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There are many kinds of bow due to the long history that archery enjoys. The oldest flint arrow heads have been dated to 50,00B.C. Originally developed for hunting and later becoming a weapon of war, bow have been used all over the world by every civilisation. Here we show the main types used today.
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Recurve bow
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The recurve bow is the Olympic standard bow. It is a modern development from the longbow.
It is called a "take-down" bow as it comes apart for storage. The centre section or "riser" can be made from wood, aluminium, plastic, carbon fibre, glass fibre or, in extremely expensive versions, magnesium. It incorporates the handle, an arrow rest, a pressure button, a clicker, a sight and up to four vibration dampers, including a "long rod". The riser is the control centre. Attached to the riser are the two "limbs" which provide the power for the bow - typically between 20 and 60 pounds. The lims are made of wood and glass fibre or carbon fibre. Finally there is the string, which can be made from a number of materials such a Dacron or polyester. The middle of the string is bound with a fine wipping cord (the "serving") and a small,usually brass, knocking point.
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Training Bow (recurve)
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The training bow is a simple recurve bow with a sight but without the clicker, button and vibration dampers. It has the feel and charateristics of a tournament recurve bow above but without much of the complication.
This allows beginners to learn the basic skills without confusion.
These bows normally have a riser of laminated wood but plastic and glass- fibre versions are also available.
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The English Longbow. The longbow originated in the 12th century and was a development of a succesful bow used earlier by the Welsh! It was the chief weapon of war from the late 12th century until the 16th century when the musket took over.
In famous battles at Cresy, Poiters and Agincourt small armies of mainly english archers defeated much larger French opposition. The bow we shoot today was developed in Victorian times for recreational purposes. The bow is a simple D section wooden bow with no arrow rest or sight and shoots a wooden arrow with feather fletchings.
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Compound Bow
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The compound bow is a complex development from the recurve bow. It has cams at each end and many techical gizmos, including an optional telescopic sight, which fascinate some but leave others cold. Invented in the USA and used there particularly for hunting (illegal here) as, in the right hands, it is very fast and accurate, but also compact which is advantageous when your'e tramping through the forest looking for Bambi. |
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