So, I'm kicking around the idea of ordering a recurve, and I was wondering how much, if any, difference can be found in various limb cores and whether it makes any difference at all which veneers one chooses when it comes to the bow's performance and feel. Most of my reading indicates that design has more to do with the shooting qualities of a recurve than materials. I was debating whether to get a simple actionwood bow (not even sure what actionwood is made from these days), which is much cheaper, or whether to get a fancy bow with bamboo cores and veneers. Most opinions I have read seem to favor bamboo as a limb core, for various reasons. It would be cheaper to get the nicer bow with elm cores, which I like the looks of anyway, but I figure that if I'm spending the money I might as well get the bamboo. So, is it going to make any difference in the way the bow feels, smoothness of draw, etc., and in the actual speed I will get from the bow if I opt for one core over the others? Also, if I get bamboo, does the veneer choice have any effect at all on the performance and feel of the bow? I know this is going to fall into the realm of opinion, but I would still like to hear some of those opinions before I decide. Thanks, Paul.