Recurve Crossbows
A recurve crossbow is a bow with one string, so it is simple to use and maintain. The term recurve is derived from the shape of the frame. This crossbow has small curves that point away from the shooter and usually found at the end of the bow. These curves serve as a lock and strain to prevent the string from flocking out when the bow is fired.
The recurve design is probably the oldest layout for crossbows. In fact, its original bow shared more features with ancient recurve longbows of Greece, China, and Egypt. The only changes they made were to shorten the recurve and mount it on a handle with triggers and locks. Ancient shooters preferred recurve bows because of their shorter curves, so it was easy for them to shoot while riding horses. Modern recurve crossbows are still useful for sport shooting and hunting, only that most of them are made from wood, carbon fiber, magnesium or aluminum alloy.