Abstract: Disclosed is a compound archery bow having a handle, a pair of resilient bow limbs, and a pulley system for providing let off. Each of the bow limbs has a mounting portion opposing a tip portion. The mounting portion of each of the bow limbs is fastened to the handle opposite the other. The pulley system includeds a bowstring, a take-up string, and a pair of cam wheels. The wheels are each pivotally mounted to a corresponding bow limb tip portion with the bowstring and take-up string being mounting under tension therebetween. Each of the wheels includes a peripheral bowstring track with a first working length and a peripheral take-up string track with a second working length. A ratio of the first working length to the second working length is at least about 2.5. Additional or alternative cam wheel features include a maximum radius ratio of the first track maximum radius to the second track maximum radius of at least about l.75, in a cam ratio of at least 5 for a drawn position of the bow.

Abstract: Disclosed is a compound archery bow having a handle, a pair of resilient bow limbs, and a pulley system for providing let off. Each of the bow limbs has a mounting portion, attached to the handle, and an opposing tip portion which mounts a cam wheel. A bowstring and take-up string are mounted under tension between the cam wheels. The bow limbs are pre-curved; when not under tension and fastened to the handle, the limbs have a curved portion having a radius of curvature of less than about 30 inches, the radius sweeping an angle of at least about 35 degrees such that the tip end is located rearward of the mounting end a distance of at least about two inches.

Abstract: An optimized composite bow limb is provided wherein the bow limb is composed mainly of thin sheets of resin impregnated laminates. In a method for making the composite bow limb, laminates are selectively distributed throughout the limb so as to aid in equalizing the stress throughout the working area of the limb and so as to increase the stiffness in the fork section of the limb. The laminates are layed up as part of a bundle in a mold such that some portions of the bundle have more fabric weaves than other portions of the bundle, and thus have increased thickness. The desired thickness of the limb is defined such that the fork portion has an increased thickness to provide increased stiffness for the tines.