Recurve and Longbow cater different shooting styles?

[forestdweller]

Just trying to get a discussion going tonight.

I started out as a recurve shooter and was a hold and subconscious gap shooter but I got a longbow about half a year ago and have noticed recently that it favors a much more swift instinctive shooting style over the recurve.

It seems like due to the recurve having a high mass grip and a "soft back end" it's much more beneficial to hold on target with a recurve whereas with a longbow I feel much more accurate snap shooting since with the low mass riser and general harder back end things like hand shake from holding at full draw and flinching become more pronounces due to the longbow's much lower mass.

It seems like holding at full draw with a longbow just leads to more second guessing, more pronounced shaking from the fatigue that comes from holding at full draw due to the light weight of the bow itself, and more potential for flinching (due to the low mass riser) over a recurve vs using a high mass recurve.

Does anyone have any opinions on this?

I talked to another guy that felt as thought the longbow was suited to a more swift instinctive shooting style and recurves more of a hold and take your time style.

I don't want this to be too controversial but I feel like in my heart of hearts that a longbow is much better suited for fast paced (snap shooting) instinctive shooting where holding is not necessary and the recurve is better suited for GAP shooting and string walking.

What are your thoughts?

[Jim Keller]

I have and shoot both the same. I'm a holder. I do the j draw with my back and hit anchor and keep pulling with back tension until my cock feather hits my nose and pull through. I don't see a difference. I enjoy shooting both. Good topic. I'll enjoy reading how other guys feel. Jim

[McDave]

I don't want this to be too controversial but I feel like in my heart of hearts that a longbow is much better suited for fast paced (snap shooting) instinctive shooting where holding is not necessary and the recurve is better suited for GAP shooting and string walking.  

I tend to agree with you on this.  I have lino's (longbows in name only) that I enjoy shooting because I can hold and shoot them methodically like I can my recurves.  But a real straight limbed light mass weight longbow probably shoots better with a more fluid style, which is why I stay away from them.  

Shooting either one accurately requires practice in the appropriate style.  I fight hand shake from holding at full draw and flinching with my recurve just like you describe from trying to do the same thing with a longbow.  However, learning to overcome those things is a joy for me and gives me a feeling of accomplishment that I don't get from trying to learn to snap shoot a longbow.  

I do sort of envy you guys when it comes to the speed shooting event at tournaments.  I might get two or three arrows in the targets in the same time you would shoot six.  But if I tried to shoot six in the same time, I would probably miss all six.

I think the bottom line is, we tend to gravitate to those activities where our natural capabilities lie, in life as well as archery.

[Sam McMichael]

I am a longbow shooter as well as a holder. But I try not to hold for too long, usually 2 seconds or so. My shooting style is something akin to split vision. It has been so long since I shot recurves I no longer really remember what kind of shot sequence I used, but I think I held it considerably longer than I hold the longbow. Was I a split vision aimer back then? More likely I was a "by guess and by golly" shooter who didn't have much of a clue what he was doing.

[bucknut]

I don't hold either very long. I just draw, acquire my target and off she goes. Maybe 2 seconds at full draw, usually less I would say. I tried holding longer, but it causes me to start over thinking the whole process and bad things happen. That being said. Maybe that's why I am most accurate with a D bow? Who knows? Now you have me thinking.

[BWallace10327]

I shoot awfully quickly, or so I'm told. No matter, I am happy with my accuracy and am not out of control.  I used to think only a longbow would do, but for me, I no longer think that is the case.  Recurve or longbow, it doesn't really matter; if the bow is a good fit for me, I can shoot it where I look.  I think the difference matters more if the shooter believe there is a bigger difference.

[Straitshot]

I shoot them both the same except I grip them differently. Once I reach full draw the arrow is loosed. I am not a holder of either.

[Michael Arnette]

You know, I have found the same. I don't you longbows quite as well as rule and I have a very long sustained draw before release. I do shoot them well but not quite as well as the heavy recurve

[KeganM]

I shoot my longbows slowly. I'm not very good at shooting quickly (drawing and loosing in one motion). I've made a few recurves and shot them the same way, nice and slow. Works for me.

That said, I've noticed my physically heavier bows are harder to bring up quickly, and longbows tend to be physically lighter. Grip shapes also make it easier/harder to bring the bow up quickly.

[Terry Green]

I shoot recurves, selfbows, and longbows all the same....instinctive.

[Orion]

I shoot them all the same as well. I tend to hold a second or two before releasing.  I do think I'm able to get on target a little quicker with a longbow, but I try not to shoot any quicker because of that.  The longbow does require a bit more effort/concentration to hold on target for me. The greater mass of a recurve does tend to compensate for some form errors. When I used to keep score, I found that I tended to average just a tad bit higher with a recurve than a longbow. I prefer to hunt with a longbow.

[longbow fanatic 1]

I shoot them both the same way, like Kegan said.

[Tradcat]

I have shot both types of bows but prefer the longbow. I have tried both types of shooting: split vs three under and prefer split. For a while I tried to shoot 3 under and hold but it was just to inconsistent FOR ME. I know it works because I have buddies that shoot that way...it's just NOT FOR ME. I shoot the best when I follow the way that John Schulz teaches in " Hitting em like Howard Hill" . I burn a hole in what I want to hit and then swing draw to anchor and away she goes. I shoot totally instinctive now.

[tim roberts]

2X on what a Terry said!
Thanks,

[Valkyrie]

I like recurves but the long bow has an appeal that I can't get around.

[kevsuperg]

We don't " snap shoot" here. Wink wink

[forestdweller]

Honestly I think the term "snap shoot" is misunderstood. From what I have seen and from my very very brief experience learning how to "snap shoot" it really is just fluid shooting with no pause.

A lot of people think it's just shooting recklessly but in reality it's a very fluid sequence of events that when done correctly lead up to a very accurate shot, and in my case, a more accurate shot than if I were to hold at anchor for 5 plus seconds second guessing myself.

[kevsuperg]

I agree     like this guy..I rarely hold longer than a second if I had to guess. as you note it feels more fluid.
 there are times I hold much longer out of necessity , so I practice that also but yes most of the time the less I hold the better my shots.
  I joke about not snap shooting here, awhile back there was a rousing thread on the very subject.

[elkhunter45]

I shoot both the same. I also only shoot my recurve that I have cut the shelf down to get the arrow closer to my hand. For me at least, that gives the old curve more of the hand to eye visual of my longbow. When I pick up someone else's recurve with a raised shelf it just doesn't look right to me. I'm not good enough to make the adjustments immediately so I just keep on with my same old routine.

I shoot them both exactly the same, with nearly the same accuracy.

Bisch