Hunting Bows

In the beginning archery bows were used for hunting; to provide food for the tribe. As time moved forward, hunting bows were also used in warfare and sporting events to determine who was the best shot with a hunting bow.

The tension put on the bow as the string is pulled back is called the bow's draw weight. The higher the draw weight is, the more powerful the bow will be, and the harder it is to pull the bowstring.

Even though the modern bows are very fast, in bow hunting, the archer is restricted to a close distance to the target. Most shots might be taken at the game at approximately 20 or 30 yards or even closer. Using hunting bows is a challenge when compared to traditional gun hunting.

Hunting bows are manufactured all around the world, from different companies like; Bear Bows, PSE Archery, Browning, Martin, Mathews Archery, Bowtech, Hoyt Archery, Diamond Bows, and many others. These companies have made some great high tech improvements in hunting bows and the archery supplies industry.

Now we will cover the three models of hunting bows (Four bows if you include the crossbow.) that are popular today in bow hunting, they are the compound bow, recurve and longbow.


Compound Hunting Bow

In bow hunting today, the compound bow is a popular style, as the cables and wheels/cams help the archer when at full draw, hold less weight. The compound bow is also very fast which is ideal for bowhunting, as the arrows flat trajectory helps accuracy.

The compound hunting bow tends to be a bit shorter than the target style compound bow and other bows for that matter. The short limbs and riser are an advantage in the thick bush and in tree stands as the limbs may not hit branches and undergrowth. The shorter hunting bow also reduces the weight of the bow, which is ideal for long hikes.

The type of wheels/cams on a compound bow makes a huge difference in the hunting bow's speed, comfort of pull, and the bow's accuracy. They come in different types such as round, soft, hard, solo, and hybrid cams. The round wheels are generally slower than the cam bows, but they are smoother and they do not vibrate as much.

Other cam varieties generate a lot of arrow speed and the newer models are just as quiet as the wheel designs. Most modern compound hunting bows will use a fast cam design.
Accessories like bow sights, bow quivers, stabilizers can be added to the compound bow for accuracy and ease of use.


Recurve Hunting Bows

The recurve bow has limbs that curve away from the middle of the bow or riser and helps generate more efficient power. While not being as fast as the compound bow, the recurve is generally faster than the longbow design.

The recurve hunting bows design, can come in a one piece or take down style. The take down styles are easy to transport for the bow hunting trips.

Recurve bows can be also added with archery equipment and accessories like, bow sights, bow quiver, etc. Some archers prefer to shoot the recurve instinctively, without sights.

Longbows

For traditional archers the longbow is the perfect hunting bow as the simplicity of the design means little can go wrong in the field. The longbow is generally shot without accessories on it such as archery sights.

A long bow is generally a bit slower than the other types of modern hunting bows; however, for archery nostalgia it is hard to beat. For those who get plenty of time to practice with the longbow, it can become a very efficient hunting bow.

The longbow, while not high tech compared to the compound bow have some great traditional values.


Selecting Your Bow

Selecting a hunting bow for you is more of a personal quest and depends on a number of factors, such as; It depends greatly on whether you are going to be bow hunting from a tree, or stalking, what draw weight can you use. Whether you like high tech archery equipment, or would rather the traditional aspect of the hunting bows. It also depends on what range you want to get an accurate shot at and how much time you can afford to be proficient with the bow.

Whichever type of hunting bows you decide to use, make sure you are comfortable with it and it fits your bow hunting style.