I've been hearing the question in the title quite often lately at the shooting range and on the course . That's why I decided to create a short guide to the necessary equipment.
I'm not a professional or squad shooter myself, and I only use the target for the setup and fine-tuning required for barebow shooting. Otherwise, you'll find me using it on a 3D course in the woods.
I won't go into the details of adjusting, tuning, and fine-tuning the bow in this post. There are excellent tutorials online, and I'll add links to various pages at the end.
In advance...
I'd like to point out one thing up front. Barebows can, of course, also be shot intuitively. However, they're designed for someone who also wants to practice the stringwalking system and is aware that learning (or developing) this system will likely make them unable to shoot intuitively. So, anyone who prefers to shoot intuitively should probably opt for a hunting recurve or any of the seemingly endless array of bows designed for this purpose.
So what do I need to shoot a barebow?
Well, as silly as it may sound, the typical beginner's set is actually sufficient for beginners. These are usually even designed to be shot with an arrow rest in addition to the shelf, and have all the screw holes necessary for classic use as a BB or Olympic recurve. You should also invest in a button and an adhesive arrow rest for the set.
As an adhesive arrow rest, I would recommend a Hoyt Super Rest because, with a slight redesign, it is a really excellent arrow rest.
A cheap one is actually sufficient for a button. I say that because you can invest anywhere from just under €7 to €120 and more. But it's like racing: you don't have to get an F1 car to get started.
The Avalon Classic Button, for example, costs just under €7 and works really well. It only comes with Teflon pins, though, so you do have to keep an eye on them for wear and tear. Teflon pins date back to the days of aluminum arrows and are subject to greater wear when used with today's common carbon arrows, as the carbon surface is rougher. If you want to spend more, I recommend buttons like the Decut Janus or Avalon Tec One. Both cost around €20 and, unlike the Classic Button, have brass pins, springs in various hardnesses, and micro-adjustment of the spring pressure.
So if you have a beginner's bow lying around at home or even just want to get into archery and are already leaning towards a barebow, you don't need it for now.
I've been shooting for some time and would like to get serious about barebow archery. What can you recommend?
From here on, we're talking about a lot more technology, components, and tuning work, and in terms of price, you can certainly invest quite excessively. However, I'll focus on the mid-price range here, as I don't think it's necessary to run through the woods with a barebow costing almost €2,000 for the 3D course. No matter how careful you are, injuries are unavoidable in this environment. I would simply be too sorry if such a valuable piece were to get scratched.
Middle section (riser)
I would definitely recommend a riser with an ILF (International Limb Fitting System). This means you are not dependent on limbs from one manufacturer and you can use pretty much anything from cheap fiberglass wood to foam core carbon limbs. Common risers for barebows are 23", 25" and 27", with a 25" riser being the most commonly used. This covers most body sizes in combination with the different limb lengths (approx. 140cm to 188cm tall). 23" risers are therefore more suitable for smaller people and children. 27" risers are for very tall people with a long draw length - I would say as a rule of thumb from 188cm tall and a draw length of over 30". There are tables on the internet which you can use to work this out.
Please keep this in mind when purchasing!
If we're looking to stay in the lower to mid-price range, I can recommend risers from Kinetic, Samick, and Sanlinda. There are countless other companies, and even the larger ones like Hoyt and Win & Win offer a lot in the upper mid-range. However, I don't have any personal experience with them and therefore don't want to comment on them.
Another thing to note is that a riser is usually used for an Olympic recurve, but some manufacturers offer their own barebow risers. The main difference is that these special barebow risers have recesses for weights that can be integrated into the riser, while the others use the classic barebow weights that screw into the stabilizers and damper bushings.
You should make sure that such a product has the following features.
Lateral limb adjustment.
If possible, two holes for the button position (explanation later)
Threaded bushings for weights (stabilizers).
If necessary, also threaded bushings for the sight and clicker (standard on the Olympic risers anyway).
Tiller adjustment and possible draw weight adjustment are system-dependent and are determined by the tiller bolts, and I'm only mentioning this so that no questions arise.
I personally shoot a 25" Kinetic Novious 2, which offers all the features mentioned above and costs around €150 in a standard color. This centerpiece also has a sister, the Arios 2, for the same price, which my wife uses.
Both are made of CNC machined aluminum, have a wooden handle and identical geometry.
The difference is the weight. The Novious weighs 1140g, while the Arios weighs 1080g. This is achieved by the Arios's larger cutouts.
Despite their reasonable price, both are of very high quality and are very easy to adjust.
Whether someone prefers a heavy or a lighter riser is really a matter of taste. It's said that the heavier the bow, the more stable one's position at the target. But that's just a side note.
When choosing the handle, I would visit a retailer and try out different brands. Not every grip is suitable for everyone and feels good in the hand, and the weight should also be comfortable for you. The comfort factor is the best purchasing decision, especially here.
ILF limbs
As a beginner, I would go for the affordable models from Core or Sanlinda. Both have a wood core (maple) with fiberglass laminate. For their price of just under €60, they're quite good; they cast quite quickly, and if you have to figure out your draw weight first, the change isn't too painful. Once you've found your draw weight, you're spoiled for choice. Various manufacturers offer all sorts of material combinations in the mid-price range, ranging from €120 to €400. You'll have to test out what works for you (it's best to try them out at a retailer). Generally speaking, limbs with a wood core will cast a bit slower, be harder to draw, and more prone to stacking. Limbs with a foam core will be softer in the draw, less prone to stacking, and cast a bit faster. I've gained experience with the combinations of wood core (maple) with glass laminate, wood core (bamboo) with carbon laminate, and foam core with carbon laminate. This is precisely what the above statements are based on. Good limbs can also be found here at the market.
As I said, I've had very good experiences with wood/glass with the Core Prelude and the Sanlinda Miracale X8/X7. The Sanlinda ones are more beautifully crafted and seem to eject a touch faster.
For wood (bamboo)/carbon I used Kinetic Bamboom and for the price of around 130.- € they are fast and comfortable to draw limbs with no noticeable stacking.
For foam core/carbon, my wife and I have used Stark Archery Triumph, KAP Winstrom, and Kinetic Honoric bows. These range in price from €120 to €170. All three cast extremely fast for their money, have no noticeable stacking with my 29" draw length, and draw very comfortably and smoothly.
DANGER!
ILF limbs are available in three standard lengths: S, M and L, and unless otherwise stated or specified by the manufacturer, the weight indicated always refers to a 25" riser.
With a 25" riser, limbs result in:
S 66" bow length
M 68" bow length
L 70" bow length
at 23"
S 64" bow length
M 66" bow length
L 68"
At 27" only L limbs make sense and that gives you a bow length of 72"
The stated pounds also change: at 23" it will be 2 pounds more than stated and at 27" it will be 2 pounds less.
Please keep this in mind when purchasing!
Arrow rest
In addition to the aforementioned Hoyt Super Rest, which can of course also be used here, there are various magnetic arrow rests that can be glued or screwed on. Which brings us back to the two holes for the button: these are essential for screwed arrow rests, as one of them serves as the mounting thread for the rest.
Magnetic arrow rests offer the advantage of adjustable arrow height and finger pressure. Instructions on how to adjust these settings can be found in the links mentioned and in the respective manuals.
A special case among the screwed arrow rests is the Zniperrest, here the holding finger does not move to the side but falls downwards due to the pressure that the arrow exerts on the finger when fired and thus clears the path for the arrow even faster, this should enable an almost trouble-free exit from the bow window.
Here, too, there is a large selection of manufacturers and the prices range from €1.50 for the Super Rest up to €80 for the arrow rest from Zniper or various screwed ones from AAE Arizona, which are also in this price segment.
I've had good experiences with screw-on magnetic supports, such as the Decut Honor or the WNS Winners SRV. Both are very solidly constructed and operate flawlessly. Prices range from €12 to €18.
For the glued magnetic arrow rests, I have been using the Avalaon Tec One so far; it also works perfectly and costs around €9.
Here, too, you'll have to experiment a bit and find your personal favorite. In terms of functionality, the cheap, mid-range, and expensive arrow rests are basically the same. As with many other things, the name largely determines the price.
Button
At this point, I'd like to cut this short. The models mentioned above are also a more than good choice here.
If you wanted, you could bring the more expensive models from Beiter, AAE ARIZONA, ARC Systems, etc. into the mix. The ARC Systems Pro Magnetic deserves a mention here, even though it's not exactly cheap at €80. This button works via magnetic repulsion rather than spring pressure, and thus works almost consistently. The influence of ambient temperature, which is certainly present with springs, is irrelevant here, and wear and tear in the form of the spring weakening is also not a factor. So, if you're looking for this, you're welcome to spend more money.
tendon
Since the components in this segment are almost all Fastflight-compatible, I recommend using them. And please... use endless string, not Flemish-spliced string.
I've had a very good experience with the Flex Archery Pro Fast Flight Plus pre-made bowstrings; they fit very well and are durable. They're easily worth the €9 they cost.
Barebow weight
Additional weights are optional but not mandatory.
If you like shooting a heavy riser, perhaps with a finger loop, then you really can't avoid one. Without weights, these risers tend to be top-heavy and therefore unsuitable for shooting with a finger loop without additional ballast.
There are various weight increments and materials. They are mostly made of stainless steel, but there are also some made of brass. I use the stainless steel ones from Avalon. They are available in 180g, 270g, and 360g increments and have the advantage of a continuous threaded hole, allowing you to screw several weights together.
ATTENTION! Please note that according to current regulations, the entire bow must be able to be pushed through a ring with an inner diameter of 12.2 cm when braced.
So if you want to shoot in tournaments with the BB you should keep this in mind when lining up weights.
Barebow tab
Due to string walking, you shoot a barebow 3 under, meaning with three fingers under the nocked arrow. Therefore, I recommend using a really good barebow tab. Cutting corners here is the wrong approach; it simply has to feel and fit well. Another reason is that when string walking, you count seams or a scale on the tab, which you slide down the string until the number of lines matches the estimated distance.
I can recommend the Spigarelli BB+. A very good tab that can be adjusted for both right- and left-handed shooters and, if you like, even comes with a finger separator. But again: it's like a shooting glove; everyone has to find the right one for themselves.
You can also shoot BBs with gloves on, some people do that, but I can't say how well or badly that works.
Finally, the promised links
To adjust a BB / Olympic Recurve with ILF system:
Basic settings (vfb-polch.de) and bogensport_extra.pub (wtvilvoorde.be)
Then there’s an article about barebow archery itself with tips and tricks.
Shooting a barebow correctly - ARCHERY DIRECT - Bow and Arrow (archerydirect-shop.de)
There are also a few photos of our barebows. 😉
I hope I was able to help you decide whether a barebow is something for you and how much you should spend on it at the beginning.
Barebow archers are just as friendly and helpful as any other archer, so if you meet one in the woods or at the shooting range and have questions, just ask; they'll be happy to help. If you meet us (Claudia and Martin), you're welcome to try out one of our bows. Since my wife is right-handed and I'm left-handed, there's something for everyone. 😉
LG Martin
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