Types of Long Bows

Longbows first appeared on the field of battle in the 1200s AD and dominated medieval warfare through the 1600s. While their use as a weapon of war has run its course, today archers use the longbow for target archery and hunting. Some archers favor the longbow over more advanced forms of archery equipment for its historic value and the added challenge of shooting the archaic weapon. All longbows are made of a single piece of wood and are at least as tall as the archer.

  1. Wood Flat Bows

    • Wood flat bows differ from other longbows in shape. A flat bow's limbs bend evenly from the handle to the tips. Flat bows differ from other longbows because, as the name implies, the limbs are flat. Flat bows also may have a narrow ledge to serve as an arrow rest. Flat bows were used most commonly as hunting weapons rather than war weapons largely because they took more time to construct than other types of longbows.

    War Bows

    • The main distinction of a war bow is that it lacks any kind of raised grip or handle. War bows are designed to flex over the entire length of the bow, allowing much higher draw weights (draw weight refers to the force required to pull a bow's string). While most other types of longbows typically peak at a 70-lb. draw weight, war bows usually had draw weights of 80 to 140 lbs. Some war bows exceeded 180-lb. draw weights. When a war bow is drawn, its shape is semicircular, compared to a backwards D-shape common to other longbows.

    Victorian Longbows

    • Victorian longbows typically had raised leather grips. Usually, the nocks (the parts of the bow where the string is attached) were reinforced with horn. Victorian longbows form a reverse D when drawn and generally have draw weights between 30 and 60 lbs.