TRADE AS SHARP AS
A BROADHEAD
Whether for hunting, recreation or target shooting, archery has been
enjoying something of a renaissance in recent years. If you are a
wholesaler or retailer selling guns and ammunition, then adding
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archery to your inventory makes perfect sense.
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
Basically there are two types of
bow that have to be considered.
e traditional longbow, which
is typically held vertically in one
hand with the bow string pulled
back with the other, and the
crossbow, held horizontally and
usually red with a trigger. We
can further split the longbow
into two distinct designs as
well: recurve and compound. A
recurve bow is formed from a
single piece, with its outer ends
curving back away from the
archer, giving it its unique shape.
is provides extra string-pull
length for a greater acceleration
period on the arrow, improving
power, control and accuracy.
Compound bows meanwhile use
a complex system of cams and
strings to produce the power via
special limbs that form the bow.
e cams allow the bow weight
to appear much lighter through
mechanical advantage, once the
string has been drawn back to
its full extension. ey are also
more compact, making them
particularly useful for hunting
and outdoor simulated hunting
competitions because a highpoundage
bow can be used for
greater power. e result is faster
arrow speed and a less parabolic
trajectory, which helps provide
potential accuracy improvement,
especially as range increases.
Alnogside longbows, crossbows
also have an avid following.
Historically crossbows have been
put to use extremely e ectively
on the battle eld, piercing an
opponent’s armour. As materials
have been improved and re ned,
so the bodies have become
more and more futuristic and
e ective, as have the bolts
(essentially a shorter arrow),
rails, limbs and strings; not to
mention cocking mechanisms
and trigger arrangements. All
this makes today’s crossbows
amazing pieces of equipment,
capable of great power, accuracy
and consistency. Crossbows
come in conventional (longbow
style with single curved limbs),
recurve and compound types,
just as longbows do, with the
same respective advantages
as longbows. Because of their
e ectiveness, crossbows have
gained a certain popularity with
hunters. In some countries,
hunting is not permitted with
them, while other territories have
actually opened their doors in the
recent past to the opportunities
that crossbows present. In
certain parts of the USA and
parts of Europe crossbows are
becoming increasingly accepted
and encouraged. In some cases
crossbow-only use has even
extended the hunting season.
BOW HUNTING
A key area for sales in many parts
of the world is bow hunting.
In some areas it is expanding
signi cantly. In North America
it is both well established and
showing a surge in interest that
promises to provide excellent
business opportunities for those
who take it seriously, thanks to
shows on both mainstream and
internet TV. Proper training is
vital because these weapons are
extremely powerful and have to
be handled correctly to ensure
a clean kill. e opportunity for
add-on sales in this niche sector
is huge, including carrying bags
or cases, backpacks, camou age
clothing, scopes, laser range
nders and more. Some
countries do not, however, permit
bow hunting. Outline details
of which European countries
permit bow hunting and where
it is not allowed can be found
on the website of the European
Bowhunting Federation - www.
europeanbowhunting.org.
QUIET FUN, DEADLY SERIOUS
Archery is getting better known
and loved all around the world.
Movies like ‘ e Hunger
Games’, where archery plays
an important role, are certainly
responsible for people’s growing
awareness of the sport. Moreover,
country after country is
opening up on the possibility of
bowhunting as a valid alternative
to hunting with rearms. e
advantages of bowhunting are
numerous. It is absolutely quiet,
nothing or no one is disturbed
by a arrow being released yet the
lethality of an well-placed arrow
is tremendous. All in all, the
silence with which an archer can
enjoy his, or her, sport remains an
absolute dream. In a world where
people are living closer and closer
together, backyard fun with a
rearm or even an airgun might
be considered a thing of the past.
A bow, on the contrary, when
safely handled, is the ideal way
of honing your shooting skills
without anyone ever knowing
about it. anks to its limited
range and utter silence, a bow
is the perfect tool for backyard
shooting fun.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
It takes skill and practice to
shoot straight with a bow. In the
same sense, it takes real skill to
sell archery gear well. ere’s far
more to selling archery products
than stocking a couple of bows
and arrows and hoping these will
y o the shelves by themselves.
Retailers should clearly be able
to provide su cient advice
about equipment selection or
point buyers in the direction of
well-informed sources. For a
retailer to succeed in the archery
business one really needs a
decent working knowledge of
bow types, the pros and cons
of each type: why a compound
bow can prove best for hunting,
poundage weights that provide
su cient arrow or bolt speed to
ensure a clean kill but are also
manageable, which types are
best suited for youth and lady
shooters, which arrow weights
SPOTLIGHT ON...
ARCHERY
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/europeanbowhunting.org