A compound bow is a modern bow with a cable and pulley system (cams) at the ends of the limbs. This system creates what is known as let-off: as the bow is drawn, the draw weight increases significantly, but at full draw it is reduced noticeably. This means that, at anchor, the archer only has to hold a fraction of the original draw weight.
Typical features include:
- High arrow speed
- Very precise shooting characteristics
- Technical equipment such as a sight, peep sight, release aid, and stabilizers
- Compact design
In short: The compound bow is an advanced, high-performance bow with mechanical reduction of holding weight at full draw. It is especially popular in competition and 3D archery.