Why are competitive archery bows so complicated?

[PatM]

Maybe not for one shot that counts but it's the ability to shoot multiple arrows in the same hole that makes the difference in that style.

 Only one of out trad legends has won an Olympic medal.

[bradsmith2010]

it just seems like two different games to me,,
either archer that shoots well deserves respect,,

[stuckinthemud]

Thats why we love archery, so many different ways to play, olympic, bare-bow, hunter, horse-bow,  fixed distance, 3-d, flight, ths list goes on and on. For me it started with bare-bow field archery, now its primitive and cross-bow, but Im moving rapidly toward horn-bow. Heck I cant see a boss at 90 yards, never mind hit a beer mat pinned to it. 90m wow, thats the max range of the 1st 6 self bows I built....

[bassman]

Pat M  2x

[mmattockx]

it just seems like two different games to me,,
either archer that shoots well deserves respect,,

They are completely different things, which is what bassman really said. It's the people that think hitting a pie plate at 20yds to kill a deer makes them as accurate as an Olympic archer that don't realize the differences in precision. It isn't trivial being able to make a good shot on a game animal while hunched over in a blind or hanging off the side of a tree stand, but that doesn't make the hunter capable of the same level of consistency and accuracy as a world class target archer.


Mark

[PatM]

I would also consider that a solely hunting archer can make that pie plate shot in a dozen different positions and speed of shot while an Oly style archer  doesn't   always have  that versatility.  That may be why many of those guys use compounds to hunt when they do.

[mmattockx]

I would also consider that a solely hunting archer can make that pie plate shot in a dozen different positions and speed of shot while an Oly style archer doesn't always have that versatility. 

I expect that is correct. The Olympic archer has trained for one thing in a very narrow area to an extremely high level of performance, but only in that narrow window. Some of them also shoot field archery competitions as well and will say it offers a completely different type of challenge because of the variety of positions, shot angles, etc. They are all different worlds connected by using a bow, but that is about all they have in common.


Mark

[bassman]

But could adapt to our hunting method quickly if they chose to . I am talking about the bare bow target shooters , and in fact we have archers in our state that do both equally well.

[Del the cat]

"Why are competitive archery bows so complicated?"
So that manufacturers can make money.
Del

[Deerhunter21]

"Why are competitive archery bows so complicated?"
So that manufacturers can make money.
Del

any little advantage a thing gives you and if you want it you need to empty your pocket.

[stuckinthemud]

I still remember borowing a kids compound for a quick go at the range and him asking the instructor how it was possible I could shoot his bow better than him when I hadnt even bothered to use the sight, truth is I hadnt realised the bow had a sight.....so I think there can be a case of emperor's new clothes with bad archers trying to buy themselves better but at the very top, the very best kit can make that teeeny bit of difference but for most of us I do think its a waste of a really huge amount of cash. But that is strictly my personal opinion

[Hawkdancer]

Good points made by all!  The Olympians train very hard for a very specific niche, most shoot every day for hours and critique, study film, etc, and have a bowyer especially trained for their gear available.  We make our own bows, mostly, but we are all archers and have our niche to fill.  We are in the same game in different styles!  And all may be a bit crazy   !
Hawkdancer