A conventional (single-string) bow is used to shoot arrows through the accumulated energy transferred by the archer's muscles in the bow's arms. The category of conventional bows includes bows that have a single string stretched between the two ends of the arms (grips). In these bows, when stretching, the force required to achieve full tension increases all the time. Fingers are used to release the string, which should be shielded by the use of a leather or archery glove (for Mediterranean grips). When shooting with the thumb, a zekier is used, i.e. a special ring for the thumb.
The following types of conventional bows should be specified:
- recreational - bows of varied design, used for recreational archery, usually with low string strength;
- Reflexive classic/Olympic - Olympic bows created with a maypole, reflexive arms and fittings, used in Olympic and field archery in recurve (Olympic classic bow) or barebow (barebow without fittings) competition;
- traditional - bows created from a single piece, mainly made of wood and glass and carbon fiber laminate. This group includes the following types:
- longbow longbow abow made of wood, in which the string does not touch the bow at any point except for the grips;
- easternshort bow, the so-called horsebow, a short reflex bow created for horse archery, successfully used in field archery;
- field / hunter - bows both folding and one-piece most often with reflexive arms, used for field archery and hunting.
In archery, all values of technical data are expressed in the Anglo-Saxon system of measurements:
- LENGTH: inch: in ["], 1" is 2.54 cm;
- MASS: pound: lb/lbs [#], 1 lb is 0.45 kg;
- SPEED:feet per second[#]: fps, 1 fps is 0.3 m/s or 1.1 km/h.
The way to read the technical data:
- Arc length: The length of a conventional bow is usually determined with AMO (Archery Manufactures Organization) rules. The measurement is made on the bow without the string attached from one end to the other. However, for some recreational bows, the length of the bow is given on the stretched arms.
- String length: The string in reflex bows is usually 4" shorter than the length of the bow and 3" shorter than the length of the bow without the reflex. This does not apply to recreational bows for which the quoted length is the string length.
- Brace height: is the distance from the most concave point of the handle to the string at rest, or the distance from the socket of the mount to the string.
- Drawlength: this is the length after the bow is drawn, measured between the point where the arrow cap meets the string and the back of the bow (on the arrowhead side).
- Tension force: is the force that must be applied between the bow's maypole and string to achieve full draw. For conventional bows, tension force is usually specified for a 28" string length, the exception being some eastern bows where tension force is specified for 31". If a conventional bow is strung for a shorter distance than 28", the bow will have a lower string force value and if the string is longer, the bow will have a higher value. The increase in force depends on the characteristics of the arms.
- Arm mounting: for example, arms permanently connected to the maypole, mounting screw, ILF system, F system. There are several types of arm mounting on the market depending on the manufacturer.
