Archery Facts

Medieval English longbows had an effective range of over 200 yards, with skilled archers able to launch arrows more than 350 yards.

Lars Andersen can shoot 10 arrows in 4.9 seconds using speed shooting techniques, making him one of the fastest archers in the world. His viral videos have been viewed over 100 million times, though historians debate his claims about 'rediscovering' ancient methods.

Geena Davis picked up a bow at 41 after watching the 1996 Olympics. She had no background in competitive sports. She practiced up to six hours a day. Two years later, she made the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic trials for Sydney 2000. About 300 women competed for a team spot.

Holless Wilbur Allen ran a small archery shop in Missouri. In 1966 he grabbed a hacksaw, sawed the ends off a recurve bow and bolted a pulley onto each limb. He patented it in 1969, the first compound bow. The Smithsonian keeps his patent model. More than 1.2 million students a year now learn archery on a compound bow like his, in schools across all 50 states. Bowhunters still draw one every fall.