RP399 Loose Your Arrows

 RP399 Loose Your Arrows!

Archery is the practice of firing an arrow into a target, living or otherwise, using a bow. The origins of archery possibly date back as far as 50,000 B.C., a theory supported by the discovery of prehistoric stone arrowheads in Africa. Since its invention, archery has been used primarily in hunting and war. The Mongol armies of Genghis Khan conquered Asia with their devastating mounted archers, and many gods and heroes of myth and legend are depicted as archers. The Greek demigod Hercules, the Chinese hero Houyi (who shot down nine of the ten suns), and the English folk hero Robin Hood are just some of the many archers celebrated in popular legends.
Despite the strong start, bows gradually lost their prominence as the long-range weapon of choice after the rapid development of portable firearms in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Soldiers could be trained to use guns much faster, and their ability to pierce armor easily caused the bow to become quickly obsolete. As such, modern archery is treated as a competitive sport rather than a combative skill, with participants firing at targets placed at set distances, then scored depending on their accuracy.
Commonly, an archer stands with his or her side facing the target with both feet at shoulder-width apart, providing a stable base for the shooter. The arrow is then loaded into the bow in a process called "nocking the arrow." The nock is the small groove at the end of the arrow that the string of the bow fits into. The bow is then raised, and the arrow is drawn back in one smooth motion. The left arm should be locked in a straight position, pointing toward the target, while the right arm, which draws the bow, should be bent with the elbow at shoulder height and in line with the arrow. If the drawing arm is too far back, the arrow will not fly straight on release.
You may be surprised to find out that the world record for the furthest arrow ever shot using a handheld, pulled bow is an astonishing 1,222.01 meters—that's over a kilometer! Not bad for just wood, string, and an arm, don't you think?