NOCK (to): To place the arrow on the bowstring.
NOCK (arrow): The slotted end of the arrow that fits onto the bowstring. Can be a slot cut into the arrow shaft but now it is more commonly a moulded piece of plastic which is glued onto the arrow shaft.
NOCK (string): Retaining notches cut into the bow tips to allow the string to be drawn and bend the limbs for shooting.
NOCK (self): On primitive-styled arrows, the groove for the string cut into the end of an arrow shaft. As with selfbows, there is no other material used in its construction, other than perhaps some reinforcing at the bottom of the throat in the form of some kind of thread binding to help prevent splitting and to support the ‘ears’ of the nock.
NOCK (reinforced): A self nock which has been strengthened with the use of any material inserted into a thin groove cut perpendicular to the string nock. Insertion of the reinforcing material is usually done before the groove for the string is cut, and the string groove is NEVER cut to the full depth of the reinforce material.
NOCKING POINT: The place on the string where the arrow should be positioned for shooting. It is usually marked with some kind of raised wrapping or other locating device.
OVERBOWED: Said of an archer shooting a bow that is too strong to draw back to full draw length with any genuine control. It is the cause of poor shooting habits, inaccuracy and physical injuries.
PINCH: Faint superficial line of crushed wood fibres running crosswise on the belly of a bow. Beginnings of a fret.
POINT BLANK DISTANCE: Also, the maximum distance from which an archer can shoot where the trajectory of the arrow will not rise or fall outside the killing/scoring area of a game animal or target.
POINT ON SHOOTING: Using the arrow tip as a sight to align with the target (see point of aim below), it is the maximum distance from which the archer can shoot where the arrow does not fall below the line-of-sight. Closer shots are then taken by placing the arrow tip at a point of aim below the target to allow for the high trajectory of the arrow.
POINT OF AIM: To use an object other than the target with which to align an arrow to achieve the correct elevation of aim.
PORPOISE: Said of an arrow that wobbles up and down during flight.
POWER STROKE: The actual distance travelled by the bowstring from draw length till brace height. There is evidence that the string remains in contact with the arrow past the level of brace height, but it is not certain what effect or to what degree this remaining contact has in continuing any propulsive force on the arrow, and therefore, is not included in the definition.
QUIVER: A container to hold arrows while hunting and shooting. Among the different types there is the bow quiver, which attaches to the bow and normally holds up to six arrows. The side quiver, hung from a belt. The back quiver, which hangs off the shoulder and is popular with hunters. The ground quiver, which is a ring at the top of a rod placed in the ground and is used by some target archers.
RECURVE: The name of a bow with a limb design in which the unbraced limbs bend in a reflexed arc of about one quarter of an arc of circle or greater away from the shooter, and when braced the string usually rests against the belly side of the limbs below the tip for some distance. It is a more exaggerated version of the deflex-reflex design but often shorter. Recurved bows are traditionally categorized as –
(a) working recurve – where the recurve in the limbs actually unwinds its curve as the bow is drawn and works with a cam action when the string is loosed. Highly efficient storage and use of energy in the limbs.
(b) static recurve – is a more severe bend in the outer quarter of a limb to the point that it is rigid and cannot unwind at all. The bend can be almost 45 degrees to the main limb and applies considerable leverage and cam effect to the inner limb. Highly efficient storage and use of energy in the limbs but not usually as smooth to draw.
(c) semi-recurve – also known as the deflex-reflex design, it has only sightly more curvature in the limbs than the reflexed straight ended longbow design but a much smaller degree of recurve in the limbs than working or static recurves. When braced, the curve is often barely evident. It has only a marginal performance advantage over a straight-laid limb design and not demonstrably better than a reflexed limb design. Its main advantage is a smooth/soft draw.
REFLEX: A bow is said to have reflex when the backs of its two limbs form continuous shallow arcs away from the shooter when unstrung.
RELEASE: Same as LOOSE. Modern term thought to originate from the USA.
RIFT: See feather.
RISER: 1.Originally a short piece of wood glued to the belly of the handle of a wooden bow to give a better fit to the hand. 2. Same as HANDLE. 3. In modern usage includes the whole handle section extending to the fadeouts.
SELFBOW: A bow made essentially from one homogenous material, usually of wood. This bow can be made from a single stave or a joined pair of billets.
SEMI-RECURVE: see ‘deflex-reflex’ and ‘recurve’ above.
SERVING: The binding or wrapping of thread around the centre of the bowstring to protect it from wear.
SHAFT FEATHERS: On a three-vaned arrow, the two feathers that lie next to the bow when the arrow is correctly placed on the string. (Often incorrectly called hen feathers).
SHOOTING GLOVE: A leather glove worn to protect the drawing fingers from the chafing of the bow string upon release.
SIGHT WINDOW: The cut out portion of the handle above the arrow shelf.
SNAP SHOOTING: Drawing and releasing quickly, sometimes not even coming to full draw.
STRING SILENCER: Any device, ie, strands of material (often wool) fluffed up and attached to the bow string to stop it from vibrating, thus eliminating string noise. More common on recurve bows.
SPINE: The degree of stiffness or springiness of an arrow. You test the spine of an arrow by use of a spine tester which measures the amount of bend in the middle of an arrow shaft (in thousandths of an inch) when a 2 lb weight is suspended from it whilst the arrow is suspended between 2 supports which are 26 inches apart (AMO standard) for traditional archery use. The less the amount of deflection, the heavier draw weight bow from which it may be shot, and the reverse.
STACK: A bow is said to stack, when near the end of your draw, the weight feels to gain rapidly and abruptly, thus it is not smooth. This is a very undesirable attribute in a bow.
It can be seen in a force-draw test where, the more the bow is drawn back, the rate of increase appears to increase at an increasingly greater rate, eg. the bow may increase at 2lbs/inch of draw, but as the draw length increases, it may suddenly begin to increase to 4lbs/inch or more. In graph form, the force-draw curve will suddenly take an decided upwards hook.
A bow which stacks is uncomfortable/difficult to shoot and applies its stored energy inefficiently to the arrow upon loose.
TAB: A flat piece of leather worn to protect the drawing fingers from the chafing of the bow string upon release.
TAKE-DOWN BOW: A design adopted for many modern bows, allowing the two limbs to be removed from the central riser. These can be either two or three piece bows. A modern adaption of the carriage bow.
TARGET PANIC: An archers inability to aim at the target due to involuntary muscular tensions. This physiological phenomenon often causes premature releasing of the bow string.
TILLER (to): To work the limbs of a bow so that they bend properly in reference to each other.
TILLER: The difference between the upper limb and lower limbs measurements from the bow string to the belly at the fadeouts or the difference in the amount of bend between the two limbs which should be marginally greater in the upper limb. This difference is usually around one eighth of an inch.
TIP OVERLAYS: Any material glued to the back of the limb tip for added strength and appearance. Also results in a thickening of the tips into which string nocks are often cut.
TOXOPHILITE: A lover, student and practitioner of archery.
TRAJECTORY: The curved flight path of an arrow.
UNBRACED: Said of a bow that has not had its bowstring put on. Also referred to as being unstrung (see brace (to) above).
VANE: A general term for the steering device on the rear of an arrow. It traditionally referred to the feathers but today a "vane" most often refers to fletching made of plastic.
We trust that you have found this glossary of traditional archery terms of interest and hopefully you will have gained some benefit from it.