Decisions, Decisions.......

[MTArrowLauncher]

I am in a quandry. Like most new Trad shooters I'm sure, im am stuck in the midst of whether to go recurve or longbow. I like the lines and romance of a Longbow,  the quick handling characteristics and light weight, and history all play a part in the appeal. A recurve is what I shot when I was a youngster and what I have now to transition back to Trad Paradise. It is an older,  well used, poorly cared for,  lighter weight specimen which necessitates a new bow by next spring to have all year to prepare for bowseason. A Recurve may or may not perform better and be easier to shoot, plus the never ending custom options.

I am getting a Bama Hunter or Mad Dog (assuming I can find one to shoot first), partially based on the reputation of the bows and the bowyer and partially based on affordability. Not to mention his bows are beautiful.

Im considering the 60" Recurve in a T/D version or the full size LongBow in a T/D version (depending on how much the grip differswith the T/D bow bolt) or a bans hunter 64" t/d

I have a feeling I might, read probably, transition to LongBows in the future, so im trying to decide if I should take the plunge from the git-go.

I would love any and all thoughts a feedback on any and all portions of this. (Bow choice, material, philosophical perspectives, etc     )

Thanks and sorry for the long post.

P.s. I know this is a personal choice, but I am conflicted and would love input, so please no"figure it out for yourself" post, please.........please?  

[Soilarch]

I'm a newbie as well...and like you I'm torn.

I had a very lengthy post typed out and I deleted it all, no one wants to read all that huff-n-puff.

If you're dead set on shooting a longbow I personally think your best off to get one and learn to shoot it from the get-go. You hold a longbow differently than a recurve and it takes getting use to.

There's a long list of pro's and con's for the longbow and recurve debate...but the performance nowadays seems to be a moot point.  A good modern design longbow rarely give up much, if any, to a recurve.

[LimBender]

Cody,

Sounds like you've already thought about it a good bit.  There are a lot of threads on this if you search longbow and recurve in Subject line.  The great thing about a takedown is you can get limbs for both and "find what suits you best."

Sorry, couldn't help it.  

Good luck!

[MTArrowLauncher]

Thanks guys.

[straitera]

Settled on lb only near 35 years ago. Enjoy it so much, switching never entered my mind. Just have fun. Good news...hard to make a mistake.

[Rob DiStefano]

sorry, the correct answer to your "dilemma" is something only you can figure out for yerself.  the rest are opinions of others, which are near meaningless as they are not you, and vice versa.

i will say this - aside from aesthetics, the distinct difference 'tween longbows and recurves is how we classify their prominent difference ... the string loop servings touch the limbs with recurves and don't with longbows.  

there was a time when recurves held performance sway over longbows, but aggressive r/d hybrid longbows are now neck and neck with most good recurves in terms of arrow speed, and most longbows may have a larger measure of stability.

there are both performance and bow length differences 'tween acceptable stick bows for a given draw length.  recurves and most aggressive hybrid longbows will work fine in much shorter bow length designs, while mild r/d longbows that brace to a "D" shape will typically need to be longer in length, and hill style longbows (backset, straight or bellyset) need to be longer still.  a consideration for hunting maneuvrability.

longbows and longer length bows of both types typically will also have more inherent "shot stability".  

so, go out there in trad bow land and do yer bow selection homework.  have fun and enjoy the journey!    

[BowMIke]

I shoot both recurves and longbows, but have come to prefer a 58" longbow with a medium grip.(similar grip to recurve) Try shooting a few longbows before making your decision. If you were closer you could try one of mine!

[KentuckyTJ]

Yep, sounds like to me I know what you want.  Let me say this, I to am a recurve guy from my beginning and still love my recurves. With that said some of todays longbows have the performance to match any recurve. I have had three different longbows and they all three stood up to the task with great performance.

I highly suggest buying and selling on this fantastic sites classifieds section. For the past three or four years I have been buying and selling bows to find exactly what I like. Another great benefit to this is you get to meet and deal with some fantastic folks in the process.

Good luck

[Osage61]

MTarrow launcher, I have a Choctaw Osage primitive bow; English Huntsman longbow; Georgia Cypress longbow and a Kohannah Osage longbow. I like the lightweight of the longbow, and the appearance of the longbow more so than the recurves. I do like the aggressive appearance of some of the extreme reflex/deflex longbows, and no doubt one of the Kohannah Fury bows will be my next purchase. I am drawn to longbows like I am drawn to brunettes....  

[Whip]

I'll second TJ's advice on the classifieds if you are not in a position to buy more than one bow.  If you aren't sure what you might like to end up with, the only way you will really find out is to try them yourself.  Odds are great that the first bow you buy won't be end up being the style you end up prefering in the long run.  

As Rob said, the opinions of others won't help you find out what YOU like best.  Most of us have gone through exactly what you are doing now, and have ended up trying a bunch of different bows before settling in on what works for us.  

It is much more difficult than simply saying "recurve versus longbow" because even within those definitions there are a wide variety of designs, looks, and feels.  In other words, even if you could know up front that you are definately a longbow guy, you will still be faced with a bewildering number of choices.  

The classifieds are a great way to buy a good quality used bow.  Watch the classifieds for awhile to get a feel for the value of various bows.  Keep it for awhile, and you can generally resell for little or no loss of money.  

Once you at least identify what style of bow you personally prefer, then start looking at the nice customs of that style and order the bow of your dreams.

[LongStick64]

I've been down this road as well. Now I can say I am firmly a longbow shooter. The only way to explain it is longbows feel natural to me, they work with me, recurves on the other hand, need to be tamed. I am more accurate when I can actually see a bit of the arc of the arrow, with some of my recurves, the arrow is cruising too fast and I almost always shoot a bit higher.
It's a shame because I have a few really nice recurves that are sitting on my rack screaming to be shot.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Whip:
...  Most of us have gone through exactly what you are doing now, and have ended up trying a bunch of different bows before settling in on what works for us.  ...

bingo!  ain't dat da truth, brutha?!  :D

it's rare as hen's teeth to find an archer who buys one stickbow for life.

[Bill Carlsen]

You might want to check out some bowyers that make 3 piece take down bows. Many of them can supply you with recurve or longbow limbs. I just got a longbow from Stalker bows. It is a 3 piece take down and the bowyer is in the process of designing recurve limbs for it. I am going to have to agree with those that have counseled you about the bow selection process as an ongoing thing. You will find, over time, that new bows, models, materials, looks, etc. will pique your curiosity. Go to a bunch of 3D shoots and take in all the bows you can. Most guys will let you try theirs. You are getting involved in a great community (most trad archers are great people) and you will find that there are probably more than one or two bows that will suit you.

[Jim Wright]

You are actually not in the quandry that you think. Dan Toelke in Ronan, MT. can make you a take-down or 1 piece recurve or longbow crafted specifically for your hand. You will find no better craftsman or better person to deal with than Dan, check out his website  www.montanabows.com

[WRV]

I shoot, collect and enjoy both but I think I may shoot my longbows just a little bit better.

[Lechwe]

If he is new to trad don't you think it might make more sense for him to start with a recurve for a couple of reasons. In my opinion the recurve is easier to shoot. With that said I would think his first focus might be to learn good form right from the beginning so he doesn't have to break bad habits like many of us have.

Longbows are cool but I have good friends that are really good shots that don't shoot the longbows as well as recurves. I also struggle with longbows. This isn't to say that longbows can't be shot well but it seems they are more difficult to handle well. I would want to learn to shoot well and then try slipping over into a longbow if that's what I really wanted to shoot in the end.

Not pushing anything other than suggesting you consider this.

Good luck either way you go.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Lechwe:
If he is new to trad don't you think it might make more sense for him to start with a recurve for a couple of reasons. ...

imo, hybrid aggressive r/d longbows are on equal footing with recurves.  mild r/d longbows are also a good choice as they have a larger measure of "stability".  what a newbie should avoid is any stickbow with a shelf not cut to within 3/16" of centershot, or hill style american flat longbows, which are not at all newbie friendly.  oh, and no self or composite wood bows, either.

[MTArrowLauncher]

Rob, I was considering a Bama Hunter.........Thoughts on it?

[YORNOC]

Lots of great feedback here Cody. I am a recurve guy and keep going back to trying longbows because I REALLY want to shoot one well (but cant!). I have the highest respect to the consistantly accurate longbow guys out there. I shoot my recurves very well. I have 27 years of recurve behind me including Olympic FITA shooting. So I'm a stickler for extreme accuracy. And I "personally" cant get it with a longbow and I hate that! But there is NOTHING I LOVE MORE than when my group of 5 pinpoint target recurve archer buddies (who "usually" dominate the open class at 3D shoots) gets challenged or beaten by a longbow shooting drifter who shows up out of nowhere and drops everyone's jaw. I think I'm not willing to give up my years of recurve training at this point in my life.

Shoot both, pick your preferred bow and HAMMER your way to excellence.

[Bowwild]

For me this is the easiest decision in archery. I love the feel and look of exotic woods and the graceful curvbes of bows. I am drawn (pun intended) to recurves because they have more of each.  It has nothing to do with shootability, silence, or portability.  It is entirely an aesthetic preference.

And, for the sake of my archery budget that's my story and I'm sticking to it!