A

Anchor Point A spot or place on the archer, normally the face, on which string and index finger come to rest upon full draw of the bow string.

Arm guard A piece of stiff material that is used to cover the inside portion of the wrist of the hand that holds the bow. So as to avoid getting hit with the bow string upon release.

Arrow Point A pointed metal tip the is inserted into the end of an arrow shaft to help in the penetration upon impact of the target.

Arrow Rest A support on the bow in the sight window on which the arrow rests when nocked on the bow string.

Axle The pin holding the cam wheel in the limbs of a compound bow. Back to Top

B

Barebow A bow without any sights, stabilisers and release aids

Blunt point An arrow point with a flat tip designed to stop the arrow from penetrating a target, and instead encourages it to bounce off.

Bolt A short arrow used in a crossbow.

Bow sight A mechanical device usually containing multiple pins that is attached to the bow so as to help the archer aim directly at the target.

Bowstring A multi stranded string that is attached to the cams.

Bow square A T-Shaped tool to measure brace height and nocking point location.

Brace height Shortest distance from the string to the inside curve of the bow handle

Broadhead A arrowhead with triangular shaped cutting blades used for hunting.. Back to Top

C

Cables A cable made of string that connects the bowstring on the cams or wheels to the opposite limb of a compound bow.

Cams The wheels on a compound bow that have a 'cam shape' to one side that controls the amount of force and the power cycle of the bow. Many different cam shapes are available to choose from

Cant To tilt the bow to the right or left while at full draw.

Cock feather The feather or vane set at right angles to the slot in the nock. Most commonly there are 3 vanes/feathers on the arrow and the cock feather/vane is a different color than the other two.

Creep Letting up on the bow string causing the arrow to creep forward before actual release(not maintaining draw length). Usually caused by loss of shoulder/back muscle tension. Back to Top

D

Draw length The distance, measured in inches, from the inner most curve of the bow handle to the slot in the arrow nock when the string is fully drawn

Draw weight The amount of force, in pounds, required to draw a bow within a given distance ex. 50lbs at 28" Back to Top

E
F

Field point Arrow designed to prevent the arrow from skipping if the arrow hits the ground.

Finger Tab A piece leather or other smooth material used by the drawing fingers to protect the them and to give a smooth release of the bow string.

Fletch This is the act of gluing a vane or feather to an arrow shaft

Fletching The feathers, plastic vanes that are attached to the arrow shaft which stabilize the flight of the arrow.

Flu-Flu A arrow that has been fletched with many big feathers or vanes. The arrow is only able to go a short distance because of the drag of the wind that these flethings create.

Full draw The position of the archer when the bowstring has been drawn and the archer's drawing hand has been set and is resting at the anchor point. Back to Top

G

Grip The act of grasping and holding on to the bow handle.

Group The pattern of arrows on a target. A tight group is an indication of consitency. Back to Top

H

Handle The center portion of the bow that is gripped when drawing or carring the bow. Back to Top

I

Insert Metal fittings that are threaded on the inside to enable you to screw in the arrow tips. Back to Top

J

Judo point A arrow point fitted with spring-loaded wire prongs that will catch on grass yo stop the arrow quickly. Used mostly for small game. Back to Top

K

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L

LetOff The reduction in draw weight of a compound bow, when at full draw, usually expressed as a percentage. ex 75% let off

Limbs The parts that are being compressed when the bow is drawn.they are also the energy storing parts of the bow above and below the riser

Limb Savers A rubber form attached to the limbs of a bow to reduce the vibrations in the limbs after the release.

Limb Pocket A slot in the top and bottom of the riser, that the the ends of the bow limbs fit into and are used to ensure correct limb alignment Back to Top

M

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N

Nock A plasic "U" shaped part that fits into or overtop the back of an arrow, that clasps onto the string. Back to Top

O

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P

Peak Weight This is the absolute max draw weight of a bow.

Peep Sight A small round or square piece with a center hole that is inserted between the strands of the bowstring, used for seeing the pins when the bow is drawn. Back to Top

Q

Quiver A container made of leather or plastic that is used to hold arrows. Back to Top

R

Recurve Bow A bow that has limbs that curve up on the ends.

Release A device that has a clip or some type of claws that grasp the bowstring to enable the archer to more easily draw the bow. Back to Top

S

Serving The protective winding of string on the centre of the bowstring where the arrows are nocked

Shaft This is the bare arrow without the inserts, nocks, tip or feathers.

Spine An arrow's resistance to bending.

Stabilizer An extension that is attached to the front of the bow. This extension is weighted and helps to balance out the weight of the bow as well as helps in removing hand shock when the bow is shot. Back to Top

T

Tune This is the act of adjusting the arrow rest, peep sight and nocking point of the arrow in order to achieve optimal flight of the arrow.

U

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V

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W

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X

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Y

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Z

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