Going from recurve to long bow

[Magwa45]

I have been shooting an old Bear Kodiak Magnum for awhile and am thinking of getting a long bow. To start off, I have never shot a long bow before, so I need to get out to a shoot and try one out. But in general, what are the big differences between shooting the two and what should I look for in a bow. Can you get a good long bow for less than $650 or so?

[Jerry Jeffer]

there are differences in grip and sight window. You can get long bows with different types of grips.  The martin Savannah is about 450 and is a good bow. You could also find some custom bows for that price. The turkey creek is IMO a nicer bow for a similar price, maybe a little more. Check the sponsors on here, and try to shoot some bows before buying.

[L. E. Carroll]

I have several [17] custom Longbows and agree that the Savannah is an awfully nice bow however for the same price $450.00 you can get a Thunderhorn "Coupstick" [Std grade] and have a super bow. IMO the very best bang for the buck in Customs. They also show up here ocasionally at a very good prices. There now you have my 2/bits worth. Good luck in what ever you choose. Gene

[Al Dean]

Can't beat a Tomahawk.  I see there is a used one on here for $400 I believe.  $640 will get you a new one.

[Scott J. Williams]

I would suggest that you make your longbow one   that is tuned and tillered to be shot in a way that is  similar to the same way that you shoot your recurve.  

What I mean is this, traditional longbows are set-up to be shot with more palm into the grip, similar to the way you would grab a broom handle in a vertical position.

There are a lot of longbows out there designed to be shot by just gripping the bow around the throat of the grip, in the same fashion as many of us shoot recurves.  

Like the Tomahawk mentioned above, it does not have a radical departure from the design most thought of when one looks at a traditional straight longbow grip.

I have been in this game for over forty years,  we have never had it so good as we do now.  There are so many good, shootable bows out there of every type of design. They shoot harder, faster, and are more durable then ever before.

I would opt for one that has a lot of center shot, older longbows and recurves designed with the same grip are often shot off the side of the bow.  

It is truly a great time to be a traditional bowhunter.

[Bowtie]

As the others have suggested, try shooting different longbows. Be prepared that if you switch to a longbow to give yourself time to get used to the difference in grip/performance.  Scott J. Williams provided good advice, especially "that it is truly a good time to be a traditional bowhunter".  There is a fantastic selection of bows available, especially on TradGang.

I have a custom self bow, a Pronghorn longbow and a Leon Stewart longbow, and can shoot all three fairly consistent.  Last summer I wanted to try a recurve and bought a Great Plains B model.  Wow! What a difference! I must admit that I struggle with the recurve because the grip is so diffent and it's faster than my longbows.  Oh well, my 2 cents.  Good luck.
Jerry

[jhansen]

I started with a recurve and have switched back and forth ever since.  It takes a dozen or so shots to adjust to the differences when switching but after that I'm okay.  I've heard that a longbow is easier to shoot but for me the opposite is true.  I can have been shooting nothing but a longbow for months, pick up a recurve and shoot better groups with it after a few minutes practice.  That's just me and it may all be in my head.

Straight-limbed longbows are going to be slower than your recurve.  They usually require a very low-wrist grip.  They often have a lot of handshock.  The arrow shelf is not usually cut anywhere near center.  All of these factors may make changing over harder for you.  On the other hand, a brand-new Howard Hill can be purchased for less than $500 last time I looked.

Reflex/deflex longbows will come close to or match the speed of your recurve.  Since your bow is an old Bear they might even be faster.  The grips will come closer to what you are familiar with.  Many are near centershot.  You can find used R/D bows from great bowyers on TG for $350 and up.

The hybrids are not really either longbow or recurve but share the best of both in many cases.  If we use the criterion that a longbow string does not touch the limbs anywhere but at the tips it's a longbow but the riser may look and feel like a recurve.  I like them.  Some folks don't.

If you can, try as many longbows as possible.  You'll find one that fits you.

John

[kingrider]

Magwa,do yourself a favor and look at the Toelke Whip.I always had a hard time getting a consistent grip with a regular longbow.Then I tried the Whip and haven't looked back.Mr. Toelke is great to work with and the price for a bow made just for you(with a great selection of woods) is 650.The site is montanabows.com

[Mike Bolin]

Another option to consider is Yellowstone Longbows. Excellent bows for an extremely fair price. There is a nice used one on the classifieds here right now. I think their base price bows start at around $450 and you can dress them up from there. Good Luck! Mike

[Orion]

All other things being equal, and they're usually not, recurves generally draw a little smoother than longbows and they exhibit less felt hand shock because they generally have more mass in larger risers.  And, of course, they'll usually be a little quicker than the same weight longbow.  There are exceptions to all of these statements, of course.  As several have already said, there are tons of excellent bows out there for less than $650.

[brettlandon]

Don, if you are a gap shooter be prepared to struggle with a longbow which is not a center-shot.  Longbows (and especially selfbows) often shoot around the riser instead of through the riser as most recurves do.  This will require the archer to learn the instinctive method of shooting.  If you already practice this method it will take you only a little time to adjust to the differences between the two.  Good luck and enjoy shooting every bow you can.  Brett

[bowtime]

Thanks to all that have posted. I was wondering
what the differences were between long and recurve. Now I have a good idea what to look for.

[Magwa45]

Thanks for all the feedback. I am leaning toward a Howard Hill bow and talked to them today. They seem to have really nice bows at a reasonable price. I found a copy of "Hunting the Hard Way" and am getting into the Howard Hill story. I may wait til spring before ordering and try out some bows at a archery show.

[longbowguy]

There ya go! Might as well get the best. We do not do this because it is easy, we do it because it is difficult. (John Fitzgerald Kennedy) Actually, most archers find the HH longbow easy and pleasant to shoot and that it tends to shoot where they look. If it should not, you probably have the wrong arrows. Just do not get too heavy a bow, maybe 40 to 45 pounds (we are not as mighty men as Mr. Hill was and since the invention of fibreglas we don't need heavy longbows to get good power). And do not get a short one. I never saw any sense in a short longbow.

They are not quite as fast as a good recurve with light arrows, but throw heavy ones, say 500 grains and up, with plenty of power for deer sized game or any target purpose.

Welcome to our merry band. And kindly let us know how your adventure goes. - lbg

[Ssamac]

I'm in the same boat. Shoot a recurve, not that long at it either, but have seen and shot a couple of longbows and really like them. I find them easier to shoot. I tried a couple of inexpensive new ones, I think PSE, and they rattle around and don't feel very good. I also got to shoot something called a thunderbolt or tomahawk custom made for someone (it was used but not much) and enjoyed it. What do you think? Get better with the recurve first and then move?

[Magwa45]

I asked about hand shock as I really want a smooth shooting bow as this will be my first longbow. HH Archery told me that the Wesley Special is their top of the line bow with 5 bamboo lams and it is very mild with hand shock. At $500, it's only $50-75 more than their other models. I'll check to see if I can pick up a used HH at an archery show. Otherwise, I'll start saving my pennies. I have a catalog and they have some nice wood to select from. Bubinga, Cocobolo, or Bucote for the risers is very good looking. But let's hear from some other HH shooters. How many bamboo lams on your bow and what about hand shock?

[Ssamac]

Not sure if this is quite the same topic, but my recurve came with one of those plastic arrow rests the ones which kind of rotate forward as you shoot. My first bow had a leather pad on the shelf. I notice that the longbows have a little shelf with the leather pad. I'm wondering if I'd do better to shoot off the shelf to get more accustomed to that for when I get a longbow. My shelf has a "radius" to it and I was told by the shop that when it had a radius you can't use the leather pad and the little plastic rest is correct. Do you think it matters much?  Thanks
Sam

[Chimaster]

Hey guys,

I have shot both recurves and longbows and taken many animals with each. I'am constantly buying and selling bows and usually have about 10 on hand all the time. After each hunting season I'll hang one bow up and use another for the whole season. It doesn't take but a few days for me to make the switch from longbow to recurve. I think that Habu bows are the best I've ever shot whether recurve of long bow. To me they just about shoot themselves. Chris Cox out of Coeur d'alene, Idaho is the bowyer. Check him out at  www.habubows.com   There not cheap, just plain awesome!!!

[Stringdancer]

My top choices are Tomahawk, and Kota.  The Kota Badlands has a D profile when strung, and both shoot super smooth with no handshock.  I have found all the Hill bows I've shot to have WAY too much handshock for my liking (sorry Hill shooters).  You can buy a brand new Kota for $500.00 the Tomahawk is a little more.  Also be aware that you will lose about 1" in draw length when shooting the longbow due to it's low wrist.  The Tomahawk is at wwwthreeriversarchery.com and the Kota is at  www.kotabows.com   you can't go wrong with either.

Mike

[brettlandon]

Ssamac,
  Shoot what you love and you'll love to shoot.  If you gravitate toward the longbow, get one and don't look back.
  :D  

-Brett