Archery, explained properly
Archery Insider publishes research-based guides on choosing equipment, building consistent form, and understanding the specifications that actually matter. No hype, no invented testing, and a clear line between fact and opinion.
Find your style
Archery is several sports in one. Each discipline has its own bows, distances and rules, so the right equipment starts with knowing which one you want to shoot.
OlympicThe bow of the Olympic Games: a recurve with sight, stabilisers and clicker, shot with the fingers.
PrecisionCams, let-off, a magnifying scope and a release aid. Joins the Olympic programme at LA28 as a mixed team event.
InstinctiveRecurves with no sight or stabilisers, longbows and horsebows. Aim by the arrow point, string walking or instinct.
OutdoorsCourses through woods and hills at marked and unmarked distances, at printed faces or life-size foam animals.
ParalympicRecurve open, compound open and W1 classes, contested at the Paralympic Games and World Para Championships.
Field craftEthical hunting with compound, recurve or traditional bows, with broadheads, realistic practice and local regulations.
Featured
ReviewsResearch-based Bear Cruzer G3 review: 14–30 in draw, up to 70 lb, 75% let-off. Published specs, who it suits, and how it compares with the Diamond Infinite 305.
Archery Insider Editorial Team · Updated July 10, 2025 · 4 min read
ComparisonsCompound vs recurve bow compared: how each works, let-off and holding weight, aiming systems, competition formats, maintenance, hunting, and which suits you.
February 6, 2025 · 8 min read
ReviewsResearch-based Samick Sage review: the 62-inch takedown recurve's published specs, 25–60 lb limbs, who it suits, its limits and how it compares with rivals.
Updated May 21, 2025 · 5 min read
GuidesHow to choose a first recurve bow: takedown vs one-piece, draw weight, bow length for your draw length, riser types, eye dominance, and essential accessories.
Updated February 6, 2025 · 11 min read
In season now
Bucks are moving in daylight. Guides for this time of year:
GuidesBow hunting season in Wisconsin runs 12 Sept 2026 to 3 Jan 2027, later in some areas. Licences, crossbows, blaze orange, stands and GameReg, from the DNR.
October 26, 2026 · 9 min read
GuidesBow hunting season in MN runs 19 September to 31 December 2026. Zones, crossbows, licences, blaze orange, equipment rules and registration, from the DNR.
October 23, 2026 · 9 min read
GuidesIs archery season in where you hunt? 2026–27 archery deer season dates from 19 state wildlife agencies, with official links, breaks and closing dates.
October 21, 2026 · 12 min read
GuidesIs archery season open in PA? 2026–27 archery deer dates, the early WMUs, Sunday hunting, licences, equipment, orange and harvest reporting rules.
October 20, 2026 · 9 min read
GuidesWhat is the main reason hunters choose to hunt with a bow? More days in the woods. Nine reasons, each backed by agency data, plus the honest trade-offs.
October 19, 2026 · 9 min read
ComparisonsBowhunting vs rifle hunting compared: how each kills, effective range, seasons, skill and practice, scouting, safety, cost of entry and which suits you.
October 15, 2026 · 9 min read
Bow season is open
Season dates, licences and equipment rules, taken from each state wildlife agency and dated so you know when we checked.
On the calendar
Dakar, Senegal
Target · Youth · Recurve
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Target · Youth · Recurve & Compound
Antalya, Türkiye
Indoor · Recurve & Compound
Las Vegas, United States of America
Indoor · Recurve & Compound
New to archery?
Work through these in order and you will avoid the mistakes that cost most beginners money: the wrong bow type, the wrong draw length, too much draw weight.
Recurve and compound suit different goals. Knowing the difference saves you from buying the wrong bow.
Compound vs recurve →Two minutes with a tape measure. It decides your bow length, arrow length and real draw weight.
How to measure draw length →Takedown or one-piece, draw weight, bow length and the accessories you actually need.
First recurve bow guide →Stance, anchor and release. Consistency beats draw weight every time.
The 11 steps of a good shot →Browse by equipment
Equipment hubs in five groups, from bows and arrows to targets and bowhunting gear. Each hub collects our guides, comparisons and product reviews for that piece of kit.
Recurve, compound, traditional, crossbow and youth bows.
Browse bows →
Sights, rests, stabilisers, strings, releases, quivers, cases.
Browse bow accessories →
Shafts, spine, fletching, nocks, points and broadheads.
Browse arrows & points →
Arm guards, tabs, gloves, chest guards and every type of target.
Browse protection & targets →
Bowhunting, bowfishing, tools and maintenance.
Browse hunting & specialty →Decide with confidence
Side-by-side explanations of the decisions that matter, built on published specifications rather than sales copy. Opinion is always labelled.
ReviewsHHA Tetra review: every version up to the Tetra Max, how the wheel-forward slider works, HHA's sight-in steps, and how it compares with the NYTRX.
October 18, 2026 · 12 min read
ReviewsHamskea Epsilon review: original vs V2, the C.O.R. behind-riser mount, brackets, limb or cable drive, timing, tuning, and how it compares with the R7.
October 17, 2026 · 12 min read
ReviewsHoyt Alpha AX-3 review: specs for all four models, the XTS tuning system explained, measured speeds from two magazine tests and how it compares with the ARC.
October 16, 2026 · 12 min read
Shoot better
TrainingHow to cut carbon arrows safely: measuring the right length, what Easton and Gold Tip say about tools, carbon dust safety, squaring the ends and spine changes.
October 25, 2026 · 8 min read
TrainingHow to tune a recurve bow step by step: brace height, tiller, nocking point with a bow square, centre shot, plunger tension, and testing with bare shafts.
October 23, 2026 · 11 min read
TrainingWhat cam timing, cam lean and yoke tuning mean on a compound bow, how to check them, what makers say about adjusting them, and when to take your bow to a shop.
October 22, 2026 · 11 min read
Browse by type
Step-by-step archery guides for beginners: choosing a first bow, understanding draw weight and draw length, safety basics, and what gear you actually need.
58 articles
Archery technique and training articles covering stance, anchor point, release, aiming methods, practice routines, and fixing common form problems.
38 articles
Plain-English explanations of archery equipment: bows, arrows, sights, rests, stabilizers, releases, and accessories, and how to pick the right specifications.
62 articles
Research-based archery product reviews and buying guides that explain specifications, intended use, and trade-offs, clearly separating facts from opinion.
23 articles
Side-by-side archery comparisons: compound vs recurve, carbon vs aluminum arrows, and other decisions explained with the key differences that actually matter.
9 articles
Archery news and updates: competitions, rule changes, notable equipment releases, and developments in the sport.
23 articlesRecently published
GuidesHow to calculate arrow kinetic energy and momentum, where the formula constants come from, worked examples, energy guidelines for game, and what they miss.
October 26, 2026 · 9 min read
GuidesLate-season bowhunting in cold weather: how deer behave, where to hunt, dressing for long sits, shooting a bow in heavy clothes, gear in the cold, and safety.
October 26, 2026 · 11 min read
GuidesA labelled diagram of the parts of a recurve bow: riser, limbs, limb bolts, sight window, rest and plunger, plus the bowstring, measurements and arrow parts.
October 25, 2026 · 9 min read
GearArrow rests explained: shooting off the shelf, stick-on and plunger rests for recurves, launcher, containment and drop-away rests for compounds, and setup.
October 24, 2026 · 10 min read
GearWhat a bow stabilizer does, whether you need one, hunting vs target lengths, side rods and back bars, weights, stabilizers vs dampers, and how to set one up.
October 24, 2026 · 8 min read
GuidesWhat 3D archery is, how a 3D shoot works, how ASA, IBO and World Archery score 3D targets, known vs unknown distance, equipment, and how to get started.
October 23, 2026 · 9 min read
Our approach
Archery gear is technical and the rules change every season. Here's how we make sure what you read is right, and how to tell what kind of review you're reading.
Specs come from the maker's own pages and manuals, rules from the state agency or the law itself, and every article lists what it used. Rules pages show the date we checked them.
A separate review pass re-opens the sources and checks every spec, quote and date before an article is published.
When we've used a product, the review says who tested it and how. Everything else is labelled research-based. We never invent tests or show prices that go stale.
Our views sit in a marked editorial box, apart from the facts. Some links earn us a commission; it never changes what we recommend. Read the disclosure.
