Longbow or recurve?

[Horne Shooter]

I like the looks and simplicity of the longbow as well.  I do though, seem to shoot recurves better.  I think it must be the grip as I was a compound shooter for many years as well.

[Rob DiStefano]

I'll take the best of both recurve and longbow, and that's why I shoot hybrid longbows exclusively - r/d limbs for speed, longbow riser/limb design for stability, string in the limb nocks only for no limb slap noise.  YMMV.

[Ghost Dog]

Manny, you are starting to sound like me.    

[straitera]

Longbow here for grace & simplicity which, for me, translates to beauty and dependability. I shoot straight handle 68" longbows much better than anything else (probably because I want to).

[Desperado]

Greetings..I shoot my Black Widow recurve well but as it seems Turkhunter is doing,I would like to go to a long bow. However...I have gone to Denton for the past 3 years and shot all the long bows I could find and could not find one that, despite what the bower claimed, didn't have awful hand shock.I hated them. Where can I find a long bow reflex/deflex or wahtever that shoots where you look and has no hand shock.Is there honestly such a thing? Looking for some suggestions. Thanks and keep America in your prayers!  Cotton

[Orion]

All bows have hand shock.  It's the left over energy in the limbs that's transferred to the riser and your bow arm.  It's not felt as much with recurves because their risers are heavier.  I've never been bothered too much by hand shock, but there are several things one can do to reduce it.  Shoot a fast flite string and heavy arrows, and grip the bow loosely.  With a tight grip, all of the bow's excess energy at the shot is sent right to your hand/arm.  If you grip the bow lightly, the energy is dissipated in vibrating the bow.

[bowdude]

If you like holding a board and smacking it with a hammer you might enjoy a longbow or flatbow.  If they don't buzz like an angle grinder they'll kick ya up the arm like a mule.  To me there is nothing more beautiful and enviting than the looks of a flatbow, but they are the harshest woman in the world.    

[laddy]

Bowdude, you either have a really harsh bow or maybe your holding your arm too straight.  My longbows don't kick any harder than my Super Kodak.  Maybe that is because I shoot recurve with a straighter arm and feel more of it.  regardless of lack of speed or what ever, I have a much higher percentage of kills with standard long bows than anything else, also I seem to get in really bad shooting positions.  In those cases larger handled re-curves seem excessively clumsy, but  those who shoot with more vertical form can shoot tight groups with them.

[NorthShoreLB]

I never understood all this complaining about handshock, ......there must be some real fragile/sensitive dudes out there  

Today for instance I was shooting some cedars out of my HILL, to check what spine hardwoods I need to get, ..well I was shooting 620gr arrows out of a 72 # bow, can't even remember if I felt any handshook, the only reason I'm thinking about it now is because of reading this post.

Don't get scared by what people say, shoot a longbow like a longbow should be shot and shoot a short bow like a short bow should be shot, and you'll be alrigth either way you go.