Why do you hunt with a recurve

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I find my recurves and R/D Longbows to be interchangeable performance wise.

I shoot which ever one tickles my fancy for the day

[J. Holden]

I found an old Ben Pearson recurve in my parents garage when I was about 10 y/o.  I shot that till my fingers hurt and then I out grew it.

A few years later one of the pastors at the church my parents attended used his take-down recurve as prop for a sermon.  I never paid more attention in church!

I cut his grass, watched his kids and learned how to run the sound board in order for him to help me build my take down recurve.

I still shoot it today, almost 25 years later.  I've killed all my animals with that bow.  I like the weight for one, the grip is good because it's hard to not grip it right.

However, I do have a Skookum longbow that is being re-finished by Two Tracks.  I can't wait...

So for now, that's why I shoot a recurve, it's all I know.  But I think in the spring time I may be chasing turkeys in Nebraska with my longbow.

-Jeremy  

[Dave Lay]

I like the feel of the limbs during the draw, or at least with my widow's the limbs opening up really smooths out the draw, my 60lb PSA draws much like my 55 lb longbow. the mass weight and as Mark Land said, shooting a heavier stiffer arrow, come to mind as well, as does the constant grip... I have my PSA quieter than any longbow I own. I guess the ONLY thing I don't like is having to use a stringer. So I normally just always leave it strung. I cant think of a poor hit on a animal ive had with a recurve, I wish I could say that about a longbow.. that to me is reason enough, if its confidence or just shooting better at crunch time, I don't know...

[tomsm44]

Over the last few years I have acquired three recurves from the 1960s.  All three are listed in my signature below.  I spent a lot of time getting the Red Wing Hunter and the BP Hunter tuned perfectly.  Both are whisper quiet and shoot great.  They are the two bows I've hunted with for the last three years without getting a shot.  I got a longbow earlier this year, my first new bow, because I'd heard how much quieter, smoother, etc. they were compared to recurves.  It is indeed smooth and shoots great, but I never got the noise level where I wanted it.  It has a slight twang that I never fully worked out, but since it was still much quieter than any compound I've ever heard, I decided I'd hunt with it anyway.  Long story short, I have gotten two shots this year and both deer jumped the string.  I decided over the weekend to go back to my little 42# BP Hunter.  I got it out and it didn't take any time at all to get the feel back for it.  Hoping to get out with it this afternoon and tomorrow.  One thing I like the most about it and my other recurves has nothing to do with performance.  It's the nostalgia of it.  All three are around 50 years old.  I'm only 31.  Who knows what adventures they have seen in their lifetime, how many "perfect shots" have been made with them, how many meals they have placed on a dining table.  It's fun to hunt with a piece of history.  I do have an idea of what I may be my issue with the longbow after a discussion recently with a friend.  It never crossed my mind before, but he asked if it had a fast flight string.  I'm not positive, but being a brand new custom, it seems pretty likely that it does.  All my old recurves have Dacron, so that could be the difference.  If I get a Dacron string for it and it fixes the noise, it could become my favorite bow, but until then, I think I'll continue to tag along with a few archery legends; Fred, Ben, and Bob.    

[Bobaru]

I started with recurves because they were the most modern bow ever.  They not only had fiberglass belly and back - man-o-man, what an innovation that was - but their limbs were recurved to add power.  

Like others, I went to compounds.  They were certainly easier to shoot accurately with.  But, every time I shot a deer, I said to myself: "I could have done that with my recurve!"  

I learned that, for hunters, a recurve is more that adequate.  For "shooters," ...  well, they liked the compounds.  To me, the compounds took the human element out of the equation.

Longbows were not modern enough for me.  Ha!  So, that's how a boy thinks!  (and, of course, I was just not capable of adaptation... or something).

[Jerry Russell]

Primarily because I can't hit the broad side of a barn ( from inside that barn) with a longbow.  Another huge reason for me is that it hampers about 20% of my shot rotation from a tree stand.  I envy those that can shoot them in a big way.

[dirtguy]

Because it was love at first sight!

[jackdaw]

Love the sexy lines of a recurce bow.!!!!  There is a reason they recurved  the tips! It was for speed and performance...

[MikeNova]

I Hunt w recurve and longbow!

[The Whittler]

I hunt with a recurve because for me I can shoot them better/easier than a LB, but I do like the hybrid LB.

[dragonheart]

I hunted with a longbow for most of my life.  Last year I really gave the recurve a chance.  I took 2 big game animals, both pass thru, both short recovery distance under 50 yrds.  

For me, I like the mass weight compared to a longbow and I shoot with a more relaxed bow hand.  I also shoot an elevated arrow rest which allowed me to get great arrow flight.
 
 
 

 

 
 

I am a lonhbow guy 99% of the time. I am hunting with a recurve this weekend because the place I am hunting has several popup blinds that my longbow will not work in!

Bisch