Recurve vs Longbow

[B.O.D.]

I have shot both, recurves for 18 years, then longbows for 3.

I "thought"that I was shooting longbow well, that is until I, like Stone Knife, picked up and older recurve I had and was whacking them in there tight,. tight like a tiger!    

Needless to say, the longbows have disappeared and a new Black Widow PMA III with all the fixin's will be here in about 7 weeks or so    

Try as I might, I'm not as consistent with a longbow as I am with a recurve.

I'm betting that would be true of a lot of us on here??

BD

[Jedimaster]

I was/am allured to the romance of the longbow.  They look good and feel good in the hand.  With me it ends right there.  It has taken awhile but I have come to understand that I shoot better with a little heavier bow and with a medium grip.  So takedown recurves are my choice.  There are exception though.  I recently bought a Morrison Shawnee with the Dakota carbon/foam limbs.  It is a "longbow" but has just enough riser mass and a great "medium" grip so I shoot it as good as any recurve.  My deduction is that it ain't the shape of the limbs that determines what shoots good.  It is the grip style and riser mass.  Get those two things to fit your personal preference and then everything else will fall into place.

I agree that consistency is harder to achieve with the longbow for most people.  I, like many I've read here, would have good days and then bad.  No confidence is baddd!!!  Shoot something that makes you feel like an archer no matter what it looks like.  I admire those that don't have this issue.  They are naturally gifted in my opinion.  The Michael Jordan's of archery  

[BobW]

Originally posted by Big Dog:


Needless to say, the longbows have disappeared

Boooooooo! Better change that signature then.    Say it ain't so Cary.....

So what now, you goint to let the "other" kind to your shoots?
   

BobW

[B.O.D.]

I still have a special Bob...it is never gonna leave!!! lol

66"of HH Beauty coming soon. ;0

But for most of my shooting??? it will be the 'curves  

BD

[B4NZ41]

Recurves are center shot, so you don't have to be as picky with the arrow spine as you would with a longbow.
Longbows have less string contact on the wood, so they're generally more quiet than recurves.
Recurves are built to be shot straight wristed, which brings the arrow closer to the bow arm, and makes it easier to learn how to shoot it instinctively.
Longbows are built to be shot low wrist, which takes the arrow farther from the bow arm so it requires more practice than a recurve might. The low wrist grip also makes the grip a lot stronger, and easier to retain when you're half-frozen though.

Above all the most important thing is preference, and practice.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by B4NZ41:
Recurves are center shot, so you don't have to be as picky with the arrow spine as you would with a longbow.
Longbows have less string contact on the wood, so they're generally more quiet than recurves.
Recurves are built to be shot straight wristed, which brings the arrow closer to the bow arm, and makes it easier to learn how to shoot it instinctively.
Longbows are built to be shot low wrist, which takes the arrow farther from the bow arm so it requires more practice than a recurve might. The low wrist grip also makes the grip a lot stronger, and easier to retain when you're half-frozen though.

Above all the most important thing is preference, and practice.

Longbows come in three basic flavors and the modern hybrid aggressive r/d types can be cut to centershot, and can have recurve pistol-style handles.

[Daddy Bear]

I have the greatest feel of archer input and therefore the greatest feel of archery feedback when I'm loosing arrows from a small handle straight grip longbow using a heel down grip. Handling such a trim light bow afield using this broke wrist grip places the arrow smack on top of your bow hand which marries the bow to the archer. To me this makes for a feel of "being part of" the bow moreso than using any big handle bow with a high wrist grip. The archer is truly the weak link in this union as he is usually the most difficult to bring into tune w/ the long bow. This probably does not apply to any static target archery, but I do find this true in the dynamics of hunting with the longbow afoot.

Once the archer reaches a level where he can master himself and finds the longbow that best fits, I'm of the opinion that the gains in the fluid feel of handling this longbow afoot would far outweigh any of the static target negatives. As to the accuracy, one could reach a far greater level of static target accuracy if they dumped their recurve for a machine bow, or better yet a center-fire rifle. But, I think one would be one step farther removed from greater user input and therefore a lower level of satisfaction from sucess. No different w/ a longbow or a selfbow. More difficult, but one step closer to greater user input and therefore a greater level of satisfaction from sucess. Granted this success may take more work, but this user input is indeed how we base the value of our success.

Daddy Bear