Bow Maker

Mónus József

Bow MakerArrow Maker

Hajdúnánás, Hungary

Mónus József is a Hungarian bow and arrow maker whose equipment is developed through long-distance and historical archery. He makes the bows and arrows he uses in competition himself, with his work shaped by repeated testing at extreme distances and by the study of historical bow forms.

Key facts

At a glance

SpecialtiesLong-distance flight bows · Historical Asian bows · Scythian-structure Zrínyi flight bow · Custom flight arrows · Competition equipment developed through repeated testing · Historical bow experimentation and practical research · Bow-and-arrow systems tuned together for maximum distance

Traditions & stylesHungarian traditional archery · Historical Asian bow forms · Scythian-inspired bow form · Traditional / historical archery · Flight archery · Long-distance archery

Materials & constructionCustom bow construction · Custom arrow construction · Bamboo documented in his bow-making work · Glass fibre documented in his bow-making work · Purpose-built flight-arrow construction

International reachInternational — long-distance and historical archery competition, research and demonstrations across Europe, Asia and the United States.

Traditions & Craft

Craft and tradition

Custom bow and arrow making for long-distance flight archery, historical archery and experimental testing.

About

About Mónus József

For Mónus József, bow making and long-distance shooting develop together. He builds his own bows and arrows, tests them in competition and uses the results to refine later equipment. His work combines Hungarian historical archery with experimentation based on wider historical Asian bow forms. In August 2026 at Smith Creek, Nevada, he recorded 1063.59 metres in the 88.2 lb Compound Flight category. At the same venue in 2025, he also recorded long-distance results with a historical Asian bow, including 525.08 metres. Alongside competition, Mónus works with the Magyarságkutató Intézet on experimental study of historical bows and their practical performance.