Compound Bows

Compound Bows

A compound bow is designed to reduce the force that an archer must hold, yet increase the overall energy stored by the bow. Most compound bow designs use cams or elliptical wheels on the ends of the bow to optimize the archer's leverage and to reduce the holding force of the bow at full draw in what is known as the "let-off." With less force needed to hold a compound bow at full draw, the archer can take more time to aim, and can hold the draw for as long as necessary — an advantage that comes into play when bowhunting.