TYPES AND MATERIALS
| Self
Bow The Self Bow is the most simple type of bow. It is made of a single piece of pliable material, generally wood, and was the first bow used by man. Composite Bow The Composite Bow is a most advanced bow capable of storing more energy. The back of the bow is made of a material that resists being stretched while the belly of the bow is made of a material which resists being compressed. The two materials work together to make a stronger bow. Straight Bow A Straight Bow is, obviously, a bow that is straight. Shortbow The Shortbow was an early hunting bow, used by many Native American Indians, and by African hunters. A smaller bow = less energy that can be stored. Practical, as it is more difficult to kill a target farther away. The bow had just enough force to kill something at a distance that it was easy to shoot at, without the extra size and weight of the larger bows. Longbow A larger bow. Military bows are different, since you are not trying to pick off a single target. Ranks of archers would use this: a very large, straight self bow, taller than the archer himself, to deliver a shower of unaimed arrows upon the advancing enemy. A larger bow = more energy = farther distance = more enemies you can kill before they get near you. |
Crossbow While not considered a viable instrument of "archery," the Crossbow is included here because it functions exactly the same as a bow. There are a few slight differences, however: 1.) The Bow (called a prod) is mounted horizontally on a piece of wooden stock called the Tiller. This avoids such things as the "Archer's Paradox" and "Tiller Rotation," allowing a less skilled archer a straigher shot. 2.) Because the Crossbow is loosed using a mechanical release, more energy can be stored in the bow as it need not be held. A smaller prod can store more energy than a longbow over a fraction of the distance. Traditionally, military crossbows had better range than other bows (until modern times when lighter, stronger materials have made the hand bow a more powerful device), using, often, metal prods. 3.) As the crossbows became stronger, the Draw on them became so enormous that one single person could not span it himself. Several devices were implemented: levers, winches, etc., but these made spanning the crossbow too slow to be actually useful on an open battle field (but ideal for defending against sieges.) |
| Recurve Bow The recurve bow has tips that curve away from the archer. Using Composite in make, the Recurve Bow's bent limbs allow for a 1.) a Lower Bracing Height with the same limb length, 2.) more spring force over the first few inches of draw, and 3.) a higher amount of stacking. It is the most commonly used bow in the Olympics and among sporting archers. |
Reflex Bow Like the Recurve bow, this design was used to increase the amount of stored enegry in the bow. However, the Reflex Bow when unstrung flexes its entire self away from the archer, like a backwards "C". When strung it resembles a strung Recurve Bow. Compound Bow A Compound Bow is a bow which uses mechanical levers, pulleys, cams, etc., to produce more stored energy with less work done to it. Many more traditional archers shun devices such as this. |
| Bow Material | Pros | Cons |
| Wood (Yew) | Light, Fast, Cheap | Prone to Warp at Temperature Change, not mass-produced (if a limb breaks, etc.) |
| Aluminum | Light, Moderately Cheap | WILL eventually break or stay permanently bent. That is immiment. |
| Fiberglass | Light, Very Fast | Prone to warping in extreme weather (may break if used on a cold day, may become *too* flexible if used on a hot day). |
| Spring Steel | Heavy, Slow, Extremely Powerful | Too heavy to be of use for any bow except a crossbow. |
The amount of energy in the bow is equal to 2FCos(A)Cos(B)x. The lighter the bow material, the more of this energy goes to the arrow. The material also determines, along with the shape, the value of "F", the spring force.
Arrows
The physics and dynamics of the arrows will be covered later. As for now, here's a bit of information about the materials and types of arrows:
| Arrow Material | Pros | Cons |
| Wood | Cheap | Imperfect, liable to break or warp |
| Fiberglass | Light, Precise; Easy to fit to draw length and weight | Difficult to find, liable to snap |
| Aluminum | Greatest Range of Sizes, Weights; Light, More Precise, Interchangable Arrowheads | Expensive |
| Carbon | Durable, Most Precise, Light, Interchangable Arrowheads | Very Expensive |
| Fletching Material | Pros | Cons |
| Feathers | Lighter, More Forgiving if brushed up against hand or bow, Faster (for the first 50m), Cheaper, Easier to fix and to replace | Makes noise when in the air (although that can be a good thing), useless when wet, deforms easily. |
| Plastic Vanes | Waterproof, Can be made specific to bow or hunting conditions, quieter, faster (lose less speed through air, 50m), More durable if passed through target | Unforgiving if fletching touchers hand or bow as loosed, more likely to get ripped off the shaft. |
Components of an Arrow
The arrow is made up of five basic parts:
Arrowhead -- This is the part that hits the target and does the damage.
Inserts/Outserts -- This is the part where the arrow and the arrowhead are fastened.
Shaft -- This is the body of the arrow.
Fletching -- These are the feathers which keep the arrow stable in the air.
Nock -- This is the piece which holds the arrow to the bowstring.
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The shaft is what the arrow is made out
of. The Fletching, either plastic or feathers. The nock,
where it is held to the bow. The only notable thing here
is that when using feathers, one feather, usually a
darker color, is the "cock feather," and the
other feathers are the "hen feathers." There are several different kinds of arrow heads for different uses. Broadheads for hunting, blunt heads for target shooting (those are less likely to damage the arrow), field heads for small game hunting, fish heads for spear fishing. |