Learning archery is an intense process to follow if it’s for tournament competitions and wildlife hunting. But you may wonder about the difference between bows for competitions like the Olympics and hunting. The size is the most obvious difference between an Olympic recurve bow and a hunting bow. Olympic recurve risers are 23-27 inches long, and hunting recurve risers typically have a riser of 15-17 inches. Other differences are purpose, design, price, rules, speed, distance, draw weight, length, and weight. The recurve bow is the only type of bow used in the Olympics. On the other hand, hunting bows can be a recurve, compound, or crossbow. Purpose Olympic bows focus on consistency to put an arrow in the same place and time repeatedly. You shoot at targets to get the highest score possible, beating your opponents. On the other hand, hunting bows need to put an arrow in a hunting zone quickly and quietly. Unlike Olympic bows, you may only need to shoot a few arrows until you harvest game animals. Olympic bows also have clickers, which click when the arrow is pulled to a full draw. Hunting bows seldomly have clickers because it’s not practical to use them in the hunting zone. Design Olympic bows often have bright and shinier designs, and their brand logos are more apparent. Bow makers created such to achieve a sporty look. The sight is adjustable for Olympic bows. Hunting bows are more compact and made of wood. Some bows have dark or camouflaged patterns. Using a target bow in your hunt isn’t a practical choice. You’ll be in the field during your hunt, and you can’t use bows with long stabilizers. Using colorful or shiny ones isn’t practical because animals, like coyotes, can distinguish bright colors right away. Olympic archers need a longer bow with an open string angle. A sharper string angle of a hunting bow is more challenging to shoot a clean release because the string can squeeze the drawing fingers. Price An Olympic recurve bow can cost as much as $800-$2,000, which is suitable for advanced archers. On the other hand, you can find hunting bows that cost over $1,000-$1,800. But you can also find quality hunting and recurve bows below $500. Distance and speed Manufacturers designed Olympic bows to fire at a consistent 160-230 feet. They are more accurate as you go beyond hunting distances. With hunting, you don’t need to fire arrows at more than 100 feet. A hunting bow needs to release these faster to minimize missed shots caused by wildlife moving before the arrows get to them. Olympic recurve bows can fire arrows at speeds of over 120 miles per hour. On the other hand, hunting bows, like crossbows and compounds, can propel an arrow at 245 miles per hour. A faster arrow means a flatter trajectory, and they pass through smaller holes through trees without deflection at a certain distance. It creates more kinetic energy, which means it has a higher capability to penetrate the animal. Length Olympics bows are longer than hunting bows and have longer stabilizers, which help the bow steady. These can be as tall as 64-70, which can be the same height or longer than the archer. On the other hand, hunting bows are smaller at 50-64 inches because it’s easier to handle in the woods on the ground or at a treestand. Weight and Draw Weight Hunting bows have heavier draw weights at 40-60 pounds. Each state or jurisdiction has limits for draw weights. Olympic bows have average draw weights of 30-50 pounds for both male and female competitors. The lightness of a hunting bow is a disadvantage at an Olympic competition because it has less stability. Olympic bows have to have a tighter grip at longer distances. A bowhunter doesn’t need long-distance precision, and an Olympic archer doesn’t have to worry about the size of the bow. Rules and Regulations The Olympics have a qualification phase where each archery shoots 72 hours. The total score determines the seedings in the elimination rounds, where there are three arrows per set and four arrows for the mixed team event. The team event has six arrows per set. Archers take turns firing an arrow, and each archer has 20 seconds to shoot per arrow. The first archer or team to total six points is the winner in a match while the losers are eliminated. This format continues until the gold medal match, where the last two archers compete for the gold medal. The two semifinal losers will compete for the bronze medal. On the other hand, hunting laws and regulations vary by country, state, or jurisdiction to protect the people, property, and resources. Regulations are also made for ethical hunting, fair competition, and wildlife population management. Commissions and boards pass regulations following a public hearing – this allows hunters to provide their insights and address issues before the enactment of the rules and regulations. Jurisdictions need bowhunters to apply for hunting licenses, tags, and permits. Some places also require bowhunting education and have specific seasons for bowhunting.