If you’re just getting started with archery, you know there’s a lot to learn. What makes it even more challenging is that you don’t know what you don’t know. I remember when I was learning, I didn’t know what equipment I needed let alone how to use it! To help out with this challenge, we’ve compiled a full list of archery terms and definitions to help get you started. Take a look through the list, you’ll be up to speed in no time!

Archery Terms

A

Archer’s Paradox:
Arrows flex upon release and you want them to flex away from the bow riser for better arrow flight. Archer’s paradox is the term for this flexing.

Anchor Point:
The reference point that an archer pulls the bowstring to before the act of releasing. This reference point should be the same for every single shot and is usually near the mouth or some other reference point on the face.

Armguard:
A protective piece of gear that is attached to the forearm of your arm that is holding the bow, designed to keep a sleeve from getting hit from the bowstring and to protect your arm from getting slapped as well.

Arrow:
Bow projectile made of a wood, metal, carbon, or fiberglass shaft.

Arrowhead:
Part of the arrow that is designed for impact

Arrow Insert:
A metal sleeve that is glued inside of an arrow shaft. Once the glue has dried, an arrow tip is then screwed into the insert.

Arrow Puller:
A rubber device used to protect your hand and help pull arrows from the target.

Arrow Shelf:
Place on a bow’s riser, just above the grip, that holds the arrow. This is most common on a traditional bow, most recurve and compound bows use an arrow rest.

B

Back Tension:
Using your back muscle to hold the string at full draw and to continuing squeezing your shoulder blades together throughout the shot sequence.

Bareshafting:
Shooting an arrow with no feathers at close range to observe impact and make tuning adjustments as necessary.

Barebow:
Style of shooting without sights or any release aids.

Bolt:
A shorter arrow that is used by crossbows.

Bow Holster:
A device that attaches to your belt and holds your bow, hands free.

Bow String:
String material on a bow that is used to attach the arrow and propel it forward.

Bow Stringer:
A tool used to help place and remove your bow string from the limb notches. (Traditional and Recurve bows only)

Bow Wrist Sling:
A fabric, leather, or rubber device located near the bow grip you slide your bow hand through. This is done to keep your bow in place after your shot.

Brace height:
The distance between the string and the furthest part of the grip of a bow. This is used as a measurement as different brace heights can affect a shot.

Broadhead:
An arrowhead that is designed for hunting animals. Unlike practice or target tips, these are much sharper and bigger in order to be as lethal as possible.

Blunts:
Arrow tips that have a wide, flat tip that are used in practice or to hunt small game like rabbits and birds.

Bullseye:
The circular center of a target worth the most points.

C

Cable:
The part of a compound bow that is pulled on that, in turn, pull on the limbs of a bow in order to generate energy for a shot. Cables will bend the limbs of a bow towards each other in order to produce this energy.

Cable guard/slide:
A guard found on a compound bow that will keep cables away from the center of the bow so that an arrow can pass through without the cables interfering with it.

Cam:
The wheels or pulleys found on the end of the limbs on a compound bow that transfers energy to the limbs. These are usually round or circular in shape.

Canting:
Tilting the bow left or right to keep while at full draw.

Center Shot:
Perfect alignment between the arrow rest and the string for straight arrow flight.

Cock/Index Feather:
The odd colored vane or feather on an arrow that is usually used as a reference.
Compound Bow: A modern bow design using cables and pulleys to gain leverage and reduce holding weight.

Creeping:
Allowing the arrow to move slightly forward before release, reducing power and consistency of full-draw.

D

Drawing:
The act of pull and bow back to full length (also known as full-draw)

Draw Length:
This is the distance between a bowstring and the outer rim of a riser when a bow is at full draw. Draw length is measured for each individual shooter and varies from person to person.

Draw Weight:
This is the total amount of weight in pounds that a shooter must pull back while drawing a bow. The more draw weight there is, typically the more power that is applied to shooting the arrow.

Dry Fire:
This refers to the action of shooting a bow without an arrow being knocked and shot. Dry firing can be very dangerous and damage a bow. This should be avoided at all times.

Dropping:
A term used to describe the act of dropping your bow arm upon release of an arrow.

F

Field Points:
An arrowhead that is designed for target practice. These are simple in design to ensure that they can easily be taken out of archery targets.

Finger Leash:
Fabric material attached to your middle finger and thumb, secured around the bow grip. This keeps your bow in place after your shot. (similar to a wrist sling)

Finger Tab/Finger Gloves:
Leather or synthetic material that protects an archer’s fingers from the string when they release.

Fletching:
The feathers or plastic vanes at the end of an arrow that are used to stabilize the arrow during flight.

Flinching:
Moving your bow arm or release hand just prior to release, causing inconsistent impact.

Flu-Flu Arrow:
An arrow with large, sometimes spiral fletching designed to decrease the range of the arrow. This allows an archer to shoot in the air.

Follow Through:
Holding the release position until the arrow has completely cleared the bow/made impact.

G

Grain:
This refers to a 1/7000th of a pound that is used to measure the weight used in many archery equipment pieces, such as arrows or arrowheads.

Grip:
Center part of bow where the archer places their hand while shooting.

H

High-Draw:
Pointing the bow high in the air while drawing back. This is extremely dangerous because the bow could accidently release, causing the arrow to fly outside of designated safe areas. This is forbidden at all archery ranges and could cause you to be disqualified from any tournaments.

J

“Jar-Licker” or Liner:
A term used by archers to describe arrow impact right on the edge of a higher scoring line.

K

Kisser button:
A simple button that is sometimes placed on a bowstring to be used as a reference to find an anchor point more consistently.

L

Let-Off:
The percentage of a compound bow’s draw weight that is reduced by when the cams are fully used and the bow is fully drawn.

Let Down:
Releasing tension after full draw without shooting the arrow and returning to pre-draw.

Level:
Bubble level on a bow sight that helps you shoot level.

Limb:
The limbs are the arms of a bow that are bent when the bowstring is pulled back and are what generate the energy in a bow.

Limb Bolt:
Bolts that connect the bow limbs to the riser. Tightening these will increase bow poundage, while loosening them will reduce bow poundage.

Limb Dampener:
Rubber unit attached to both limbs to reduce sound and absorb vibration when shooting.

Limb Notch:
Groove at the end of traditional and recurve bows that hold the bow string in place.

Limb Pocket:
Groove where compound bow limbs slide into place and held down by limb bolts.

Longbow:
Bow design that is long and nearly straight in appearance.

Loop:
Also known as a D-loop or a nocking loop, this is tied on the bowstring and is in the shape of a “D”. It is used in conjunction with something like a release aid in order to avoid damaging the bowstring when shooting.

Loose:
Term used to describe the release of an arrow.

M

Mulligan Shot:
Some local archery tournaments let you purchase an extra shot at a target if you don’t like where the previous arrow impacted.

N

Arrow Nock:
The part of the arrow that is at the very end of the shaft. The nock is the part that will grip onto the bowstring and prevents it from moving around during the draw and shooting.

String Nock:
Small brass clamp that attaches to your bowstring and allows for consistent arrow attachment.

Nock Point:
Point on the string where the arrow is attached.

O

Overbowed:
An archer using draw weight that is very heavy and difficult to pull.

Overdraw:
Using a string that is too short for the bow. This can also be seen when using a bow that is too small for the user, pulling the string further back than it’s designed for.

P

Peep Sight:
A round sight that is placed within a bowstring that lets a shooter line up their shot with their front sights and the target. (Similar to the rear sight of a rifle)

Pinching:
Pressure around the arrow nock at full draw, causing the arrow to fall off the rest.

Pins:
Individual yardage markers located within your bow sight.

Plunger:
Small cylinder that threads into a bow riser and is part of some arrow rests. It’s adjustable and used to tune for perfect arrow flight.

Poundage:
Another term used to describe draw weight.

Punching:
The act of grabbing at the trigger of a release instead of squeezing the trigger.

Q

Quiver:
A piece of gear that is used to hold arrows. Many quivers are able to be attached to a bow and hold arrows on the bow while still letting a shooter use it. In addition to these types of quivers, there are also varieties like hip and back quivers as well.

R

Recurve Bow:
A bow design with limbs that form an arc between the riser and limb tip

Release-Aid (AKA Release):
A device that is used to help in releasing an arrow in order to keep it more accurate, protect the bowstring, or both.

Rest:
A piece of equipment attached to a bow that is used to hold an arrow in place until it is shot. There are many different types of rests, each designed to perform the same function.

Riser:
The main section of the bow that is attached to the limbs at either end, and that holds parts such as the sights, rest, and stabilizer.

S

Scope:
A moveable archery sight with magnified glass that enlarges the target.

Serving:
Wrapped section of the string where you nock your arrow

Shaft:
The main body of an arrow that is usually made of things like wood, fiberglass, aluminum, carbon fiber, or a combination of them.

Sights:
Attachment at the front of the bow used for aiming.

Speed nocks:
Brass nocks (or similar types of material) that attached to the bowstring near the cams that can increase arrow speed and performance.

Spine:
This is the strength and stiffness of an arrow and how well it resists to bending.

Spot:
Another name for a bullseye

Stabilizer:
A piece of gear that is attached to the bow in order to reduce vibrations and shock when shooting an arrow. A stabilizer also helps balance the bow and keeps it steady throughout the shot.

Stake(s):
Markers used to communicate yardage from a target.

String Stop Bracket/String Suppressor:
A device attached inside a compound bow riser that absorbs string vibration & reduces sound after release.

T

Tip:
Another name for the part of an arrow designed for impact

Tuning:
Adjusting your bow for quiet and straight arrow flight.

T-Square:
A tool used for measuring brace height and locating the nock point on the string.

V

Valley:
This is the area between a compound bow’s wall and the point where you cannot feel the let-off any longer.

W

Wall:
A term that is used to try and describe a bow’s draw and its limitations. A hard or solid wall will be when the drawing motion comes to a hard or sudden end and cannot be drawn any further. If the back of the drawing motion is more flexible or bouncy, it is referred to as a soft wall.

X

X:
The very center within the bullseye, usually marked by a thin outline and a center X.
Well, there you have it, a full list of archery terms to get you started. Now, this list is pretty expansive, but we’ve probably missed a few. So leave us a comment below with any additional terms we forgot and we’ll add it to the list. Happy shooting!