Compound Bows Today
Compound bows are modern improved variants of bows.
They are characterized by much stiffer limps, a significantly different design, and use of pulleys or cams as a levering system.
As compared to recurve bows and traditional longbows, they have greater accuracy, range, durability and velocity of arrow.
They are also lighter and easier to use and sometimes have aids such as sights and triggers.
Compound bows were first developed in 1966 in the United States.
The design of a compound bow is significantly different from that of the traditional types of bows.
The central riser which is a mount for all other components of the bow is made to be very rigid, often of aluminum or magnesium alloy.
Many are made from 6061 aluminum alloy, which is an aircraft-grade alloy.
Limbs are made from composites-modern materials developed to be light and withstand high tensile and compressive forces.
All the potential energy for shooting the arrow is stored in the limbs.
There is a cam or wheel at the end of each limb, which transfer the energy from the archer's hands to the limbs of the bow during draw and from the limb to the arrow during release.
There are different ways of engineering the cams for storing energy in the limbs, which are categorized under 'bow eccentrics'.
Four most common configurations are single cam, hybrid cam, dual cam and binary cam.
Other though less common designs include hinged and quad cam.
The strings and cables are made from high-modulus polythene, designed for bearing very high tensile strength and minimal stretchability.
This is done to transfer energy to the arrow with optimized efficiency and durability.
The arrows shot by compound bows are similar to those used with recurve bows, but stronger.
They are usually made of aluminum or carbon or both.
The string which is drawn by the archer is attached to the cams, the lower or both of which have one or several cables attached to the opposite limb.
This arrangement allows the limbs to store more energy, and thus they are stiffer.
The draw-force curve of the compound bow is excellent for archers to hold a fully-drawn bow while aiming.
The force required to hold the string drawn rises to a peak force and then lets off to a lower value, making it easier to hold.
This is achieved by mounting the axle joining cam to limb at the edge of the cam instead of the center.
Compound bows usually come with rubber blocks to act as draw stops.
These help to set a draw-length, which keeps force imparted constant and gives an anchor point improving accuracy, especially for targets at the same range.
Thus a compound bow gives better statistics while not being too difficult to draw.
Compound bows have many advantages over traditional bows.
The major advantage is improved usage statistics.
They are also resistant to temperature and humidity changes.
Stabilizers and dampers are well-developed for composite bows.
Also triggers and sights can be mounted.
These bows dominate the hunting scene nowadays and are manufactured by professional companies.
They are characterized by much stiffer limps, a significantly different design, and use of pulleys or cams as a levering system.
As compared to recurve bows and traditional longbows, they have greater accuracy, range, durability and velocity of arrow.
They are also lighter and easier to use and sometimes have aids such as sights and triggers.
Compound bows were first developed in 1966 in the United States.
The design of a compound bow is significantly different from that of the traditional types of bows.
The central riser which is a mount for all other components of the bow is made to be very rigid, often of aluminum or magnesium alloy.
Many are made from 6061 aluminum alloy, which is an aircraft-grade alloy.
Limbs are made from composites-modern materials developed to be light and withstand high tensile and compressive forces.
All the potential energy for shooting the arrow is stored in the limbs.
There is a cam or wheel at the end of each limb, which transfer the energy from the archer's hands to the limbs of the bow during draw and from the limb to the arrow during release.
There are different ways of engineering the cams for storing energy in the limbs, which are categorized under 'bow eccentrics'.
Four most common configurations are single cam, hybrid cam, dual cam and binary cam.
Other though less common designs include hinged and quad cam.
The strings and cables are made from high-modulus polythene, designed for bearing very high tensile strength and minimal stretchability.
This is done to transfer energy to the arrow with optimized efficiency and durability.
The arrows shot by compound bows are similar to those used with recurve bows, but stronger.
They are usually made of aluminum or carbon or both.
The string which is drawn by the archer is attached to the cams, the lower or both of which have one or several cables attached to the opposite limb.
This arrangement allows the limbs to store more energy, and thus they are stiffer.
The draw-force curve of the compound bow is excellent for archers to hold a fully-drawn bow while aiming.
The force required to hold the string drawn rises to a peak force and then lets off to a lower value, making it easier to hold.
This is achieved by mounting the axle joining cam to limb at the edge of the cam instead of the center.
Compound bows usually come with rubber blocks to act as draw stops.
These help to set a draw-length, which keeps force imparted constant and gives an anchor point improving accuracy, especially for targets at the same range.
Thus a compound bow gives better statistics while not being too difficult to draw.
Compound bows have many advantages over traditional bows.
The major advantage is improved usage statistics.
They are also resistant to temperature and humidity changes.
Stabilizers and dampers are well-developed for composite bows.
Also triggers and sights can be mounted.
These bows dominate the hunting scene nowadays and are manufactured by professional companies.
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