The Bow.
Bows are of two kinds. The self bow consists either of one piece of wood or of two dovetailed together at the handle, in which latter case it is called a grafted bow; by far the best material for a self bow is yew, although a variety of other woods, such as lemonwood, lancewood, &c., are used. As it is but very rarely that we are able to obtain a piece of yew long enough for a bow of equal quality throughout, the grafted bow was invented, in order that the two limbs, being formed by splitting one piece of wood into two strips, may be of exactly the same nature.
Fig. 1.
The backed bow consists of two or more strips of wood glued together longitudinally and compressed so as to ensure perfect union. The strips may be of the same or of different woods—for instance, of yew backed with yew, yew with hickory, lancewood, &c.; but of all backed bows snakewood backed with hickory is far the best. It has been a great subject of controversy whether the self or the backed bow be the best for shooting purposes; we most unhesitatingly decide in favor of the backed.
How to Choose it.
In purchasing a bow, it is always better to go to a good maker; the inferior makers, although they may sell their goods a trifle cheaper, are still not to be depended upon, and as a good deal concerning a bow has to be taken upon trust—e.g., whether the wood is properly seasoned, horns firmly fastened, &c.—a maker who has a reputation to lose always proves the cheapest in the end. Having selected a maker and determined on the price you are willing to give, you will proceed to see that the bow tapers gradually from the handle to horns; that the wood is of straight, even grain, running longitudinally and free from knots and pins, or that, if there are any pins, they are rendered innocuous by having the wood left raised around them. The bow should be quite straight, or even follow the string (bend in the direction it will take when strung) a little. Beware of a bow which bends away from the string; it will jar your arms out of their sockets, and should the string break, there will be an end of it. See that both limbs are of equal strength, in which case they will describe equal curves. The handle should not be quite in the middle of the bow, but the upper edge of it should be about an inch above the centre. See that there are no sharp edges to the nocks on the horns of the bow, for if they are not properly rounded off they will be continually cutting your string. Lastly, make sure that your bow is not beyond your strength—in other words, that you are not overbowed. It is a very common thing for persons to choose very strong bows under the idea that it gives them the appearance of being perfect Samsons; but their ungainly struggles to bend their weapon, and the utterly futile results of their endeavors, are, we think, anything but dignified. The weight of the bow should be such that it can be bent without straining, and held steadily during the time of taking aim. The strength of bows is calculated by their weight, which is stamped in pounds upon them, and which denotes the power which it takes to bend the bow until the centre of the string is a certain distance (twenty-eight inches for a gentleman's, twenty-five inches for a lady's bow) from the handle. It is ascertained by suspending the bow by the handle from a steelyard whilst the string is drawn the required distance. Gentlemen's bows generally range from 48 lbs. to 56 lbs., and ladies' from 20 lbs. to 32 lbs.
How to Preserve it.
Many things will spoil a bow which a little care and attention would prevent. Amongst the most fatal enemies to the bow are chrysals (see Glossary), which, unless noticed in time, will surely end in a fracture. A chrysal should at once be tightly lapped with fine string saturated with glue; this, if neatly done and then varnished, will interfere but little with the appearance of the bow. Care should be taken not to scratch or bruise the bow. When shooting in damp weather, the bow, especially if a backed one, should be kept well wiped, and perfectly dried with a waxed cloth before putting away. A backed bow is always the better for a little lapping round each end just by the horn, which prevents the bow from breaking if by any chance the glue is softened by damp. A bow should always be kept as dry as possible; when going to shoot at a distance, a waterproof cover is advisable. Do not unstring the bow too often while shooting; once in every six double ends is quite enough, unless there are many shooters.
