Please Forgive Me

[Airbreather]

for asking a novice question. I am new here, but I have been shooting compound bows for a lot of years, well not that many, 10 years. I have two long bows and compounds. Now I want a recurve to ad to my bow arsenal.

What would recommend as a nice recurve between $100 and $175. I have been looking at the Martin Jaguar Take Down. Decent revues but is it a durable shooter. I want a bow I can shoot in a league and use for hunting, so I will be shooting a lot. One revue said because of the aesthetics one had to be carefull with it so it doesn't break.. WTH.. Any recommendations ??? Thanks in advance... Gary

[AZ_Longbow]

I like the samick sage bows. We have 5 of them. Durable , great shooters and priced right to start out.

[reddogge]

The Samick Sage gets good reviews and is cheap enough to buy a dozen arrows and a quality shooting glove for that money.

[smokin joe]

At that price, look for a used bow here on the classifieds or on a big auction site. Something like a Bear Grizzly, a Bear Kodiak Magnum, or perhaps a Martin Hunter will get you going very well.  You will get far more bow for your money by buying a good bow that is used than you would by buying a lesser bow new. Good luck.

[pukwana]

X3 for the Samick Sage. It's a great bow for the money.

[breazyears]

I have the sage, and the jag. Its a toss up. They are both great shooters for the money.
 That being said. I do find the jag a little smoother on the draw.

[Airbreather]

Thanks, folks for the info.

On a side note, I still have the little fiberglass bow that my Dad bought me when I was 11 years old, 50 years ago....

[Airbreather]

One other thing, Does the break down bow stand up to a lot of shooting. I looked at some Saturday over a place over in parker, CO.

Do they have a tendency to loosen up after shooting awhile ???. Do they wear out or are the take downs durable....???

[Fattony77]

In my mind, one of the biggest advantages of a take-down bow is that you can replace the parts if there is a problem, or if they no longer serve your purposes (i.e. draw weight change, etc.).

I don't disagree with the used bow suggestion, just be careful buying on the auction site. Sometimes the sellers don't know anything about archery and may inadvertantly sell you a junk bow (twisted limbs, etc.). I learned this lesson the hard way.

I bought a Samick Sage for my daughter, and it's a good value. I had a friend that had a Martin Jaguar, and it also seemed a decent bow. I prefer the Sage over the Jaguar, but that's just because I prefer the wooden riser over the metal one. You may like the Jag better, if you're used to a compound, just because it's closer to the feel that you're used to.    

I'd suggest trying before buying if that's at all possible.

Good luck to you in your decision, and let us know what you decide. And Welcome to Tradgang!
-Tony

[Stump73]

Sage

[aim small...release]

Sage again

[Fattony77]

P.S. If you're in the Denver area, you might want to check out Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear. They're a sponsor here, and have a TON of bows (new and used), and have earned a great reputation for customer service.

[Krex1010]

The funny thing about novice questions is that the more of them we ask, the faster we lose the novice tag. That's nothing to ask forgiveness for my friend.

[Homebru]

I would certainly also recommend RMSG, I'm just not sure what they have in your budget (look on-line or call.....or just go look).

I bought the same bow you looked at for my kids from the same place.  It's not a full-blown custom job but, they are good shooting bows for the money.  

In the end, our opinion doesn't matter.  Yours does.  Take a quick trip to RMSG and see if they have anything in stock that fits your budget.  Shoot a few.  Then buy one from them or the one you've already tried.

If it's a local league, I would welcome a PM with details.
homebru

[mangonboat]

Both the Sage and the Jaguar are reliable bows. Upgrading the Sage limbs as you increase draw is easier, cheaper. The used one-piece bow is also a good option. I know a little bit about bows I've been shooting for 50 years so I have done well on the big auction site, but I've also had great experience with *********** trades. If you want to consider vintage , you can get a top of the line Ben Pearson for half of a comparable Bear. Just a collectability issue. In between are some amazing Shakespeare, Browning, York, Indian ,etc. If you find a Wing Red Wing Hunter for a reasonable price, you will never look at a one-piece recurve the same way again .

[aim small...release]

Sage again

[Doug_K]

Bought my sister a sage for Christmas, and set it up for her. Gotta say I'm impressed. Fit is a little rough, but it's very smooth and attractive. Also didn't care for the string, so I twisted a new one up, but it was usable.

Plan on warfing an old compound one of these days and will be buying a set of Sage limbs for it.

[riser]

Consider the Samick Journey.  It has the same riser (19") as the Sage, but it is 2" longer bow (amo 64") than the Sage (amo 62").  The Samick Journey's limbs are just 1" longer each, giving a longer bow.  Makes for a bit smoother draw.  Same price.

[dragonheart]

Sage over a Jaguar IMO.  If you can go shoot several different bows, that is the ticket!