Archery

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Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latinarcus. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat, while in modern times, its main use is that of a recreational activity. A person who participates in archery is typically known as an "archer" or "bowman".

Turkish archery is a tradition of archery which became highly developed in the Ottoman Empire, although its origins date back to the Eurasian Steppe in the second millennium BC.

Turkish Bow

The Turkish bow is a recurved composite bow used in the Ottoman Empire. The construction was that of the classic Asiatic composite bow, with a wooden core (maple was most desirable), animal horn on the side facing the archer, and sinew on the back. Animal glue held it together.For many years the excellence of Turkish bows could be seen from historical records. The record distance in the Ottoman period for an arrow shot was 845.5m.

Mongolian Archery

Use

The Mongolian composite bow was used both for hunting and as a weapon of war. In either circumstance, the Mongols were incredibly skilled in its use. Hunting and frequent archery training made the Mongols highly effective archers both on the ground and while riding on horseback. In warfare, most mounted soldiers would carry two bows; one for short distances and one for long distances. Each soldier would also carry a variety of different arrow types.

Release

Mongol archers developed a release technique different from that used in Europe. This technique is known as the "Mongolian release.” The bow is pushed forward while the string is pulled back to behind the ear. Due to the great strength needed to draw back the bow for long range firing, the archer would hold the string with his entire hand, forming a fist around the string. Furthermore, a thumb ring was often worn. This could be hooked around the string in order to gain greater stability and grip.

Range

The maximum range of the Mongolian composite bow made it an even more deadly weapon. While smaller than the English longbow, the Mongolian bow could nonetheless attain greater distances than its European rival. The longbow could achieve a maximum range of approximately 230m; the Mongolian bow could shoot over 320m. Some contemporaneous Mongolian sources have recorded astonishing distances of up to 536m.