What is the best material for a bow riser(handle)?
There are currently four materials listed in order of cost that the modern bow handle is made of; wood, aluminum/magnesium, machined aluminum, and composites (carbon or ceramic). Wood is what most youth archers start with because it is the least expensive and some of the laminated wood bows will last a long time. Wood is very good choice for the beginner and allows for the development of the proper form. It is also good as an initial bow until the parent decides if the youth archer is going to stay with archery or not. But wood is usually not seen at the more competitive levels in target archery. The grip on a wood bow is substantially thicker than the other materials dues to the strength of the materials. The fragile wood does not have the strength to stand up to the rigors of the job if it were whittled down to a narrow width. Wood also changes its physical properties with temperature and humidity. Cast risers of aluminum/magnesium is the next step up. This adds much more strength th
