A Guide to Traditional Archery
Traditional archery covers any form of archery that doesn't use compound bows, sights, or mechanical releases — just a bow, a string, and an arrow, shot the way archers have for thousands of years. It includes English longbows, recurve bows, horse bows, and flatbows, and it's as popular today for the challenge and the history as it ever was for hunting or war.
What makes archery "traditional"?
If a bow has no cams, no let-off, and no sight pins, it's traditional. That covers a genuinely wide range of equipment and styles:
- English longbows – the classic single-curve stave bow, usually yew or a laminate, with centuries of history behind it
- Recurve bows – curved-tip bows that store more energy for a smoother draw, popular both as a first bow and among experienced field archers
- Horse bows –short, powerful bows historically shot from horseback, now popular for their compact size and speed
- Flatbows – a simpler, wide-limbed design with roots in Native American and northern European archery
What equipment do you actually need?
Beyond the bow itself, traditional archery needs relatively little to get started:
Arrows matched to your bow's draw weight and your draw length — wood, aluminium or carbon see our arrows range
An arm guard/bracer to protect your forearm from the string
A finger tab or glove, since traditional archery is shot without a mechanical release
A quiver to carry your arrows
A target to shoot at – foam, straw, or a target face on a suitable backstop see our archery targets range
Getting started
Most new archers do best starting with some hands-on instruction rather than teaching themselves from scratch – technique matters more in traditional archery than in compound shooting, since there's no mechanical aid correcting for form. Our archery lessons and courses cover everything from a first taster session through to full beginners' courses.
If you're switching from modern compound archery, the biggest adjustment isn't strength – it's aiming instinctively (or with simple gap-shooting methods) rather than using a sight, and getting used to a heavier, more progressive draw.
Longbow, recurve, or horse bow — which first?
We cover this decision properly in our Beginners Guide to Archery, including video demonstrations of shooting each style. Short version: a longbow gives you the strongest historical connection but the steepest learning curve, a recurve is usually the easier starting point, and a horse bow suits anyone wanting something compact and fast.
Where to go from here
- Browse bows by type
- Check our beginners guide to archery
- Read our FAQs
- Or get in touch – every member of our team shoots traditional bows, and we'd rather talk you through the real differences than sell you whichever is in stock