The Traditional bowstyle is a Field Archery style, not strictly a Target Archery style. The style requires highly skilled and controlled bow handling and arrow loosing, and Instinctive or ‘Gapping’ skill and ability in aiming.

In many ways it limits the equipment to what was used by Bowhunters around 1960, and as well as not permitting the use of bowsights, only permits the simplest of fixed arrow-rests, with no sprung pressure plungers or similar gadgets to improve arrow flight, and no extended stabilisers. Arrows must be made of wood, with feather fletchings.
The Style is recognised by the name ‘Traditional’ by Archery GB, but other Field Archery Bodies, such as the National Field Archery Society and the English Field Archery Association, do not use that name but recognise styles called ‘Bowhunter’ and ‘Hunting Tackle’ which are practically identical except that there are Draw Weight limits.

The World Archery Federation recognises an ‘Instinctive’ Style, which is very similar to Traditional, except that the Riser (handle section) of the bow may not be made predominately of metal or carbon fibre, but should be made of natural materials such wood or bamboo, or fibreglass or other reinforced plastic, and must incorporate some wood or bamboo.
Another general limitation applies to the shooting style, the Archer must use the same ‘Anchor Point’ (where the string hand makes contact with the archer’s face) and the same hand position relative to the arrow nock throughout a Competition (in contrast with Barebow Archers who mostly adjust for different distances by either ‘face-walking’ – varying the contact of the string hand withe archer’s face – or ‘string walking’ (varying the hand position on the bowstring relative to the arrow nock).