Switching from Longbow to Recurve and vice versa

[RedRidge]

Gangers, I am sure there are many of you on here that shoot both longbows and recurves, but would like to ask some opinions here. So I started this trad journey off a few years ago with the Samick Sage more off of price then anything. After that I used Bear Montana and was able to take my first deer with it. After I realized this was for me I started searching for a nice longbow to shoot with which landed me on a Sarrels blue ridge. I have been shooting this for year and a half with good results. Due to my job I have only been hunting with it a few times, but have shot it a million i bet. Well I have been picking up this Sage for fun lately and man can I shoot lights out with it. I don't know if its the difference in grip, draw weight, tuned arrow or what, but man can it shoot. Anyone have any similar experiences or switch back and forth? This has me thinking of getting a nice recurve for next year.

Personally, I just like longbows more, so I shoot them more, and almost exclusively hunt with my Blueridge. I have a recurve that I shoot at 3D shoots. I shoot almost exactly the same scores with it as I do with my longbow, and every once in a while better. But I practice every day with my longbow, and do all my hunting with my longbow because I like it better!

There really isn't one better than the other, just personal preference for each individual.

Bisch

[BlacktailBowhunter]

Yes, that's why I'm going back to a Blacktail recurve. I love my Horne Brushbow but I Shoot a curve better

[Steelhead]

Could be the higher grip and higher mass weight of the 3 PC.Might just be a better fit for you.You mentioned the poundage as well.Other factors could contribute as well.The right arrow being the main one and tuning is just nesr spot on.Its also cut closer to center I believe than the Montana.May make it more spine tolerant.

Some longbows are cut 1/8th out from center and require an arrow to be more properly spined to paradox out of the way of the sight window.

Some archers just have bows that fit them better for whatever reason.Thiers no one size or style that fits all.

[M60gunner]

I will admit I was never the shot with my Hill style bow as I can be with my R/D LB. But I shoot my recurves even better even know my LB can out preform  most of them. But that is slowly changing with my new recurve.

[Bill Turner]

I shoot them both the same, much like Bisch but not as good. I prefer the feel of the long bow but for the last two years I have been hunting strictly with my Bear Take down recurve. Will concentrate on my long bows this 3D season and decide next summer which bow I will hunt with. Come September, I will be shooting the bow I choose, exclusively, throughout the hunting season regardless of type. Have fun, shoot straight and "Keep'Um Sharp".

[Red Beastmaster]

I shoot recurves better but have more fun shooting longbows.

I switch between two recurves, two longbows, and one hybrid frequently. The day I switch I will shoot the new bow extremely well. Then I settle in to my average shooting ability until I switch again. It's weird but that's how it is for me.

[RedRidge]

I know everyone has their favorites and what shoots the best. I guess everyone probably has an idea in their head when they enter this world too. I have always thought of the longbow as something I wanted to hunt and shoot well with. I am not shooting bad with it, I just shoot better with the Sage. Just thought I would open it up to others on what they think or have experienced in the past. Don't get me wrong the Blueridge is a great Longbow, but I think this may have opened the door to start shopping for a recurve.

[damascusdave]

I long ago stopped paying attention to what limb tips look like, what the grip feels like, or how much the bow weighs...to me those are unnecessary distractions

[fnshtr]

I shoot both equally bad.      

Seriously though, I switch between the two in my signature with no problems.

[Shadowhnter]

Yep, I shoot pretty much the same with either.

[CRM_95]

Originally posted by fnshtr:
I shoot both equally bad.        

Seriously though, I switch between the two in my signature with no problems.

Haha me too!! I have both and can miss targets equally well with either.

[forestdweller]

I started with a recurve then started to shoot a longbow.

The longbow just feels more natural and more fun to shoot.

The longbow is lighter in the hand, has a flat grip, small shelf, and a simpler design.

I'm not a fan of pistol grips and the recurve is more touchy as well and can easily be torqued.

Oddly enough my longbow is faster than my recurve most likely because the recurve needed two sets of string silencers and limb pad's to quiet it down whereas the longbow is quiet without any of that.

Accuracy wise I believe it depends 100% on the shooter but in my opinion the longbow has a few advantages that can make it more forgiving.

These include naturally being a longer bow so there's less string angle on the fingers, less stack (since it's longer), and a natural torque free design.

[old_goat2]

All depends on the longbow, I bet if you got a hybrid longbow with a recurve style riser that you would shoot it just as well as a recurve if all else is equal. I'm guessing your sage is of lower weight from your post and it's riser is center cut or past center. The mass of a three piece is also a big help with stability and accuracy!!!!!! Do you use a bow quiver on your Blueridge? If not, get a good one like a Thunderhorn, fill it full of arrows and leave it full and shoot different arrows from hip quiver etc and see if that doesn't improve your shooting. Bow quivers feel very strange at first and it takes getting used too, but once you do they are hard to shoot without!!!

[Roger Norris]

I had trouble going back and forth, mainly because I was trying to duplicate the grips. No more.

I have settled on a BW recurve with Asbell grip, and a Northern Mist reverse handled Ramer. The grips are so different that I don't even think about "the other bow" when I'm shooting. Only speaking for myself, but it is something I wanted the ability to do, kinda like going from a spinning rod to a fly rod. I wanted to be able to choose what bow I was going to hunt with, just based on pure enjoyment. Completely different grips solved it for me.

[Sam McMichael]

I prefer the longbow and shoot it much, much more than the recurve. Consequently, I shoot it better. However, after shooting the recurve for a short while, I get used to it and shoot nearly as well as the longbow. I simply am more comfortable with the low hand grip of the Hill style bows, so I feel that they shoot better, at least for me.

[Carpdaddy]

Originally posted by fnshtr:
I shoot both equally bad.      

X 3

[Orion]

I have a number of longbows and recurves in my arsenal.  They're relatively close in weight, (within 8-10 #) and all tuned with well matched arrows at about 11-12 gpp. They all shoot well for me, and I switch among them often. Life is too short to limit yourself to one (type) of bow. I say, get another recurve, or a couple.    

[Sota]

I have trouble immediately switching between a recurve and longbow, but after a few shots and focusing on holding the bow different my groups tighten back up.  I've been surprised at how much a slight change in point weight or arrow length can affect the feel of a longbow.  I personally shoot my recurves more accurately but I think that's why I like to shoot longbows more is that challenge.

[RedRidge]

I think Orion has it figured out everyone! Might just have to do that!