Compound archers group more tightly than recurve archers
2 studies · 51 archers measured
The summary today
The answer looks obvious, yet there is only one direct comparison of groups, and it is small. In a South African study of vision, eleven compound archers and eight recurve archers, from beginners to experts and aged 12 to 58, shot three arrows at 18 metres aiming with one eye and three aiming with both, and the group was the distance between the two outermost arrows: the compound archers did better in both conditions. The authors, however, report the comparison only in words, with no values by style, and warn that a single archer with a 305-millimetre group with both eyes open weighs on the result and that technique, equipment and skill are mixed together. In 2025 an Indian study of 32 archers at 18 metres indoors finds the elite compound archers above the mean score predicted by the model and the non-elite recurve archers below it, but it measures score rather than groups, and level and discipline remain confounded. The direction is the expected one; a published figure by style, at equal level and distance, does not exist.
Also phrased as: "compound more accurate than recurve"; "compound group size"; "compound versus recurve"; "compound and olympic recurve accuracy"; "compound arrow grouping"
In practice
It is taken for granted that the compound, with a magnifying sight, a mechanical release and the valley, groups tighter than the recurve, and it is one of the reasons the two divisions shoot at different distances and on different target faces.
Evidence
-
2010
For Archers Published later
Eleven compound archers and eight recurve archers, from beginners to experts, shoot three arrows at 18 metres with one eye and three with both; the group is the distance between the centres of the two outermost arrows. The compound archers do better in both conditions, but the comparison is reported only in words, with no values by style, and a single archer at 305 millimetres with both eyes weighs on the result.
The role of vision and visual skills in archery* · B. Strydom, J. T. Ferreira
-
2025
Context Archers Published later
Thirty-two Indian archers, 21 recurve and 11 compound, thirty arrows per session at 18 metres indoors: against the mean score predicted by the model, 279.4 out of 300, the elite compound archers sit above and most of the non-elite recurve archers below. It measures score, not groups, and level is mixed up with discipline.
Can we predict archery performance using shooting heart rate and other biophysical parameters? A machine learning approach · Chandra Sekara Guru, Uma Mahajan, Anup Krishnan, Karuna Datta, Deep Sharma
Status history
- 2010 Reported The first and so far only direct comparison of groups sits in a South African study of vision: eleven compound archers and eight recurve archers, of very different levels, shoot three arrows at 18 metres with one eye and three with both, and the compound archers shoot better groups in both conditions. The comparison is described only in words, the values by style are not published and a single archer with a 305-millimetre group weighs on the result: a weak indication in favour, hence reported.
- 2025 Reported An indirect piece of data arrives that points the same way without isolating the discipline: among 32 Indian archers split into four groups, at 18 metres indoors, the elite compound archers sit above the mean score predicted by the model, 279.4 out of 300, and the non-elite recurve archers below it, so much so that belonging to that group is among the top ten predictors. It is a score and not a measure of the group, level and discipline remain confounded and the values by style are not published: it stays reported.
Related
Related articles
Research lines
Cite
Campagna, M. (2026). Compound archers group more tightly than recurve archers (Version 2). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/equipment/compound-recurve-group-size
@misc{campagna2026_compoundricurvoraggruppamento,
author = {Campagna, Matteo},
title = {Compound archers group more tightly than recurve archers},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/equipment/compound-recurve-group-size},
note = {Version 2; accessed 2026-10-16}
}
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