FAQ

Recurve Bows, or “Olympic”-style bows, are characterized by a curved tip at either end of the limbs. The string loops directly around the end of each limb.  The limbs maintain their curves whether they’re strung or unstrung.

Compound Bows have eccentrics (wheels) at the end of the limbs, and they use cables (as well as a string) to operate.

Longbows are completely straight, when unstrung, and have a slight C-shape when strung. Longbows are shot with no aiming or stabilizing features on the bow, and this is called barebow. Recurve bows can also be shot barebow-style.

A horse bow is a compact recurve bow used on horseback. They are small and very handy so that they can also be used on the horse’s back or even in limited spaces.

The arrows shot out of the bow towards the target can be made of several different types of material.  There are over 50 different sizes of arrows and this can be confusing to the beginner.  Here are some terms for the components that make up an arrow:

• The shaft is the long, slender “body” of the arrow. Shafts can be made out of wood, fiberglass, aluminum, carbon, or a combination of materials.
• The fletching is attached to the shaft of the arrow and helps the arrow stabilize as it flies. Archers will use feathers (made of dyed turkey feathers) or veins (made of plastic), which are glued to the shaft. Fletching comes in a variety of sizes and colors.
• The nock is made of plastic. It is attached to the top of a shaft or sits on top of a pin that is glued into the nock end of the shaft. The nock connects the arrow to the string.
• The point / Tip is glued or screwed into the opposite end of the shaft from the nock. When an arrow flies towards the target, the point directs the arrow to penetrate the bail, allowing the arrow to stick in and stay there.* Points should not be confused with a broadhead, a special point that bowhunters use. Broadheads replace the points and are screwed into the front of the arrow.
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It’s essential to store your bow properly when you aren’t using it. This keeps the bow and arrows in like-new, working shape and prevents costly damage. You can use hard or soft cases, backpacks, bow stands, or pegs to store your bow correctly. The power of a bow comes from its shape. All the parts of your bow have been finely tuned to provide an accurate, robust, repeatable shot without damaging the materials of the bow. Proper storage will help maintain this shape as any warping or bending will alter the functioning of the bow and could even make it unshootable. 

• Temperature and humidity can affect the shape and function of your bow, you want to store it somewhere that is not too dry or humid and not too cold or hot.
• Remove the string if you have a wooden bow. Wooden recurve bows deform when you leave them strung for long a period.
• Polish the bowstring with a stick of bowstring wax.
• Bows are designed to survive rough conditions, but they are still pretty fragile. To ensure your bow lasts, take good care of it through proper cleaning and storage.
• Note that archery ranges usually have bow mounts or racks to store your bow when you aren’t actively firing it. Take advantage of these spots to avoid leaning your bow on the ground and potentially damaging it.
• No matter what kind of bow you have, leaning it on the ground will eventually deform it.

To measure your draw length, stand with your back to a wall stretching your arms out against the wall. Measure the distance from the end of your middle finger to the end of your other middle finger, basically the length of both arms, hands, and chest (your arm span/wingspan). Divide that number by 2.5 and the resulting number will be the proper draw length.

If you are not sure about your wingspan, generally the wingspan equals a person’s height. Dividing the height with 2.5 will also give you your draw length.

Draw weight refers to the resistance of the bow when you pull back on the string, or “draw.” More draw weight means more force and speed, but it also means the bow will be harder to aim and control. As a result, a beginner should go for lower draw weight and build up to more powerful bows as they gain experience. Your ideal draw-weight range is based on a few factors such as your gender, age, height, and weight, and it will be different for each kind of bow. 

Recurves and longbows have incrementally heavier draw weights the farther they’re pulled. The standard for determining their draw weight is taken at 28 inches of draw length. The draw weight is marked on the bow’s lower limb with the pound sign (#), such as 35# @ 28”. That translates to 35 pounds of draw weight at a 28-inch draw length.

As you gain more experience shooting recurve bows, you will obviously gain strength and will be able to handle more draw weight.

We recommend purchasing a draw weight you feel comfortable shooting repeatedly.

Some Useful Tips

• If in doubt, choose the lower draw weight. I can’t stretch this enough, it’s better to choose a lower draw weight when in doubt. A lot of archers start with too heavy draw weight and don’t learn the proper technique because of it.
• Choose a compound bow with an adjustable draw weight. Some compound bows allow you to configure the draw weight. My compound bow for example is adjustable between 30 and 70 LBS. This allows you to change the poundage on the fly!
• Try the draw weight before you buy. If you have never tried a 45 LBS bow, you won’t have a feeling for the draw weight. Whenever possible, try before you buy! Especially when the bow is on the heavier side.
• Don’t take the decision for the draw weight lightly. Do your research, don’t assume that you will get used to certain draw weight. That can sometimes take years.

A bow’s brace height is the distance from the grip’s deepest part to the bowstring. When you get your bow, you’ll set its brace height based on the manufacturer’s recommendation, which is the range the bow is designed to shoot. You need to experiment in that range and find the spot where your bow shoots best. Once you find your ideal brace height, periodically check it to ensure it hasn’t changed. Brace heights can change as bowstrings stretch, or you repeatedly remove and restring your recurve.

Below are some brace-height ranges. These guidelines work for most recurve bows, but always follow the manufacturer’s recommended brace-height range.

• 62- and 64-inch bows have 7½- to 8½- inch brace heights.
• 66- and 68-inch bows have 8- to 9-inch brace heights.
• 70- and 72-inch bows have 8¾- to 9½-inch brace heights.

For modern compound bows, the brace height is going to be set by the manufacturer, and you'll want to stick to those settings to get peak performance out of your bow. Manufacturers of recurves and longbows will recommend ideal brace heights for individual models, and it’s then up to the archer to twist or untwist the bowstring to achieve the ideal brace height. You add twists to the string to increase the brace height and untwist the string to shorten it.

A right-handed person generally shoots a right-hand bow. A left-handed person generally shoots a left-hand bow. That's simple enough, but if you've never shot a bow before, you could easily misunderstand how bows are oriented for the right and left hands. A right-hand bow is actually held in the LEFT hand and drawn back with the right hand. Conversely, a left-hand bow is held in the RIGHT hand and drawn back with the left hand. You choose the orientation of the bow based on the hand that draws the bow - not the hand that grips the bow.

Your choice of bow length should be determined by your draw length. The standard riser size is a 25-inch riser. If you combine this with the length of the limbs you will get the bow length. A long limb with a standard (25-inch) riser will give you a 70-inch bow. A medium pair of limbs will give you a 68″ bow, and a short pair of limbs will give you a 66″ bow.

• If you’re shooting more than a 29″ draw, a 70″ bow is recommended.
• If you shoot more than a 27″ draw, it’s a 68″ bow.
• If you shoot more than a 25″ draw, it’s a 66″ bow.
• If you shoot less than a 25″ bow, you should consider a 64″ bow (short limbs and a 23″ riser).
• If you shoot more than a 31″ draw, you should consider a 72″ bow (long limbs and a 27″ riser).

A longbow should fit your draw length plus a couple of inches as a rough guide. If you shoot one that is too short, you will find the bow won’t feel smooth to draw. Too long and there is a waste of energy with the extra height of the limbs at full draw. Before you choose a long bow, it's good to know a few things about yourself.

Eye Dominance

Knowing your dominant eye is crucial because it will determine which hand you use to shoot. For example, if your dominant eye is your left eye, you should be shooting with your left hand.

Draw length & Bow length

One person’s draw length is directly linked to the bow length you might choose. Find the approximate bow length you could go for according to your draw length.

Draw weight

If you are new to archery you might need to choose a lower draw weight. Finding your preferred draw weight will be a process of trial and error. You might be able to go up on your draw weight eventually through practice. So, before you decide on which draw-weight you can pull it's good to visit our pro shop or any other nearby archery store or academy. If you live in Toronto or a nearby area, feel free to visit our pro shop.

Yes. You can place an order as a guest with no obligation to create an account. We do recommend that you create an account, however, if you’d like to check your order history and have your shopping basket items and payment details saved for next time. 

This is automatically sent to your email address when you place an order. If you haven’t received your order confirmation within 24 hours, please call us at (905)744-7004 or email us at customer.support@archerysource.ca just in case there’s a problem with your order. Please check your mailbox’s spam or junk folder before contacting in case the order confirmation has been diverted there.

There is only a short amount of time between when you place your order and when we start processing it. If you contact us straight away after ordering, via

(905)744-7004 or email us at customer.support@archerysource.ca we may be able to cancel your order before it’s processed. 

Once the order is processed, we may have to charge you an additional fee.

You will first receive an automatic order acknowledgment email. When we have finished processing your order, we send you a second email. We only charge your card when your order is confirmed.

Yes, you can. While you place the order choose the shipping method as pick-up store. When the product is ready to pick up, you will get an email, text, or call confirming the order is ready and you can pick it up at your own convenience. Our pro-shop is located at

40 Continental Place,

Toronto, ON

When the order is shipped, we will send you a confirmation email with the tracking number for the selected method of shipment you chose. You can use the tracking number and track your order on the website of the shipping provider.

The courier will leave a card for you to rearrange the delivery at a cost or to pick up at the courier service with an ID.

If you would like your orders combined email us within 30min of placing your first order or add it to the notes of your second order. If you miss that chance, email us or call us with your name and order numbers within 24 hours.

We provide shipping through CanadaPost and UPS inside Canada. For Canadapost you can choose any of the shipping options that the courier service provides: Priority, Xpresspost, Expedited Parcel, or Regular Parcel. For UPS you can choose from UPS Standard, UPS Expedited, UPS Express Saver, UPS Express, or UPS Express Early. 

For US shipping, we mostly ship through UPS or USPS. You are able to choose the shipping method from UPS Standard, UPS Worldwide Expedited, UPS Worldwide Express, and UPS Worldwide Express Plus for UPS. And for USPS, Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Package Service-Retail, USPS Retail Ground, or Media Mail.

We ship to US and Canada-wide only. The shipping method and charges will be according to the courier service and the shipping address you chose while placing the orders. 

Shipping costs depend on the item you’ve ordered, the location, and the postal service you choose where it’s being delivered. Please refer to our shipping policy page to check the postage fees for different postal services. 

For all shipments, we provide tracking information to ensure dependable service. If you receive a damaged, crushed or torn-open package and the merchandise inside is damaged or missing in any way please keep all the packaging material and contact CanadaPost, UPS, or USPS service center for assistance in filing a claim.

Archery Source is not responsible for the damage caused by the shipping provider. If there are any missing parts or items and the package is not damaged or open during shipment, contact us immediately at (905) 744 - 7004.

Yes, unless noted at purchase, all qualified merchandise purchased from Archery Source may be returned for a replacement or refund (excluding shipping charges) within 14 days of delivery. Returns received before 14 days will carry a 10% restocking fee unless it is the return of a defective product or due to errors on our end. Returns after 14 days will carry a 20% restocking fee. However, there are products that don't qualify for a return. 

These include, but are not limited to, arrow shafts cut to your length, fletching of arrows, some custom-made bows and custom-made bowstrings, items we had to source from an independent source, Special or personalized orders, Kisser and Nose Buttons (for sanitary reasons) may not be returned under any circumstance other than to replace an item due to a defective product. 

The shipping fee is waived for returns of defective items or due to errors on our end. If not, the buyer will be responsible for shipping charges.

• Please complete our online Return Request or call us at (905) 744 - 7004 or email us at customer.support@archerysource.ca
• State the reason for return and obtain a Return Authorization Number.
• We will send you a return label if the shipping fee is waived.
• Or send it or drop it in person to our address:

Archery Source Canada

40 Continental Place

Toronto, ON M1R 2T4

• All return shipments must display a Return Authorization Number printed clearly on the outside of the package.

Unless noted at purchase, all qualified merchandise purchased from Archery Source may be returned for a replacement or refund (excluding shipping charges) within 14 days of delivery.

Please note, that any items marked as a special order or unqualified items (see below) are EXEMPT from cancelation and 14-Days return. For more information please see our Return Policy.

Yes, you can exchange your order within 14 days return option by choosing an exchange. However, there are some products that are excluded from exchanges. These include, but are not limited to, arrow shafts cut to your length, fletching of arrows, some custom-made bows and custom-made bowstrings, items we had to source from an independent source, Special or personalized orders, Kisser and Nose Buttons (for sanitary reasons) may not be returned under any circumstance other than to replace an item due to a defective product.

If you want to proceed with the exchange check the availability of the product on our website or call us at

(905) 744 - 7004 or email us at customer.support@archerysource.ca.

Unfortunately, if the size or type is currently out of stock, we are unable to exchange it for this product. We recommend signing up for restock notifications on this item and returning it as normal.

You can subscribe to out-of-stock notifications from our website. This tool sends you an email once your favorites are available again. To set this up please visit our online shop, select the size and color you prefer and click the "notify me" button.

Or contact us to make a special order.

Our team is working on your refund as soon as we receive your return order. Products that are damaged or unable to be reconditioned may not qualify for a refund. All product returns are subject to a thorough inspection upon delivery.

Once the refund is processed you will receive an email to update you. The process typically takes 5-10 business days from the day we receive your return at the warehouse.

If you are still experiencing problems with the refund please contact us or check with your financial institution.

If you send the package to us using the return label we provided, there would be a PR number. With that you will be able to send the package and Canadpost will provide you with a tracking number. You can use the tracking number to track the package. Once we receive the package we will send you a confirmation email as well update on the refund/exchange status.

We're really sorry if we've made a mistake with your refund! Contact us immediately. We'll try and sort it out for you as soon as possible.

Before we contact us please be aware that, returns must be unused, in new condition, and packed in the original sealed manufacturer's packaging and will undergo an inspection before the refund.

Please note that returns received after 14 days will carry a 20% restocking fee. Returns received before 14 days will carry a 10% restocking fee unless it is the return of a defective product or due to errors on our end. Returned items that are not in original packaging and/or showing any signs of use, installation, or wear will carry a 20% restocking fee or may be refused entirely depending upon the severity of the wear.

All Prices (including shipping rates) are quoted in Canadian Dollars (CAD) and are subject to change without notice because of international currency fluctuation, increases from manufacturers, inflation, typographical errors, and factors beyond our control. We make our best effort to inform you of these changes. For very large orders, special orders, and customized orders, please contact us for a special price quotation. Any and all pricing errors are subject to our correction without notice.

We strive to maintain sufficient inventory to meet your needs. In case the product is not available it will be shown as out of stock on the website. In that case, you can sign up for a notification to let you know whenever the product is back in order. Or you are welcome to make an order as a special order, so we could try to source the product directly from the company. In these cases, the timeline to fulfill your order varies according to the brand, the shipping time, and many other external factors.

Special order items are non-returnable and non-refundable.

When buying a bowstring, you must know your bow length. Measure its length from string groove to string groove. Bow sizes and string lengths are based on a standard known as AMO. AMO is a standardized set of measurements for archery bows, strings, and equipment. Once you know the bow’s length, you can determine your bowstring’s length. If you shoot a recurve, your bowstring is usually 4 inches shorter than the bow’s length. If you shoot a longbow, the bowstring is 3 inches shorter.

Compound bowstrings come in several parts. The main bowstring and one or more cables connect the cams. Your bowstring and cable lengths will be written on your bow or in your owner’s manual.

If you’re still unsure, measure your current bowstring or use our custom string selection options. Still not sure? Give us a call.

Choose the right material

• Carbon: these arrows dominate the market these days and for good reason. Carbon arrows are lighter, faster, penetrate better due to their smaller diameter and carbon doesn’t bend like aluminum.
• Aluminum: These arrows are a great option if you are not concerned with speed and want a heavier arrow. Aluminum arrows are quieter out of the bow and allow a wider range of spine choices.
• Aluminum/Carbon: these arrows combine the best qualities of carbon and aluminum, and combine them into one. These arrows are extremely durable and the small diameter and thick wall of carbon in the middle provide consistent arrow flight, spine, straightness, and increased penetration. 
• Fiberglass Arrows: Though not very common on the target range or in the woods, fiberglass can be a great shaft for bowfishing or youth archery. The big reason is they are extremely strong. The price can be more affordable and the weight is the heaviest of all arrow shafting options.
• Wooden Arrows: Wood arrows fly quieter than hollow carbon and aluminum arrows, as wood arrows are constructed from a solid material. Weight can vary depending upon the type of wood the shaft is from.

Choosing the right arrow spine

Arrow manufacturers offer a spine chart that details their arrows’ stiffness. Typically, the higher the number, the weaker the spine. Common spine ratings are 300, 400, 500, and 600, with 300-spine arrows being the stiffest.

Are you planning on target shooting? Maybe your goal is to be a bowhunter? The answers to these questions can be a big influence on which material you should use.

It is normally recommended for a traditional bowhunter to have 8 to 10 grains for every pound of pull weight. Example: A 50# bow (at your draw) should be close to a 500 grains (including point and fletchings) arrow. You can check with your bow manufacturer to see how light you can go, but if you can’t find the information from them, then it is best to go no less than seven (7) grains per pound (a 50# bow would be 350 grains).

Another issue to consider is shaft diameter. The smaller diameter was developed for better penetration of the game and less wind drift on longer shots. Certain spines and sizes may only be available in specific diameters such as wood and aluminum shafts. Make sure to size field points and broadheads to the shaft. In some cases, the heads can be slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft but they should never be under-sized, as smaller heads will decrease penetration, slightly diminish accuracy, or even damage the shaft in a target.

Yes, you can customize your arrows to your draw length, shooting style, or aesthetic preferences. When you order a set of arrows there will be options to choose whether you want it cut to your draw length or not and your preferred colors for the vanes or feathers. If you want further customization please contact us.

Yes, we specialize in custom-made bow strings. Don’t worry if you can't find the particular length of string or specific string colors for any bow you use. Please take advantage of our ASC Strings option to select the type of bow, type of string, colors you prefer, and length you want. We will make it for you.

All orders must be prepaid. We accept PayPal payments, Discover, Mastercard, Visa, or American Express.

If you want to send your order as a gift, please write it in the order notes box. If you would like to add a message, please leave it in the order notes box and it will be printed onto a card with an envelope and included with the delivery. An additional $5 CAD will be charged for adding a card. The order will be dispatched with a delivery note but no prices will be shown.

Reply to your order confirmation email and let us know that you meant to include a note, and if it hasn't shipped yet we'll make sure it is included.

You can retrieve your password by clicking “forgot password?”. Instruction on password retrieval will be sent to your email.

You can easily change your shipping address on your account. You just need to log in and click “my account” and “edit”.  You can also change the shipping address during the checkout process if you need. Just click “edit” below “shipping address”.

You can make use of our Contact Us page to reach out to us. Or call us or text us at (905) 744 - 7004 or email us at customer.support@archerysource.ca.