Short bows: Recurve vs Longbow

[dixiearcher]

Very interested in the shorter bows (27" draw) especially the 52"-56" range for hunting. At that length, could someone give me the pros and cons of a short curve vs a short longbow?

[Crooked Stic]

There are both out there that will work very well. Cant say one is better than the other for myself. People are different
. I would say what you like best in a longer bow may be what you want when you go shorter.

[Ken Sorg]

It’s all in what you like really. Most shorty recurved will have a mid to high wrist grip on them where the short longbows probably won’t. Also, how close to centershot the bow is cut plays a role also. I love short recurves and found out real quick short longbows weren’t for me after spending quite a bit on one.

[dixiearcher]

Thanks. Really just wondering what the practical advantages/disadvantages are of one design over the other on average specifically with the short bows.

[blacktailbob]

Recurves do tend to be a bit faster than a comparable longbow, but also a bit louder.
Your results may vary.

[JohnV]

Hybrid longbows have some of the best attributes of each.

[MnFn]

Have had both, a Shrew Classic Hunter 56”, and a Helms Deep  54”.  Both around 50#.  I spent more time shooting the Classic Hunter, so I probably would lean towards that one. I will say there was not a lot of difference between them to me.
They both shot pretty well.
I got the Helms Deep later in life, and for me , I discovered I liked the shooting qualities of a longer bow.  I mostly shoot around  60-62” bows except for a 66” ASL.

I guess I did buy an Elk Heart later, and I also had a Bear Super Mag 48” but sold them for the reason above.

[McDave]

There are both recurves and longbows that perform well in the ultra-short lengths you are looking at.  However, for any given length, e.g. 56”, the recurve will have a shorter end to end length than the longbow, due to the fact that part of the length of a recurve is taken up by the recurved limbs.

[Lefty38-55]

FWIW I too have a 27" draw and compared a 66" Toelke Whip to a 58" Toelke Whistler, both of the same draw weight at my length. I got higher velocity by 5 FPS (which is really nothing) with the shorter limbed bow, but everything else was a wash. Even with eyes closed and bows resting on a couch, I couldn't tell which was which, as both grips (standard w/ thumb rest) felt the same.

There are some who will opine that the heavier physical weight bow would be more stable ... but I guess I'm just not a good enough shooter to notice that detail! I did sell the Whistler, only because I felt like I was shooting a 'kid's bow' and I guess I like my longbows to be ...well, long, LOL!

[Friend]

Personal Experience:

Longbows typically need to be at least two inches longer than a recurve to approach the draw smoothness.

Majority of short recurves: Struggle with consistency beyond 25 yards

All short longbows in my experience: Struggle with tight consistency much beyond 20 yards

Short static tip- hi performance recurve option that continues to work well for me:
TimberGhost: 60” AMO, however strings to length of typically strung 56” recurve…Am able to be quite competent out to 40 yards
----smooth with nice shooting experience...there are other shorter models…some competitive 3D events have been won with the shorter models.

Shooting a forgiving bow that would require ~6#s less draw wt interests me.
Shooting a forgiving bow that would enable me to up arrow wt by over 50 gns w/o sacrificing downrange performance interests me.

[Ron LaClair]

The choice is yours

[mahantango]

Big fan of the shorter hybrids for hunting.  The good ones really give up nothing to a recurve with the added advantages of no string slap noise and the ease of push-pull stringing. My 56" Kanati (I too have a 27" draw) feels like a much longer bow.

[YosemiteSam]

I have a 50" Browning Cobra hanging up on the wall of my office.  I bought it used for a good price and shot it until it cracked -- which was a lot.  I hunted with it but only managed to take a turkey with this bow.

Pros:
You can shoot while seated on the ground without changing the cant of the bow -- standing and seated are the same sight picture.  Bottom limb still clears the ground.
Easy to maneuver in the woods.
Light weight

Cons:
Less forgiving of form errors.  Accuracy is still there but I have to work harder for it.
Light weight -- I shoot heavier bows better.  I see tighter groups with a full bow quiver than with the same bow naked.
Couldn't get a bow quiver to stay on well.  The bottom strap kept slipping down the wide limb.
Mounting a clicker was a challenge & my least favorite setup for this.

After the limb cracked, I put it aside & went back to my old Samick Sage for a while.  My accuracy went up and I relearned how to make that aggressive cant shot while seated on the ground.  I since picked up a 60" longbow in a higher draw weight & have been shooting that.  While I liked that compact little Cobra, I think I might pick up a compound *gasp!* before I ever get another one like it again.  Too many cons for me.

[Lori]

Over the years my husband had a 50" Browning, a shorter Herters with a fat grip, a 48" Bear and a 52" Pearson. He complained that they were touchy at anything over 20 yards. He can talk about touchy, I saw him shoot a doe once that was uphill and on his bow side, while he was on his back, with a 70" 90 pound Hill.  Not a long shot, but he said that the doe caught him laying down and maybe if he had a short bow, he could have sat up and still had clearance for the bottom limb.  I have a 54" Lost Creek NAT that seems perfect at my 26+" draw, I have shot deer at 25 or so yards with it.

[Bisch]

It’s all personal preference!

Bisch

[GCook]

I like 58 and 60 inch bows.  I had a Bear Black Panther (52") I couldn't get the hang of.  Finally gave it to a new archer. 
My compound is 30" ata.  But no fingers involved.  I suspect it is how each person is able to manage that finger pinch aspect.
For me the arthritis in my knuckles is challenging.

[Petrichor]

Have had both and my worst experience was with a 52” hybrid that is dreadful to shoot. Accuracy is ok but bow was so loud at every conceivable brace height and arrow setup. Had short curves and like them. Found my bow though 58” chinook is short, fast, and quiet. Short bows are appealing but middle of the road seems to be the ticket for me. Noticed the troll is no longer on toelke site wonder where it went?

[Ray Lyon]

A 54” Super Shrew Classic Hunter II at your draw length would be all Pro’s and no Con’s.  Put a Great Northern Shrew quiver on it and it’s a stable, accurate compact, quiet hunting bow.

[Mad Bear]

I started hunting with a short bow last fall. I do not like to shoot recurves and my longbow was just that, too long. I hunt in the thickest parts of the eastern woodlands of canada and a short bow has the advantage. It is much easier to move through the bush and set up for shots with a shorter bow here.

It also is a great bow for a ground blind, this is where i do 90% of my hunting.

I am shooting a bearpaw mohawk hybrid 58”. Its a great bow.