The three primary types of bows used for archery are the compound bow, the recurve bow, and the traditional bow.
The recurve bow and compound bows are the two types that can commonly be found in use in archery competitions around the world.
Asian cultures were among the first to adopt a recurve bow design, though the design has also been found early historically in some Mediterranean cultures. The Huns brought the recurve bow design to Europe.
Recurve bows are so named by their non-traditional design in which the ends of the bow limbs have been curved backwards. According to Reginald Laubin, author of "American Indian Archery (Civilization of the American Indian)," many Native American bows were destroyed by those unfamiliar with the design by stringing the bow backwards and breaking them.
How Does a Recurve Bow Work?
Any time a material is bent, energy is either gained or lost. In a traditional bow, the bow is straight at rest and gains a little energy in a relatively short draw before the bow breaks. With a recurve bow, the bow is pre-bent and more energy is gained at full draw than a traditional bow. The pre-stressed recurve bow produces a much more powerful shot.
How Recurve Bows are Made
Recurve bows are made out of many materials including fiberglass, composite, horn, and even various types of wood such as osage orange, lemonwood, maple, or yew.
Because there is such a wide variety of materials, there are also a wide variety of ways to construct those materials into a recurve bow.
The traditional approach, usually single pieces of wood or a combination of wood and horn, is to heat up the ends of the limbs in boiling water for multiple hours and then shaping and securing the limbs in a specific shape until the bow cools and dries out.
Firing a Recurve Bow
Shooting a recurve bow is different than a compound bow and some would say a little more difficult.
Classic recurve bows do not typically have the sights like modern compound bows. In competition, however, recurve bows will usually employ advanced sight systems and a bow stabilizer.
With a compound bow you will usually have a whisker biscuit, mustang rest, or even a mechanical drop-away arrow rest. Recurve bows have a shelf rest and the arrow shaft must be braced against the side of the bow during the draw and while taking the shot.
Because the arrow must be on the recurve bow's shelf, plastic veins that are common while using compound bows do not work very well for recurve bows. The plastic veins can come in contact with the shelf and will not give enough under contact, causing the arrow to have unpredictable flight. It is recommended that arrows shot with recurve bows be fletched with feathers.
Richard Silvers - My wife and I are practitioners of a paleolithic diet. Much of my writing covers the topics of health, nutrition, fitness, and weight ...
