Recurve/ Stick/ Hibrid

[woodsman 365]

Could someone please explain the differences for these models. I see through reading on this site, that most people go to stick bows. I am still trying to decide what to buy. Something for me to consider is I'm 52 so the lbs will be 48-52#. Will a stick or hibrid bow at that weight be effective. I have enough money put aside to buy a good bow And I have looked at several bow sites. When they talk about differant models, woods, limb materials, risers and so on, I'm lost.

[Fletcher]

"Stick" is a generic slang term for any conventional type bow, be it a longbow, recurve, flatbow or hybrid.  Recurves are pretty easy to figure out; A hybrid is somewhat of a crossover between a recurve and a longbow, with a rather pronounced deflex/reflex limb design.  The riser and grip will vary from longbow to recurve style.  48-52 lbs is great for deer and black bear and adequate within its limitations for bigger game.

I know what you mean about the confusion with all the different options available out there.

[Plumber]

most limb woods are just for looks.some may have a little more snap then others.but its all about the core wood. I happen to like bamboo.The same with the riser.just try to research different wood combos.an make something nice.If you dont know what kind of bow to buy.THEN DONT BUY ANY until you haved tried a recurve or longbow witch are the most common.good luck its fun

[Apex Predator]

A bow that has the arrow shelf cut to center, or close is normally easier for the new folks.  Longer is normally more forgiving as well.  The rest is purely asthetics.  Anything you pick in the wieght range you are interested in will serve well for hunting most deer sized, or larger game.

[woodsman 365]

Originally posted by Plumber:
most limb woods are just for looks.some may have a little more snap then others.but its all about the core wood. I happen to like bamboo.The same with the riser.just try to research different wood combos.an make something nice.If you dont know what kind of bow to buy.THEN DONT BUY ANY until you haved tried a recurve or longbow witch are the most common.good luck its fun

I have an old D/H hunter and have shot a couple of martins but no way of seeing or shooting upper end bows to compare. I am now looking for a quality bow. I may buy from the classifieds and resell if it,s not right for me.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Try and find a trad shoot and shoot as many different kinds of bows first. You may want a recurved bow but find You shoot a long bow better. Like Me I started off with recurved bows and now shoot long bows, I just like and shoot them better.

[woodsman 365]

Originally posted by mysticguido:
Try and find a trad shoot and shoot as many different kinds of bows first. You may want a recurved bow but find You shoot a long bow better. Like Me I started off with recurved bows and now shoot long bows, I just like and shoot them better.

Went to a local shoot to do just that. There were 9 shooters who had 7 martins and one bear, all recurves. One shooter had a self long bow at 35 lbs. He was good enough to let me shoot it but it was primative at best.

[30coupe]

The classifieds are a good place to start. In addition to what Apex Predator said, I would add that grip size and shape can be critical to shooting well. I know, with my short fingers, a large grip just won't work. I can shoot it but not with anything like consistency.

Like MANY of us here, the classified ads provide me the opportunity to try high quality bows at less than new prices, then trade if they don't fit me without taking a great loss (sometimes only shipping). The fact that someone wants to sell a bow here does not mean it is a bad bow, only that the bow may not be "the one," if there is such a thing. Some of us discover that the one we just sold, may have been "the one" so you will occasionally see ads seeking to buy a particular bow back.

If this is starting to sound like some sort of illness or addiction, you are getting the right idea. Welcome aboard!

[woodsman 365]

Thanks for the welcome and info 30 coupe. I am currently looking at the classified adds. The problem is, I started thinking recurve but the more I read about long bows, the more I'm interested in trying one. Also, I'm not familiar with a lot of bow makers so I may be passing on some great bows.

[Wallcrawler]

My two bits: (or three)

1.  Recurve vs. longbow, string contacts the limbs on a recurve at a point other than the tip.

2.  Hybrids have some of the riser characteristics of a recurve with the limbs of a longbow.  (feel free to correct me)

3.  Do not spend a lot on your first bow!  You may find that it takes a few to be happy.  I also recommend spending some time on ****, my current bow (which I will use until it brakes) I picked up there when I was in your shoes for $115.  It is a more expensive bow but few like the boyer and his reliability is questionable, but I got lucky.

Good luck