BSS Glossary
In the following glossary, we tried to list as many archery related terms aspossible and explain them in a simple and concise way.
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8125: A modern string yarn made from 100% SK75 Dyneema. Dyneema is DSM's brand name for its UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) fiber. SK75 is a quality grade of Dyneema; For a time, it contained a very small amount of Gore fiber to improve abrasion resistance and somewhat reduce noise while shooting; Consequently, this string model was renamed 8125G for a short time; also see 8125G
8190: A modern string yarn made of SK90 Dyneema and GORE fibers
1/4“: A commonly used UNC thread size in archery; UNC 1/4" has an outside diameter of 6.4 mm. Weights and dampers on stabilizers are often constructed with UNC ¼"
10-32: A commonly used UNF thread size in archery; UNF 10-32 is the standard thread for scopes on compound bows. The outer diameter is 4.8 mm
1st / 2nd / 3rd Axis: For sights, refers to the three-dimensional alignment of the sight tunnel or scope; While the first axis is also relevant for Olympic recurve bows, the 2nd and 3rd axes are only used for compound bows with scopes; S. 1st axis, 2nd axis, 3rd axis
1st Axis: Means the alignment of the vertical elevation bar parallel to the string; It should be avoided that the scope or the sight tunnel move horizontally when moving the sight slide vertically; If the first axis is not set cleanly, the group moves to the right or to the left at different distances when the bow is otherwise set correctly
2nd Axis: Means the alignment of the scope on compound bows at right angles to the elevation bar; Due to the spirit level in the scope, the archer will hold the bow so that the spirit level is straight; If the scope is not orthogonal to the sight mount, this will result in lateral deviations over the different distances just as with an incorrect 1st axis.
3rd Axis: Is the "twisting" of the scope in relation to the bow; You can imagine the elevation bar like a hinge and the scope like a door; This setting is especially relevant for archers who shoot field or 3D, because this setting is noticeable in uphill and mountain shots - again by misses to the side.
3D Archery: Describes a bow discipline on a specially prepared archery range where the athletes don’t shot at flat targets, but three-dimensional models (3D targets); these can be animal figures, but also other objects; see also field archery, target archery
3D Target: Different than target faces; three-dimensional targets with kill zones drawn in.
452X: A modern string yarn made of 67% SK75 Dyneema and 33% Vectran. Dyneema is DSM's brand name for its UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) fiber. SK75 is a quality grade of Dyneema; string yarns with Vetran content have the property of no creep, that’s why sometimes they are also attributed with "no-creep"; see also X99.
5/16“: A commonly used UNF thread size in archery; UNF 5/16" has an outer diameter of approximately 8 mm and is used for connecting stabilizers to the bow and is the de facto standard for the button thread
8-32: A commonly used UNC thread size in archery; UNC 8-32 is the standard thread for sight tunnels of Olympic recurve bows. The outer diameter is 4.2 mm
8125G: A briefly marketed string yarn by BCY; It contained a very small amount of Gore fiber, which was supposed to improve abrasion resistance and somewhat reduce noise while shooting; At the time, 8125G was 92% Dyneema, after which it was discontinued, as BCY commentet, "because the Gore fiber did not contribute to or improve the performance of the 8125."
Actionwood: The term "Actionwood" is used in wood processing to describe wood impregnated with phenolic resin, which is glued together in many thin layers and is one of the most durable materials in terms of durability. In the U.S., this type of wood processing belongs to a high standard
Anchor Plate: A component that can be optionally screwed on at Tabs, which enables physical contact of the tab to the chin when anchoring; also known as chin shelf, shelf
Anchor(point): The final position of the draw hand at full draw
Animal Target Face: A target face with animals and kill zones displayes on it
Archer´s Paradox: Refers to the phenomenon of the arrow (especially in traditional archery) first having to wrap around the bow in order to hit the intended target; see also Spine
Archery Homeopathy: Archery homeopathy includes all attempts by archers to optimize things whose influence is negligible, but which have a psychological effect. Examples are the adjustment of the sight by a "click" (depending on the sight something like 0.05 mm), the splining of arrows or the weighing of shafts, tips and nocks to reduce the dispersion of the total weight of the final arrows. All these measures are correct in principle, but the effect is so diluted compared to things like clean shooting technique that it does not go beyond the placebo effect.
Arm Guard: Protects the arm of the bow hand from a possible blow of the string after the release
Arrow Counter: This refers to a counting tool, e.g. a mechanical click counter, that archers use for training purposes to count the total number of arrows they shoot per training session
Arrow Puller: Refers to an aid (usually made of anti-slip material such as silicone) for pulling arrows out of the target
Arrow Rest: (also just "rest") An extra attached rest for the arrow in the sight window of the bow.
B50 / B55: Terms for string yarns made of polyester; B50 is a product of the company Brownell & Co., B55 of the company of BCY; Another brand name in this field, which also stands for string yarn made of polyester is Dacron of the company Dupont
Back (of bow): The outer side, or the side of the bow facing away from the archer; as opposed to belly of bow or face of bow
Back Quiver: A type of quiver; a quiver hung on the shoulders by one, or two, carrying hangers; the quiver in this sense is carried on the back like a backpack; see also quiver.
Backtension: (-release); Also called hinge release; in contrast to the trigger-release, releases the shot not by pulling a trigger, but by increasing - as the name implies - the back tension in full draw
Bare Shaft Test: s. blank shaft test
Barebow: Mostly a modern (take-down) bow, shot without aids such as sights, or stabilizers
Barrel: is used in various contexts. The actual trigger in Trigger-Releases is often designed as a cylinder with a textured surface and is referred to as a "barrel"; Some scope manufacturers use 3/8" (9.5 mm) or ½" (12.7 mm) diameter cylinders instead of the usual UNF 10-32 thread to provide a better grip on the scope. These are also referred to as "scope barrels"
Barreled: describes the characteristic of arrow types such as X10 or ACE from Easton that the arrow is slightly tapered towards the end; see also tapered
Belly (of bow): Refers to the side of the bow facing the archer; see also face of bow; in contrast to back of bow
Berger Plunger: see also plunger
Berger Test: A test to fine-tune the plunger; usually requires already advanced archers, with a rather routined shooting process; see also Berger, Victor
Berger, Victor: A well-known and very successful U.S. archer (1936 - 2016); Best known for his invention of the Berger Button in the 1960s, which revolutionized archery; He also invented the Berger Test
Binary cam: Compound Bows with Binary Cams have two Cams but no Buss Cable; So both cables are Control Cables and therefore there is no connection of one of the cables to the outside of the axles via a Yoke; Since both Cams are each "dependent" on the other Cam by a Control Cable, the system should synchronize itself and allow perfect Nock Travel; Due to the missing Buss Cable Yoke Tuning is not possible, which is why a Cam Lean can be a problem with Binary Cam on compound bows
Blank Shaft: Refers to an arrow with a point and nock, but without feathers; s. blank shaft test
Blank Shaft Test: Name of a test in which the arrow is shot with just a point and a nock, but without the fletching; This can be used, for example, to determine whether the button is set too hard, or soft;
Blunt: A blunt arrowhead made of rubber or metal
Bow Hand: Opposed to draw hand; the hand that holds the bow; Attention: Does NOT determine if you are a LH or RH archer – the draw hand does
Bow Lenght: The total length of the bow specified in inches
Bow Quiver: Special construction directly on the bow to store arrows functionally; see also quiver.
Bow Square: A ruler-like measuring device in T-shape; It can be used to determine tension height and distances of the bow, nocking point and other markers on the string
Bowstand: A place to put the bow so that it does not lie on the ground while not shooting, for example.
Bowstring jig: Refers to a board (made of wood) as an auxiliary device on which to make strings (Flemish splice)
Brace Height: Means the distance from the string to the lowest point of the grip (pivot point); an ideal value may vary depending on the manufacturer; regarding the distances in general, see also Tiller
Broadhead: Literally "broad head", referring to broad and razor-sharp arrowpoints; usually for hunting.
Bushing: see inserts.
Buss Cable: Term for a cable on a compound bow; A compound bow may have one or two Buss Cables; A Buss Cable has a bifurcation or "Y" shape at one end, the two ends of which are attached near the axis of a Cam; Single Cam and Hybrid Cam compound bows have Buss Cables, while Dual Cam compound bows have two Buss Cables. See also: Control Cable
Button: (also known as plunger) A spacer and usually spring-loaded pin that positions the arrow on the arrow rest, especially on technical bows (e.g., Olympic recurve).
Cable: Refers to additional connections between the cams or pulleys on a compound bow. A compound bow always has only one string, but can have a different number of cables. Basically, the cables allow a compound bow to have a let-off. During the let-off, the cables are wound onto the cams while the string is unwound. The cables then hold the tension when the archer has to hold much less than the original draw weight because of the let-off at full draw. When released, the cables unwind due to the large tension, rewinding the string. Examples include Control Cabel, Buss Cabel, Yoke.
Cable rod: Because a compound has a string and several cables, the cables must be pushed to the side to avoid being in the way of the arrow. This is achieved by the cable rod. Cable rods can be simple blocks of PTFE, or more elaborate designs with ball bearing rollers.
Cam: Basic term for all oval (or non-round) roll types on compound bows.
Cam Lean: Because a compound has a string and several cables, the cables must be pushed aside with a so-called cable rod and a cable slide in order not to be in the way of the arrow; So while the string is exactly centered to the cam and exerts a perpendicular force on it, the force of the cables acts obliquely on the cam, causing them to tilt slightly to the side; If the bow has a buss cable with a yoke, this obliquity can be corrected by yoke tuning
Center Serving: Describes the protective serving of the string in the center; nocking points (also kisser) are attached to it, or the arrow is nocked; see also end serving.
Center Shot: refers to the centered sight window in the design of modern bows in particular. This ensures that the arrow is also shot in the center, or orthogonal to the target, and not as with traditional bows, where the arrow must wind around the bow to hit the target. Cf. Archer's Paradox, Spine
Chest Guard: 1. protection against painful impacts of the string on the chest; 2. ensuring that the string always has the same surface at the point of contact with the chest and thus cannot catch on (different) surfaces of the clothing
Chin Shelf: see also anchor plate;
Clamp-on (Brass) Nocking Point: An open metal ring with a soft plastic inner part that can be clamped to the string; see also nocking point; see also nocking point pliers.
Clicker: A thin metal plate (recently also carbon) used in front of the arrow rest, especially for the recurve. The clicker is adjusted so that it slips off the arrow when the archer reaches full draw and produces a "clicking sound" by striking the clicker plate of the bow. This ensures that the arrow is always shot with the same draw length, ergo the same draw weight
Clicker Plate: describes a device on the sight window of a handle; the clicker plate is usually made of metal, is either screwed to the handle or plugged in and stands out a bit; when the clicker is also attached to the handle as well, it is positioned slightly diagonally so that it makes contact with the plate; the arrow is then passed between them each time
Cock Feather: The feather on the arrow used to determine which way the arrow should be nocked to the string; the cock feather should face away from the bow
Compound bow: (Short simply "compound"); Modern type of bow invented in the USA in 1966; not to be confused with a composite bow (which by composite refers to the material (composite) of which the bow is made); A compound is characterized mainly by rollers (camwheels), the so-called cams. A compound bow is characterized mainly by rollers (camwheels), the so-called cams, on which cables, or the string are rolled; by this system it is possible that the bow has a peak weight, but in the anchor only a small part of it must be held (see also wall, Let-Off); The compound bow is the type of bow with the highest shooting velocity
Cones: Refers to the plastic 'fletching' on arrows/darts for blowgun shooting
Control Cable: A cable that connects two cams of a compound bow.
Creep: Especially to be understood as elongation as "deformation"; An undesirable type of elongation of a string. It refers to an irreversible change in length during its use. Creep is the reason why one cannot use Dacron or Fast-Flight string material on compound bows, for example, which usually have to be permanently tensioned. While this is not important for recurve archers, for example (they can counteract creep by twisting in the string), it is important for compound bows that there is no creep at all. Therefore, today there are so-called "no-creep" yarns with Vectran content, which are especially suitable for compound bows; see also elongation.
Cresting: wohl im historischen Kontext als "den Pfeil im Stile des Wappens bemalen" zu verstehen; bezeichnet die Verzierung des Pfeils im hinteren Bereich; hier können Ringe oder andere Designelemente in veschiedenen Ausführungen aufgemalt oder auch beklebt werden (s. Wrap)
D-Loop: Denotes a small loop on the string of a compound bow; the release is hooked to it.
Dacron: The brand name for a certain PET plastic; denotes a type of string made from this plastic, which is known for lightness and very high durability; in comparison, see also Fast-Flight, 8125, 8190.
Damper: Various, mostly but not only, rubber devices that are screwed or glued to the bow so that the force when releasing does not make the bow shake too much; this also allows the reduction of a hand shock as much as possible
Deflex: In the case of the bow, refers to the deflection when drawing out toward the archer
Dominant eye: s. Ocular dominance
Draw Board: A device to which a compound bow can be clamped to slowly draw out until it hits the wall. This allows accurate testing of the mechanics of the bow; see also synchronicity
Draw Force: Describes the force exerted when the bow is drawn; actually, it should be measured in newtons (N); for historical reasons, however, lbs (English pound) is still used today
Draw Hand: In contrast to the bow hand; hand with which the string is pulled
Draw Length: Total length of the arrow including its tip and nock, corresponds approximately to the distance between optimal clicker position and anchor point in full draw
Dry Fire: DON’T DO! Refers to shooting the bow without an arrow; consequences could be irreversible damage to the bow, or even injury;
Dual cam: A dual cam compound bow has two identical cams on both limbs. A Buss Cable connects the outer ends of the axis of one limb with the cam on the other side. (also: Twin Cam, Two Cam)
Elevation bar : Device for vertical adjustment of a sight. Today, the elevation bar is usually attached to a cantilever and is located at a distance of 4-10" (10-25 cm) in front of the bow. The main part of the sight, that you can lower or elevate, moves on the elevation bar.
Elongation: Describes a certain degree of stretching of a string/string yarn under stress, but which is reversible again at rest; contrary to creep
End:
End Serving: Describes the tight wrapping of the string with serving material, made with considerable force. On the one hand, it ensures that the string retains its shape and that the individual strands cannot separate from each other. On the other hand, the serving provides protection against abrasion of the limbs. see also center serving.
Endless Loop String: The term is somewhat misleading, because nothing is literally "endless" about this string. However, loops are made from a single strand of string yarn, roughly between 5 to 12 loops, so that the string consists of 10 to 24 strands in the end. In order for the whole string to retain its shape, servings need to be made, often winding the ears at the ends with serving material as well. See in comparison: Flemish splice.
English Longbow: A type of traditional bow originating in England; a rather long and not double curved (recurve) bow
Extender: A usually 2" to 5" short component made of aluminum or carbon, which shifts the V-Bar and thus the entire stabilization system away from the bow towards the target. This shifts the center of gravity of the stabilization system and also the center of gravity of the bow.
Face: Refers to Target Faces. Specially designd sheets, that cover the target with certain motives; s. Also WA Target Face; Field Target Face
Face (of bow): s. belly of bow
Facewalking: literally "walking on the face"; refers to a method of aiming used by bare bow archers, or traditional archers; here, different distances are determined on the basis of corresponding 'walking on the face' points; see also Stringwalking.
Facing: used in (traditional) bow making; denotes a pressure-stable coating of the bow belly; it is necessary so that the bow wood does not yield and break under tension
Fast-Flight: refers to a type of string made of HPPE (high-performance polyethylene); has very light and tear-resistant fibers;
Feather: Describes natural and synthetic feathers of an arrow, which function for flight stabilization; see also left-wound feathers, natural feathers, right-wound feathers, spin wings, vanes.
Feather Chopper: An auxiliary device to 'chop' natural feathers into the appropriate shape before they can be glued to the arrow
Feather Quill: Refers to the two main components of a natural feather; Generally speaking, a feather consists of a harder shaft (stalk) and two vane-like quills
Field Archery Target Face: Has four black outer rings and two gold ones in the center; see also Kill (Zone), WA target face, field archery target face .
Field Point: (Metal) arrow point type - used in both target shooting and 3D shooting
Field Target Round: In contrast to WA target round; refers to a tournament mode in field archery where 3 arrows are shot at a time on targets with field archery target faces. The distances are half known and half unknown; see also FITA round.
Finger Plate: s. pinky hook
Fingersling: A sling that can be bought or made; usually it is attached around the thumb and forefinger and ensures that the bow does not fall off while shooting; see also wristling.
Fishtail – Effect: means a fidgeting or flailing motion of the arrow in flight; other than flailing caused by different spines, or the Archer's Paradox, it is different with individual arrows that show a fishtail effect - it could be an unbalanced, or damage to the arrow.
FITA: From the French: Fédération Internationale de Tir à l'Arc. Since 2011 renamed to WA (World Archery) is the international archery federation.
FITA Round: Outdoor discipline in target archery; it consists of 36 arrows each at 4 different distances. Women's class shoots at 70, 60, 50 and 30 meters. Men's class at 90, 70, 50 and 30 meters; before the WA round this was the Olympic mode.
FITA Target Face: s. WA target face
Fitting: Refers to the ending part of a nock, that needs to fit in, or onto the shaft; With „different nock types“ one often refers to the type of fitting; depending on the type of the nock and arrow, there are different fittings; before purchasing nocks it’s highly recommended to check if the fitting is the right one for the shaft; s. also mouth, throat and ridge
Flemish Splice: A way of forming the end of a string knotless into a loop by a braiding method; see also endless loop string
Fletching jig: A helping device for feathering the arrows; usually you can position the arrows well on it, glue the feathers precisely accordingly and let them rest to dry, depending on the type of feather;
Floating Yoke: In contrast to a normal Yoke, where the Buss Cable is simply made with two wound loops at the end, the Floating Yoke uses a so called Yoke Splitter; The Yoke itself is just a very short piece of cable with two loops, which makes a loop underneath the Cam, into which the Buss Cable is "hooked" by means of the Yoke Splitter; The Buss Cable hangs "floating" in this loop, hence the name. With a floating yoke, no yoke tuning is possible
Flu – Flu: Flu-Flu arrow; term origin possibly from natives residing in the United States; in traditional archery, the term refers to the eye-catching fletching of the arrow. The fletching is usually made from long sections of feathers; in most cases, six or more feathers are used, rather than the traditional three. Alternatively, two long feathers may be spirally wrapped around the end of the arrow shaft. In both cases, the excessive fletching serves to create more air resistance and slow the arrow down quickly after a short distance (about 30 m). One of the main benefits of these arrows is that they are not so easily lost when you miss the target
FOC: Abbreviation from the English "Front of Center"; Simply put, the FOC is simply a value for where the arrow's center of gravity is located. For an arrow to fly correctly, the center of gravity must be between the center of the arrow and the tip. Different weights of tips can influence the FOC and thus the behavior of the arrow in flight
Follow-Through: Calmly waiting in the last position taken immediately after releasing the arrow.
Forest Round: A tournament mode in 3D archery; archers have 3 arrows per target, which must be shot in a specified order. As soon as the first arrow hits the target, the round is over. The earlier the hit, the higher the score: see Huner Round.
Formula: The trade name for the HOYT brand system of longer limb mounts; not compatible with ILF mounts.
FPS: FPS ft/s (feet per second); this is used to measure the launch speed of an arrow; ft/s ≈ 1.1 km/h
Free Style: Discipline in archery in which all aids on the bow (equipment) are permitted.
Full Draw: "...standing at full draw": describes the state of the archer who has the bow drawn to full draw length, is standing in the anchor, and is about to release
G-Nock: G-Nocks are precision molded press-fit nocks made by Easton to fit most Easton arrows; they are available in two sizes, small (S) or large (L) string notch; generally speaking, size S is most compatible with recurve strings and L is most compatible with compound (cables) bowstrings
Gold: In parlance, "hitting the gold"; refers to the yellow zone in WA target face --> vs. "Into the kill(-zone)."
Gold Panic: Refers to an often panicky or tense mental attitude of an archer while aiming and releasing
Gore: Gore fibers are probably well-known to most, especially in functional clothing and footwear; Gore is the trade name of W. L. Gore & Associates for a microporous membrane (wet barrier membrane) made of polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) that is windproof, waterproof, but permeable to water vapor and thus breathable. Gore, incorporated into strings, is said to have virtually no effect on stretch and creep; it was probably intended to be a method of bringing extremely thin string material to a strength similar to Fast Flight; the BCY company, for example, had the string model 8125G for a fairly short time for this purpose, but they withdrew it from the market again "because they didn't really see any real value added in it; see also 8125
Grain: English unit of measurement for weights (mostly for arrows); 1 grain = 0.065g
Grip: The central part of a bow, where it is held with the bow hand.
Handle: see also riser;
Handshock: Refers to the recoil of the bow generated at the moment of shooting; one of the reasons that lead to finetuning by qualitative stabilizers and dampers
Helical Fletch: Refers to the method of gluing the feathers of the arrow slightly diagonally (as opposed to straight attached feathers)
Hinge-Release: Release Aid that is not released by a trigger, but releases more or less "by itself" by tilting the whole release; s. Also Backtension-release
Hip quiver: A type of quiver; a quiver that is tied around the waist; it usually has a belt for this purpose; see also side quiver, or quiver in general
Holding Weight: The draw weight for the compound bow in the final draw. The hold weight is equal to the peak draw weight minus the let-off.
Horsebow: A special traditional type of bow that can also vary in shape depending on the cultural region; in principle, they are optimized for horseback archery
Hybrid cam: Compound bows with hybrid cam system have two cams, but they are not identical; one cam is called "control cam" and one "power cam"; exactly one control cable and one buss cable are used; bows with hybrid cam are supposed to combine the easy maintainability of single cam systems (e.g. no problems with synchronization) and the perfectly horizontal nock travel of dual cam systems. e.g. no problems with synchronization) and the perfectly horizontal Nock Travel of Dual Cam systems, hence the name; Hybrid Cam bows first reached widespread use by the US brand Hoyt and their "Cam & ½" system
IFAA: (English abbreviation for International Field Archery Association) An international archery association founded in 1970 that supports specific bow classes (bare bow, longbow, recurve bow, compound bow) in different bow styles (with sights, without sights, classic types).
ILF: ILF as abbreviation for "International Limb Fitting"; describes an industry standard for a plug-in limb mount on the handle; ILF is extremely widespread with modern competition bows and meanwhile also prevails with traditional take-down recurves. In addition, there is one more manufacturer-specific screw and plug-in system. See Formula
Inserts: also known as bushing; refers to a metal sleeve that is used as a middle link between the nock/point and the arrow shaft; it has several functions, for example, it can regulate the arrow weight, better protect the arrow from arrow strikes or also enable special point/nocks to be attached to the arrow shaft first, which would not have worked at all without an insert
Instinctive Archery: A way of archery, where you shoot without a sight only with the help of feeling and experience, if any.
Hunter Round: A tournament mode in 3D archery; archers have only 1 arrow per target, which must be shot in a fixed order. As soon as the first arrow hits the target, the round is over. The earlier the hit, the higher the score; in contrast to the Forest Round, only the number of arrows (1 vs. 3) is different.
Judo Point: Denotes an arrowhead with claws; its main purpose is to prevent the arrow from 'digging' into the target
Kill (Zone): In the case of an Animal Target Faces, refers to the marked area, which is understood to be the kill zone, i.e., the highest scoring area; in contrast to the yellow zone (Gold) in case of WA Target Faces; in parlance: "Hitting the Kill" vs. "Hitting the Gold"
Kisser: also known as: mouth marker; A marker attached to the string in addition to the nocking points, placed directly at the level of the lips, as an aid in reproducing the course of shooting; material may differ according to one's preference
lbs: English unit of measurement for weight; mostly used to indicate the added weight for limbs; 1lbs ≈ 0.453 kg
Let-Off: The reduction of the draw weight of a compound bow in full draw given in %; modern compound bows achieve a let-off of up to 90 %, i.e. the archer holds only 10 % of the peak draw weight when aiming.
LH: (Abbreviation for left-handed archer) Holds the bow in the right hand and draws with the left; The draw hand determines whether one is lefthanded or righthanded in archery; in contrast to RH archer; see also dominant eye
Limb Bolt: A large screw that holds the end of the limbs in position. It can be used to adjust the draw weight for both the recurve and the compound. On the recurve, the screws also play a major role in adjusting the so-called tiller, which is why the term "tiller screw" is often used in German-speaking countries
Limb Mount: Describes the limb pockets on the handle of a take down bow, i.e. the areas where the limbs are plugged in; currently there are two possible limb pocket systems: see ILF and Formula.
Limbs: Means the lower and upper part of the bow; sold exclusively as a pair of limbs
Left Wing Feather: Refers in the case of a natural feather that they come from the left wing of the bird
Longbow: A type of traditional bow; does not have curved bow tips (recurve); see also. English longbow
M(s): (coll.) a hit that went next to the target face or the target and gives 0 points. Since an "M" for "Miss" is noted on the score sheet, many shooters also refer to "Ms" they have shot.
Mediterranean Anchor: Refers to a shooting technique of drawing the string; here one finger is above and two fingers below the nocked arrow; in the Olympic discipline, for example, the shooting technique involves the mediterranean anchor almost exclusively
Miss: s. M(s)
Mono-Stabilizer: A colloquial term for a longer stabilizer that is usually attached to the front of the bow; see stabilizer.
Moon: s. Sear
Mouth: Refers to the upper segment of the nock that slides over the string; This part so specifically molded in a way, that makes sure that the arrow stays firmly on the string; s. Also other seqments of the nock throat, ridge, fitting
Mouth Marker: s. Kisser
Natural Feather: Mostly obtained from feathers from turkey and chopped into shape fletching for arrows. Fletching with real bird feathers was the standard for centuries and was replaced by fletching made of modern materials only a few decades ago. To this day, natural feathers are preferred by traditional archers, but are still used in modern competitive sports under certain circumstances.
Nock: a plastic attachment on the arrow shaft to put on; unlike the selfnock; segments of the nock are called mouth, throat, eventually there is a ridge and fitting
Nock Travel: The path the nock travels when launched, viewed from the side; Nock Travel is a term that actually only appears in context with the compound bow; If a dual cam compound bow is not set up properly, the two cams may not travel in sync; In this case, the arrow or nock will not accelerate forward in a perfectly straight line
Nocking Point: Fixed markers on the string, which ensure that the arrow is always correctly positioned
Nocking Point Plier: A special pair of pliers to attach a clamp-on nocking point to the string
Ocular Dominance: It is the eye that is decisively more dominant than the other when aiming; the dominant eye determines whether one is RH- or LH archer;
Off the Shelf: means: 'not on the rest'; here the arrow is shot from an extra arrow rest attached to the bow
Olympic Discipline: Refers to the bow discipline that is approved for the Olympic Games; also known as 'Olympic Recurve'.
On the Shelf: Means: 'on the rest'; here the arrow is placed directly on the rest of the sight window and shot from there
Overdraw: Describes the use of a special arrow rest that sits further back behind the grip of the bow. This allows an arrow to be shot that is shorter than the archer's draw length. An overdraw is used to achieve long distances with a lighter arrow or for so-called torque tuning.
Paper Test: Not to be confused with the Berger Test; refers to a test (mainly for compound) for adjusting the bow. From the shape of the hole in the paper, which an arrow leaves when flying through it, you can derive, among other things, knowledge for the adjustment of the arrow rest and the nocking point height
Parabol: Refers to a particular cut in arrow feathers; see also Shield
Parcours: Refers to a type of shooting range on which archers can run from target to target, which are set up in different ways and are also equipped with different types (field/animal targets or 3D animals); see also field archery, 3D archery.
Peak Draw Weight: Refers to the max. draw weight of a compound bow; see also wall.
Peep-Sight: (also just: "peep"); refers to an additional aiming aid for the compound bow; this is built into the string of the compound bow; you have to look through the peep sight and aim with the scope.
Pin-Sight: (also: multi-pin sight) a type of sight for hunting, usually found on compound bows. Typically these sights have 3 or 5, more rarely 7, aiming points (called a "pin"). These can be moved and mounted separately. This allows the usual distances to be shot out and adjusted in advance, so that in the hunting situation there is no need to adjust the sight. s. Slider Sight
Pinky Hook: Also sometimes called finger plate; An optional hook that can be screwed on/off to a tab to allow the little finger to rest on it when pulling out the string; see also tab, anchor plate.
Pivot-Point: To be understood approximately as 'axis'; describes the deepest point in the handle;
Plunger: s. Button
Press: Special machine for compound bows; since a compound cannot be dismantled and therefore remains constantly tensioned, a press is required if one should ever want to relax the compound bow, e.g., for a string change, etc.
Primitive bow: s. Selfbow
Quick Disconnect: For screw connections (especially for stabilizers), an adapter that allows screwed components to be attached and detached much more quickly.
Quiver: A usually portable container for the arrows; There are several versions, such as hip quiver, or side quiver, back quiver, saddle quiver, or quivers already mounted on the bow (bow quiver).
Recurve bow: a bow in which the bow ends are bent forward when relaxed; e.g., in contrast to the longbow;
Reflex: Describes the bending of the bow away from the archer
Release: In contrast to a (finger) tab or shooting glove, an additional mechanical device used to pull out the string and release the shot. Actually "release aid", but is usually just called "release" for short.
Release, -ing: Describes the release of the string when shooting
RH: (Abbreviation for right-handed archer) Holds the bow in the left hand and draws with the right; the draw hand in archery also determines whether one is right- or lefthanded; in contrast to LH archer; see also dominant eye.
Ridge: Refers to a feature that some types of nocks posses; it’s a small bump like line on one side of the nock. It is meant to be a marker for the archer to know which way around he/she has to nock the arrow to the string, similar to a cock feather; s. also throat, mouth, fitting
Right Wing Feather: Denotes in a natural feather that they come uniformly from the left wing of the bird
Riser: The term "riser" or "handle" is generally used when the recurve is a take-down bow. It is the central component of a take-down bow and requires at least one pair of limbs for use.
Robin-Hood-Shot: The hit of an arrow with another arrow that is already stuck in the target. If the rear arrow hits the nock of the front arrow absolutely centered, it can get stuck in the shaft of the front arrow. As a result, both arrows are often broken, but a souvenir has been created that you can hang on the wall at home ;-)
Back Tension: Describes a movement in the shooting process of recurve archers with a clicker, or compound archers with a backtension release, where during the anchor, a fine movement with the shoulder blade of the draw hand is performed to trigger the clicker, or the shot.
Scope: Refers to the compound sight; it is characterized by a lens with slight magnification and integrated spirit levels for horizontal as well as vertical adjustment of the bow stance; see also peepsight.
Sear: Component whose constructive idea comes from firearms. In archery, sears are used in some designs of release aids. The sear is a small part on the release that flips over to release the shot. In a firearm, a spring-loaded trigger would release the shot. In archery, the tension usually comes from the draw weight of the bow itself. Trigger sears can come in trigger releases and hinge releases. There are sears in hinge releases that have a small groove very close to the edge. This creates an audible "click" just before the moment of release.
String: The string (usually synthetic) with which the bow is tensioned
Selfbow: Probably the simplest construction of a bow; here the bow is made from a single piece of wood; also known as primitive bow.
Selfnock: Refers to a nock made at the end of a wooden arrow; in contrast to the nock
Serving Tool: An auxiliary device by which one can wind the serving yarn much more accurately on the string; see also strin jigs, end serving; center serving; string yarn
Serving Yarn: An essential component in string making; the serving yarn is used to wind the end and center servings of the string; see also string yarn.
Shaft: Refers to a simple arrow shaft without a nock, tip and fletching; arrows are generally sold (except fletched arrows) as bare shafts with a fixed length and need to be cut to the required draw length first
Shelf: A component that can be optionally screwed on at Tabs, which enables physical contact with the tab e.g. with the chin (chin shelf), or the thumb (thumb shelf), etc.
Shield: Refers to a particular cut in arrow feathers; see also parabolic.
Shooting Glove: In contrast to the Tab; a glove that protects the fingers from cuts through the string; usually only 3 fingers (index, middle, and ring fingers) of the draw hand are covered.
Sidequiver: s. hip quiver
Sight: An aiming device on modern bows; see also Scope
Sight Window: Refers to the area of a bow above the grip, which is cut in some bow types; ensures, for example, a centralized shot, see also center shot.
Single cam: A type of compound bow with an oval and eccentric cam and a single pulley; This design has become rather rare in recent years, but is still manufactured; A single cam compound bow does not need to be synchronized, but may not have as clean a nock travel.
Slider Sight: A sight for hunting, usually found on a compound bow. Slider sights allow quick, silent and fast adjustment of the sight via different techniques. Often scales are angled so that the archer can read them from the shooting position. In other cases, large adjustment wheels are used. There are also slider sights that make it easier to find the right setting in the hunting situation by means of freely mountable locking points.
Snap Nock: A special cam that locks into the chord; unlike speed nocks
Spectra: A UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) fiber, a Honeywell brand name
Speed Nock: A special nock that does not snap into the chord, but is simply positioned loosely; unlike snap nocks
Spider: means the most central place on a target face; usually there is a + in the center, which is why the pronunciation "Kill the Spider" has developed and describes a direct hit exactly on this +.
Spin Wings: Brand name of the Range o Matic company for a variety of plastic feathers (Vanes); they are characterized by their spiral design and are attached to the arrow shaft with thin adhesive strips
Spine: This describes the stiffness of the arrow, as the degree of deflection under transverse load with a weight of 880 g, while the arrow rests on two points 28" (711 mm) apart
Spine-Tester: A mechanical device for measuring arrow stiffness (spine).
Spline: Due to manufacturing tolerances, an arrow does not have exactly the same material thickness or stiffness (spine) over the entire circumference. When talking about "spline" or "splined" arrows, the softest or hardest point on the circumference of the arrow is sought. The cam is then rotated in such a way that this point always points the same towards or away from the button, for example. To date, there are no published structured studies on the influence of this alignment, for example, compared to manufacturing tolerances of the arrow weight, variation of the spin or the straightness of the arrows, which is why the "spline" is assigned to the field of archery homeopathy
Stabilizer: Describes rod-shaped extensions (optionally with weights at the end), which are screwed (usually at the front) to the bow; ensure that the force of the limbs when releasing, can effectively deviate via the stabilizer; components of a stabilizer system can be: Extender, V-Bar and one or more stabilizers of different lengths.
Star: merit badge, which can be earned at tournaments qualified for this purpose (star tournament)
Star Tournament: Refers to a tournament with certain tournament modes on which you can earn stars.
Stealth Shot: A string stopper for recurve bows launched by the HOYT brand in 2014; however, the technology never became established in recurve and has since disappeared from the market again
String Alignment: Refers to the visual perception of the string when anchoring and aiming; as a rule, the alignment (except for the compound bow because of the peep) is an essential part of the shooting technique.
String jig: Refers to a device on which one can build a string (usually meant for endless loop strings); for this one usually still needs a winding device, winding yarn and string yarn.
String Stopper: A damper made of rubber, against which the string strikes after the shot. String slides suppress the swinging of the string and thus achieve the rapid decay of the vibrations after the shot
String wax: A wax to impregnate and thereby maintain the string; increases the durability and performance of the string
String Yarn: An essential part of string construction; the string yarn is used to determine the basic length of the string and is, so to speak, the raw base; end serving and center serving still have to be wound on it with the serving yarn; see also stringjig, serving tool.
Stringer: A firm rope with usually soft pockets at the ends; these pockets are put over the ends of the bow limbs and with the help of the rope the bow can be tensioned;
Stringwalking: literally "to walk on the string"; refers to a method of aiming used by barebow archers, or traditional archers; here, different distances are determined on the basis of corresponding points on the string, which makes it seem as if one is 'walking on the string' with the draw hand; see also Facewalking.
Synchronicity: If a compound bow has two cams, they must perform the same movement at exactly the same time when shooting. This is called synchronicity. If the cams do not run exactly synchronously, the result will not be a perfectly horizontal acceleration of the arrow (see also Nock Travel. The synchronicity can be checked for example on a Draw Board. To adjust the synchronicity, Control Cable or Buss Cable must be adjusted in length by turning them in or out
Tab: In contrast to the shooting glove; a leather or synthetic protection against incisions of the string for the fingers (index, middle, and ring fingers) of the draw hand; a tab usually consists of a layer of soft fabric and another layer of (synthetic/genuine) leather, which is attached to a plate with a finger separator; in more modern models, additional screw-on components (an anchor plate and a pinky hook) are included; s. also anchor plate; see also finger plate
Takedown bow: Describes a detachable bow; usually consisting of a riser and two limbs.
Target Face: A template for the target for aiming; e.g. WA target rest, field target rest, animal target rests, fun target rests, etc.
Target Face Pins: Pins to attach a target face on the shooting target
Throat: Refers to a segment on the nock; also to be understood as the base of the nock, that touches the string in its deepest part ot the slit; s. also mouth, ridge, fitting
Thumb Ring: Term for a piece of equipment used to protect the thumb in archery especially traditional/horseback archery; It is usually a ring made of leather, stone, horn, wood, bone, antler, ivory, metal, ceramic, plastic, or glass that fits over the end of the thumb and stops at the outer edge of the outer joint; Typically, a flat area extends from the ring to protect the pad of the thumb from the bowstring; this protective area may be supplemented by a leather extension, depending on the model; cf. also tab, shooting glove
Thumb Shelf: A component that can be optionally screwed on at Tabs, which enables physical contact of the tab to the thumb when anchoring; see also shelf, anchor plate
Tiller: Distance ratio of the upper and lower limb to the string; regarding the distances in generall, see also brace height
Tiller Screw: Refers to limb bolt; likely to be mainly used in German speaking regions
Tip: Spot on the tips of the limbs to which the string is attached and thus cannot slip.
Tips: means the tips of the limbs
Torque: the unconscious twisting of the bow in full draw around a vertical axis by the archer. Especially with the compound bow this can be a problem, because due to the low holding weight this twisting is much easier than with other bow types
Trigger: (-release); can be used in contrast to the Backtension-/ Hinge- Release; Unlike the Backtension, the shot is, as the name implies only caused by a finger-actuated trigger on the Release.
UNC: Abbreviation for: Unified Coarse; the inch standard thread of the Unified Thread Standard; UNC is widely used in the United States and Canada and is also used in archery for many components. see also UNF, UNEF.
UNEF: Abbreviation for: Unified Extra Fine; the inch extra fine thread of the Unified Thread Standard; see also UNC, UNF.
UNF: Abbreviation for: Unified Fine; the inch fine thread of the Unified Thread Standard; see also UNC, UNEF.
V-Bar Mount: V-shaped connecting part in stabilizer systems. The "V-Bars" are the two short lateral stabilizers that are bolted on in a "V" arrangement. Although "V-Bars" actually means the stabilizer bars, "V-Bar" is now understood to mean the connecting piece;
Vanes: synthetic feathers; maybe also interesting feathers
Vectran: Vectran is an LPC aramid (high-strength synthetic fibers with increased temperature resistance (PPTA) and melt-spinnable polyaromatic fibers (LPC)) and has no elongation and no elongation when the string is pulled out; Vectran is only used in combination with other materials, otherwise the string becomes too hard and could break; Vectran is used proportionally in the most modern Fast-Flight and Dyneema strings, with the aim of making them thinner and more efficient; BCY's string model 452X, for example, is made of 2/3 Vectran. e.g. consists of 2/3 8125 (Dyneema SK75) and 1/3 Vectran.
WA: Abbreviation for 'World Archery' is the name of the international archery federation
WA Target Face: A tournament mode in target archery; archers must shoot 2 x 36 arrows at 70 m; a pass contains 6 arrows each; a total of 72 arrows + (max.) 18 test arrows are shot
WA-Round: A tournament mode in target archery; archers have to shoot 2 x 36 arrows at 70 m; a pass contains 6 arrows each; a total of 72 arrows + (max.) 18 test arrows are shot
Wall: A term used especially for the compound bow; refers to the property of the compound bow that it cannot be extended further than mechanically intended; this maximum point of extension is called wall; see also full draw weight; see also compound bow.
Wrap: Usually refers to stickers that are affixed to the rear part of the arrows as a marker; see also Cresting.
Wrist Sling: A string that can be bought or made; it is usually fastened around the wrist and around the bow so that the bow does not fall off when shot; see also finger sling.
X-Nock: Plastic nocks from the company Easton with a diameter of 0.204" (5.2 mm)
X99: A modern string yarn made of 80% SK75 Dyneema and 20% Vectran. Vetran-containing strings have the property of having no elongation, therefore they are also attributed with "no-creep"; see also 452X
Yard: American counter unit, 1 yd ≈ 0.91 m
Yoke: The "Y" shaped piece at the end of the Buss Cable
Yoke Splitter: A plastic or aluminum component that allows the Buss Cable to be "hooked" into the loop of the yoke during a Floating Yoke.
Yoke Tuning: In a classically manufactured Yoke on a Buss Cable, the length of the two ends can be changed by adding or removing turns of the individual "arms" of the yoke. This changes the force exerted on the right and left sides of the Cam's axis. This allows Cam Lean to be adjusted on a Dual Cam compound bow. Yoke tuning is not possible with a Floating Yoke.