What is Barebow Recurve?
If I handed you a modern barebow recurve for the first time, the first thing you would probably notice is what is missing.
There is no conventional sight.
That does not make barebow a crude or approximate form of archery. Quite the opposite. A skilled barebow archer can be remarkably precise. The difference is that instead of attaching a sight to the bow and adjusting it for distance, the archer learns to use the arrow, the string, the bow and a consistent physical reference system to aim.
That makes barebow particularly interesting in field archery, where changing target distances and terrain make judgement part of the shot.
Understanding the bow
Start with the centre section. This is the riser.
The grip is part of the riser, the limbs attach to it, and the arrow passes across it when the bow is shot. Modern barebow risers are commonly aluminium, although other materials are available.
Above and below the riser are the limbs. When you draw the string, these bend and store energy. When you release the string, that energy accelerates the arrow.
A takedown system is very useful for a beginner because the limbs can be changed independently of the riser. You can therefore start at a manageable draw weight and replace the limbs later as your technique and strength develop.
A barebow may also use an adjustable arrow rest, pressure button and stabilising weight. Stabilisers are permitted in this field style, so “barebow” should not be interpreted as meaning that absolutely nothing can be attached to the riser. What is absent is the conventional sight or sighting marks.
The pressure button and arrow rest
The arrow rest supports the shaft.
A pressure button, sometimes called a plunger, sits against the side of the arrow and allows the archer to fine-tune how the shaft behaves as it leaves the bow.
You do not need to understand every detail of tuning on your first lesson.
What you should understand is that the arrow bends during the shot. The bow, arrow stiffness, rest position and pressure-button setting all influence how cleanly the arrow leaves the bow.
Good equipment setup helps, but it cannot replace a repeatable release.
How do you aim without a sight?
This is where barebow becomes fascinating.
One method is gap shooting.
With a consistent anchor and finger position, you observe where the arrow point appears in relation to the target. At one distance it may appear considerably below the centre. At another distance it may appear close to the centre.
With practice, you learn those visual relationships.
A second method is string walking. Here, the drawing fingers move down the string by a measured amount. Moving the fingers changes the relationship between your eye and the arrow, which changes the elevation of the bow while allowing you to use the arrow point as a reference.
Face walking—changing the facial anchor—is also associated with this barebow style.
For a complete beginner, though, I would not begin by memorising dozens of crawls.
First learn how to make the same shot repeatedly.
A sophisticated aiming method cannot compensate for a different anchor, bow-hand position and release on every arrow.
Drawing the bow properly
Stand comfortably with your weight balanced through both feet.
Set the bow into the hand without squeezing the grip.
Raise the bow and begin the draw using the larger muscles around the shoulders and upper back rather than simply curling the drawing arm.
Bring the drawing hand into a clear, repeatable anchor.
At full draw, the shot should feel connected. The bow arm continues towards the target while the drawing side remains engaged.
When you release, do not deliberately flick the fingers open. Maintain the shot and allow the string to leave as the fingers relax.
A good release often causes the drawing hand to move naturally backwards along the face.
That movement is the result of continued tension. It should not be manufactured.
What draw weight should a beginner choose?
Less than many beginners expect.
You are learning coordination, not proving strength.
The correct bow allows you to reach full draw comfortably, settle into your anchor, aim for several seconds if required and repeat the process many times without your posture deteriorating.
If your shoulder rises, your body leans backwards, your drawing hand stops short of the anchor or you have to release immediately because you cannot hold the bow, the poundage is too high for productive learning.
Archery GB’s beginner instruction material recommends very light initial training weights and stresses that the bow should be light enough to draw and hold without struggle or discomfort. It also notes that the actual weight of a recurve changes with draw length.
Do not become obsessed with the number printed on the limb.
The important number is what you actually hold at your draw length.
Choosing arrows
An arrow is not merely a stick of the correct length.
The shaft has a stiffness known as spine.
When the string accelerates the arrow, the shaft flexes. The correct spine allows that flex to work with the bow rather than against it.
Arrow selection depends on draw weight, arrow length, point weight and the characteristics of the shaft.
That is why buying the same arrows as a friend is not necessarily sensible. Their draw length and bow weight may be different from yours.
For competition, the arrows in your set should match one another in the important physical characteristics specified for this style.
What beginners tend to get wrong
The most common mistake is trying to learn the aiming system before learning the shot.
If your anchor moves, changing your crawl will not solve the underlying problem.
Another is buying heavy limbs too early.
And a third is constantly changing equipment settings. Barebow gives you plenty to experiment with, but change one thing at a time and only when you know what problem you are attempting to solve.
Is Barebow Recurve a good first style?
Very much so.
It gives you modern, adjustable equipment while keeping the archer deeply involved in the aiming process.
You learn about trajectory, anchor, distance, release and arrow behaviour very quickly.
If you enjoy technical thinking but like the clean appearance of an unsighted bow, barebow is one of the most rewarding forms of field archery to explore.
If you are completely new to the sport, start with our beginner’s guide to field archery before looking at individual bow styles.