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Archery glossary

Every word the folks at the range use like you already know it, explained the way I wish someone had explained it to me.

57 terms
Anchor pointForm
The spot on your face your drawing hand touches at full draw, every single shot. A consistent anchor is where consistent groups start. Read the full guide →
Archer’s paradoxArrows
How an arrow resting beside the riser still flies straight to the target. Shot with fingers, it flexes around the bow as it leaves and straightens out in flight.
Arrow restBow parts
The small ledge or support on the riser where the arrow sits before you shoot.
Arrow shelfBow parts
The ledge at the bottom of the sight window. Traditional archers shoot off it; others mount an arrow rest above it.
Arrow spineArrows
How stiff an arrow shaft is. Too stiff or too weak for your bow and draw weight, and the arrow flies off to one side.
Back wallForm
The hard stop at full draw on a compound bow, where the cams won’t turn any further. You pull into it on every shot.
Bare-shaft tuningTuning
Shooting an arrow with no fletching next to your fletched arrows to check spine and nocking point. For a right-handed archer, a bare shaft landing left means a stiff spine, right means a weak one.
BarebowStyle
Shooting with no sight and no stabilizers. You aim with the arrow point, string walking, or instinct.
Bow stringerGear
A cord tool for stringing a recurve or longbow safely, without twisting the limbs. The cheapest thing that protects your bow.
Brace heightBow parts
The distance from the deepest part of the grip to the string when the bow is strung. It affects noise, speed and how forgiving the bow feels.
BroadheadHunting
A sharp, bladed point used for hunting in place of a field point.
CamBow parts
The oval wheel on each limb tip of a compound bow or compound crossbow. Cams turn as the string is drawn; on a compound bow they set the draw length and let-off.
Compound bowBows
A bow with cams and cables that lower the weight you hold at full draw. Fast, precise, and full of adjustments.
CrawlStyle
In string walking, the distance between the nock and your top finger on the string. Closer targets need a bigger crawl.
Cross-dominantFit
When your dominant eye is on the other side from your strong hand. If you’re just starting, shoot the other hand; otherwise close or cover the dominant eye.
D-loopGear
A short loop of cord tied onto a compound bow’s string behind the arrow. The release aid clips onto it instead of the string.
Draw lengthFit
How far you pull the string back at full draw, in inches. It decides your arrow length and how much power you get from a bow. Read the full guide →
Draw weightFit
How many pounds of force it takes to pull the string back. Recurve limbs are usually marked at a 28-inch draw. Start lighter than you think.
Dry fireSafety
Releasing the string with no arrow on it. The energy goes into the bow instead, and it can crack limbs or hurt you. Never do it.
Dynamic spineArrows
How stiff an arrow acts when you shoot it, not just on the bench. Longer arrows, heavier points and heavier draw weights all make it act weaker.
EndRange
A set of arrows, usually three or six, shot before everyone walks down to score and pull them.
Eye dominanceFit
Which eye your brain trusts more. It decides whether you should shoot right- or left-handed, no matter which hand you write with.
Field pointArrows
The simple bullet-shaped tip used for target practice.
FlatbowBows
A bow with flat, wide limbs that are roughly rectangular in cross-section. The American longbow is often called a flatbow.
FletchingArrows
The vanes or feathers on the back of an arrow that steer it in flight.
FOCArrows
Front of center: how much of an arrow’s weight sits toward the point. More FOC usually means a steadier arrow, which hunters like. Read the full guide →
Follow-throughForm
Holding your form after the release until the arrow lands. Dropping the bow arm early is one of the most common beginner misses.
Formula fittingBow parts
Hoyt’s longer limb fitting from 2009. It looks like ILF, but Formula and ILF limbs and risers don’t fit each other.
Gap shootingStyle
A barebow aiming method: you aim with the arrow point, holding it a set gap below the spot you want to hit. The gap shrinks as the distance grows.
GPIArrows
Grains per inch: the weight of a bare arrow shaft for each inch of its length. Multiply by the shaft length for its weight.
GrainArrows
The unit for arrow and point weight. There are 7,000 grains in a pound, so the numbers look bigger than they are.
Grains per poundArrows
Total arrow weight divided by your draw weight. Bow makers set a minimum; lighter arrows can damage the bow.
Helical fletchingArrows
Fletching that curves around the shaft in a slight spiral. It spins the arrow hardest for the steadiest flight, at the cost of a little speed.
ILFBow parts
International Limb Fitting: a standard limb mount, so limbs from most brands fit your riser.
Index vaneArrows
The odd-colored vane or feather. On a recurve it points away from the bow so the fletching clears the riser.
Kisser buttonForm
A small disc on the string that touches the corner of your mouth at full draw, as a second check that you reached your anchor.
Let-offBows
How much of a compound bow’s draw weight drops away at full draw, as a percentage.
Limb boltBow parts
The big bolt at each end of a takedown riser that holds a limb in place. On ILF risers, turning it also adjusts draw weight and tiller.
LimbsBow parts
The flexible upper and lower arms of the bow that store the energy.
LongbowBows
A traditional bow with limbs that don’t curve away at the tips. Usually one piece and quiet.
NockArrows
The plastic slot on the back of the arrow that clips onto the string.
Nocking pointBow parts
A small marker on the string that shows where the arrow nocks, so it sits in the same spot every time.
Offset fletchingArrows
Straight fletching glued at a slight angle to the shaft. It adds spin with only a small speed cost: a good all-round choice.
One-piece bowBows
A bow made as a single piece from tip to tip, with limbs that don’t come off. Changing its draw weight means buying another bow.
Recurve bowBows
A bow whose limb tips curve away from you. It stores more energy than a straight limb of the same length. Learn on a light takedown. Read the full guide →
ReleaseForm
The moment your fingers let the string go. A clean release is relaxed, not plucked.
Release aidGear
A small trigger tool that holds a compound bow’s string and lets it go when you fire it. Start with a wrist-strap index-finger release.
RiserBow parts
The center section of the bow, the part you hold. The limbs attach to it.
SelfbowBows
A bow made from a single piece of wood, with no fiberglass or carbon layers.
ServingBow parts
Thread wrapped around the string where the arrow nocks and your fingers sit, to protect the string from wear.
Sight windowBow parts
The cut-out in the riser above the grip that the arrow passes through. A sight mounts beside it.
StackingFit
When a bow gets suddenly harder to pull in the last inches of the draw.
String walkingStyle
A barebow aiming method: you move your hand down the string to change where the arrow lands at different distances.
Takedown bowBows
A bow whose limbs come off the riser, for travel or for swapping to heavier limbs later. Great first bow.
TillerBow parts
The balance between the upper and lower limbs, measured as the difference in limb-to-string distance.
ValleyForm
The low-weight zone at full draw on a compound bow, just before the back wall. A narrow valley pulls you forward if you creep.
VaneArrows
Plastic fletching. Tougher than feathers and fine in the rain.

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