A tab, also called a finger tab, is a finger protector used when shooting with fingers. It usually consists of several layers of leather (or leather with a plastic insert) and sits between the string and the drawing fingers.

Functions:

• Protects the fingers from pressure and friction
• Allows a clean, consistent release
• Provides a stable shooting feel

Variants:

• Simple tab (traditional)
• Competition tab with anchor plate and finger separator

The tab is standard in recurve competition archery.

A takedown bow is a type of bow that can be disassembled. This is done via screws or ILF limb fittings on the riser.

Advantages:

• Beginners can adjust the limbs as they progress
• No need to buy a completely new bow as skills improve

Target in archery refers to a discipline in which arrows are typically shot indoors at a target face. See also: Target vs. Field (field archery).

The target face is the printed paper or plastic sheet applied to a target butt. It contains the scoring rings (e.g., 10 to 1) and marks the scoring zones.

Types:

• Standard face (e.g., 40 cm, 60 cm, 80 cm, 122 cm)
• Triple-spot face
• Indoor or outdoor versions

The size of the target face depends on:

• Distance
• Age category
• Bow class
• Rule set

A target nail is a special fastening nail used to secure the target face to the target butt.

Features:

• Wide plastic head
• Metal tip
• Highly visible (often colored)
• Reusable

The wide head ensures that the target face stays tight and does not slip.

TB stands for Traditional Bow in the International Field Archery Association (IFAA). This class includes traditional bows without modern aiming aids.

A thumb ring is an aid used for the thumb draw technique in archery. In this technique, the string is drawn with the thumb instead of three fingers. The ring protects the thumb from the high load of the bowstring and helps create a clean and repeatable release.

It is typically used with:

• Horsebows
• Asian and traditional shooting techniques
• Historical archery

Thumb rings are usually made from horn, metal, plastic, or more rarely leather.

In short: A thumb ring allows the use of the thumb draw technique and protects the thumb from the pressure of the bowstring.

Limb pre-tension refers to the initial tension of the bow limbs. On bows without tiller screws, the pre-tension is set by the bow manufacturer and cannot be adjusted. Depending on the shooting grip, it is generally not recommended to shoot with a positive or zero tiller. This topic belongs to the advanced area of bow tuning.

Component of an ILF riser. Not all risers have a tiller screw. It can be used to adjust the bow’s draw weight within a certain range or to modify the tiller (the upper and lower pre-stress of the limbs) to suit the archer’s shooting style (bow tuning).

Tips are the limb tips of a bow – the outermost ends of the limbs. The string is attached at the tips.

Functions:

• Hold the string loops (nock loops)
• Transfer force from the limb to the string
• Influence arrow speed and shooting behavior

Special features:

• Highly stressed part of the bow
• Often reinforced with inlays (e.g., horn, plastic, micarta)
• Must be strong and abrasion-resistant

Refers to the twisting of the bow caused by an incorrect grip. This can result in deviations in the arrow’s flight to the right/left or up/down.

TR stands for Traditional Recurve in the International Field Archery Association (IFAA). This class is designed for traditional recurve bows shot without modern aiming aids.

Typical features of the TR class: Compared to the TB (Traditional Bow) class, TR is specifically tailored for recurve bows.

Traditional archery refers to shooting with bows in their most original form, without modern sights or technical attachments. The focus is on:

• Intuition
• Feeling
• Body coordination
• Connection with nature

Typical features:

• Often wooden or self bows
• No sight
• No clicker
• No release aid
• Usually natural feathers