Snap Shooters....Which is more forgiving, Lonbow or Recurve

[joe skipp]

This subject came up as a few of us sat on the back deck. For a Snap shooter, which bow would be more forgiving to shoot in a hunting situation.

We're talking guys who reach FULL DRAW, then release when they hit their anchor...w/o holding. For those who shoot both bows, would like to hear all opinions.

With all the "newbies" asking which bow to start with or more forgiving, the information here may be helpful.

[Warden609]

This will be interesting to watch.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Joe, I snap shoot and have done it with both kinds of bows. I seem to shoot better when I snap shoot. For me both are forgiving, but when I hold for anytime ( I do this to work on back tension ) I find the long bow to be more forgiving. Now everyone is different so You'll get other that will say either or is better, that is them..

I hope You find the answer Your looking for..

BTW ( not to jack your thread.... Good luck Mike on Your Moose hunt. )

[frassettor]

Joe, I never hold at my draw. The arrows on its way immediatly. To be honest with you, I don't really know. There is a slight differnce with my "internal computer" while switching back and forth, but thats figured out rather quickly as I shoot more arrows. Good thread, I will be watching this one!

[Bjorn]

I don't think the limbs matter much............it is the riser shape that hides the sins-at least for me. I find longbow risers to be more forgiving.

[ishiwannabe]

Im told I am a quick shot, but I do my best to reach anchor on each and every shot.

I dont think it makes a bit of difference to me. Maybe for some the heavier mass of the 'curve will slow them down a bit, and steady them up. Heck...might do the same for me, I just know that usually, I shoot high with recurves, and I dont like to switch back and forth, so I stick to my Griffin.

[McDave]

I don't know, personally, but Howard Hill had no doubts on the answer to this question: he believed the longbow was more forgiving, and even went so far as to say that he didn't shoot recurves because he didn't believe he was a good enough archer to shoot a recurve.  At first, I assumed he was just making a joke, but people I have asked have assured me that he meant it.

My experience is, the shorter the bow the more it reacts to release finger variances, the heavier the bow and the more pistol gripped the slower it is to get on target. I have found that a bow that has a straighter grip that I can really get a hold of will react less to a jerked release.  As far as limb shapes? I have seen longbows that bent from the riser too much that had more left/right problems and thin tipped recurves that had more vertical reactions. I have also found that shooting with a slightly bent bow arm and a deep grip on the bow enhances its forgiveness as the weight of the arm aids the stability of the bow, eliminating the pendulum effect that can be caused by a straight arm with a standard Hill style bow.

[Bill Carlsen]

I would have to say that given both bows that suit you, handle grip is good, speed is about the same, etc., I had a Shadow longbow that I just could not miss with. Getting older and hanging it up for a while was a mistake. I shot it at the Muzzy one year and on the first round nocked off 17 targets...best I have ever done there with any bow. However, I do really like my DAS bow but I think my snap shooting style has evolved back more towards my old competitive style of shooting. That had to do with the fact that I nearly lost my left eye four years ago and it doesn't work quite as well as it did. Since then my shooting style has become more deliberate and conscious so the feel is not the same any more. I doubt that I could snap shoot that longbow as well as I did even if I could handle it. But, for me, the answer to your question would be the longbow....as long as it was a good "fit" for you.

[myshootinstinks]

I don't consider myself a snap shooter because I usually anchor for one or two seconds. However, I shoot better / more quickly with a bow that the has the shelf just atop the knuckle.  LB or recurve? I dunno.  

[jsweka]

I snap shoot and shoot better with longbows than recurves.  In fact, I just sold a take down recurve that I made to a guy because I simply couldn't shoot it as well as my longbows.  Sure was pretty, but just didn't work for me.

As was stated above, in days gone by Howard Hill claimed a longbow was more forgiving and today Byron Ferguson claims the same thing.  Who can argue with those two?

[PAPA BEAR]

i practice snap shooting all the time.the longbow is by far more forgiving in my opinion.i have practiced with both types and i am far more accurate with a longbow.makes sense as longbows are just more forgiving period.

I would agree that a good longbow gets the snap shooting nod from me as well, but this is not an absolute. The first pheasant I shot on the wing was with a Pearson Gamester, the next three were with a metal Bear takedown, as well as a deer moving too fast, but he ran into the arrow anyway.  I once shot three quarters in a row at about eight feet high from 15 yards with a Super Kodiak, I missed the first one.  I have tried some of the more modern hybrids that, for me at least, very sensitive and shot wild arrows due to my own little quirks, when my Halfbreed seems to ignore those same flaws and more. It would not surprise me at all if there are recurves and hybrids that could do the same. I find that my robertson longbows are a pretty close mix of all the those good shooting qualities, I am sure that there are others.

[cbCrow]

I seem to be able to shoot faster with a LB. Recurves for some reason give me a fit if I don't take my time.

[JamesV]

I can snap shoot equally bad with either. But I do seem to be less bad with my longbow............James

[MikeM]

When shooting quickly I have found my longbows more forgiving.

[jim phenes]

yes i agree i have been concentrating on my 60 lb montana bear long bow and i will say when i hold for to long my shot goes out the window but snap shooting its there most of the time. as for my recurve which is much lighter 45lb at 28 inches i prefer to hold on target rather than snap shoot.

[cvarcher]

All these replys seem to be consistant!! Well I can shoot slow or fast and I can make an accurate shot with both .I notice the recurve throwing a flatter arrow but with more reaction out of the bow. IF I speed up the shot sequence though the recurve magnifys all the little variousness in my form more than the straight limbed longbow. To me and I think Hill said it too longbows are straight limbed - not much reflex or deflex -only a bit of backset.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Since I made my own Osage longbow, I never realized how bad of a shot I was with my recurve. My longbow shoots really sweet.
Also, I'm a bit of a snap shooter. If I try to hold and concentrate, I miss.
If I just draw, hit my anchor, and release.....basically letting my instincts take over I'm more accurate. Probably just mind games I torture myself with, but my Longbow is definitely more forgiving and accurate.

I guess the best way to describe my shooting style would be pointing, I simply point my bow arm at the target, draw and shoot. I imagine pointing my finger at the spot I want to hit.
It works for me, but I'm no Howard Hill by any stretch of the imagination. Shooting this way never has come easy for me and I have to stay after it or I lose it.
Some guys are naturals, other guys like me have to work at it constantly. That's just the way it is I think.

[NBK]

I'm with James, less bad with the longbow!