Archery Bow

Whether your target is a deer or bullseye (The gold.), how can you find the perfect archery bow?

Unfortunately, the process isn’t an exact science - there’s no magical formula that you can use. However, by following some basic tips, you can increase your chance of finding the perfect archery bow. Here are some of the most crucial tips:


1. Think about the archer

While this seems like an obvious matter, many people overlook it when shopping for archery bows. Consider factors such as the size, strength, and age of the archer. Will he or she be able to “grow into” a larger archery bow? Will the archer’s age or strength negatively affect his or her ability to draw back the bow’s string? These are important matters to consider, to ensure that a bow doesn’t overpower the archer.


2. Consider the pros and cons of each bow type

Each archery bow has its positives and negatives. Like compound bows with the latest gadgets and aggresive cams will make your bow faster, however the more high tech accessoriesyou add to the bow, the more can go wrong.

Recurves can offer simplicity, however, they are generally not as fast as the compound bow.

Longbows can be very accurate (Just look at footage of Howard Hill shooting) however, to be consistent and profecient without a sight on it, you may have to practice shooting often.


3. Fact in the bow length

When target shooting, the length of the bow won’t be much of a factor. However, when bow hunting in the field, consider that a longbow and other lengthy bows can become quite bulky for the archer. So remember that when choosing a bow, a long one can hit branches, shrubs, etc. On the positive side, a longer length archery bow will reduce finger pinch and is said to be more forgiving.


4. Understand the need for speed

While you won’t need to secure a PhD in Physics to understand what influences the speed of an arrow, it’s crucial to have a basic knowledge about what influences it. The Archery Manufacturers Association (AMO) conducts a standard test to assign it a speed. The speed indicates how many feet-per-second the archery bow propels the arrow. Another organization, the International Bowhunting Organization (ISO), uses a different standard to measure speed, so its speeds are significantly higher than AMO’s.

What does this all mean? When buying a archery bow, remember that faster bows shouldn’t be your only consideration regarding speed. Yes, some modern compound bows are very fast and the arrows have flatter trajectory, which is great for accuracy. However, bows that shoot ultra-fast are more difficult to control. Experts usually suggest bows with AMO speeds of 235-245, and IBO speeds of 290-305.

Longbows and recurves have harvested all bow hunting game on the planet, so speed in the bow should not be your only consideration.

5. Select a brace height that’s comfortable for you

This is the distance between the bow’s string, and the bow’s grip—when you haven’t drawn the bow. What’s so special about the brace height? This feature of a bow will have a big impact on the speed and precision of the archery bow. (This depends on style/make of the archery bow.) A bow with a shorter brace height will have a power stroke that’s lengthier—thus boosting the arrow’s speed. On the other hand, bows that have lengthier brace heights provide more forgiveness in accuracy.

So the bottom line is that you should choose a brace height based on the type of archery that you plan to do—keeping in mind that power is particularly important when hunting, but not at the expense of accuracy.

If you’re looking for the perfect archery bow, these tips will help you to hit the target.