How Do You Feel About Take-Down Recurves?

[Osage1997]

Just generally curious to see some different opinions. Very recently made the switch from a one piece to takedowns and I gotta say I am very impressed. I think the heavy/large riser makes bows a little more stable and dead in the hand.

Outside of easier transportation, what advantages/disadvantages do you guys see with takedowns?

How about two-piece takedowns? Do you think they feel the same as a traditional one piece with the added mobility of a takedown?

[GCook]

Transport ability
Ability to have multiple limb sets and weights for one riser.

That's about it.

Not sure I like the heavier riser thing so much.
They definitely don't have as pretty of lines.  Not as "graceful".

[Bowguy67]

Two piece takedowns to me are useless. I see no advantage. Someone needing to break down might see one.
I personally like 1 piece and always have. Part of what you like, the heavy weight is what I hate. No life to the bow. I don’t have issues needing a bow like that. The advantages though to me are only about the limb change. You can move the weight or length around, also it’s never risers that go bad. Typically limbs. If they blow you still have 1/2 bow, just needs new limbs. What I like though should never change what you like. I have a couple takedowns but I don’t think I’ll get many more. A one piece to me shoots and looks better. Glad you like what you have

[Osage1997]

Two piece takedowns to me are useless. I see no advantage. Someone needing to break down might see one.
I personally like 1 piece and always have. Part of what you like, the heavy weight is what I hate. No life to the bow. I don’t have issues needing a bow like that. The advantages though to me are only about the limb change. You can move the weight or length around, also it’s never risers that go bad. Typically limbs. If they blow you still have 1/2 bow, just needs new limbs. What I like though should never change what you like. I have a couple takedowns but I don’t think I’ll get many more. A one piece to me shoots and looks better. Glad you like what you have

I can understand that completely. There is a romantic aspect to old school bows, especially the classics like an American Style Longbow or a 50s recurve. I guess with traditional archery, it's important to find the meeting point between modern technology and classic style, or if you want, stick to one extreme or the other. Thanks for the response.

[Osage1997]

Two piece takedowns to me are useless. I see no advantage. Someone needing to break down might see one.
I personally like 1 piece and always have. Part of what you like, the heavy weight is what I hate. No life to the bow. I don’t have issues needing a bow like that. The advantages though to me are only about the limb change. You can move the weight or length around, also it’s never risers that go bad. Typically limbs. If they blow you still have 1/2 bow, just needs new limbs. What I like though should never change what you like. I have a couple takedowns but I don’t think I’ll get many more. A one piece to me shoots and looks better. Glad you like what you have

Interchangeability in limbs has never really been a factor to me, but for someone getting old and wanting to drop down, or someone entering archery initially that plans to steadily move up in weight could definitely see some benefits.

I guess the only real reasoning behind a two-piece takedown would be for someone who intends to do long distance travel with a bow, especially flights, where a one piece would be difficult to pack and potentially cost more money to check as luggage. I am honestly on the fence about them personally. For the most part I would agree with you... either get a 3 piece and have the adaptability or stick with a one piece so you can shoot a bow with some more 'soul' so to speak.

Thanks for the response.

[durp]

I dont mine a 3 piece without a bow quiver but don't care for the weight or balance with one...looks aren't important

[Osage1997]

I dont mine a 3 piece without a bow quiver but don't care for the weight or balance with one...looks aren't important

Interesting take. I prefer a bow quiver on all of my bows, including the one-piece recurves and longbows. I put a pretty heavy cant on my bows, so the quiver makes the bow almost perfectly fall into my desired position. 

[Brokearcher]

I personally love 3 piece takedowns. I like a heavier bow, I like to add a bow quiver to add some more weight and it makes it absolutely dead in hand. Being able to pack a 62” recurve into a 32” bow case with arrows included in the same case is great for flying with it if I want to do an out of state hunt. I don’t have any experience with a 2 piece take down so I can’t really comment on that but after shooting and 1 piece and a 3 piece I’ll never have another 1 piece.

[Osage1997]

I personally love 3 piece takedowns. I like a heavier bow, I like to add a bow quiver to add some more weight and it makes it absolutely dead in hand. Being able to pack a 62” recurve into a 32” bow case with arrows included in the same case is great for flying with it if I want to do an out of state hunt. I don’t have any experience with a 2 piece take down so I can’t really comment on that but after shooting and 1 piece and a 3 piece I’ll never have another 1 piece.

I think we are pretty much in complete agreement on the matter. I love the looks and the soul of a classic one-piece traditional bow, but after shooting some more modern 3-piece takedowns it is pretty difficult to not want to stick to them.

Semper Fi

[kopfjaeger]

I like both one piece and takedown bows. But takedowns were handy when I was going out west to bow hunt elk and muledeer. And when I went to Canada to bow hunt bear a few times. I have a bow case that will hold three disassembled takedown bows. I always like to have a spare bow with me when I'm bowhunting far from home.

[Dave Lay]

I agree with a lot of the previous posts, and not much I can add but I’ve owned a few one piece recurves, I love the lines and over all look but they have always been a little louder and lacking in mass weight of my take downs, I know some don’t care for a heavier riser but there’s no doubt it provides a solid hold and dead in the hand feel at release. I’ve always used some Teflon tape on the limb bolts just to be sure the connection is snug and as quiet as possible. I also have a back up bow that’s very similar to my primary bow that I keep in a TD case in my truck during hunting season.  It takes up very little room and if I mess up or somehow damage my bow I can swap parts or have a complete bow on hand.
   I also agree on the two piece TD others have expressed other than the bevel lock some use I don't like the connection systems and they are usually a much different style bow than the 3 piece being lighter and 50’s style bows

[dnovo]

i’m not any help on this. I’m a longbow guy. I have have several 2 pc longbows that you can’t tell are takedowns when together. I like a 4 arrow bowquiver on mine and that’s as much weight as I want. Don’t care for a heavy 3 pc recurve but i can see it’s appeal to others.

[Pat B]

My first custom bow in the 1980s was a take down recurve for many of the reasons mentioned. Since them I have probably taken it down 3 or 4 times. Don't know if it was worth the extra cost or not.  I still have it and it is still together.

[fujimo]

each to their own i guess.
many people love 3 piece take downs!
personally i dont like them, too heavy and clunky, but i guess the world champion archers cant be wrong though!
but for my hunting ranges 3-10 yards, i am much happier with a lighter mass bow.

i really like a two piece.
 you get all the attributes of a take down, for ease of transport without the mass of a 3 piece.
i dont pull them apart very often, but it sure is handy when one wants to.
 setting them up only takes a second , no bolts to lose, no wrenches to forget, no squeaky pads.
just what i like, not criticizing anyone else's preferences.

[mec lineman]

After 25+ bows of all designs, I have come to the conclusion that my ragged left elbow appreciates the heavier mass 3 pc design. I have owned some really nice 1 and 2 pc bows ,with a thunder stick MOAB being one of y all time favorites.  Honestly,  my 3pc Yellowstone is the best of both worlds. That's what I like anyway.

[BAK]

I have no love for the 3 piece take-down.  I know they are easier for the bowyers to make, but I think they lack completely in aesthetics.  A two piece is fine as it still looks like a one piece.  I find the heavy clunky risers distracting, just don't like them.

[beendare]

I shoot ILF recurves. There are literally a million combinations of mix and match I can shoot inc longbow limbs.

I have a couple wood risers with ILF limbs I added skins that can hang with any customs. sorry, this site won’t let me post pics of them from my computer

Packing 2 bows in a super cub for a drop camp in Alaska is no problem, they take up less room than an arrow tube.

.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Simple decision for me as much as I travel to hunt and want to continue doing that....a 3 piece takedown is the only way to go. I pack along an extra set of limbs, even on severely weight restricted fly in hunts, but never take a second riser. You could trash a limb pretty easy on a fall or something, but I figure any kind of accident that destroys my MA riser will probably mess me up too much to worry about needing a second in that trip 

A two piece takedown would necessitate taking a whole other bow.

I've ended up with a bunch of limbs from one place or the other over the years. Like 10 sets or so, for the Widow. That's a bonus in my book too, flexibility.

R

[Red Beastmaster]

I have two 3pc takedown bows. I never take them apart, don't like the extra weight, and I can buy a couple new bows for what I'd have in one set of limbs for the custom.

For me, a takedown has no advantage.

[Osage1997]

I have two 3pc takedown bows. I never take them apart, don't like the extra weight, and I can buy a couple new bows for what I'd have in one set of limbs for the custom.

For me, a takedown has no advantage.

I mean no disrespect in saying this, but I don't think the statement that you could buy new bows for the price of new limbs on a custom is fair. Plenty of one piece custom bows are over a thousand dollars, and you can buy limbs for a cheap takedown for under a hundred dollars used. It all comes down to the bow itself. Buying a new set of limbs for a Black Widow, for example, would be a lot cheaper than if you had a widow PSR and wanted to go up or down in weight.