In ancient times, the bow was the most important weapon for hunting and fighting among almost all peoples on the planet. Today it is an accessory sport shooting. In addition to entertainment, it can be very useful in nature, for example for survival.

The history of the onion. Examples of use

These hand weapons found one use or another among all peoples and tribes, from the Mesolithic era to the 7th century AD. Exact location and scientists have not been able to determine the time of appearance of the onion until today. But one thing is for sure - back at the end of the Stone Age, people used it for hunting as a weapon. In those days, a bow was part of the mandatory equipment of every breadwinner in the family (tribe).

Many scientists compare this weapon with such important discoveries for humans as fire and the wheel. Only at the junction of eras did nomadic peoples begin to use onions in wars. As for hunting, thanks to these weapons the ancient tribes were able to obtain meat for themselves. Previously, men had to be content with medium-sized, clumsy animals that were driven into traps and killed with stones and spears. With the advent of the bow, a whole industry opened up - hunting. Archaeologists agree that these weapons were used by Neanderthals. This is evidenced by hundreds of rock paintings. In those ancient times, the bow was an elastic root, at the ends of which a bowstring made of sinew or plant fibers was stretched. Later they began to make it from the horns and fangs of large animals. Residents of the tropics managed to make onions from flexible plants, such as bamboo.

About 3 thousand years ago they began to use it purely as a weapon. A bow in skillful hands could hit a target hundreds of meters away. With the advent of the first conquerors, armies and legions began to form. In Persia, archers were considered the most valuable warriors, and in Rome they were given special privileges. Each nation had its own shooting technique, but this did not prevent them from hitting the target equally quickly and accurately even from the longest distance.

Onions and its types

Shooting this weapon requires special skills and dexterity. Today, the bow is used only in sports or for entertainment at shooting ranges. The following are suitable for professional shooting:

Traditional (the model must be made from a single piece of wood, since it is a kind of copy of a weapon of a certain era);

Classic (its design is vaguely reminiscent of the first type, but modern materials such as plastic or composite are used for manufacturing);

Block (the newest and most versatile model, which differs from other types in its range of fire, achieved through special mechanisms at the ends of the handle).

There are also classifications, for example, by the form of manufacture (curved and straight), by the location of the boom (peripheral and central), by materials (metal, combined, wood, fiberglass) and by many other additional features and properties. According to the method, bows are divided into hunting, amateur and sports. In any case, for shooting you will need physical strength, concentration and serious endurance.

How to make your own onions

First you need to choose a suitable long rod. A strong deciduous branch, such as oak, acacia or yew, is best suited. The main thing is that there are no cracks or knots on it. It is allowed to use bamboo or juniper. The length of the rod is 1.8 meters. The properties that the material must meet are flexibility and strength. It is also important that the natural bend of the rod is clearly in the middle.

The next step will be to determine the location of the handle by which the shooter will hold the bow. The weapon (see photo below) should be comfortable to grip, so that the hand fits tightly to the rod, and the index and thumb touch.

It is important that the edges of the grip are 7.5cm above and below the center of the bow. It is recommended to make notches in these places.

Now it's time to shape the bow. To do this, you need to clean the rod from any irregularities. The thickest barrel should be at the handle. Following this, notches are made to secure the bowstring. The distance from the tip of the rod to the notches is from 2 to 5 cm. For the bowstring, hemp rope, a strand of silk or strong fishing line are best suited. It should be secured to the rod with safe knots.

Ultimately, the bow weapon should look so that the perpendicular length from the maximum point of bend to the stretched material (fishing line) is from 20 to 22.5 cm.

How to make your own arrows

The optimal material for them will be dry, even branches. The length varies from 60 to 80 cm. Arrows that are too large are inconvenient to pull, and they will fly unevenly. According to generally accepted standards, their length should not exceed the bend of the bow. The most common materials for arrows are young branches with the fewest knots, as well as field goldenrod. First of all, the twigs need to be cleaned of irregularities and dried well. A notch is made from the thicker end of the branch, with which the arrow will subsequently cling to the bowstring. On the other hand, the twig should be sharpened. In amateur shooting, the tip and fletching of the arrow are not required. Making them at home is extremely difficult.

Shooting technique

First, you need to choose an area for training, where there are no strangers. Next, the bow and arrows are checked to ensure that there are no cracks in the base, the string is not torn, etc. This is done in order to protect yourself and others from possible injuries.

Archery requires a special position to minimize body vibration. The handle should fit snugly against the palm so that it does not move to the sides during manipulation. It is worth noting that the accuracy and power of a shot depend directly on the position of the body and the stability of the bow. The technique also includes aiming and correct breathing. Archery begins with drawing the bowstring. To do this, the handle is held with the left palm in a horizontal position. The arrow is placed with its socket on the bowstring and tensioned so that the middle of the twig is at the level of the base of the bow. The weapon then assumes a vertical position. If possible, it is allowed to tighten the bowstring with the arrow a little more. The final stage will be aiming, exhaling smoothly and conquering the target.

Body position

In the starting position, your feet should be shoulder-width apart. The shooter's body is aligned perpendicular to the ground, without the slightest bend. The head turns towards the target and the chin lifts slightly. Correct positioning is very important for aiming and achieving maximum shot power.

The hand holding the bow is fully extended towards the target. Throughout all actions (from inserting the arrow to releasing it), the hand and joints should not bend or move off the intended axis. The pulling hand grabs the string, tightens it and smoothly releases it to conquer the target. Its position should continue the axis of the arrow. It is important that the elbow does not drop. It is allowed to raise it by 5-10 degrees.

IN professional sports, before shooting the bow, special attention is paid to the grip. It must be performed with the index and middle fingers, and the ring finger helps to pull the bowstring back further. In amateur form, you can hold the arrow as you please. The main thing is not to forget about correct position body, legs and arms.

Basics of aiming

To learn how to shoot a bow well, it is not enough to know the correct body position and slow down your breathing. One of the most important and difficult nuances is aiming. This process involves pointing the bow at the target and maintaining that position until the arrow is released. To aim, you need to monitor the projection of the bowstring in relation to the target plane and maintain eye height. Accurate hitting of the arrow on the target is achieved only after long practical training. To conquer a distant target, the bow rises relative to the ground, and with it, the position of the hands changes accordingly.

Cost of ammunition

The most budget-friendly is considered to be (weapons). Its price varies from 4,500 to 12,000 rubles. The cost depends on the manufacturer, the quality of the base and the material of the handle and bowstring.

The next most expensive is It costs from 7,500 rubles and above.

Compound bows are the most expensive. For the simplest arrow you will have to pay from 8,000 to 40,000 rubles. Professional ones cost from 50,000 rubles.
Children's bows can also be of the three above types. Hence the difference in price - from 1,000 to 5,000 rubles.

The cost of arrows is from 100 rubles. (for 1 piece).

1. When aiming, the bow and arrows should always be perpendicular to each other.

2. It is important that the holding hand from the elbow to the fingers begins the final trajectory to the target.

3. You should not be distracted by other things while releasing the arrow.

4. To increase your flight speed, you can wrap the handle in wet thin leather and then dry it over a fire.

5. The sport of archery requires good core muscle foundation in the back and arms.

Before the invention of gunpowder, the most effective weapon was the bow and arrow. Let's find out its history and how it was treated by ancient archers.

One of the few modern archery masters showed on video how perfect the art of using a bow can be.

Here is a comment on the video:

He holds the arrows immediately in the “loading hand” and loads from the back of the bow, which does not allow precise aiming along the line of the arrow, but allows you to load the arrow with 2 fewer movements (putting the arrow over the bow + putting the hand over the bowstring), plus the placement of the arrows itself saves a lot of time, since they do not need to be taken out or intercepted from the hand holding the bow itself. This allows him to shoot with average speed 300 rounds per minute, which is 2 times less than the AK-47

And a little from the history of onions:

The bow, a hand weapon for throwing arrows, was used by almost all tribes and peoples in war and hunting from the Mesolithic era 12-17 thousand years BC until the 17th century AD. In some countries it is still used in the 20th century.

To this day, scientists still have no consensus on the question of the time and place of the appearance of the first onion. However, we can say with confidence that it was already in the Stone Age. Some historians believe that the invention of the primitive bow and arrow was no less important for humanity than the first discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel. The bow changed the paths and destinies of many peoples, and many empires owe their existence to it for centuries.

Scythian bows from the Taklamakan Desert

The introduction of bows and arrows contributed to the transition from primitive round-up forms of hunting to more efficient organization, which expanded the possibility of obtaining meat food, and hunting became one of the main branches of the economy. Skins, bones and sinews, which were widely used in everyday life, were obtained using onions. These materials were used to build and improve homes. Improved living conditions and food quality allowed primitive man to achieve an increase in life expectancy.

Archaeologists claim that some Neanderthal tribes used bows hundreds of thousands of years ago: images of archers can be seen in drawings found in a cave near the village of Alpera in Spain. They were made by prehistoric people.

If you carefully examine ancient carvings and drawings, you can say that even in ancient times, bows were divided into two types: simple and complex.

A compound bow, as a rule, was superior to a simple one in durability, strength and arrow range.
Ancient hunters made bowstrings from silk threads, “gut string,” tendons, twisted rawhide straps and other materials.

Sometimes bows were made from a whole mountain ram horn (among some Indians North America), carved from walrus tusks, bones and hardwood, and later from steel. Many rainforest dwellers made bows from bamboo and other types of flexible but strong plants.

The technique of archery at different times and among different peoples also varied significantly. The Egyptians, Persians, Indians, Slavs, French and Germans shot from a bow, pulling the bowstring to the right ear, the British sometimes, on the contrary, pulling the arc forward, and the Romans and Greeks pulled the bowstring to the chest.

Although neither of these techniques is clearly rational, nevertheless, our ancestors skillfully wielded a bow and achieved excellent results in shooting.

The name bow comes from the word "bow" - bend, arc.

“A bow is an elastic strip of wood, horn, steel, bent into an arc, tensioned with a bowstring, for shooting arrows.”

Vladimir Dal "Explanatory Dictionary"

"Bow - hunting and military weapons, consisting of a strong flexible rod, tightened by a bowstring, which gives impetus to the arrow.

Onions were invented back in the Mesolithic and are still common among some peoples in South America, West and Central Africa and other regions.

Used in the army since ancient times. In the 17th century it was replaced by muskets, arquebuses and other firearms."

The inventor of the bow, like the inventor of the wheel, is unknown. One can only guess how this invention was born.

The simple bow was invented by residents of many places independently of each other - in Africa, Madagascar, the Indian Peninsula, Oceania, America. It was used by the ancient Romans, Normans, and Anglo-Saxons.

Among the eastern peoples, the bow was complex - compound. Perhaps it appeared where there was practically no forest. If you are engaged in cattle breeding, see if ram horn or deer sinews are suitable; if you hunt in the sea, try using whalebone or walrus tooth. When did he appear compound bow? Historians claim that the king of northern Sumer, Sargon the Ancient, attached great importance to archers, who were armed with composite or glued bows made of horn, wood and sinew. And this king ruled in the 14th century. BC

Reconstruction of an ancient bow

As you know, Robin Hood's bow, made of yew, was up to two meters in size, and they could only shoot from it while standing. But other peoples, for example, the Huns, spent their lives in the saddle. It was the Huns who gave stirrups, a saber, a yurt and... a special folding bow to humanity. It was capable of sending arrows at a distance of up to 500 meters, that is, the flight range of an arrow fired from it was greater than that of a bullet that was fired by the first types of firearms. And, of course, this bow was not only folding, but also complex in design.

In order to make the bow more powerful, they did this: they glued the back of the bow (that part of the shaft that faces away from the arrow) with a thick layer of tendons. They were so elastic that as soon as the string was removed from the bow, the shaft bent towards the back and became an oval. The bows found by archaeologists did not come apart, having lain in the ground for several centuries. Of course, each nation had its own “mysterious” glue. Here, for example, is how people who settled along the banks of the Volga and Caspian acted. The raw material for their glue was the swim bladders of sturgeon fish. They were cleared of the outer film, cut, filled with special grass, and dried in the sun. The master crushed the dried bubbles by chewing, and put the resulting pulp in some vessel and boiled it over a fire.

In Rus', the bow was complex. Samples of such bows have been preserved in the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin. The design of the bow included both “damask stripes” and “reindeer elk sinews,” that is, elk sinews. Bowstrings were made not only from animal veins, but also from horse hair, leather, and plant fibers. But the longer the string was pulled on the bow, the faster it lost its elasticity and stretched. Therefore, the bow was usually kept loose, and it took a lot of effort to string it.

They said about the bow string that it “sings.” And so it is. Many peoples used this formidable weapon as a musical instrument. For example, the African Bushmen had musical bows. For better sound, they also tied a pumpkin to it as a resonator. The bow string has one more property. It is very sensitive to moisture, and shooters had to carry spare bowstrings, and some peoples even stopped military operations during periods of prolonged rains.

Which boy as a child did not shoot from a toy bow and was not upset that the arrows flew nearby and did not hit the target? The culprit, of course, was... onions. But, if we picked up a real ancient combat bow, it is unlikely that the arrow would fly further than a few meters. This requires both strength and skill.

Now remember how you shot. Surely they took the arrow big and index fingers for the place where on its shaft there is a cutout for the bowstring, and then the bowstring was retracted. This method of shooting was also used by ancient archers (it is called “primitive” by experts). In Central and South Asia they shot differently. On thumb the hands were put on a horn or metal ring, and the bowstring was pulled with it. This method was called "Mongolian". And archers on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea used a special glove when shooting; it was put on the index and middle fingers. The shaft of the arrow was clamped between the fingers, and the bowstring was pulled back with the finger. The glove protected against cuts. This method was called "Mediterranean". Interestingly, thousands of kilometers away from these places in the northern part of Siberia, people were shooting in the same way.

If you managed to string the bowstring in one of these ways (the Egyptians, Persians, Indians, Russians, French, Germans and English shot by pulling the string to the right ear, and the Greeks and Romans pulled it to the chest), then when you lowered the arrow, you would probably shoot from the hands and the bow itself... from pain. The string would hit the hand holding the bow with about 3-5 kilograms of force. Therefore, archers of many nations put a special shield on their hand at the wrist, with the possible exception of the Japanese. They managed to turn the bow shaft 180 degrees at the moment of the shot, and the string did not touch the hand.

The perfect weapon. Bow and arrows.

Discovery - Bow and Arrow: The Art of Archery

Today, onions are fun. Unfortunately, man has a much more effective personal murder weapon:

There is no exact date when the first bow was invented and made, but approximately researchers claim that it was 40 thousand years ago, but where and how is not known. All the caves that were discovered by archaeologists are full of rock paintings depicting a bow. Arrowheads from bows, Early Paleolithic 30,000 - 8,000 BC were also found. e. In what is now Hamburg, Germany, archaeologists found wooden arrows that had a metal tip, approximately they were used in the 9th century BC. e. Throughout the world, the bow was considered the most effective weapon; after the advent of the firearm, the bow ceased to be so popular. During the New Kingdom era, 9th century BC, the Egyptians used the bow as their main weapon for ranged combat. When chariots began to appear, archers became an integral part of the chariot crew, and the effectiveness of battles and skirmishes increased by a quarter of a time. Shooting was carried out directly from chariots or on horseback, so the size of the bow had to be reduced for ease of use while riding.

Bow design in different parts of the world

To make a bow, the Egyptians took a solid piece of wood (the best material for making a bow was acacia) and began to carve it out of available materials; they were quite massive, almost as tall as a person (1.5 meters). Of course, over time, bows began to improve and already in the second half of the second millennium BC there were special specimens. The Cairo Museum has 4 dozen simple bows and 3 dozen compound bows and 430 arrows. All these historical relics were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Complex bows were already reduced to one meter, and to make such a bow they took any material, and decorated the bow with all possible expensive materials (ivory, bronze, silver). A person who had a lot of money, or military men who were wealthy, could buy such a bow. Throughout Europe, various fragments and remains of arrowheads, arrows and bows have been found.

And in China, a complex composite bow was in demand in the second quarter of the 2nd millennium BC. e. The Chinese mainly made bows from bamboo (it was very strong and flexible), and the tips (shoulders) were covered with animal horns. But that’s not all, the Chinese wisely came up with the idea of ​​enhancing the strength and flexibility of the onion with the help of animal tendons; they wrapped the tendons around the onion in several layers. In China, the bow was the main weapon in the arsenal of a warrior BC

Augustus Henry argued that compound bows were made in areas where there was no quality material for making bows. But in Egypt, both a simple bow and a complex bow were used. There is an assumption that the compound bow appeared in the 3rd century BC simultaneously in all major states of that time.

In Asia, as well as in Egypt, the compound bow gained momentum with the advent of chariots and horses. Apparently, to do this they had to strengthen and shorten the bow. Under any circumstances, the arc always returned to its original position, and if you remove the string from the bow, the base will bend in the other direction.

Later, for the manufacture of bows, they began to use not only solid blocks of wood, but also other materials.

In America, the Indians of the 16th century completely abandoned the wood base. Their task was to keep the bow short and not lose its power; deer antlers wrapped in animal sinew took advantage. Which gave greater efficiency in use and practicality, but the power was reduced.

Remember about Cupid who shot with his bow, this is a compound bow, one of the common types of bow. The Scythians generally managed to reduce the bow to a meter, while the power of the bow and its inflexibility did not fail, regardless of the length.

The difference between rigid bows, they had tips made of horns (shoulders, places for attaching the bowstring), and the Scythians simplified the task and did not install the limbs, so it was inferior in rigidity.

The Legend of Robin Hood

Robin Hood, on the contrary, preferred to shoot from a simple bow, similar to the Egyptian 1.5 in length. Therefore, it became an English bow which was called longbow, on at the moment, this is the most popular type of bow for shooting. The English bow was made from durable yew; it was the best, most elastic and flexible material for making the Longbow bow. And if yew was brought from abroad, for example from Italy, then the cost and characteristics of the bow immediately increased. Cheaper materials such as elm and ash were also used. The length of the bow was approximately 180 cm, the bow had a greater string tension and therefore was much more powerful than the previous ones. Apart from chopping and preparing a single piece of wood, making a bow did not take long, and due to its simplicity and practicality, the bow became very popular in America.

The passion for archery in our country arose relatively recently and almost spontaneously, mainly after the appearance on the screens of the saga about the adventures of the hobbits. Judging by the amount of materials on the RuNet about bows and shooting from this ancient throwing weapon, the number of followers of Robin Hood and William Tell is growing at an exponential rate.

The most burning question among neophytes is where to start, how and which bow to choose? There is no clear answer to this, so we will try to tell you a little about everything: types of bows, their advantages and disadvantages, selection criteria - a process in which you will have the final say. So, let's find out what types of bows there are for shooting, which one to choose for hunting, and in general, what to choose, a bow or a crossbow?

The design of the weapon for throwing a feathered stick with a sharp tip has been refined over thousands of years, refuting the adage about the futility of the invention of the bicycle. Therefore, today we have three types of bows.

Basic rules for choosing bows are presented in this video:

Traditional

Those that our ancestors used until the moment they fell into their hands firearms. These are bows of Indians, Papuans, Eskimos, Chukchi and other autochthonous peoples. These are the replicas military weapons peoples of Europe and Asia.

They are made using known and restored technologies, using natural materials - wood, leather, natural adhesives. There can be no question of any mass production of such products; each bow will have its own characteristics, style of behavior, one might say, character. In order to masterfully master traditional bow requires daily training that lasts for years.

We will talk about which traditional onion to choose later in this article.

Classic

These are bows used in sports competitions and therefore called “Olympic”. What they have in common with traditional ones is the method of accumulating energy for a shot - by bending the elastic branches (shoulders) of the bow. Most of these bows have a recurve shape - a double limb bend.

This design allows you to accumulate twice as much energy with the same length of the elastic beam. Everything is very simple - one arc works in compression, the other in tension. Europe owes the appearance of recurve bows to the Huns, a nomadic people who came from the Steppe.

The sporting purpose of the classic bow predetermined the fact that they began to install elements on it that could significantly increase shooting accuracy and eliminate elements of chance from the training process as much as possible. These are sights, balancers, shelves for arrows from which they come off without hitting the handle, vibration dampers.

They are similar to traditional ones and the method of holding the arrow while pulling the bowstring. The most famous are two of them: English - the shank of an arrow between the index and middle fingers, and also Indian - the bowstring is held with the index (the shank lies on it), middle and ring fingers.

The most essential element of a classic bow, despite its outward insignificance, is the shelf on which the arrow is held. An ingenious design, of which there are countless types, allows the arrow to leave the string without hitting the handle with its feathers. This made it possible to abandon natural feathers, replace them with rigid stabilizers and significantly increase accuracy.

Sports rules prohibit the installation of devices on a classic bow that can be used to build an aiming line based on more than one point.

In addition, pulling the bowstring is always a strength exercise, because as the shoulders bend, their resistance increases. Therefore, learning to shoot with such bows is almost as difficult as with traditional ones. But training can be systematized and achieve good results much faster.

Block

We owe their appearance in 1969 to Holles Allen, who lived in Missouri (USA). The design is based on a system of blocks (pulley hoists), which increase the force applied to the running end as many times as there are these blocks.

The energy for throwing an arrow is accumulated not only in the shoulders, but also in the system of cables, one of the branches of which is the bowstring. A special feature of these bows is the “wall” effect – force release when the maximum draw point is reached. It reaches 80 percent. If, for example, you compound bow MK-SV75 maximum tension force is 27 kilograms, then at the moment of aiming the shooter needs a force of 4 kilograms to hold the bowstring.

The force diagram when tensioning the “block” is mirror image the same process for the classic onion. First comes the overcoming (peak force) of the elasticity of the shoulder, which has potential energy. As tension increases, it accumulates in the cables (becomes kinetic), and the force applied by the archer to the bowstring drops. Athletes recognized this phenomenon as cheating, so compound bows Olympic Games are not allowed. But it became possible to equip it with elements that made its effectiveness equal to that of a firearm.

In addition to shelves for arrows, balancers and vibration dampers (optional), complexes are installed on compound bows for building an aiming line. This is a sight with a ring frame and a peep-sight - a ring in the bowstring through which the shooter can see the target.

But the most interesting detail was the release - a device thanks to which the shooter pulls the bowstring with his shoulder and elbow joint like a lever. The fingers are not involved in this process, the hand is relaxed. Choosing a compound bow is not an easy task.

The most popular block models are:

How to choose a bow for shooting for beginners, a compound bow for hunting, a sports bow or another - you will learn all this below.

Problems of choice

When choosing a throwing weapon, they usually focus on compliance with historical truth (aesthetics), combat effectiveness, ease of ownership, and price.

Truth and aesthetics

Many people are drawn to archery by the desire to be like the elf Legolas or other fantasy or historical characters. Although archaeologists have proven the fact that English archers suffered from monstrous scoliosis.

• Most faithfully repeat the contours and design traditional bows products from Samik (pr.). The handle is made of laminated solid wood, and the removable arms are laminated, with an external plastic coating. The only thing that can be installed on them without damaging the structure is a shelf, which allows you to use arrows not only with natural feathers. A model similar to them (Sebastian Flute). The bows are also good.
• Real olympic recurve bows produced by SF company. The series starts with the Axiom model. They have an aluminum handle on which you can install a sight, balancer, plunger, or shako. This is a transitional option between tradition and classic: their shoulders are laminated - wood, covered with plastic. There are options for classic bows, made entirely of modern materials. For example, the Blue Knight Bow (), which has fiberglass limbs and an aluminum handle.
• Compound bows- This is an industrial aesthetic, they are a machine for throwing arrows.

This video will tell you how to choose a bow for a novice archer for hunting:

Combat effectiveness

• Classic bows give all the energy to the arrow during the release of the bowstring. Due to the short duration of the force impulse, the arrow flies at a speed of no more than 50 m/s and does not have much penetrating force. However, this allows you to increase the rate of fire if you do not draw the bow at full strength or do it with a jerk.
• U blocker the arrow accelerates relatively slowly, and the peak of force occurs at the moment it leaves the shelf. The arrow's flight speed reaches 90 m/s; it is possible to use heavy arrows with great penetrating force. That is why such bows are most often positioned as hunting bows. Partial tension of the bowstring is impossible, the rate of fire is low. But the accuracy and accuracy of hits is comparable to firearms.

Ease of ownership

First of all, this is an opportunity to customize the bow to suit you.

• Classic It’s not for nothing that models are made collapsible. And because to adjust it you need to change the shoulders - shorter or longer, stiffer or elastic. When choosing such a bow, it is customary to focus on the height of the shooter. Although the British proceeded from a different consideration: a long bow with the same tension force is less deformed, and therefore lasts longer.
• Blocky the bow is adjusted by changing the position of the blocks on the eccentrics. This does not require high qualifications from the owner or additional costs for the purchase of shoulders and bowstrings.

In this case:

• According to the current standard, a classic hunting bow cannot be longer than 60 inches (150 cm). Sports bows reach a length of 70 inches. The length of the blocker does not exceed 90 cm, making it through the forest wilds with it is less problematic.
• In terms of weight, only the classics, used in the barebow version, outperform blockers - without a modern body kit, including sights.

Price

This is the most controversial criterion. If we evaluate a bow in combination with combat effectiveness and richness of equipment, then compound bows turn out to be cheaper.

• For example, Samik Polaris, which the manufacturer positions as a bow for beginners, is a good choice, costs more than 11 thousand rubles, and the package includes only a string and a simple shelf. Its tension force is no more than 36 pounds (16.3 kg). A set of replacement shoulders costs at least five thousand.
• Compare it with compound bow Barnett Vortex is the same level, which costs 15 thousand. Tension strength from 19 to 45 pounds (9 to 21 kg), no investment required for adjustment. The delivery set includes three arrows, a sight with three pins, a shelf, and a shako.

Conclusion

If you want to master archery as an art, your aesthetic taste is pleased with shapes and lines, then buy the classics, which, by the way, can be done.

Compound bows are for those who primarily value practicality, who don’t have the time to visit training rooms, and good results I want to achieve it quickly. But if you want to switch to classic bows, then they will have to learn again.

This video will tell you how to choose arrows for a bow:

The bow is one of the oldest types of weapons/hunting tools known to mankind. The bow and arrow dates back at least 10,000 years.
First, let's give a definition of what an onion is. Although it’s bad manners, we use “our fse” - Wikipedia. So:
A bow is a type of throwing weapon designed to shoot arrows. Shooting occurs due to muscle strength an arrow that the bow accumulates into the elastic energy of a bent arc and then, straightening, quickly converts into the kinetic energy of the arrow.

Modern bows
Modern bows are not much more effective than ancient ones. Their pulling force is much less, and the arrows are lighter, since the targets are no longer protected by armor. This became their main difference. The widespread use of aluminum alloys and other structural materials with properties inaccessible to ancient craftsmen has made it possible to create bows that are much more reliable, accurate and convenient. Adapted for sport shooting or recreational hunting, modern bows are designed for the less physically trained shooter. On the pages of many sports clubs, it is especially emphasized that even children can practice with them and shoot from modern composite bows (this does not apply to “classic” bows, including sports ones). Modern bows provide greater accuracy and comfort when shooting at the expense of losing the combat characteristics of the bows and arrows themselves. They, in general, impart less kinetic energy to the arrow than their ancient counterparts. However, due to the use of many different devices and, most importantly, much better materials, modern bows still impart more energy to the arrow with the same tension force. The main advantages of modern bow materials and designs are as follows:
* They are less susceptible to weather conditions, for example, ancient solid wood bows can break in the cold in winter, and strings can get wet in the rain. Modern bows made of aluminum alloys with a synthetic string are practically all-weather.
*They are designed to use very light arrows and achieve relatively high arrow speeds. The tension force of even sports bows ranges from 18 to 25 kilograms. Ancient bows were much more powerful in this regard, if you were physically developed enough.
* Sights, rails (special devices for holding and releasing the bowstring), vibration dampers, etc. etc. allow you to achieve greater accuracy with some practice. At the same time, these devices greatly slow down the rate of fire.
* They last longer and do not require tedious maintenance.

The picture above is a modern compound bow. Thanks to the rotating elements at the ends of the bow, it has become easier to draw the bowstring, and a special vibration damper for the bowstring allows you to make the shot as accurate as possible. Modifications for left-handers are also available. The speed of an arrow from such a bow can reach 300 m/s!!! Weight from 1.2 to 2 kg. Price up to 2000 "green".
Please note that the weight of an arrow for such a bow is only from 16 to 35 grams, depending on the material. Sports arrows are made in the form of a hollow thin-walled aluminum tube with sharp conical (60 degrees) or rounded tips for hitting various types of targets. It is the quality of modern materials that has made it possible to create such light and, at the same time, durable arrows.

Shooting from a modern bow

Modern high-speed arrows use small plastic fins that have low aerodynamic drag. And, although the aerodynamic drag of an arrow is still significantly higher than the drag of a bullet, it is still significantly less than the aerodynamic drag of a medieval arrow, which makes it possible to achieve a high shot speed. The energy of a light arrow when flying from a bow is always less than that of a heavy one. This statement requires proof. Indeed, let us consider the limiting case of a very heavy arrow. Its energy will be equal to the total work of the bow string, equal to the integral of the tension force over the entire working stroke of the bow arms. The arrow cannot acquire more energy than this value, since only this energy is stored when the bow is pulled by the bent shoulders. There is nowhere else to take it from. That is, the bow will not be able to shoot an arrow that is too heavy. When shooting with modern sports lungs With arrows, part of the energy is spent on accelerating the arms of the bow, and the lighter the arrow, the faster the bow straightens. Most of the energy is wasted unproductively. Worse, most simple wooden bows can break on a dry shot because the arms, straightening without load, will absorb all the impact energy and simply burst. This effect is often encountered by modern manufacturers of homemade "reconstructed" bows. Thus, the speed of the arrow cannot be greater than top speed bowstring during a “idle” shot, and this speed is finite. For each bow, you can select arrows of optimal weight that will receive the most energy when fired. Lighter arrows will acquire a higher initial speed, but the bow will “pop” partly at idle.

The lighter the arrow, the less energy it receives. What is the energy of a modern sports arrow? According to Josser's formulas, the stopping effect of a bullet is equal to the product of its kinetic energy at the moment of meeting an obstacle by the area cross section, without taking into account the design of the bullet. The penetrating effect of a bullet is equal to the ratio of the above values. Kinetic energy bullet in joules (J) is equal to half the product of the square of the speed in m/s and its mass in kilograms. The same is generally true for an arrow. Taking off the string of the magnificent hunting bow depicted above at a speed of 300 meters per second, a 20 gram arrow receives an energy equal to (m*v2/2): 0.02 * 90000 /2 = 900 Joules or (divided by g = 9.8): we get 90 kilograms, more familiar to warriors for measuring muzzle energy. Almost like a hunting rifle when fired with a bullet of the same weight! At a real shot distance of 100 meters, the speed will drop (we'll look at why later) to some 100 meters per second. The impact energy will be about 10 kg. This is already significantly less than that of a round 12-gauge hunting rifle bullet at the same distance (a round 12-gauge bullet has energy = 80 kg when fired at 100 meters) due to the greater air resistance to the flight of the feathered arrow. This may be the answer to the question why the American Indians were so eager to throw away their wonderful longbows and get the guns of the pale faces?

What does the number 10 kilograms mean? Dividing the energy by the cross-sectional area (for example, 0.1 cm2), we obtain the penetrating effect of the arrow, multiplying it by the stopping effect. This should be understood as 10 kilograms of weight per 0.01 square centimeter - the cross-section of the arrow tip. By dividing, you get the pressure of the arrow on the armor at the moment of impact, or penetrating force. This means that an arrow may not pierce forged armor if it hits casually. However, a blow of 10 kilograms falling on the tip of an awl placed against your chest will not seem weak.

IN sports championships In our time, the longest distance for aimed archery is 90 meters. IN sports clubs prefer distances up to 60 meters. A modern bow can shoot at a greater distance, but few athletes can fire at least a dozen shots at a fast pace over a distance of over a hundred meters. Shooting at long distances involves significant deviations that even an excellent bow sight cannot account for. An accurate shot at a target at 150 meters is out of the question, and this is despite the excellent stability of a modern composite bow and the almost unchanged properties of arrows. No sight can take into account all the factors necessary to achieve accurate shot at such a distance. And although the most advanced bow produced today using space technology is able to send an arrow at a distance of up to 500 meters, aimed shooting at such a distance is impossible.

Medieval bows.
There were many different types of warbows, but in Europe the yew longbow is probably the best known. It was made from a whole piece of yew wood and its design is not fundamentally different from many other ancient bows. This is the so-called simple bow.

The long limbs of the yew bow are a design feature most characteristic of the English longbow (the famous longbow), which allows you to increase the length of draw and, therefore, improve the fighting qualities of the weapon. The English longbow appeared at the end of the 13th century. The yew bow was carved in such a way that it consisted of two layers of wood with different properties. Yew was the best wood in terms of density/elasticity ratio, which made it possible to create a more effective bow with a smaller size. Efficiency here refers not so much to the draw weight of the bow, but to the speed with which it could straighten and send an arrow (which has direct relation to firing range and accuracy). By the way, English yew was not considered good wood; the main source of yew was Spain, and later Italy. Special government officials strictly assessed the quality of the supplied wood. Studies of the few surviving samples of the 15-16th centuries. show exclusively high level the material used. Accordingly, the firing range from English bows was one third greater than from other wooden bows - up to 200 meters. The yew bow did not last long - a few months, then the elasticity was lost and the bow broke. A wooden bow with the string removed was transported.

Although most feudal archer conscripts came with their own bows, they had to be re-equipped with new bows at the army's expense. The percentage of "waste" could be very large. State bows were made according to clearly written instructions. state requirements. Apart from purely technical advantages, it was a very cheap, high-quality weapon that could be produced in mass quantities in a short period of time. Sometimes, in various sources, there are statements that the production of one bow took several years. This is true for the full production cycle: from a cut down tree to a finished weapon in the hands of a fighter. Yew, the main raw material for the production of English bows, being an extremely dense wood, required a long period of aging before being used. The actual production of a bow from a blank rarely took more than one and a half to two hours, and given the enormous practice of the craftsmen of that time, probably even less. A significant number of bows were transported with the army in the form of blanks and were completed for a specific fighter directly at the theater of military operations.

The massive use of the longbow in the English army should perhaps be explained by socio-political reasons. Nowhere in continental Europe did the feudal lords welcome the appearance of such formidable weapons among the peasants. In England, these weapons were widespread. Since it is impossible to get a good archer without many years of training, only the British could afford to form entire armies of archers.

Tension force of English combat bow at that time was in the range of 35-70 kg. For most fighters, it's probably closer to 35 kg. The firing range from such a bow reached 300 meters, and was very dependent on the wind. It should be noted that this figure is valid for mounted shooting. The range of a direct shot from a bow is much shorter - about 30 meters. The initial speed of the arrow was 45-55 m/s. Of course, there was no question of any targeted shooting with a heavy combat arrow with a forged tip at a distance of more than 50 meters. A good archer could hit a person at such a distance, but that’s all. In competitions at distances of up to hundreds of meters, lighter arrows were used, which had a higher initial speed and, accordingly, ensured greater accuracy.

But eastern bows were made using more complex technology. They were glued together from several materials. Modern masters call such a bow differently: composite, complex, layered, or reinforced. The term "compound" bow is used here to indicate that this carefully designed bow uses a variety of materials: wood, horn plates, and sinew. The compound bow is the most complex in design. Its manufacture required great skill. This bow is an amazing display of mechanical ingenuity. The part farthest from the shooter is subject to the greatest stretch. Materials with greater stretchability were selected for it. Leather, treated sinew, etc. were often used. Interior The bow experiences some compression - it was made from wood, bone and other available materials. Ancient bow makers in East and West Asia used more than just animal tendons. Best quality and compound bows made from sinew, wood and horn were more common (sometimes other materials could be used). The classic compound bow is a wooden core, outside to which tendons are glued, and to the inner - horn plates (usually from buffalo horns). With the same length and tension, compound bows were shot one and a half times further than wooden bows. They were in service in Egypt, Persia, Greece, Rome and throughout Asia. During the Middle Ages in Europe composite bows remained with the Byzantines and Russians. The shortest compound bow was used by the Scythians - only 90 centimeters. He was shooting nearby. The lifespan of a compound bow was measured in decades. Compound bows were transported in combat-ready condition, but during long-term storage, the string was removed.

A compound bow makes intelligent use of the properties of the materials from which it is made. The tendons on the back of the bow are under tensile stress. Horn plates, which have a maximum tensile strength of about 13 kg/mm2 (about twice that of solid wood), are designed to work in compression. Horny plates also have a high elastic recovery coefficient, or the ability to return to their original shape after the load is removed. Thanks to the flexibility of these materials, short, light, elastic bow limbs are able to accumulate when drawing large number energy. In addition, the flexible limbs of a compound bow make it possible to significantly increase the length of the bowstring without increasing the overall length of the weapon. The combination of a long draw length and short arms allows a compound bow to fire an arrow at greater speed and distance than a wooden bow with the same draw weight. Tests by Edward McEwan, Robert L. Miller, and Christopher Bergman showed that a replica compound bow with a draw weight of 27 kg should fire a similar arrow at the same speed as a replica of a medieval yew longbow with a draw weight of 36 kg (about 50 m/s ).

Medieval craftsmen achieved great skill in making compound bows. The picture below shows a compound bow from the 11th century, made in India and intended for hunting and long-distance shooting competitions. The bow is made of wood, sinew and horn plates and covered with a thin layer of elaborately painted bark. This combination of materials makes the weapon more powerful than a medieval longbow, and the beauty of this weapon is astounding.

So, limbs with forward-curved ends, made of various materials, provided a large draw length with a relatively small bow size. The compound bow could be bent more strongly and imparted more energy to the arrow. Due to this, it was possible to reduce the size of the bow and, finally, equip riders with it. It is believed that the draw weight of the medieval bow was, for the most part, more than 30 kilograms. Apparently bows were made to be as powerful as the shooter could draw them. The limit value for a trained shooter can be considered a figure of 45 kilograms. More powerful bows appear to have never been used en masse in combat.

Many designs of medieval simple and compound bows have come down to us.
The main types of bows are the medieval yew longbow (a), the sinew-strengthened Teton Lakota bow (b), and four types of compound bows: the West Asian corner bow (c), the Scythian bow (d), and the 17th-century Turkish bow. (e) and onions of the Crimean Tatars of the 17th century. (f).

The main advantage of a compound bow is the large ratio of draw length to bow length. Consequently, the relatively short 127 cm bow could be drawn much further than its length would suggest. Sometimes the base of the three-bladed tip was made narrow in order to insert it into the hole at the end of the arrow shaft. The base of such a tip, used in the Middle Ages, was usually made conical with the greatest thickness in its central part. The Scythian bow, like the compound corner bow, apparently was completely flexible. Its limbs did not have the structural rigidity that was achieved in later compound bows due to the installation of bone or horn plates in the handle area and in the places where the bowstring was attached.

Improving weapons often occurs simultaneously with the desire to provide more reliable protection against them. In the 3rd century. BC e. The eastern neighbors of the Scythians - the Sarmatians - invented new methods of warfare. They dressed the riders and horses in armor and trained the warriors to fight in close formation. The presence of strong armor made it necessary to create a bow capable of shooting an arrow with a heavy iron tip with great speed and impact force.

The nomadic peoples of Central Asia - the Huns and Avars - created weapons capable of piercing armor. They made the string attachment points rigid and bent them forward at an acute angle. As a result, a “compound lever” was formed at the end of each arm. These "levers" allowed the archer to bend the stiffer limb of the bow with less force. Due to the deflection of the end of the bow relative to the back, the effect appears as if a large diameter wheel is attached to the end of each arm.

When the shooter draws the bow, the string “unwinds” from the unwinding “wheel” and its length increases. When the string is released, the ends move forward, shortening the string, which gives the arrow greater acceleration. A similar principle is used in the modern sporting bow, which has a pulley system designed to achieve a similar but more significant effect. Remember the “wheels” of the compound bow drawbar at the beginning of this article.