Choosing the Best Bow for You

In general, archery bows are divided into four classifications: recurve bows, compound bows, longbows and crossbows. The longbows are used for traditional archery. Crossbows are much shorter and are mounted on a rifle-like stock to enable the shooter to cock and shoot its arrow. Cams and pulleys, on the other hand, are the main features of the compound bows. Archery can be used to hunt game wherein crossbows and compound bows (for large animals) are the common equipment. In bowhunting, the distance between the hunter and the game is much shorter than that in hunting using firearms, and hunting with these bows enjoys longer seasons.

Below is a small sampling of some Archery Bows currently on eBaY:

Cartel Star Hunter Arrow Rest Compound Bow Archery    US $52.00

VINTAGE BEAR PANDA RECURVE ARCHERY BOW 21530 58 30 LB    US $54.99

VINTAGE BEAR ARCHERY 1968 FACTORY CAMO GRIZZLY RECURVE BOW LEFT HANDED 43    US $112.50

Archery Traditional hunting Longbow 40 Recurve bow String And Bowbag    US $148.00

Archery Traditional hunting Longbow 38 Recurve bow String And Bowbag    US $159.99

Archery Traditional hunting Longbow 45 Recurve bow String And Bowbag    US $169.99

Archery Traditional hunting Longbow 25 Recurve bow String And Bowbag    US $149.99

Archery Traditional hunting Longbow 45 Nice Pigskin Bow Recurve bow String    US $149.99

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Archery as sports competitions has several variations some of which could be held both outdoors and indoors. One is target archery which is an Olympic sport with its own international governing body, FITA. Indoor events here have distances of 18m and 25m while outdoor distances are set at 30m to 90m.

Also popular in the US and Europe is field archery wherein competitors shoot at targets situated on varying distances usually over rough terrain. There are three common rounds in field archery: field, animal and hunter with each round consisting of 28 targets broken into two units of 14.

Also popular in international archery bows competition, particularly among hunters, is a form called 3D archery which revolves around shooting at life-size models of animals. Another competition is called clout archery which is similar to target archery but the distances are considerably longer to up to 165m for men and 128m for women. Crossbow target shooting is yet another archery event with international following. Three disciplines are involved here: field-crossbow archery, 30m match-crossbow, 10m match-crossbow.

After lining up the archery bows that may be suited for a specific activity, a user can then pick one which is the most comfortable for the individual's intended use. It is worth considering also that a release aid would be required for short bows, while none is needed in long bows.

Next consideration is the weight of the equipment. Light bows would be ideal for hunting as these will have to be carried around for longer periods of time. The heavier bows would be more suitable for archery competitions as these are more stable for shooting immobile targets.

Brace height, the distance between the bow grip and string, should likewise be as comfortable as possible for the individual. Most importantly, archery bows have to have the appropriate draw weight. The comfortable draw for adults would be at 50 pounds, 10 pounds for young kids and 20 pounds for older children. Draw weight, in other words, has to be compatible to an archer's pulling power; draw weights that are too high for comfort could tire the competitor early and shots taken are most likely to be inaccurate. In the same manner, archery bows have to be of appropriate draw length, as muscle strain would result from draw lengths that are too long, again resulting in shot inaccuracy.

Clearly, there is much to consider when purchasing archery bows. Essentially, sound advice is needed as the archery bow should exactly fit the type of activity for its intended use, as well as match the individual capability of the user.

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