BOWS AND ARROWS — KLOPSTEG 583 



me insight into Kani's book, which otherwise would have remained 

 obscure. 



The result of the study of these two works led to my publishing a 

 book in 1934:, with the title "Turkish Archery and the Composite 

 Bow." In it I reported what I had learned from the two German 

 sources, along with comments and explanations deriving from both 

 my practical experience in shooting, and from the research and de- 

 velopment I had done. The book, published in a limited edition, 

 proved to be in greater demand than had been anticipated, with the 

 result that it became a collector's item on the day of its publication. A 

 revised and enlarged edition was published in 1947, the centennial 

 year of publication of the book by Mustafa Kani. The book deals 

 exclusively with the Turkish bow, arrows, shooting accessories, 

 methods of practice and of shooting, distance records and other re- 

 lated and pertinent information. 



The Turkish composite bow differed profoundly from its English 

 contemporary counterpart. Whereas the longbow was made ex- 

 clusively of wood, the Turkish bow was "composite," with limbs 

 constructed of materials in layers, so arranged that the compression, 

 tension, and shear in the bent limbs occurred in those materials best 

 adapted to withstand these respective forces. The precise form and 

 construction of the composite bow must have evolved through experi- 

 ence in the use of the weapon, and from the trial-and-error method in 

 construction employed by many successive generations of cooperating 

 bowyers and archers. 



The studies of Turkish bows and arrows, and their use in distance 

 shooting, reported in the book on Turkish archery, left no doubt 

 that their record distances were very much greater than any which 

 had been achieved with the longbow. The principal reasons for the 

 superiority were probably : 



1. The greater energy storage per unit volume in the stressed limbs 

 of the composite bow, made possible by the judicious use of suitable 

 materials, and the geometry of the bow. 



2. The design characteristics of the Turkish bow, such as shorter 

 limbs, strongly reflexed when relaxed; and the setback, or "ears" at 

 the ends of the limbs. 



3. The design of the Turkish flight arrow, light yet strong and rigid 

 to avoid buckling under high thrust; stabilizing vanes made as small 

 as feasible, to minimize drag. 



4. The use of a relatively short arrow, also designed to reduce drag, 

 drawn several inches within the bow, made possible by the use of a 

 special guiding device worn on the bow hand. 



5. The thumb release, to minimize violent bending and deflection 

 of the arrow during and immediately after release. 



Many of the American archers interested in flight shooting who 



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