Why mostly heavy longbows?

[el greco]

Was wondering why in the classifieds you can find heavy longbows but rarely heavy recurves.

[beaver#1]

i dont know.  i would rather shoot a longer heavy bow and recurves tend to be a little shorter. i dont know

[Brently]

For me it is alot easier to pull a longbow than a shorter recurve.  I think it is because of the low wrist grip and more limb length which makes it easier to pull.  I am not a phyics expert but I would call it the law of leverage.

[Slasher]

I think that most folks tend to start with recurves... So most longbows are mostly preferred by those who've been shooting a while and have settled on a weight they are comfy with (less overbowing ) and longbows tend to be quiet enough that folks shooting LB are looking for a silent 20yd dealer of death

[el greco]

I think rhere is a piece if truth in each answer.Thanks

[David Mitchell]

Some folks have the idea that longbows are so inefficient that you need heavy weight to equal recurves of lesser draw weight.

[michaelschwister]

Howard Hill is part of the answer, longbow shooting style, low grip, pull through release, swing shooting may be another part. Of course uncle Fred shot 70# plus recurves well into his 70s.

[Red Beastmaster]

Originally posted by David Mitchell:
Some folks have the idea that longbows are so inefficient that you need heavy weight to equal recurves of lesser draw weight.

Exactly!

I was guilty of that myself at one time. I figured if my recurve was 60# then I better get a 65# longbow. I shot the thing like crap too. Now both my recurves and longbows are in the mid 40's and I never shot better.

[old_goat2]

Originally posted by Red Beastmaster:
 

Originally posted by David Mitchell:
Some folks have the idea that longbows are so inefficient that you need heavy weight to equal recurves of lesser draw weight.

Exactly!

I was guilty of that myself at one time. I figured if my recurve was 60# then I better get a 65# longbow. I shot the thing like crap too. Now both my recurves and longbows are in the mid 40's and I never shot better. [/b]

They sell the heavy ones and keep and shoot the light ones.

[mike g]

Ill give a differant answer.... "EGO"

[Raging Water]

If I could find a heavy recurve, I'd buy it. In fact, I did. My 82# Ballistic is awesome. May John Fazio rest in peace.

If you pay close attention to the classifieds, heavy recurves sell fast. Why? Hmmm?

Perhaps fewer are made?

 Ask a current bowyer how heavy he will make one. They usually stop around 65#, and no more. It's like pulling teeth to get a new one made over 65#.

I am not a big fan of Mike G's EGO comment. Heavy longbow shooters like, Leo Markert, Justin Newell, Frank Dohman and many others are humble guys. We just happen to be strong, either naturally or by fitness.

We also enjoy a "clean release", flat cast, etc that heavy bows offer.

Also, heavy bow shooters don't care whether other folks shoot heavy or light weight bows. So, why do the light weight bow guys care why we shoot heavy?

Matt

[foudarme]

heavy recurves break much more easily than heavy longbows so ask to your bowyer if he wants (dares) to make to you a 100 pounds recurve just for seeing his answer !
for having both of them, I can certify to you than heavy recurves (I speak about 100# bows) are much more easy to draw than straight longbows of the same poundage.

[foudarme]

Originally posted by Raging Water:
If I could find a heavy recurve, I'd buy it.

If you pay close attention to the classifieds, heavy recurves sell fast. Why? Hmmm?

Perhaps fewer are made?

I am not a big fan of Mike G's EGO comment. Heavy longbow shooters like, Leo Markert, Justin Newell, Frank Dohman and many others are humble guys. We just happen to be strong, either naturally or by fitness.

We also enjoy a "clean release", flat cast, etc that heavy bows offer.

Also, heavy bow shooters don't care whether other folks shoot heavy or light weight bows. So, why do the light weight bow guys care why we shoot heavy?

Matt

So if you are interested my 90#@28 hexv bd is always available ! before finding another bow which is so smooth to draw, so silentfull, so steady and 197@9gpp you can weak up early           !

here shot at 31" (97#), 2 days ago:    clic

[Raging Water]

Fourdarme,

Thanks, but I have a 95# Border BD.

Matt

[foudarme]

Matt ...what limbs?

[Raging Water]

Hex 4.

[foudarme]

Originally posted by mike g:
Ill give a differant answer.... "EGO"

I will give you another answer: ability...some can, other can't and never can do it...but it is always so fun to see what are the given reasons by those who can't and how they speak about those who can...if you like shooting light bows, shoot them and enjoy but don't blame those who, just like other people, like to do exactly the same things but with their heavy bows....all the rest is between themselves and their doctor      

[trad_in_cali]

Some DO have ego indeed!
At the range here on Sunday, EVERY Sunday there's a man who shoots a 90+ pound longbow. He mostly talks to everyone about shooting it, at least all newcomers for sure. I stopped going on Sundays since every SINGLE time he sees me he'll scream "Hey, wanna shoot a man's bow?" across the field. Or "Wanna try it? It's 100#... if you can handle it". This has gone on for at least a year.
Even though he draws it probably 15" so it's more like 65#.
And I"M a LEFTY shooter and he knows it.
There are others at the range who have had a similar experience and come on Saturdays only.

[foudarme]

Originally posted by trad_in_cali:
Some DO have ego indeed!
At the range here on Sunday, EVERY Sunday there's a man who shoots a 90+ pound longbow. He mostly talks to everyone about shooting it, at least all newcomers for sure. I stopped going on Sundays since every SINGLE time he sees me he'll scream "Hey, wanna shoot a man's bow?" across the field. Or "Wanna try it? It's 100#... if you can handle it". This has gone on for at least a year.
Even though he draws it probably 15" so it's more like 65#.
And I"M a LEFTY shooter and he knows it.
There are others at the range who have had a similar experience and come on Saturdays only.

so...then it makes an idiot of more but with a 90# bow...you have idiots with 45# bows and idiots with 90#...just like everywhere in the life: at work, at church, at cinema, in the cars and everywhere...knowing that often we are also, ourselves, the idiot of someone else...but at the end idiots are idiots whatever they have in hand, in head or between the legs.

[Orion]

Well said foudarme.