company who are in the forefront in the development of equipments used in present day practice of archery. One of their pioneering creations is Single Cam Technology used in making bows, which they introduced in 1992. They have introduced many other innovations in making of bows which has not only has improved their performance but also reduced its complexity.

The introduction of Single Cam technology has made two cam bows as outdated. The new technology has also provided various other advantages like faster, more accurate performance. It produces less noise, requires less maintenance, no synchronizing problem, produces less recoil and gives highest efficiency for bows.

Mathews Archery also offers various kinds of first class bows of highest technical quality. Their variety includes hunting bows, competition bows, beginner bows, and traditional bows along with various bow accessories. Their bows cater to all kinds of requirements of an archer.

Drenalin LD hunting bows made by Mathews Archery gives best performance in its class. It is thinner, lighter, cooler, faster, and quieter featuring long ATA. It more than meets the highest expectation of an archer.

Those who are participating in any archery competition will find their 2007’s Conquest 4 model the best bet for winning such competition. Their latest model in this class is Conquest 4, which features among others harmonic dampers, perimeter-weighed Conquest 4 Max Cam, carbon cable rods, and V-lock Limb Cups along with fully machined Aeroriser.

For the beginners in archery, their Ignition 2007 model helps get them the right start. These bows feature string suppressors, single cam technology and fully machined Aeroriser.

They also have traditional bows for those who are looking for such bows. These models such as Heritage, Eagle and Hawk are crafted with extreme elegance with discerning good looks.

Mathews archery also could provides various accessories of the finest quality required for anyone connected with archery, which includes quivers, arrow rests, replacement bow grips, bowstrings and many others. They can supply other accessories like shirts, hats, jackets, and towels etc. for use of an archer.

Mathews Archery is well known for bow products and accessories incorporating the latest technology and they are in a position to meet the exacting demands of the present day archers.

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In addition, the equipments used in traditional archery are more like the ones which would have been used when bows and arrows were a part of the military. Practicing traditional archery is very similar to the various modern archery types. Similar to the other types, the traditional archery also requires a bow, some arrows, protective equipments and a target.

The bows used in traditional archery are mostly made of wood along with some other materials like leather, hide, horns, bone, feathers etc. used for giving the finishing touches. All type of bows like the longbow, crossbow, flatbow, recurve bows, compound bows can be used in traditional archery.

The traditional bow is sometimes more commonly termed as the hunting bow. It has a heavy draw, usually 50lbs or more that is based on the pattern which was very common during the time of military archery.

The term hunting bow or the traditional bow is usually referred to a recurve bow with a carved handle, sight window, an arrow shelf that is patterned after a design which was very common during the Victorian era. The back of a traditional bow faces away from the archer and is its critical part as it is subjected to extreme stress. If any weakness occurs at this place, it will eventually lead to a tragic failure.

Thus a thin strip of material is tied onto the back edge of the bow to either increase the bow’s tolerance against tension forces or to protect the back from the impact damage. Today, these bows are often made using modern materials like carbon fiber, glass fiber etc. and shoot very similar to the modern recurve bows.

The arrows used in traditional archery are made of wooden shafts, feather fletchings and points of either steel or brass. In the modern types of archery, the arrowheads are glued to the shaft while during the olden era they used to be tied. Also during the early years, the arrows used by the military and for hunting had broadhead points made from stones, copper or iron.

These broadheads have a cutting action which used to be very effective against flesh. Modern practitioners of today favor steel field points which are essentially a condensed bodkin. They also look quite authentic and do not tear the target into shreds like the broadhead.

The medieval European archers wore leather gloves to protect their fingers from the effect of drawing the bowstring and from the scratches caused by the arrows. A forearm bracer was used to protect their forearms from the impact of the bow string. Thus traditional archery is very much similar to most of the modern archery types except of the above mentioned points.

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Archery is an activity that acquires interesting and rich history. Additionally, it is an activity that is still quite active today and in spite of the reality that people depend on it less to stay alive, archery continues to be a popular sport in the midst of devoted sportsmen.

Bear archery is one of the few manufactures of archery equipment in U.S. The company manufactures great products which have satisfied the standards of the archers all over the world. Even though company runs along conventional lines laid down by its founder, it maintains with the most recent innovations in the industry and applies the latest technology in its products.

Bear archery is recognized as America’s no.1 brand in Institutional and Youth archery equipment. They have been helpful in introducing more people to the sport of archery than any other company. They also propose such equipments which suits the wants of youth and transitional shooters.

Wherever archers and bow hunters get together, the name bear is known as a leader in sport and industry. This is due to bear archery build products that are of high quality. The bear shooting and design teams are repeatedly making efforts to improve products for the purpose of pleasure and benefit.

The Fred Bear Museum is an important part of the Bear archery producing plant in Florida and Gainesville. The museum rejoices the life of Fred Bear, who is considered to be the creator of Bear archery. It is the most powerful outdoorsmen of the 20th century. It comprises of several bow hunting trophies, natural history shows and archery artifacts from all over the world.

Bear archery feels proud for its bow hunting advisory staff members. Men and women give seminars and puts guest appearances together for meeting thousands of bow hunters all over America. Bow hunting advisors provide equipment by way of test in the field and work on innovations of bear designers.

Bear archery bows are made from high quality materials by means of best human skill and computer-aided structure in the industry.

Thus, bear archery makes available the best and perfect hunting bows all over the world. It also provides an option for bow selection that is totally unmatched.

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Archery is an activity that acquires interesting and rich history. Additionally, it is an activity that is still quite active today and in spite of the reality that people depend on it less to stay alive, archery continues to be a popular sport in the midst of devoted sportsmen. Now, let’s have a glance at the history of archery and how it has developed over time and has turn out to be a well-liked sport among archery enthusiasts and hunters.

Of course, archery is a sport wherein the participant utilizes bow and arrows to shoot at the aim. Acquiring a rich history of 8500 years ago, the use of arrow and bow has been developed for the purpose of enjoyment. Firstly, bows and arrows were utilized for hunting activities and later on were accepted for the purposes of warfare. The Native Americans, the Greeks, the Macedonians, the Chinese and the Greeks were the main cultures who adopted them as a standard weapon in their huge armies.

Archer’s armies were provided training in battle to masterfully target and fire their arrows at their enemies through startling skill and accuracy. For many years bow and arrow were repeatedly used by a variety of cultures for the purposes of battle and hunting.

Later on, in medieval times, even though the bow and arrow were still utilized in battle, their importance declined with the creation of swords. Swords were considered as a sturdier weapon; as a result both archers and swordsmen were included in armies, but the archers were valued less as compared to those men who exercised swords. With the passage of time, crossbow was expanded, permitting for more aim and power. As a result of which crossbow were included in the list of weapons utilized in battle. Lastly, due to invention of guns, the use of bow and arrow was washed out from warfare entirely.

Archery was well-developed in the Islamic world and in Asia. The earliest ancient civilizations in East Asia were famous for their skills of archery. Even today, South Korea continues to be a well-built performer at archery competitions of Olympics. Horse archers were the chief military force of the majority of the Equestrian nomads.

Thus, for many years, archery continued to be the favorite sport for numerous people and was mainly utilized for the purpose of combat and hunting.

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2) Don’t shoot an arrow straight above, even if you are standing in an open space. The

arrow may come back straight at you or may hit another person. You never know.

3) Don’t shoot an arrow into unknown territory (where visibility is poor or you are not

sure where the arrow will land). Here too you may injure somebody.

4) Practice shooting arrows only in specified places for target practice. It may be either an indoor or an outdoor shooting range.

5) Shoot arrows only at specially set up targets. This way you lessen the chances of hitting a person with an arrow that is let off accidentally.

6) Ensure that nobody is allowed to approach a distance of 20 meters behind the target and also a 30 degree angular space around the shooting lane.

7) Have the targets placed in a secluded area or a place less frequented by people.

If you want to search an arrow that is ‘lost’ behind the target, place your bow or some other equipment against the target to prevent anyone else taking shots at the target and accidentally injuring you. You can also ask one of your partners to stand near the target if possible and prevent somebody from shooting at the target.

9) It is good to check your bow for its condition regularly and if you are not sure, ask a professional to check it for you.

10) Check the condition of the bowstring. Replace the string if necessary or you may have to undertake extensive repairs on the bow or may have to replace the bow.

11) Don’t overdraw the string of the bow. Drawing the string back more than the length of the arrow for which it is made can break the bow. The shooter can injure himself in the process.

12) Don’t draw a bow without any arrow. Also releasing the bowstring without any arrow known as ‘dry firing’ may damage the bow.

13) After the shooting is finished wait for word from the ‘Range Captain’ giving his approval that the range is ‘Clear’. This way you won’t be in the line of an arrow that is shot towards the target area.

14) If there are many archers shooting simultaneously at various distances, have the targets arranged at different distances. All the archers should stand in one line.

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All this changed 1911 when a Native American called Ishi came out of the forest and came in contact with Dr. Saxton Pope, a medical doctor attached with University of California at San Francisco. They became great friends till Ishi died of tuberculosis in 1916. From Ishi, Dr. Pope learnt skills making of bows of arrows and how to use them for hunting. He also wrote a number of books regarding Archery. This led to the development of archery, as we know today.

Martin Archery is one of oldest producer of archery products of this country. They are now employing the latest technology of riser construction technique in their bows. This is giving their bows better value for money and this new product is improving their share in the bow market.

Martin archery is in the business of bow making with many long time employees and three generations of Martin family are providing the lead in design, manufacture and marketing these bows. By using modular risers it has been possible for them to reduce the manufacturing cost of their bows. Their bows range from $399 Bengal that Vice President Terry Martin talked about in middle of 2006 to $599 Firecat.

Bengal was released early before its target launch in 2007 so that they could gain some sales in fall of 2006. It was a medium priced 32-inch model that featured a ball bearing mounted M-Pro single cam a Vibration escape kit and a fully laminated Coreflex limbs.

Terry Martin who is also responsible for marketing, also talked about how pro archer Laura Francese preferred to use Bengal instead of other longer models offered by other companies. He was also talked of using her beauty in their forthcoming advertisement for the new value-packed bow to attract the attention of the customers to their new product.

Martin is now reporting 25% rise in sales in 2007, which he ascribes to the launch of two models: Bengal and Cheetah. They are now releasing three more models: the Firecat, Moab and Leopard.

Though Terry Martin heads the bow design group, he says that his son Ryan and other members of the group should get the credit of the models developed in 2007 and 2008. The team includes, besides Ryan Martin and Scott Landwehr, the head machinist Aaron Hamilton, 3D Computer modeling expert Jake Richmond and graphic artist Ken Melhus.

In this family owned business, which was established 57 years ago, Terry is helping the third generation represented by his son Ryan in developing their management skills. He is also unperturbed by the sale of his competitor Bow Tech to Savage Sports Corporation.

He feels that firearms companies like Savage Sports have not been successful in archery industry. He also does not want to sell his company to any outside party, because that would affect the future of his son and many other old time loyal workers working in the company.

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In the yester years, bows were chiefly of two types namely wooden and composite. The first bows were made from wood by simply cutting the saplings and carving it into the desired shape and then strung using the animal gut. The composite bows were made of wood and horn or some other material.

Today, there are about six different types of bows available based on their uses and the material used to create them. Here are some of those different types of bows that are used by the archers for their different practices like competitions, hunting and recreations.

Longbow: The longbow is the most basic of all the other types. It is very similar to the ones used by our medieval ancestors. The bows used by our ancestors were made of wood which also consisted of a hand grip. The shape of the longbow remains approximately unaltered since its invention in 9,000- 6,000 B.C. It is produced from a single piece of timber and the grip is usually made from a strip of leather that is wound around the bow. It is tall, not significantly recurved, but has relatively narrow limbs that are nearly D-shaped at the cross section and widest at the handle.

Shortbow: The shortbow is quicker to shoot, easier to conceal, requires less work and also less material. It does not allow the user to draw the string to the face or the body. Hence it stores less energy and consequently has a shorter maximum range. It is slower than the other types of bows and is chiefly used in Africa for hunting and for self defense.

Flatbow: The flat bow is a non-recurved bow with relatively wide limbs that are nearly rectangular in cross-section. They are nearly flat and resemble the classic longbows.

Recurve bows: The recurve bows are the only ones that are made of more than one kind of material. They are usually made of laminated timber, carbon or fiberglass. The range in length of this bow is from 1220m to 1780mm and is used in the in the Olympic Games. Recurve bows have working principles similar to the longbows. The defining feature of the bow is the forward curve at the ends of the limbs which increases the power gained from the bow and then smoothens the draw.

Compound bow: This type is specially designed to reduce the force that an archer holds and also increase the overall energy stored by the bow. Most of these bows use pulleys at the ends of the limbs to optimize the power exerted by the archer and to reduce the holding force of the bow during the full draw that is commonly known as let-off.

Crossbow: The crossbow has a small variation in its design. Instead of the limbs being held vertically, they are mounted horizontally on a stock similar to a firearm. The string is pulled using a windlass or manually and then locked into place. The energy stored in these shortened limbs is similar to that of the longbows but are packed into a smaller design which is also easier to aim.

These above mentioned types of bows and their varied uses are important for the new archers to select their type based on their requirements.

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