Editing Bow and arrow (section)

==Types of bow==
There is no single accepted system of classification of bows.<ref name=Paterson37>Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 37</ref> Bows may be described by various characteristics including the materials used, the length of the draw that they permit, the shape of the bow in sideways view, and the shape of the limb in cross-section.<ref name=Heath14>Heath ''Archery'' pp. 14–16</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Andrew|last=Miller|title=Different Types of Bows|date=April 26, 2022|website=HuntingFellow|url=https://huntingfellow.com/archery-bow-types|access-date=April 26, 2022|archive-date=April 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426110121/https://huntingfellow.com/archery-bow-types|url-status=live}}</ref>

Commonly-used descriptors for bows include:

===By side profile===
{{main|Bow shape}}

* Straight bow: a bow approximately straight in side-view profile. These bows are referred to as straight, although there may be minor curves in the natural wood, and the bow may have a "set" or curvature that a wooden bow takes after use. 
* [[Recurve bow]]: a bow with the tips curving away from the archer. The curves straighten out as the bow is drawn and the return of the tip to its curved state after release of the arrow adds extra velocity to the arrow.<ref name=Paterson90>Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' pp. 90–91</ref>
* [[Reflex bow]]: a bow whose entire limbs curve away from the archer when unstrung. The curves are opposite to the direction in which the bow flexes while drawn.<ref name=Paterson90/>

===By material===
* [[Self bow]]: a bow made from one piece of wood.<ref name=Paterson93/>
* [[Composite bow]]: a bow made of more than one material.<ref name=Heath14/>

===By cross-section of limb===
* [[Longbow]]: a self bow with limbs rounded in cross-section, about the same height as the archer so as to allow a full draw, usually over {{convert|5|ft|m|abbr=in|order=flip}} long. The traditional [[English longbow]] was made of [[Taxus baccata|yew]] wood,<ref>{{cite web|title=It had to be yew|publisher=Field and Roving Archery Society|first=Gavin|last=Banks|date=January 2010|url=http://www.fieldandrovingarcherysociety.co.uk/infopage.php?page_id=8|access-date=2023-03-14|archive-date=2023-03-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314194603/http://www.fieldandrovingarcherysociety.co.uk/infopage.php?page_id=8|url-status=dead}}</ref> but other woods are also used.<ref name=Paterson73>Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' pp. 73–75</ref>
* [[Flatbow]]: the limbs are approximately rectangular in cross-section. This was traditional in many [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] societies and was found to be the most efficient shape for bow limbs by American engineers in the 20th century {{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

===Other characteristics===
* [[Takedown bow]]: a bow that can be disassembled for transportation, usually consisting of three parts: two limbs and a riser, in addition to the string.
* [[Compound bow]]: a bow with [[mechanical amplifier]]s to aid with drawing the bowstring. Usually, these amplifiers are asymmetric [[pulley]]s called ''cams'' (though they are not actually [[Cam (mechanism)|cam]]s) at the ends of the limbs, which provide a [[mechanical advantage]] (known as the ''let-off'') while holding the bow in full draw.<ref name=Paterson38-40>Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' pp. 38–40</ref> Such bows typically have high draw weights and are usually drawn with a [[release aid]] with a [[trigger (firearms)|trigger]] mechanism for a consistently clean release.
* [[Crossbow]]: a bow mounted horizontally on a frame similar to a [[stock (firearm)|firearm stock]], which has a locking mechanism for holding the bowstring at full draw.<ref name=Paterson41>Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 41</ref> Crossbows typically shoot arrow-like [[dart (missile)|dart]]s called [[crossbow bolt|bolt]]s or "quarrels", rather than normal arrows.<ref name=Paterson26>Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 26</ref>
* Footbow: a bow meant to be used with the legs and arms while lying down and used in the current distance record for the furthest arrow shot.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cooke |first1=Patrick |title=The Quest to Shoot an Arrow Farther Than Anyone Has Before |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/quest-shoot-arrow-farther-anyone-has-before-180979009/ |access-date=26 December 2021 |work=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]] |date=December 2021 |archive-date=29 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729031801/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/quest-shoot-arrow-farther-anyone-has-before-180979009/ |url-status=live }}</ref>