Contents
What is Archery?
History of Archery
Object of Archery
Archery Equipment
Archery Competition Formats
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Archery Equipment
The appropriate equipment is essential for success in outdoor target archery. Though equipment styles and brands may vary among archers, the fundamentals of the bow and arrow remain constant among all competitors.
Arrow
Arrows are typically made from aluminum or carbon. Aluminum arrows tend to be heavier and are favored for indoor target archery competitions, whereas lightweight carbon is the material of choice for outdoor target archery, where shooting distances can reach up to 90m. The length of arrows depends on the the individual archer’s draw length—the distance from the riser to the archer’s anchor point, or the place where the string contacts the archer’s face.
Though the material and length of arrows can vary from one archer to another, all arrows must possess the following elements for optimal flight:
- Nock: A U-shaped attachment at the end of the arrow, the nock fits the arrow onto the bowstring and holds it in place.
- Fletching: These feathers or vanes are attached to the end of the arrow. Usually made from plastic, the three vanes cause the arrow to spin, keeping it more stable and on course as it flies toward the target.
- Shaft: This is the long, middle section of the arrow to which the nock, fletching, and pile attach. The shaft can be made of aluminum or carbon, with carbon being the standard type used in outdoor target shooting.
- Pile: This is the bullet-shaped tip of the arrow that penetrates the target. Also known as the tip or point, the pile is normally weighted to give the arrow the right amount of bend and speed once it’s released.
Recurve Bow
The most widely recognized modern bow is the recurve bow, or recurve, which is the only type of bow that is allowed in Olympic competition. A recurve bow is characterized by its curved limbs. The tips of the limbs point toward the target when the bow is unstrung. When the string is pulled back, pressure is evenly distributed to both of the limbs, which curve from the force.
Recurves can have draw weights—the force required to pull the bowstring back to full draw—that are in excess of 40 pounds. The heavier the bow, the easier it becomes for archers to reach further distances, as the arrows can cut through the air at higher speeds and with less wind interference.
To accommodate the strain a shot’s force has on the bow itself, the recurve employs several different components that maximize stability and increase accuracy:
- Riser: The middle section of the bow. It holds and supports all other equipment. The riser is essentially the bow’s foundation, on which the limbs, sight, clicker, and stabilizer attach.
- Limbs: Curved sections from the tips to the riser. Limbs are the powerhouse of the bow, bending with each draw and holding large amounts of draw weight or resistance. The length and draw weight of limbs vary depending on the archer’s size and strength.
- Stabilizer: The weighted rod that attaches to the riser to reduce the vibration of the bow when a shot is released. Maximum stability is key so that the archer can mimic each shot as accurately as possible.
- V-bar: The V-shaped rod that counterbalances the stabilizer, sight, and any other frontal weights. The V-bar gives the bow extra stability with each shot.
- Sight: An adjustable device that contains a circle and pin—or sometimes crosshairs—to help the archer aim.
- Bowstring: A single cord made up of several Kevlar or Dacron strings, which are very strong fibers.
- Clicker: A spring-loaded or magnetized lever attached to the riser that indicates to archers when the optimal draw length has been reached. Once the tip of an arrow passes the pin, the archer hears a “click” and immediately releases the shot.
Additional Equipment
At the very least, archers need a bow and arrow to shoot, but that’s not enough to shoot safely and accurately. The following are some additional equipment that archers of any level will require:
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Finger tab: This piece of leather or other durable synthetic material protects the string fingers—the three fingers that hold the string—as they release the bowstring.
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Finger sling: This string or sling rests the bow in the archer’s hand. Proper technique calls for the archer not to grip the bow but to apply pressure to the handle. Since the archer never really holds the bow, the finger sling holds the bow for the archer while also assisting in the shot’s follow-through and accuracy, as it catches the bow after the archer releases the arrow.
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Chest guard: This nylon or mesh strap is worn around the bow-arm side of the chest. A chest guard keeps loose clothing from getting caught in the bowstring and protects the archer’s chest against the string’s release force.
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Arm guard: Made from leather or plastic, this protective guard is worn on the inside of the bow arm. An arm guard keeps the bowstring from coming into contact with the forearm when the bow string is released.
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Quiver: A modern quiver, which can hold 25–30 arrows, hangs from the archer’s belt and normally has additional pockets for equipment that the archer may need while shooting.
Target
Archery targets, also known as target faces, consist of 10 concentric circles with colors that distinguish points valued 1–10. For example, white indicates a score of 1 or 2, black indicates 3 or 4, blue indicates 5 or 6, and so on. The score that a shot earns depends on where the arrow lands on the target. Scores range from an X, for an arrow in the inner 10-ring, to 1, for an arrow in the outermost circle. Arrows that miss the scoring rings on the target receive a score of 0.
Target Faces
In outdoor FITA competitions, two targets of differing sizes are used. For the two longest distances (90 m and 70 m for men; 70 m and 60 m for women), a target face with a diameter of 122 cm is used. At the two shorter distances of 50 m and 30 m, which are the same for both men and women, an 80 cm face is used. In Olympic competition, both men and women shoot at the 122 cm target face at 70 m.
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