Long Bow vs Recurve For First Bow

[Coach Jones]

Which would you recommend for a first bow?  I want to get a bow for my soon to introduce him to traditional archery.  What are the advantages of each?  Which is easier to shoot for a beginner?

[slivrslingr]

Draw weight is more important than bow style for a beginner.  If he is overbowed (too heavy) it doesn't matter what the bow looks like.  To answer your questions though, I think conventional wisdom is that recurves are easier to learn on, though personally, I don't think it really matters.  Just get which ever style he likes and work on teaching fundamentals and good form.  Having the bow set up properly and arrows that shoot well are important as well.

[59Alaskan]

If he is a typical young man and you have the space to allow him to shoot indpendently it surely won't matter because he'll shoot all the time and be a better shot than most of us within a year.

He has a young brain and more time than most of us old guys.  

slivrlinger is right on with everything I've read.  I haven't tried a true longbow yet so I can't speak to it personally.  I will someday soon though.

[Coach Jones]

One of the bows I have found is a Great Northern Longbow 51#@28.  Which is the exact same specs as my Ghost recurve which he has shot on occasion.  He draws 27 and can handle the weight okay.  I like a recurve but more importantly to me is that I like the GN bows.  Its a 5 year old bow for $325.  Seems like a great deal.  I didn't know if the longbow would should with more handshock than my recurve.

[kadiak kid...]

which does he like...just dont overbow...

[Coach Jones]

Actually the Great Northern we are considering is the Bushbow.

[slivrslingr]

How old is he and how much has he shot your gear?  I started shooting bows in my mid-20's and was in really good shape, my bow was 50lb. and I'm glad it wasn't any heavier.  If you have to opportunity to shoot the Bushbow, definitely do it.  If he likes it and shoots it well, the price seems fair to me.

[Rooselk]

If I were a beginner, and had previous experience shooting a compound bow, I would start with a recurve. The reason for that is that way a recurve is held is similar to the way a compound is held. In my opinion that similarity makes the transition much easier.

But regardless if you choose a recurve or a longbow the advice that others here have given you about starting with a light poundage bow is very sound. You would do very well to heed that advice.

Good luck in your quest.  

[Coach Jones]

He is 17.  He has been shooting a compound since he could walk.  Has shot my recurve a few times.  He would be pulling about 47 lbs at his draw with the Bushbow.  I just want to get him a good bow.  We are looking at a few others.

[slivrslingr]

Rooselks observation about the similarity in grips is spot on and may help with the transition.  I think for your son, a recurve may be the way to go.

I have found that if one is teaching a total newbie and I use the Howard Hill and John Schulz videos and then go out and only shoot longbows that they will be shooting as good as me or most others in short order out to twenty yards.  On the other hand i have found that someone that learned how to shoot with a compound, they will have less trouble with a recurve and they will tend to shoot with a straighter bow arm and try to shoot with more vertical form.

[jhg]

I always read about a recurve being "easier" to start with. Maybe for some people. And not for others.

I think anyone who has the least bit of co-ordination will learn to shoot whatever is put in front of them. And if its tuned right they will learn to shoot it well.

A longbow, especially a nice light one, will instill a love of trad archery like no other device. More lore, history, and just plain mojo reside in a longbow than any other arrow casting device. Thats what I believe anyway.

Joshua

[GingivitisKahn]

I'm with the 'what does he like' guys.  I wanted a longbow - started with a compound. That didn't work at all.  

Still wanted a longbow but traded the compound for a recurve because that's what I could find/afford.  That worked pretty well and I shot the heck out of that recurve for a decade or two but ...

I still wanted a longbow.  Finally broke down and ordered a HH that I really like but guess what?  I had to unlearn what recurve form I had and relearn longbow form.

Probably would have been better if I had found some way to start with what I really wanted in the first place.

[amar911]

Either one.

Allan

[term]

I have a Bear Kodiak Hunter 34@28. And it has set a lot of young men off on a trad lifestyle. My son and most of his friends as well as my own. It is just heavy enough for deer for their first year. Thay dont get a bunch of bad habits from being over bowed. Can find them from 150$ to300$. Just my 2 cents, I have never regretted buying that old bow. 1967 shoots great. TERM

[Steve Chappell]

Shoot both and see which one feels best. Everyone is different. My first bow was a recurve that my parents bought me as a kids. To this day I prefer  recurves but own and shoot longbows too. Don't know if this was influenced by the first bow my parents bought me or not.

[BWD]

A used inexpensive starter type recurve will probably be easier to come by. However, many of the shorter r/d long bows/hybrids are basically recurves without the limb slap.