Archery and Bowhunting Tips
One of the greatest passions one can have in life
is bowhunting / archery. The challenge of a successful bowhunt is unparalleled
in the sporting world and the reward of a successful hunt is one to cherish
forever. This website is intended to educate and improve archers and bowhunters
so they can enjoy their passions with a higher rate of success.
SHOOTINGTIME.COM'S GOAL
Our goal is to help archers reach their potential by understanding
crucial elements of archery and bow hunting. Whether you're into competitive
archery or bowhunting, our archery tips and hunting tips should improve
your chances for success. Sections such as arrow
selection, broadhead selection,
compound bow tuning and proper
shooting form will not only guide you through making the right choices
in technique or equipment, they will also contain a detailed explanation.
As we here at shootingtime.com did years ago, we encourage you to embrace
the challenge of learning the unknown in your quest to becoming a better
archer.
If you are new to archery or simply just want to brush
up on basics or techniques, study the parts of the bow below and then
proceed to the left index to further your knowledge.We are also always
up for suggestions as well! If you have any suggestions on how we can
make our website a better one, please email us at shootingtime@gmail.com.
This website will be updated within the next week
or two. 8/31/2010
What kind of archer are you?
Many bowhunters put their bow in the case until the week
before the season. They trust and have trusted any bow mechanic just as
long as they work at a legitimate pro shop or sporting goods store. They
DEPEND on others to tell them what draw length they are, what arrows to
shoot, and what accessories to attach to their bow. This behavior is often
a recipe for disaster. Far too often, we have seen improper draw lengths,
improperly spined arrows, improperly tuned bows, etc...
If you have the desire and willingness to learn, you can
improve your results in the field and at the range. With the tips provided
on this website, you should be able to maximize your chances for success
by eliminating many of the errors which result from improper equipment
setup and form errors. If you have any questions please contact
us.
 Know
your equipment
Study the image and learn the parts of the compound bow.
Click on compound bow part for glossary definition.
- Arrow Rest
- Arrow Shelf
- Berger Hole
- Bow Sling
- Bow String
- Brace Height
- Cable(s)
- Cable Guard
- Cable Slide
- Cam(s)
- D-Loop
- Fletchings / Vanes
- Grip
- Limb(s)
- Nock
- Nocking point
- Peep Sight
- Quiver
- Riser
- Sight
- Silencing Aids
- Stabilizer
- String Vibration Arrester
- Tiller Measurement
Other archery terms ( click on term
for definition )
Glossary of Archery Terms
Archery
Shooting Form
Having proper archery shooting form will allow you to deliver
consistant, accurate results. Elements of proper form include, but are
not limited to, proper stance, posture, grip, arm postioning, and proper
shot execution..
Arrow
Made from aluminum, carbon or a combination of carbon and
aluminum, the modern arrow has came a long way from its wooden predecessor.
Carbon is the popular choice among modern archers because of its straightness,
durablity, and weight to spine ratio.
Arrow
Rest
The arrow rest is the unit that screwed into the riser via
the berger hole and provides a catch for the arrow to rest on before and
during the shot. Models are either stationary while some mechanically
"drop away" during the shot.
Arrow
Shelf
The arrow shelf is the horizontal shelf designed into the
riser which contains the arrow in all stages of the shot. It also protects
the gripping hand from accidental injury.
Axle to Axle Measurement
(ATA)
The axle to axle measurement is from the center of the Cam's
pin (axle) to center of cam pin (axle). This is a manufacturer's provided
spec measurement and for a bow to operate with maximum efficiency, the
measurement should be at least within 3/16 of an inch.
Back
Tension
Back tension is the technique used to make the most efficient
shot in archery. It involves, along with other essential form elements,
the tightening of the back muscles while releasing the shot.
Berger
Hole
The Berger Hole is the tapped hole above the arrow shelf.
The arrow rest is screwed into the berger hole from the outside of the
riser. It is standard to have your arrow centered on the center of the
berger hole when setting up the bow.
Bow
Press
A bow press is a mechanical press which flexes the bow's
limbs to take tension off the bow string and cable(s) so maintenance work
can be performed. There are many varieties of presses on the market all
of which should be only used by people with knowledge of that particular
press.
Bow
Sling
A bow sling is installed in tandem with a stabiler. It provides
a "catch" for an archer so they do not drop the bow after taking
a shot. Bow slings should be installed loosely so they do not add unneeded
torque when the shot is fired.
Bow
String
The Bow string is the string which terminates at the cams
on a two cam system. On a "solo cam" system, the bow string's
ends both terminate at the bottom cam but travels around the top idler
wheel.
Brace
Height
Brace height is the measurement from the crotch of the grip
to the bowstring. The average brace height is around 7 inches.
Broadhead
Broadheads are the cutting head attached to the end of the
arrow. The first broadheads (arrow heads) were chiseled out of stone and
have improved drastically throughout the centuries. Current broadheads
are made of razor sharp surgical stainless steel and are either of a fixed
blade design or a mechanical design. They are usually sold in 75, 85,
100 and 125 grain weights.
Cable(s)
The cables run from cam to cam and work with the cams during
the execution of the shot.
Cable
Guard
The cable guard is the fiberglass rod which runs perpendicular
from the riser towards the bowstring and works with cable slide to keep
the cable(s) out of the arrow's line of fire.
Cable
roller
The cable roller is a replacement of the cable guard / cable
slide system and is found on many newer bows. It is stationary and contains
the string / cables out of the line of fire via rollers.
Cable
slide
The Cable slide is a plastic piece which attaches to the
cable guard and holds the string / cables out of the arrow's line of fire.
Cam
Lean
Cam lean refers to the amount the cam(s) are canted or tilted
off the vertical alignment of the bow and is due to the cable(s) and or
bow string being pulled to the cable guard. The longer the ATA measurement,
the smaller the cam lean; the shorter the ATA the greater the cam lean.
Cams
Cams are round to oval metal discs which are held in place
to the limbs via a pin and they are where the string and cable(s) terminate.
They are attached at the end of the limbs and transfer the power of the
limbs to the string and arrow during the shot. Bow's will either have
one or two Cams. On a Solo Cam bow, the cam will be attached to the bottom
limb of the bow while an idler wheel will be attached to the top limb.
Compound
Bow
A compound bow is a modern bow that uses a levering system,
usually of cables and cams, to bend the limbs before a shot is taken.
Control
Cable
The cable, which is not only a key in the timing of the
compound bow's cams, but is also the cable predominantly used in setting
a bow's draw weight.
D-Loop
A D-Loop surrounds the arrow at the string and is a point
of connection for a mechanical archery release;it is made or a short piece
of cord fastened to the bow string by two knots.
Draw
Weight
A bow's draw weight is the amount of force, measured in
pounds, needed to bring the bow to full draw.
Field
Dressing
The procedure in which a hunter removes vital and digestive
internal organs and parts of an animal.
Field
Point
Field points, often referred to as "practice tips",
are metal points, roughly the same diameter as the arrow, which are screwed
in to the arrow's insert. They are usually sold in 75, 85, 100 and 125
grain weights.
Fletchings
/ Vanes
Fletchings are the feathers or plastic vanes which are glue
to an end of an arrow that steer and correct an arrow during flight. They
can be oversized to dramatically reduce speed ( for bird shooting ) or
undersized for increased speed.
FOC
Front of Center. Measured as a percentage of how far the
balancing point of an arrow is forward of the measured center.
FPS
Feet Per Second
Grains
Unit of measurement used when weighing an arrow and its
components.
Grip
The grip is the part of the riser that you hold when shooting.
Most manufacturers install a removable grip which can be replaced with
an aftermarket grip to suit an individual's comfort.
IBO Speed
IBO speed is defined as the initial velocity, in feet per
second, of a 350 grain arrow shot from a bow at a draw weight of 70 lbs
with a draw length of 30 inches.
Idler
Wheel
An idler wheel replaces the top cam of a bow on a solocam
bow. It is round and only has contact with the bowstring and not the cables.
Insert
An insert is the hollow cylindricular unit containing threads
which accepts a broadhead or field point. These are "inserted"
into the arrow after the arrow is cut to the desired length.
Let Off
Let off is the percentage of the bow's draw weight that
an archer is not holding at full draw. Example: 70 pound draw weight X
80% let off = 56 lbs of let off or 14 lb full draw holding weight.
Limbs
Limbs are the flexible fiberglass planks that are attached
at the riser on one end and support the cam or idler wheel on the other.
They work with the shooter to store and release the kinetic energy need
to deliver a shot. With most bows, the limbs are given a poundage rating:
50-60lbs, 60-70lbs, 70-80lbs, etc. If an archer wanted to raise or lower
their draw weight outisde of the 10 pound range that their limbs provide,
they can do so by replacing the limbs with the preferred weight rating.
Long
Bow
A longbow is a type of bow that is tall (roughly equal to
the height of the person who uses it); this will allow its user a fairly
long draw, at least to the jaw. A longbow is not significantly recurved.
Its limbs are relatively narrow so that they are circular or D-shaped
in cross section.
Mechanical
Release
The Mechanical release or "release" is the device
held by or attached to the archers shooting hand which aids the archer
in drawing back and releasing the bowstring. Most contain and operate
off a trigger while some operate off the pure back tension rotation of
the shooting hand.
Nock
The nock is the insert on the rear end of the arrow which
attaches to the bow string. A nock may also refer to the crimpable collar
which some archers attach to their bowstring at the "nocking point."
Nocking
Point
The nocking point is the location, on the bow string, that
the arrow attaches to before a shot.
Paper
Tuning
Paper tuning is the method used when an archer shoots an
arrow ( field point installed ) through a piece of paper in order to study
the rip created. The rip is a "snapshot" of the arrow's flight
at that distance ( around 8 feet ) and, depending on results, lets the
archer know what he has to do to perfect his arrow flight.
Peep Sight
The peep sight is the donut shaped device inserted between
the strands of the bowstring which gives the archer's eye its first point
of alignment. When the archer lines up his sight while he is viewing through
the peep sight consistency is more obtainable.
Quiver
The quiver is the permanently mounted or detachable unit
which contains the archer's arrows. Some have one or two points of holding
contact on the arrow and a head either filled with a foam product or hollow.
For mechanical broadheads we suggest using a quiver with two points of
contact on the arrow and with a broadhead containment compartment which
is hollow; this keeps the mechanical broadheads from unnecessarily deploying
the blades and limits wear and tear on crucial broadhead components.
Range
Finder
A range finder is a device which, either with a laser or
mechanical lenses, estimates a targets distance.
Recurve
Bow
A recurve bow has tips that curve away from the archer when
the bow is unstrung and, when strung, stores more power than an equivalent
straight limbed bow.
Riser
The riser is the central component of the bow which is normally
constructed out of machined aluminum.
Sight
An archery sight attaches to the riser and contains pins,
cross hairs or a laser dot which the archer can adjust to make a more
accurate shot.
Silencing
Aids
Silencing aids are various accesories which can be purchased
and installed on a bow/bowstring to absorb vibration to quiet a shot.
These attach to either the bowstring, cables, limbs, or the riser.
Stabilizer
The stabilizer is an optional accessory which is installed
in the tapped hole below the grip and on the front of the bow. Stabilizers
absorb the vibration of the shot which reduces unneeded noise during the
shot.
String
vibration arrester
This silencer, which is attached at the riser and or the
ends of the limbs, has contact or near contact with the string prior to
the shot and aborbs vibration during the shot which is directly transferred
from the string.
Tiller
Measurement
The tiller measurement is the measurement from the point
where the limb meets the riser and to the string in a perpendicular line.
Each bow will have two tiller measurements and generally should be the
same.
Yoke
The yoke is the upper part of a control cable, forming the
shape of a "Y", that attaches to the outsides of the upper limb
of a compound bow at the axle pin.
Yoke
Tuning
Yoke tuning is the adjustment of each side of the yoke in
order to acheive a linear trajectory of the bow string off the idler wheel
at full draw.
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