The Important Parts of a Recurve Bow
The recurve bow is identified through its curved tips located at the end of the bow. These curved tips help in making sure the release of the arrow is as smooth as it can be. It also helps increase the speed of every arrow drawn. It is important for an archer to know the parts of a recurve bow.
Recurves either come in one piece or can be “takedown” recurve bows which are often being used in competition. Once the bow is unstrung, it will become three divisions. This makes it easy for the bow to be transported from one place to another.
Parts of a Recurve Bow
As such, the recurve bow has several parts that all work together to make sure each shot counts. What are these parts? Keep reading to find out what they are.
The riser is the stiff section of a bow located right at the centre. This is what separates the upper and lower limb from each other.
The bow has two limbs: The upper limb and the lower limb. These are the working parts of the bow and they both extend from the riser, which is the middle section, all the way to the tips.
The bowstring is what is being used to draw the bow.
This is located at the bow limb’s outer end. The bow tip is reinforced with different materials, called the nock piece, to make it tougher than it already is. The nock piece can be made of micarta, bone, horn, or wood.
Because of the string nocks, arrow placement from shot to shot is done consistently. They are often made of brass with edges that are rolled and plastic liners. They may look intimidating to install but once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier. Its thickness comes in 3 sizes:
- 8-12 strand (Small)
- 12-16 strand (Medium)
- 16-18 (Large)
The nocking point is found where the nock or the end of the bowstring is fitted. This is the area where you nock your arrows consistently.
You can make adjustments to the brace height by simply twisting and untwisting as you tune the bowstring of the bow. It has a measured distance with a perpendicular angle, from the braced bowstring all the way to the belly’s low point on the grip.
The centre serving serves as the protection to keep the bowstring from being damaged. It is wrapped to ensure that when the release of the arrow is made, it won’t hit the cable guard.
This is the middle portion of the bow handle which is being gripped by the bow hand. They are usually covered with leather.
This is the part of the bow wherein you position your arrow as you draw. It may be spring-loaded, could also be made of magnetic flip rests, or simply fixed rests.
One can only imagine what would happen to the recurve bow if one part of it becomes missing. It wouldn’t work as efficiently. Perhaps, it won’t even work at all. So whether you’re looking to buy for your first bow or a better replacement, make sure that all the parts of a recurve bow are in place.