This article was taken from the June 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Wired looks at hi-tech bows that advance the art of archery:
Sports bow
Ben Pearson Stealth II Compound Bow (above)
The Stealth II's draw weight can be set to 20, 25 or 30 kilograms. In a compound bow (which uses cables and pulleys), it's the two wooden limbs that flex and store all the potential energy when the string is drawn. Being stiffer than a traditional recurve bow, they're more energy efficient -- the Stealth II launches arrows at more than 100mps. The asymmetric cam wheels release the bow with little vibration.
£795
thearcherycompany.com
Targeting crossbow
Armex Jaguar
The Jaguar crossbow mounts a recurve bow on an aluminium frame, allowing the user to aim in the same way as they would a rifle.
With an 80kg draw weight, it can launch 43cm bolts at speeds of up to 75 metres per second.
Armex claims this crossbow is accurate to 25 metres -- but if you need help, a red-dot LED scope can pinpoint your target.
£139
hunters-knives.co.uk
Radical recurve bow
Hoyt Gamesmaster II
Hoyt's Gamemaster II is a traditional upright recurve bow of the sort Roman archers would have used. This rather more up-to date-model, however, incorporates a 53cm machined alum-inium riser to support the two wooden limbs.
This improves the bow's strength and makes it easier to draw and aim while adding little to an overall weight of 1.3kg.
£450
hoyt.com
Hunting bow
Prime Shift
This compact hunting bow has relatively short, almost parallel limbs that allow for a slightly longer riser, making it more stable to fire. The stiff aluminium riser also keeps the total weight down to less than 1.7kg.
Those short, laminated 32cm limbs can store enough energy to propel arrows at more than 100 metres per second, accurate to up to 30 metres.
$999 (£618)
g5prime.com
Beginner's bow
Quest Torch (left)
Quest's compound bow caters to archers requiring a shorter draw length, so it's ideal for younger users. It allows you progressively to increase the draw distance from 60cm to 71cm, and to increase the bowstring draw weight up to 31kg.
Pink camo doesn't mark it as a bow for Barbie fans -- deer can only perceive blue and yellow, seeing this as dark grey.
$429 (£265)
questbowhunting.com
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
