Archery compound bows are used by both archers and hunters, these bows use a levering system, usually of cables and pulleys to bend the limbs. How are they constructed? The central riser of a compound bow is typically made up of aluminum or magnesium. A lot of risers are actually made of the aircraft-grade 6061 aluminum alloy which is a very good material. Risers are engineered to be as stern as possible. The limbs of the compound bow on the other hand are made of composite materials which can take high tensile compressive forces. The bow’s energy is stored in the limbs not in the pulleys and cables. The most common design includes a cam or wheel at the edge of each limb. The shape of the cam may somehow vary on various bow designs.
What are some of the advantages of archery compound bows? Because the bow is drawn, the draw weight tends to increase to a peak and then “lets off”. The let-off is anywhere between 65% and 80% of the peak weight. One manufacturer though produces a bow with 99% let-off. Let-off simply defines what happens as the cam rolls all the way over. This kind of let-off allows the archer to accurately shoot a bow with a much higher peak draw weight compared to using longbow. Another advantage of this type of bow is its resiliency to extreme temperatures and humidity. It provides outstanding accuracy, speed and distance as compared to bows made up of natural materials. The pulleys are designed to control the acceleration of the arrow. One unique feature of this bow is that you can easily change the draw strength and size by making small adjustments to the cams.
Are there any drawbacks in using archery compound bows? One major disadvantage that most archers complain about is that you cannot easily restring your own bow. For you to do this, you need a special clamp called a bow press. This is because of the force that is held in the string and in the limbs. It requires training to use a bow press but then again you can always seek the help of a bow specialist to have it restrung. Another weakness of the compound bow is its low holding weight makes it more sensitive to some form faults when you are on full draw.