Traditional Types of Bows

Today's bows incorporate modern materials and designs to give archers power and accuracy. However, even the most complicated bow takes its roots from traditional bow designs. The ingenuity of early populations in designing bows has given modern developers a great foundation to build upon.

  1. Longbow

    • This notorious Middle Age weapon was generally taller than the archer, spanning 6 or 7 feet in length. The most well-known longbows were made in England, and had a reputation for giving the English the upper hand in battles. An English longbow archer could shoot between 10 to 12 arrows per minute, and the bow was powerful enough to pierce through the armor of a knight at a ranges up to 250 yards.

    Short Bow

    • Short bows were designed to give an archer formidable power even with a very short draw. Some of the earliest short bows were used by Turkish archers, and were the predecessors of later Asian bows. Short bows were much smaller than traditional bows, sometimes spanning only 4 feet in length. Often, short bows were composite bows as well, made from a variety of different materials for added strength and power.

    Composite Bow

    • Composite bows vary from other traditional bows because they were constructed from a variety of materials. The Egyptians pioneered the first composite bow. Made from wood and horn, these bows were shorter than the archer's height and some could draw to nearly 100 pounds. Similar composite bows were created by Israelites, Native Americans and Chinese archery pioneers. Many bows combined different types of wood or vegetation with horn to create a powerful draw.

    Crossbow

    • This formidable weapon was developed during the Middle Ages, and was a formidable weapon that could shoot between 350 and 400 yards. A crossbow features a horizontal bow made from varnished wood or steel mounted on a triggering unit. Crossbowmen pulled back the bowstring by winding a crank on a ratchet, which required less strength than pulling back a bow. Even an untrained soldier could operate a crossbow because it was easier to aim.