A more comprehensive list of archery terms than the basic set for beginners. Each term has a short description that
explains what it means.
AFB
American Flat Bow - aka American longbow. A long bow with a rectangular (flat) cross
section and a narrow handle.
Anchor
Often refered to as "anchor point". It refers to the part of your face that
your hand touches when at full draw.
Arrow Rest
A projecting device attached to the bow upon which the arrow is located.
May be a very simple plastic hook device (as used on beginners recurve bows) through to some very complex arangements
(as used on compound bows).
Back
The side of the bow facing away from the archer when held in the shooting position.
BareBow
Class of shooting without sights or aids.
Belly
The side of the bow facing the archer when held in the shooting position.
Boss
The part of the target that stops the arrows. The target face is fixed to the boss
Bouncer
An arrow which fails to penetrate the target and bounces off.
Bow arm/hand
The arm and hand that you use to hold the bow.
Bow Sight
An adjustable device fixed to the bow used for aiming.
Bow Sling
A strap attached to the bow that allows the archer's hand to remain in contact with the bow without gripping it.
Bow Stringer
A Bevice used for bracing the bow whilst attaching the string.
Bow Window
The cut out section above the bow handle on recurve and compound bows.
Bowyer
One who makes and designs bows.
Brace
To string the bow by placing the string loops into the bow nocks.
Bracer
The arm guard worn by archers to protect the bow arm from being hit by the bow
string.
Bracing Height
The distance between the bow and the string when at rest.
Cant
Tilting the bow to the left or right when shooting.
Carbons
Arrows made of carbon fibre.
Cast
Distance and speed a bow shoots an arrow.
Centre Shot
A term applied to a bow that is designed to allow the arrow to lie on the centre line of the bow.
Clicker
A device attached to the bow to tell the archer the draw is complete.
Clout Shoot
Long distance shooting, derived from military practice.
Cock Feather
The fletching which is at right angles to the string on most bow types.
Compound bows may have the cock feather in line with the string depending on the type of arrow rest that is being used.
Colours
For GNAS competitions, archers clothes should be dark green, white or registerd club colours.
Composite
A bow with limbs made of two or more kinds of material.
Compound
A bow using a cable system with eccentric wheels at the limb tips. The archer
has a holding weight less than the actual draw weight of the bow.
Creeping
When the drawing hand edges forward before or during aiming.
Cresting
The coloured bands on the shaft of an arrow.
Dacron
Polyester string material.
Dead Loose
A loose where only the fingers move on release.
Draw
The act of moving the string from the bracing height to the anchor point.
Draw Hand
Also refered to as the drawing hand. The hand that you use to pull (draw) the
string.
Draw Length
The distance to which the archer needs to draw the bow.
Draw Weight
The force in pounds needed to draw a bow to the draw length.
Dry Loose
Releasing a drawn bow without an arrow nocked.
End
An end is a set number of arrows that you shoot before scoring. Most ends in target
shooting consist of six arrows but some rounds have 5 or 3 arrows per end.
Fast
Warning cry which means stop shooting.
Field Archery
A form of shooting over various distances, usually in rough country.
Field Captain
The person in charge of shooting.
FITA
Federation Internationale de Tir a L'Arc, the international archery governing body.
Flat Bow
See AFB.
Fletchings
The fletchings are the shaped feather or plastic vanes attached to one end
of the arrow. The fletchings job is to steady the arrows flight.
Flight Shoot
Shooting for the longest possible distances.
Follow Through
The natural reaction of the body after a loose.
Foot Markers
Small discs used to mark the archer's position on the line.
Forward Loose
A loose in which the drawing hand moves forward during the loose.
GNAS
Grand National Archery Society, the national governing body.
Gold
The central scoring zone on a target face.
Ground Quiver
A stand for arrows placed on the ground rather than carried by the archer.
Grouping
Shooting arrows close together in a target.
Handicap
A shoot were the archer's previous performances are taken into account when calculating
the final score.
Handle Riser
The part of the bow held in the hand.
Heeling
Applying pressure on the handle below the point of balance.
Holding
Maintaining the aim and draw length before loosing.
Imperial
A method of scoring (usually for outdoor rounds).
Kevlar
A non stretch string material.
Kisser Button
A small disk placed on the string which reinforces the anchor point by being
placed between the lips.
Lady Paramount
The patroness at meetings who has the final decision on disputes and awards the prizes.
Limb
The top (upper) or bottom (lower) parts of the bow either side of the riser (handle).
Longbow
In the UK it generally refers to a bow over 5ft long with straight limbs and
of a 'D' shaped cross section. The limbs are made from wood or bamboo and usually have horn knocks.
Long Rod
A long stabiliser.
Loose
The action of releasing the string which launches the arrow.
Metals
Arrows made of metal (usually aluminium).
Metric
A method of scoring (usually for indoor rounds).
NFAS
National Field Archery Society.
Nock (of arrow)
The grove in the end of the arrow where the string fits.
Nock (of bow)
The groves at the limb tips where the bow string locates.
Nocking point
The place on the string where the arrow nock fits over.
Overbowed
Bow which is too strong for the archer to shoot confortably.
Peep Site
A small aperture on the string which acts as a rear site for compound bows.
Petticoat
The area of the target outside the scoring zone.
Pile
A cylindrical arrowhead with no cutting edges.
Pinch
Squeezing the nock of the arrow during a draw.
Pinhole
The exact centre of the target marked with a small cross.
Plunger Button
Device with a spring and plunger used for tuning a bow.
Point
See pile.
Popinjay
Shooting at artificial birds at the top of a mast.
Quiver
Container for your arrows.
Recurve Bow
The most common type of bow used by target archers. The tips of the limbs
are curved away from the archer.
Release
Another term for loose.
Release Aid
A Mechanical device for loosing the string of compound bows.
Riser
The central handle section of the bow
Round
A Specified number of arrows shot at a given distance.
Serving
Reinforcing thread wrapped tightly on to the string at a point of wear.
Shaft
The main body section of an arrow.
Shooting Line
The line across which all archers stand when shooting.
Sight Mark
The place on a bow sight when it is correctly adjusted for a particular distance.
Sighters
Unscored arrows shot before a round to adjust sights.
Spine Rating
A Measure of the stiffness of an arrow.
Stabilisers
Weighted rods attached to bows to improve stability.
Stacking
An unwelcome increase in draw weight as draw length is reached.
String
The cord attached to each end of the bow which gives the bow tension and causes
the arrow to fly when drawn.
Stringer
A device used to aid stringing a bow and avoiding damage from twisting the limbs.
Tab
Device used to protect the fingers on your draw hand.
Target Captain
Person responsable for scoring on a target.
TFC
Torque Flight Compensators - rubber dampers used with stabilisers.
Tiller
The alignment of limbs with respect to the string when braced.
Torque
Turning force applied to a bow.
Toxophilite
An archer, lover of archery.
Underbowed
Using a bow too weak for effective shooting.
Vanes
Plastic fletchings.
Waiting Line
Line behind which the archers retire after shooting, at least 5 yard behind the shooting line.
Weight In Hand
The physical weight of the bow (not its power).