Archery terms

Below is a list of Archery terms that will educate, fascinate and allow you to wow your friends with your newly gained knowledge of Archery terms and facts! You know they will thank you for it...perhaps.

Ever wanted to know what Want to know where the nock is? Discover where the name Fletcher came from? Are you an Ambi-Ocular archer? Do you want to know where the belly or the face of the bow is? Do you want to know what a Bowyer does? Why should you never dry-fire a bow? Should you be afraid of a Field Captain? Can you put your limbs on the riser the right way? Have you ever had to Let Down a bow? Do you know where the nock point is?

Below is an A to Z of Archery terms. Some will become familiar to you, and some you will never need or hear uttered by Leith Community Archers instructors or volunteers. Archery is an ancient activity, and the origin of some surnames, words, and phrases we use today have originated from archery terms.

Fletcher was the name of the person who used to put flights on the arrows and Bowman was more simply an Archer. Today Fletcher has become a common surname as has Bowman (Archer), similar to Smith (Blacksmith), Fisher (fisherman), and Cooper (barrel maker). For more information, you could visit the Wikipedia page on Archery. There you will find lots of interesting facts about Archery.

Why not add another string to your bow, or add another arrow to the quiver and read on?

A B C D E F G H I K L M N P Q R S T V Y

There are currently 9 names in this directory beginning with the letter S.

Safety Arrow

This is a type of arrow that normally has a padded head, it is often used in games of archery tag or in reenactments.

Scope Sight

This is a sight that goes onto the bow, it has a lens that magnifies the target for better aiming.

Self Bow

A homemade bow that is usually made from one single piece of wood.

Serving

In order to prevent the bowstrings from wear, this is an extra wrapping that goes around it.

Shooting Line

Depending on the distance you are shooting, this is a line that is parallel to the target. It is here that all archers will shoot from.

Stabilizer

This can help to give additional balance to the bow as well as reduce vibrations. You can either use a single rod or a set of rods that are weighted and connect to the riser.

Stance

This is how your legs, body, arms and head should be. A good stance and posture is key to good archery.

String Fingers

These are the fingers you use to pull back the bowstring.

String Hand

The hand you use to pull the bowstring back. Right handed archers will normally pull the string back with their right hand and left hand archers pull back with their left hand. (as this is their more dominant)