When Was the First Compound Bow Made? (2026)

When was the compound bow invented?

Answer: The first compound bow was made in the mid‑1960s — prototypes appeared around 1966, small commercial runs began around 1967, and a U.S. patent was issued in 1969.

If you are asking when was the first compound bow made, that mid‑1960s window is the clearest short answer and explains why different sources list slightly different years.

Quick timeline: prototypes and early builds — 1966; patent application filed — 1966; first small commercial sales — about 1967; patent issued — 1969 (U.S. Patent No. 3,486,495). For a readable background and timeline, see this archery history.

Holless (Hollis) Wilbur Allen and the invention

Holless Wilbur Allen (often spelled Hollis in some records) was an American bowhunter and inventor who tinkered with bow ideas in the 1960s. He brought practical hunting experience to his workshop experiments and focused on real‑world shooting needs.

Allen’s motivation was simple: hunters needed more stored energy, more arrow speed and a bow that was easier to hold at full draw for a precise aim. He wanted to reduce shooter fatigue and make harvesting game more reliable from challenging field positions.

He built early prototypes using laminated limbs and metal pulleys, testing the pulley idea until the concept worked consistently. Allen filed his patent application in 1966 and continued refining prototypes while he sought manufacturers interested in the idea.

The patent described a pulley or cam arrangement that used block‑and‑tackle mechanics to shift the draw curve and provide let‑off at full draw, letting archers hold with less force while storing high energy. Allen shopped the idea to archery makers and to shops, and while some were skeptical at first, the performance gains soon drew attention across the sport.

Design features of the first compound bow

The breakthrough was simple to describe: add pulleys or cams at the limb tips to change how force climbs and falls during the draw. That mechanical advantage gives the archer a lower holding weight at full draw — the feature called “let‑off” — while still storing more energy for speed.

Early cams were basic round or slightly eccentric pulleys rather than the complex, tuned cam shapes you see today, and the risers and limbs tended to be straightforward laminated constructions. For more on how those early shapes evolved into modern cam profiles, check this design history.

Materials on the very first examples mixed wood or metal risers, fiberglass or laminated limbs, steel cables and metal pulleys — enough to prove the concept but not yet optimized for long‑term durability. Many beginners ask when was the first compound bow made when they see modern cams, and the mid‑1960s prototypes clearly started the line of development that led to today’s refined materials.

Performance improvements were immediate: higher arrow velocity and a much easier hold at full draw for most shooters, which improved accuracy and reduced fatigue. Early designs also had teething problems — cable stretch, pulley wear and tuning difficulty — that manufacturers solved with better metals, synthetic cables and tighter machining tolerances over the next decade.

Introduction to the market and production start

Small‑scale production and sales began within a year or so of the prototypes; Allen and a few small shops sold early units around 1967. The first commercial interest was grassroots, with archery shops and specialty shops ordering small batches to test demand.

Archery magazines picked up the story and ran hands‑on reports that praised the new speed and let‑off while noting reliability and tuning issues to watch. The bow was marketed strongly to hunters first, since the let‑off made holding steady in a treestand or blind much easier than previous designs.

Through the 1970s the market grew quickly: more companies made models, catalogs multiplied, and parts became more standardized so repairs and tuning were easier for owners. As manufacturers refined cams, materials and assembly, the reliability improved and consumer adoption expanded beyond early adopters to mainstream hunters and target archers.

Legacy and long-term significance

The compound bow changed archery by making high power and accurate aiming accessible to more people with less physical strain. If you wonder when was the first compound bow made, remember that mid‑1960s milestone — it set off a revolution that still shapes bow design and shooting style today.

From Allen’s basic pulley idea came many cam philosophies: twin‑cam, single‑cam, hybrid cams and later binary systems, each balancing speed, tuneability and forgiveness. Materials moved from wood and fiberglass to machined aluminum risers and carbon or advanced composite limbs, which improved consistency and reduced weight.

The compound encouraged other gear advances too, like mechanical release aids, sophisticated sights and stabilizers, and these tools reshaped both hunting and competition. Over decades, scores and hunting success rates changed as archers adopted the new tools and techniques enabled by compound technology.

Allen’s contribution is recognized in archery circles and you can find details on his life and work on the Hall of Fame entry, plus museum collections that preserve early prototypes. The mid‑60s invention, the 1966 patent filing and the 1969 patent grant together mark the start of a long legacy that still matters to every compound shooter today.