Five free archery tools covering arrow spine selection, draw weight calculation, score calculation, calorie burn, and handicap estimation. Covers recurve, compound, and barebow formats.
Archery basics
Archery competition primarily uses two formats: target archery (shooting at circular targets at fixed distances — 18m indoor, 30–90m outdoor for recurve) and field archery (shooting at targets across varied terrain at unmarked distances). Olympic archery uses recurve bows at 70m; compound archery is not an Olympic event but is widely competed internationally. Scores are recorded per arrow value (1–10 on a 10-zone face) with X counting for tiebreak purposes on inner 10.
All archery tools
5Arrow Spine Calculator
Find the recommended arrow spine for your bow's draw weight, arrow length and bow type.
Open toolArchery Draw Weight Calculator
Find the recommended bow draw weight based on your age, experience and shooting goal.
Open toolArchery Score Calculator
Calculate your archery score for WA/FITA target rounds — 10-zone or 5-zone scoring.
Open toolArchery Calorie Calculator
Estimate calories burned in a target archery session by weight and intensity.
Open toolArchery Handicap Estimator
Estimate your Archery GB handicap band from your round score.
Open toolFrequently asked questions
What draw weight should I start with for archery?
For adult beginners: 20–30lb draw weight is the standard recommendation for learning correct form without developing bad habits from over-bowing. Children typically start at 10–20lb. It is very common for new archers to buy too heavy a bow — a bow that is too heavy causes form breakdown, reduces accuracy, and risks injury. Most archers can increase draw weight by 5lb every 2–3 months as back strength develops. The draw weight calculator accounts for your measurements and shooting style.
What does arrow spine mean?
Arrow spine is the stiffness measurement of the arrow shaft — its resistance to bending. The correct spine depends on your draw weight, draw length, and arrow length. An arrow that is too stiff (high spine number) or too flexible (low spine number) for your setup will not fly correctly — it will fishtail, impact the rest, or miss the target consistently. The arrow spine calculator uses your bow specifications to recommend the correct spine range.
What is an archery handicap?
Archery handicaps allow archers of different ability levels to compete fairly. The system used by Archery GB assigns a handicap number (0–150) based on average scores — lower handicap means higher ability. As scores improve over a season, the handicap is updated. Handicap tables convert a given score at a given round into a handicap number. The handicap estimator tool calculates your approximate handicap from recent scores.