archery can be a fun and rewarding sport, as well as being a source of exercise, but archery can be a mystery to some people, in this instructable i will talk about how to get involved in archery, different bow types, shooting styles and types of arrow that are available, remember that this instructable is a BASIC guide so i haven't mentioned every tiny little detail!, so move on to the next step!

Step 1: Getting Involved!

the easiest way to get involved in archery is to join a local club, do some research on the nearest club that is in your area, or if you don't have a club in your area, you could just go it alone and buy a bow yourself, the reason i suggest a club is because of the community - you can talk to other members for advice on choosing bows to buy etc, many clubs also offer beginners courses for you to take which will explain all you need to know about archery to start you off, as well as beginners courses, clubs will have equipment for you to use so you will not have to buy your own bow if you don't want to, although it is suggested.

if you are still interested, move on to the next step!

Step 2: Bow Types Used in Archery...

the main types of bow that are used in archery are recurve, compound and longbow, there ARE other types of bow but for the sake of keeping this instructable BASIC i have only mentioned the 3 main types.

RECURVE: recurve is a bow with 4 main parts, the riser, limbs, and sting. The riser is the part of the bow that you hold onto and it contains mounts for the sights, limbs and sight. The limbs are the parts of the bow that store the energy of pulling the string back before you release, there are two that attach to the top and the bottom of the riser and the string is the part which you pull back, it is attached between the tips of the limbs. This type of bow is fairly basic, and is a good bow to start archery with as it is not too complicated, it is easily fired and is reliable.

COMPOUND: a compound bow is much more different from a recurve bow, as in most cases it cannot be taken down for storage, so it stays as one unit, a compound bow may also be easier to fire than a recurve bow as when the string is pulled back past a point, the force is taken in by the cams at the tips of each limb, making this type of bow good for hunting, as you can keep it held back for as long as you like before release, compound bows are usually used with release aids, a trigger which is clipped onto the string and when you need to fire the bow, you click a button or pull a trigger and the string will release. the compound bow is made up of two limbs with cams at the tips, a riser and a string, the string is much more different from a recurve as well because it is wound round the cams, making it longer.

LONGBOW: the longbow is one of the first types of bows to become popular, and it is still used today! longbows are only made up of two pieces, the string and the bow itself. longbows can also be considered the most difficult bows to aim and fire, because you are only dependant on a rubber band for aiming, shooting a longbow is also similar to shooting a recurve bow barebow, which is explained more in the next step!

now you know what types of bows there are...take a look at shooting styles in the next step.

Step 3: Styles of Shooting Bows.

now that you should be familiar with the basic types of bows that are available, you should now learn about the different styles or disciplines that you can shoot with each bow.

RECURVE WITH SIGHTS: in this style you would use a recurve bow with a sight attached, the sight would be aligned with the target to help with aiming, this is the more common way of shooting a recurve bow.

RECURVE BAREBOW: recurve barebow is shooting a recurve bow with no sights or any aiming devices attached to the bow you are using, this is the more challenging style of shooting recurve and is similar to shooting a longbow.

COMPOUND WITH SIGHTS: in this style you would shoot a compound bow with a sight attached.

COMPOUND BAREBOW: shooting a compound bow with no sights or aiming devices attached.

now that you have looked over the basic shooting styles go onto the arrow types!

Step 4: Types of Arrows.

there are lots of arrows that are available with each of them offering different advantages, i will cover a couple of types of arrows below...

CARBON: carbon arrows are very light, but they are less stiff than their counterparts, and they could also be considered more dangerous as carbon fiber doesn't bend and snap, it splinters into lots of small shards that could cause damage to you or your bow, if they aren't used properly.

ALUMINIUM: aluminium arrows are slightly heavier than carbon arrows but they are stiffer and break less easily, they are also safer because they don't splinter. another advantage of aluminium arrows are that they are easier to cut to size if you make your own arrows.

WOOD: wooden arrows are the most basic type of arrow, they were the ones first used with early bows, wooden arrows are used with longbows and some low power recurve bows, wooden arrows are not used with higher power recurve bows or compound bows because they would break much too easily, wooden arrows also use feather flights rather than the plastic vanes of carbon or aluminium arrows, this makes them less durable.

Step 5: Finishing Up.

so thats the basics of archery rounded up, i hope that you have enjoyed this instructable and if you were considering starting archery that i have given you the push to start taking part! if i get enough interest i will post another instructable expanding a little bit more on archery stances, tips on shooting each style of bow and taking care of your bow if you have already purchased one.
so until then, bye!