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Recurve Bow
Arrow Point/Pile
Feathers/Fletchings/Vanes
Shaft
Nock
A Recurve Bow is a form of bow defined by the side-view profile; in contrast to the simple
longbow, a recurve bow has tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is unstrung. By
one technical definition, the difference between Recurve and other bows is that the string
touches sections of the limbs of recurve bows when the bow is strung. A recurve bow stores
more energy than an equivalent straight-limbed bow, giving a greater amount of cast to the
arrow. A recurve will permit a shorter bow than the simple bow for a given arrow energy and this
form was preferred by archers in environments where long weapons could be cumbersome,
such as in brush and forest terrain, or while on horseback. By contrast, the traditional straight
longbow tends to "stack" that is, the required draw force increases more rapidly per unit of draw
length as the string is drawn back.
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Recurved limbs also put greater strain on the materials used to make the bow, and they may
make more noise with the shot. Extreme recurve may make the bow unstable when being
strung. An unstrung recurve bow can have a confusing shape and many Native American
weapons, when separated from their original owners and cultures, were incorrectly strung
backwards and destroyed when attempts were made to shoot them.
Historical use: Recurve bows made out of composite materials were used by, among other
groups, the Hyksos, Magyars, Huns, and Mongols. The recurve bow spread to Egypt, much of
the rest of Asia, and the Middle East countries in the second millennium BC. Presumably Greek
and Phoenician influence would have introduced the recurve form to the rest of the
Mediterranean region. The standard weapon of Roman imperial archers was a composite
recurve, and the stiffening laths used to form the actual recurved ends have been found on
Roman sites throughout the Empire, as far north as Bar Hill on the Antonine Wall in Scotland.
During the Middle Ages composite recurve bows were used in the drier European countries; the
all-wooden straight longbow was the normal form in wetter areas. Recurved bows depicted in
the British Isles (see illustrations in "The Great War Bow") may have been composite weapons,
or wooden bows with ends recurved by heat and force, or simply artistic license. Many North
American bows were recurved, especially West Coast bows. Recurve bows went out of
widespread use with the availability of effective firearms. Self bows, composite bows, and
laminated bows using the recurve form are still made and used by amateur and professional
bowyers
The modern recurve bow: The unqualified phrase "recurve bow" or just "a recurve" in modern
archery circles will usually refer to a typical modern recurve bow, as used by archers in the
Olympics and many other competitive events. It will employ advanced technologies and
materials. The limbs are usually made from multiple layers of fiberglass, carbon and/or wood on
a core of carbon foam or wood. The riser (the handle section of the bow) is generally separate
and is constructed from wood, aluminium alloy or magnesium alloy. Several manufacturers
produce risers made of carbon fibre (with metal fittings) or aluminium with carbon fibre. Risers
for beginners are usually made of wood or plastic. The synthetic materials allow predictable
manufacture for consistent performance. The greater mass-weight of a modern bow is itself an
aid to stability, and therefore to accuracy.
The modern recurve is the only form of bow permitted in the Olympics (though the Compound
bow is permitted in some categories at the Paralympic Games) and also the Commonwealth
Games and is the most widely used by European and Asian sporting archers.
The modern Olympic-style recurve is a development of the American Flat Bow, with rectangularsection limbs that taper towards the limb tips. Most Recurves today are "take-down" bows—that
is, the limbs can be detached from the riser for ease of transportation and storage, and for
interchange ability. Older Recurves and some modern hunting Recurves are one-piece bows.
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Hunters often prefer one-piece bows over take-down bows because the limb pockets on takedown bows can be a source of noise while drawing
Modern recurve bow terminology
Arrow rest – Which is what the arrow rests on during draw. These may be simple fixed rests
or may be spring-loaded or magnetic flip rests.
Back (of bow) - The face of the bow on the opposite side to the string.
Belly (of bow) - The face of the bow on the same side as the string.
Bow sight - An aiming aid attached to the riser.
Sling - A strap attached to the bow handle, wrist or fingers to stop the bow falling from the
hand.
Brace height - The distance between the deepest part of the grip and the string.
Grip - The part of the bow held by the bow hand.
Limbs - The upper and lower working parts of the bow, which come in a variety of different
poundage’s.
Nocking point - The place on the bowstring where the nock (end) of an arrow is fitted.
Riser - The rigid centre section of a bow to which the limbs are attached
String - The cord that attaches to both limb tips and transforms stored energy from the limbs
into kinetic energy in the arrow.
Tab - A protection for the digits that draw the string. Usually made of leather.
Tiller - The difference between the limb-string distances measured where the limbs are
attached to the riser. Usually the upper distance is slightly more than the bottom one,
resulting in a positive tiller. Reflects the power-balance between both limbs.
Other Equipment: Recurve Archers often have many other pieces of equipment attached to
their Recurve Bows such as:
Clicker - a blade or wire device fitted to the riser, positioned to drop off the arrow when the
archer has reached optimum draw length. Used correctly, this ensures the same cast-force
each time. Many archers train themselves to shoot automatically when the clicker drops off
the arrow.
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Kisser - a button or nodule attached to the bowstring. The archer touches the kisser to the
same spot on the face each time (usually the mouth) to give a consistent vertical reference.
Plunger Button - a fine-tuning device consisting of a spring-cushioned tip inside a housing.
The plunger button screws through the riser so that the tip emerges above the rest. The
side of the arrow is in contact with the tip when the arrow is on the rest. The spring is tuned
so that it allows a certain amount of movement of the arrow towards the riser on release,
bringing the arrow to the ideal "centre shot" location. The plunger button is used to
compensate for the arrow's flex, since the arrow flexes as the string pushes onto it with a
very high acceleration, creating what is known as the archer's paradox. The device is also
known as a pressure button or Berger button (after its inventor, Vic Berger).
Stabilizers - weight-bearing rods attached to a recurve bow to balance the bow to the
archer's requirement, dampen the effect of torque and dissipate vibration.
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