Longbow or Recurve?

[WantToTrad]

Hey guys I wanted to say hi first of all I learned about this site on the Mathws forums I am a avid archery hunter and I would like to get into trad bowhunting. I am looking for some info on which would be better to shoot a recurve or a longbow and any other good info you can give me also wondering what should I buy for a bow I am not opposed to buying the best one out there but would also like to stay under $1000 is that too much to ask? I am also wondering if I should shoot 1" shorter DL and 10# less weight then the compounds I read this some where. Thanks for any help

[hvyhitter]

Find a good used recurve drawing about 45#. Get set up with properly spined arrows and then work on just shooting as much as possible to work on proper form, clean release, back tension, followthrough etc. Ask lots of questions here, the members here try very hard to give good info. Go through a few used bows to find what shoots well for you before plunking down major cash. Once you start shooting try getting in touch with other members that may be in your area, one day of shooting with someone else to watch your form can help alot.......Good luck and shoot strait

[McDave]

It would be worth your while to find an archery shop that knows something about traditional archery if you can.  Whether you end up shooting a longbow or a recurve is solely a personal preference, and there are about an equal number of people on this website who are passionate about each.  The only way you will find out which one you are passionate about is to shoot them both.  And after you buy one, you'll probably change your mind again, and maybe again later on, until you settle in on one or the other.

I would recommend that you buy a fairly lightweight bow, maybe 35-40#, to start with, because it will make it so much easier for you to learn good form.  You can find these bows new or used from $100 - $200.  When you grow out of it, you can sell it and get most of your money back, or keep it around for people to shoot who come visit you, or for your kids/grandkids, etc to shoot.

They can measure your draw length in an archery store.  If you are new to traditional archery, your draw length will probably increase by an inch or maybe even more as you learn to use your back muscles and expand through the draw.

The best thing you could do is to find a coach to get you started in the right direction, or if you can't, attend a hands-on class by someone like Rod Jenkins or Rick Welch, or if you can't do that, at least buy Masters of the Barebow III DVD, and study Rod's section of that DVD, or Rick Welch's DVD, The Accuracy Factory.

[dcmeckel]

hvyhitter gave you some good advice.Buy a good,inexpensive recurve,not too heavy and find someone more knowledgable about trad archery than you.The book"Traditional Bowhunters Handbook",by TJ Conrads, wouldn't hurt either.

[WantToTrad]

Thanks guys I guess that's what I have to do I can draw a 80# compound no problem was thinking about a 60# longbow or recurve but I think you guys might have changed my mind not a lot of shops in my area that do traditional archery. Thanks for the help.

[Dave Worden]

I keep seeing the question: "Should I get a longbow or a recurve?".  Why limit yourself?  Get one of each and play whith them.  Like has been mentioned above, you'd be well served to buy used first and save some money.  On the recurve side, I've never shot a Shakespeare that wasn't a great shooter and since they're not Bears, they're not as collectible and cheaper.  Just one man's opinion, however.

[DannyBows]

I shoot both Recurves and Longbows/Hybrids and love them all. The above advise is excellent. Stay around 40-45# to start. One thing to consider is that a 3 piece recurve gives you the option of simply getting heavier limbs for it when you are ready to move-up in weight. Good Luck and welcome to our       !

P.S.--Some people coming from compounds find a Recurve/Hybrid easier to adjust to as the grip is more similiar. It was for me.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Buy both and enjoy!

[MercilessMing]

Welcome, WantToTrad.

May I suggest you to go to your local ranges and clubs and talk to some other trad archers.  Many of the trad archers are generous and will let you try pulling their bows to get a feeling.  You may decide what you like after then.  One thing I heard most of compound converted archers said was about the holding weight on traditional bows is heavyier since no let off.  Starting with a lighter bow is easier to work on the form.

It's not hard to find a bow within your price range from the sponsors here for either longbow or recurve.  However, buying a new custom bow may involve with a long wait depending on which bowyers you are working with. Just my $0.2.

[Airborne]

I would try a recurve first--probably easier to move to from a compound.

[JL]

Welcome to the site.

Different mindset here. Shooting/hunting with traditional equipment is a very personal thing. Generally, when folks move from a compound to traditional equipment, the grip on a recurve is more forgiving for them. But, there are longbows out there that have recurve grips so that muddies the water a bit. Your gonna have to try some different bows to get a feel for what works for you. There is no one "best" bow for everyone.

One of the biggest factors that your going to run into is developing your shooting form and that is going to take time and practice. There is no cutting corners here. As you build and refine your form, your shooting style may also get tweaked so the bow that worked for you earlier on, may not work later or your personal preference's may change. Lot of factors involved as things start coming together for you.

Best thing to do is get with some experienced traditional archers and try out some bows and get a idea of what floats your boat. I can't overstress to NOT overbow yourself when you start out. Shooting a 80# compound with 85% let off verses a 60# stickbow is night and day. If your in good shape, tops you should be looking at is in the low 50's, max. I could shoot a 67# recurve for 5-6 hours non-stop when I was a younger man but it ended up tearing my rotater cuff and believe me, you don't want to go down that road.

Most of all, keep in mind that your transition is going to take time. Don't get frustrated, see it for what it is and learn what works and leave behind what doesn't. This path isn't for everyone but for those who stick with it, the ride is incredible...

Enjoy the ride!

JL

[Wannabe1]

Not sure what part of Vermont you are in but, I would PM David Knipes aka (Vermonster13) and try and hook up with him. He could probably help you out with trying both types before you buy to see which suits you better. Good info above so, I can't add to what's already been said. Good luck and welcome to the Gang.  

[straitera]

For $1K you can get one of each used in the classifieds. Great bows too.

[David Yukon]

If I can suggest a couple good books, by G.Fred Asbell, instinctive shooting I and II. Fred talk about shooting form and adress the differences in shooting LB and Recurve.

Anjoy!

[59Alaskan]

Welcome!
I started Trad about a year ago.  All of the above is sound advice.  Think about how you learn best then get that medium (books, videos, classes...)  Find someone near you that can help (take Wannabe1's advice).  

If you have no one local then you could buy a great used bow and take some expensive classes for the cost you are talking about.  A great archer behind any bow is better than a poor archer behind a magnificent bow.

The book that helped me the most was by Brian Sorrels (A Beginners Guide to Traditional Archery).  There are many good ones out there though.

[maineac]

Great advice from all. When I switched over I went with a recurve @ 55#  I shot n old compound with only 10% let off so Going from 70# with 10% made the recurve feel light.  I just got my first longbow (though it has more of a grip than most)and find it great to shoot.  I found the Masters of the Barebow series good to watch for a variety of styles.  The Maine Traditional archers have shoots twice a year that would be a great place to meet up with a bunch of other trad shooters.  

I hope Vermonster 13 chimes in because his advice has always been helpful and I have seen him offer to help people out many times.  If you are over by mid-coast Maine I will do what I can and let you shoot my two styles of bows.

[Dave Lay]

normally a recurve is easier to switch over to since the grips are similiar and a recurve is usually a little more stable, i kinda feel the weight should be your choice, i have shot 60-65lbs all my life with stickbows, some folks starting out can handle low-mid 50's and up fine, others cant, but start light enough where you can draw it easily enough to not have to think about it,like said above try to shoot some bows and get a feel of things..

[thunder1]

I shoot both longbow and recurve about the same. So many people say recurve is easier to start with. After shooting both for awhile now I think it's more of learning proper form and tuning your bow. I should say that the longbows I shoot are cut at least to center.

[rraming]

I own both but everyone knows a longbow is superior, that should save you some time    that's what he's got, look how happy he is

[PA-Spot]

I switched back to trad 5 years ago. When I started bow hunting there wher no compounds. The advice on starting with low pondage is good. Easyer to build your form with a lower pondage bow. Back in the day the 45-47# bows killed more deer in my area. Than any other weight. And trust me as the years go buy you will once again find a use for the 45# bow. Welcome aboard & good luck in your journey.