From longbow to Reurve. What a difference.

[USN_Sam1385]

Well,

I just recently stepped into a 3 piece take down re-curve. (The one in my signature) I purchased it from a member on this site.

Up until this point, I have only shot my one-piece longbow. I can shoot pretty well with it, but I always have a flyer and consistency is much tougher to achieve.

This recurve is 2" longer, 6 lbs. less at my draw length, and the grip is much more steady in my hand.

I am shooting it better and more consistently then I could ever imagine shooting my longbow. You guys have experience with this? Shooting a recurve much more consistently then a longbow?

It might be the added length, the more controllable grip, or the 6 lb. less draw weight. Whatever it is, I like it!

[mmilinovich]

If your long bow has a relatively straight grip, like a Hill-style bow, it's no surprise to me that the recurve with its sculpted handle works better for you.  Some guys can shoot a straight handle well; most whom I've watched can't.

Furthermore, a recurve is almost certain to provide more mass.  Added mass, to a point, means greater stability for most shooters.

As for lighter poundage being a factor, were you overbowed?

Mark

[USN_Sam1385]

Originally posted by mmilinovich:
If your long bow has a relatively straight grip, like a Hill-style bow, it's no surprise to me that the recurve with its sculpted handle works better for you.  Some guys can shoot a straight handle well; most whom I've watched can't.

Furthermore, a recurve is almost certain to provide more mass.  Added mass, to a point, means greater stability for most shooters.

As for lighter poundage being a factor, were you overbowed?

Mark

The recurve certainly weighs much more. The grip is much larger, but somehow feels more 'balanced' and less likely to feel like it will slip out of my grip. As for the weight, I could handle 56# no problem, but 50# is just a breeze to pull back and somehow has increased confidence because of that.

[atatarpm]

I shoot both and am equilly good or bad with both. I enjoy both. Sometimes it takes a little while to get use to each one. Even though they shoot the same arrow with different point weights and have the same draw weights.
I love the lines and weight in my hand of the recurve and I love the simple lines of the long bow.

[Chromebuck]

I have experienced the same with my recurve limbs, however, I do have good and bad days with both.  

As a fairly new trad shooter I have tried to listen and read as much as possible and though  tough to say with total certainty there are some who think that a recurve is less suseptable to issues of form and execution than longbows.  I've had several exchanges with guys who shoot longbows to practice form, but hunt exsclusively with recurve.  I'm leaning that way myself.  

~CB

[JINKSTER]

I have both a Bob Lee TD Hunter Recurve 62" 54#@28" (i bought new in 2001) and a Bushmen "American Native" Longbow 64" 44#@28" (i bought new 3 months ago) and what i've discovered to be the big difs between the two is this..

Yes the Bob Lee Recurve is like 2-3x's the weight of the longbow so it's more stable at the shot and while the 3pc 62" Bob Lee is smooth drawing?..the 64" single piece bamboo limbed longbow is flat out glassy..almost hydraulic feeling and extremely predicatable however..the biggest dif between the two?..is riser cut..while the Bob Lee is cut to center?..the longbows riser is cut 1/8th" before center..which means..while i dont hafta think much about draw line with the Recurve?..i hafta be extremely cognisent when i draw my longbow that the arrow is being drawn in a straight line back in relation to the target and my form..if i dont?..my longbow groups will open up on a horizontal plane..but with my longbow?..as long as i stay aware of the fact that an arrow drawn straight back will fly straight forward?..i can be just as accurate with my longbow as my recurve but yes..the 1/8th" dif in riser cuts adds another aspect of concentration on form when shooting my longbow..but i love it..it keeps me on my toes form wise and amplifies any flaws in my form..then when i get on my heavy bow?..the Bob Lee TD Hunter?..with longbow level form?..i usually impress myself. LOL!

[fmscan]

Guys, I shoot a Leon Stewart Slammer Special R/D, 62in. 45#. I LOVE this bow and last summer I was shooting quite well and very often. I joined a league this winter thinking is would help. Well,my first two weeks 140's after that I became a mental case and shot 3 weeks around 110.Humiliated!  A friend said try my bows Schaffer and Leon Stewart 3 piece longbow and each week shot 170's first time I tried these bows. Thats 60 pts better! Figured that the MASS made a the difference, I shoot my bow bare and it must weight 1/3 what the others do. The increased mass seemed more stable. Also the fact that I only shoot once a week the heavier bows were more forgiving. This week I am going to put a quiver on my bow to make it heavier and more stable. IMHO I feel the light longbow is OK if you can shoot it a lot and work on form, but the bows with more mass you can get better results if you do not shoot that often.

[momo]

i have shoot both and i can shoot both weel but i think recurve are a little easier to shoot  and any time you have less weight you have more control as long as you can get off the string well. i have friends that shhot heavier bows just because they cant get off the string clean

[LongStick64]

I found that the best longbows for me were the one's that got as close to being recurves as possible. My Stalker Renegade feels equal in my hands as any recurve I  have shoot. It probably explains why I have drifted into shooting more of my recurves than longbows.