Who here went recurve to longbow?

[Ulysseys]

Hey guys - wondering who made the switch from recurve to longbow successfully and how long the transition took - I'm loving the looks of my pl and the way it shoots but I have to admit the "dinky" longbow grip is making me mental; I just can't stay consistent with it.  I feel like if I picked my curve back up I'd be right back on track.

[Covey]

I've been wantin a long bow but I'm gonna wait till Compton and shoot as many as I can get my hands on. Then hopefully...I can make a decision. :0)

Jason

[elbow]

I can switch back and forth between my Bear Kodiak Hunter and my Elburg longbow but I must say that I am more accurate with the longbow. But they are all fun.

[Orion]

Hmmm.  I do on a daily basis.  Then longbow back to recurve, then recurve to longbow.  Makes no difference.  Can shoot either equally well. Been doing it for about 50 years.

[Mike Bolin]

I think it depends on the particular bow. I received my MOAB on a Thursday and went to a 3D shoot on Saturday. Shot 20 points higher with my longbow than I had with my recurve 1 month prior on basically the same course layout.

I was more or less forced to switch to longbow. I have issues with my bow arm shoulder and the physical weight of the recurve was causing me pain. I also found that the low wrist hand position of the longbow grip tends to "roll" or slightly re-position my shoulder, further eliminating my shoulder pain. I had dropped my shooting weight from the mid 50# to low 60# range to right at 50# with my recurve. At that weight, I could shoot 20-30 arrows before the pain became intense. With my Thunder Stick MOAB, I am shooting 55# and have no pain when shooting. I got the idea to try the longbow from Fred Asbell. I spoke with him at last year's Compton gathering in MI and he had experienced the same issues and found the switching over helped him out.

I grip my longbow more firmly than my recurve. I just let my recurve rest in the web of my hand with my wrist straight. With the longbow, I maintain more of a firm grip with my entire hand making contact with the grip. Play around a bit with  your hand position and grip firmness until you find what the bow prefers. Every bow and every shooter is different.

Good luck-Mike

[ron w]

I go back and forth and my shooting stays pretty consistent. That's not saying it's good .....lol!!!

[slowbowjoe]

I shot 'curves a few years, and then switched to a lonbgow...staying with it, unless someday I get a "50's style" recurve, with a longbow style grip. I, personally, grew uncomfortable with the "bulky" feel of the recurve, and the excessive mass.
First shot a nice Toelke (my wife's) with a locator grip: took some getting used to, and I did have a bit of a hard time getting consistent with hand placement. Took maybe a couple of weeks.
That bow didn't fit quite right ( though shot sweet as can be); I too wanted a better grip fit, as well a a little more poundage. Lucked out with a Selway Little Mag, which has a" palm swell" grip with a bit of a "thumb rest" - I was amazed, and continue to be, at how my hand automatically finds the right placement - more natural for me than even the recurves.
If you look at pics of the Shrews, Fox'es, Griffins, or Kohannah's, you'll see what the grip style looks like.
I've looked longingly at the PL's myself; if I could, I'd be mighty tempted to get one... shoot it a while, do some research on how to grip a longbow ( good stuff on the shooter's forum here), and practice consciously - you may find your style with it, and enjoy the light, smooth feel of the bow, and how quick you come to aim.

[Doc Nock]

William,

I'm with you. Love the looks of a LB, but those thing risers and low mass weight give me fits!

I've tried building up the grip with leather and then over wrapping with more leather...

Eventually, I just went and got some LB limbs for my Morrison Cheyenne!

Low grip makes the tendons in my forearm SCREAM in short order...

[BOWMARKS]

I am doing it at this time. Just picked up a Shrew Classic Hunter at the Kalamazoo show.

I thought I shot it pretty good at the show but now that I am home and have stretched the yardage out to 20 I am having fits over it.        

Think it is going to take some time and hard work to get the hang of it.  

[Michigan Mark]

I started with a RM Recurve then after switching to (or going to the Hills) longbow never looked back for me it works. The switch was as soon as shooting and no transition period for me. You might just be suited for the Recurve, Did not Ulysses shoot the Recurve?

[Bjorn]

I shoot either depending on my mood. Hard to tell them apart sometimes.

[sticksnstones]

I went from recurve to longbow to recurve this afternoon. I've got a pig hunt next weekend and I don't know if I'll take the 60" recurve or the 70" Hill on my first day out. I shoot both quite a bit and feel equally comfortable with each. I don't care what either of them looks like, neither of them are beautiful bows IMHO.

There were times I shot my recurve much better, but with time and practice I found the longbow more enjoyable. Now that I shoot them equally well, so I default to the longbow.
Thom

[Pat B]

I went from a 58" Jeffreys to a 62" Treadway and never looked back. I never had a problem shooting the longbow and could go back to the recurve now and shoot it well. I haven't shot either in a few years. I shoot selfbows now.

[Shakes.602]

ME! ME! ME!  I grew up shooting Recurves, and as a Youngin'  NOBODY  was going to tell me any different! People do tend to Mellow with Age, Thank You Lord!  :D   Then I went to the  "DARKSIDE"  and tried the Wheelie Bows for several Months. I have since come to My Senses!!  

[Thumper Dunker]

I shoot both. Will take both out hunting ,one in the morning and one in the after noon ect.

[Sam McMichael]

I went several years in my younger days without shooting the bow at all. When I started back, I thought it would be neat to try a longbow. I have been shooting it almost exclusively now for about 20 years.

[maineac]

I stated back into trad with a recurve.  Got the longbow bug and switched.  I just started shooting the recurve again.  I am already very consistent with it after just two rounds, but the grip feels so restrictive (probably what is helping the consistentcy).  I even went to a short 58" longbow that I could not shoot to start, but after working on form and hand placement I came to love it.

[Smithhammer]

I went the other way. Started out with longbows and now I generally much prefer shooting my recurves. I prefer the meatier grip, shorter length and mass of the latter.

But I have a 58" Kanati on order which might change my mind!

[Knawbone]

I only ever owned one R/C before picking up a LB.I still shoot my Grizzly once in a while.Shootimg LB's has improved my shooting no matter what bender I use.

[kwc]

started shooting a martin warthog when my bother and cousin wanted to try bow hunting, i was the only one to shoot a deer that year. then my cousin wanted to try recurves, so we brought black widow gray bark recurves. then he wanted to try long bows so i got a woodland longbow  that was 25yrs ago, still have the woodland. my friends call it the broom stick(all bamboo) Just got a big jim buff this year. just seem to like longbows, its been alot of fun