For those people who have always wanted to practice archery, but have never known where to start from, the best way to do it is to learn what the compound archery bows are, when should they use them and in which way they’re different from the other existing types.
The archery compound bow (also known as “composite bow”) is one of the most popular types of bows in the U.S. because it’s modern and it’s based on a levering system to flex the limbs. Usually cables and pulleys are used as levers. The thing that makes an archery compound bow so special is the energy effectiveness and the huge let-off to the force applied on the string. The explanation lies in the form of the limbs, which are stiffer than the ones of a recurve bow or a classical longbow. When the user draws the string, he makes the pulleys connected to it to turn and pull the cables, which will cause the limbs to flex and store a good part of the energy. The let-off can be up to 99%, which is a true performance for the compound bow archery.
The compound bows archery has also revolutionized the world of raw materials. The limbs are made of composite materials (in order to be able to store the energy), the central riser is made of aluminium or magnesiun (has to be very rigid) and the string and cables are made of polyethylene (great resistance to tension).
Moreover, this type of bow is more accurate than the other bows and it’s not sensitive to humidity or temperature changes. Another advantage is the rubber covered blocks in the pulley system that has the role of draw-stopping – an anchor point for the archer and another source of energy for the arrow. Compound bows archery uses a mechanical release aid for the string, enabling the archer to release it as fast as a trigger pull. The mechanical release aid gives more consistency to the release process than the fingers release. Comparing to other bows, the compound ones are allowed to use a magnifying sight during tournaments. It also has great stabilizers and dumpers.
There are also some circumstantial disadvantages, like an increased sensitivity of the compound bow archery to some form faults when the user is at full draw. This happens mainly because of the low holding weight.
As far as arrows are concerned, they don’t differ a lot from the ones used with recurve bows and are made of alluminium, or carbon or a combination of these to make it resistant enough to the great forces a compound bow can release. In conclusion, in terms of accuracy and energy effectiveness, the compound archery bows are the best choice for both the beginners (it gives more time to aim) and professionals (great speed, great force, great results).