By Trevor Vernon
Published by Trevor Vernon at Smashwords
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2012 Trevor Vernon
Smashwords
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Chapter 1 - What Is Archery All About?
Chapter 2 - A Brief History Of Archery
Chapter 3 - Traditional Archery Explained
Chapter 4 - What Is An Archery Bow
Chapter 5 - Different Types of Archery Bows
Chapter 6 - How To Make An Archery Bow
Chapter 7 - How Are Archery Targets Used
Chapter 8 - Targets Used For Archery
Chapter 9 - Different Types Of Archery Equipment
Chapter 10 - Bowtech Archery Information
Chapter 11 - How Are Archery Arrows Used
Chapter 12 - Bear Archery Information
Chapter 13 - What Is Diamond Archery
Chapter 14 - Mathews Archery Bows
Chapter 15 - Lancaster Archery Equipment
Chapter 16 - Ross Archery Designed Bows
Chapter 17 - Pse Archery Bows And Arrows
Chapter 18 - Hoyt Archery Game Explained
Chapter 19 - Three Rivers Archery Bows
Chapter 20 - Martin Archery Bows
Chapter 21 - Different Types of Archery Supplies
Introduction
There are two types of archery, target and field.
Target Archery
In target archery you aim your arrows at a target a certain distance away. After a set number of arrows the target is moved to a different distance, but the archer stays in one spot.
Field Archery
In field archery you fire a certain number of arrows at a target. The archer then changes position to aim at a target in a different position. The targets could be up a hill, down a hill or even on the other side of some water.
It's important to remember though that a bow and arrow isn't a toy, it's a weapon. If you fancy taking up the sport you MUST go to a club to get started.
Archery can also be defined as an art, practice, or skill of shooting arrows using a bow (bow and arrow). In the past archery was used for hunting and combat; but nowadays, archery's is mainly used for recreational activities. A person who takes up archery is generally called an "archer" or "bowman", and someone who loves archery or an expert at archery is often known as a "toxophilite.
If you are interested in learning more about archery, then this book is definitely for you.
Chapter 1 – What Is Archery All About?
Archery has fascinated mankind since time immemorial. Be it the war field or the hunting ground, it was archery which made man victorious. Archers have been an indispensable part of Egyptian, Indian, Greek and Persian civilization. These archers were highly adorned and respected; in fact special training was provided to people who wanted to master the art of archery.
Bows and arrows are the main constituents of archery. Studies have shown that the bows were developed in either early Mesolithic age or late Paleolithic age. Pines were used for making arrows.
Bows are of different types such as Longbow, shortbow, flatbow, recurve bow, crossbow and compound bow. Longbow as the name suggests is very long; the length of the bow is equal to the height of the user and in some cases even exceeds the height of the user. The limb of the Flatbow is wider and the cross-section is rectangular in shape.
Shortbow is shorter in length; it is light weight and has a short range. It was basically used for hunting purpose. In crossbow the limbs are mounted in a horizontal manner and not in a vertical manner. The compound bow is designed in such as manner that the archer is at his ease while mounting the bow.
An arrow is made up of shaft; it has an arrowhead which is at the front portion of the arrow. These arrowheads which are made of metals or some other materials are used to target points. In order to properly shoot an arrow the archer has to maintain a proper stance. The posture of the body, the eye and the way the archer is holding the bow should be proper.
Sight shooting and instinctive shooting are the two methods adopted by an archer while shooting n arrow. In instinctive shooting the archer has to completely concentrate on the target while shooting the arrow. It requires a lot of practice. Whereas in case of sight shooting the archer can adjust the pins which are there on the bows to target an object, his is relatively easy. Previously instinctive shooting was the norm but at present sight shooting is more preferred.
As the civilization started advancing materialistically, people started thinking of developing some mechanism which was more lethal and more effective in comparison to bows and arrows. Development of firearms was a step in this direction; it made bows and arrows completely obsolete.
Bows and arrows which were extensively used in wars by the soldiers gave way to firearms. Those kingdoms which did not possess firearms started losing their stronghold and were defeated in the war filed. The firearms had many advantages over bows and arrows. They had long range, they were more lethal, using them did not require lots of training and no major skill was required to use this weapons.
Today archery has become a sporting activity; some even use it for recreational purposes. Although today archery has lost its sheen but we should not forget that it has played a pivotal role in shaping human civilization.
Chapter 2 – A Brief History Of Archery
The heroic effort of archers at the battlefield helped several kingdoms win wars. Archery although obsolete today has helped men since ages. Since ages people have used archery to conquer their enemy and to tame wild animals.
Studies have shown that archery was widely being used in ancient civilization. Archery history shows that earlier arrows were made of pines which had a long fore shaft that had a flint point. Till date, archaeologists have found the oldest bow in Denmark. Arrow shafts have been found in many places across the globe in Egypt, Sweden, Denmark and India.
Bows and arrows are the main constituents of archery. Archery history reveals the fact that the bows were developed in either early Mesolithic age or late Paleolithic age. Pines were used for making arrows. Archery was highly developed in Asia and other Islamic kingdoms.
People were specially trained in archery; these archers were used in the battlefields. In fact before the development of firearms archery served as primary weapons. Different types of bows and arrows were manufactured and accordingly they had different range.
The archery history is full with saga of great archers. These archers have played a major role in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, India, Greece and Persia.
The archery bows which were commonly used were: longbow, shortbow, flatbow, recurve bow, crossbow and compound bow. Longbows were very long bow. The length generally matched the height of the archer and in some cases even exceeded the height of the archer.
The limb of the Flatbow is wider and the cross-section is rectangular in shape. Shortbow is shorter in length, is light-weight and have a short range. It was basically used for hunting purpose. In crossbow the limbs are mounted in a horizontal manner and not in a vertical manner. The compound bow is designed in such as manner that the archer is at his ease while mounting the bow.
Shaft, arrowheads, nock and fletching constitute an arrow. Aluminum alloy, carbon fiber, wood and fiberglass are used for the construction of the shaft.
The shaft should not be too flexible; it should be straight and easy to handle. At present arrows made of carbon alloys are popular and are being widely used by the archers. In fact arrows used in popular sports events like Olympic are made of carbon alloys.
Sight shooting and instinctive shooting are the two methods adopted by an archer while shooting an arrow. In instinctive shooting the archer completely concentrates on the target while shooting the arrow. It requires a lot of practice; this method of archery was popular during the early phases.
However, later bows with adjustable pins were developed; these pins could be adjusted by the archers to aim a target. This is called as sight shooting and is easy as compared to instinctive shooting.
Later when the firearms were developed it replaced archery. Firearms were found to be superior to archery; it was more lethal, it had long range and also using it wasn't too difficult. In fact hose kingdoms which did not know to use firearms had to suffer heavily on the battlefield.
Archery history indicates that men since time-immemorial have been devising ways to lord over others.