Recurve / Longbow?

[caihlen]

All,

Mostly a lurker.  Been shooting a longbow for a while.  Picked up a re-curve recently and I find I shoot it MUCH better.  Remarkably much better.  What gives?

[shedhunta]

I am the opposite.  But I think that may be because I like the allure of the longbow better??

[sheephunter]

Different strokes for different folks. Depends on the year for me but right now I shoot a recurve better. Go figure...

[tradhunter]

I go both ways(bows that is!),just depends what I want to shoot on any day......but I do tend to go longbow most times.

[rastaman]

It fits you better than your longbow..

[Chris Steele]

I have shot a long bow for forty years,last six years I have shot a recruve off and on.I shoot a recurve alot better but will never give up the long bow.

[BOWMARKS]

If you have recently came over from wheels I would say you are most likely more used to the grip.

[straitera]

R or L? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Fortunate that you can;t make a mistake!

[Red Tailed Hawk]

Most recurve grips conform to your hand giving you exact hand placement everytime. Longbows for the most part have a more flat straight grip "with hybrids as being an exception".

Also recurves tend to have heavy risers which help stabilize.
I enjoy shooting both but have been bitten by the longbow bug for quite some time now ;]

[caihlen]

Wow.  Well, I never have shot a wheel bow, but the grip idea seems to make sense to me.  Thanks a million for all the replies!


kc

[JamesKerr]

The grip is what makes or breaks a bow.

[Jwilliam]

Originally posted by JamesKerr:
The grip is what makes or breaks a bow.

I have to agree.


Bill

[legends1]

You cant really compare one to the other because there are so many designs of each.I shoot my longbow just like my recurve.I like a longbow with more of a recurve type grip.I just shoot them better than a straight grip.

[Shakes.602]

Once you have Mastered that LongBow, you will have No Trouble shooting anything else! I Love the Challenge of the Longbow myself.

[bobman]

I shoot mine equally well and can go from one to the other without any fuss. I do prefer to shoot my longbow so the recurve has become a backup.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by caihlen:
All,

Mostly a lurker.  Been shooting a longbow for a while.  Picked up a re-curve recently and I find I shoot it MUCH better.  Remarkably much better.  What gives?

Your shooting style and the grip fitting you well is probably the the biggest reason. The guys that really spend the time developing their straight grip long bow style don't switch back and forth as easily as the guys shooting r/d long bows with a pistol grip.

some guys attribute shooting recurve's better because of the smoother feel to the draw. They can draw higher weights with less fatigue after 100 arrows.

now you'll get those died in the wool stubborn archers that say, "50 pounds, is 50 pounds regardless of how it feels getting there."

Well that's kind of silly when you think of it... If you have a 200 pound chunk of concrete you need to lift up 6" and you use a block of wood and a 3 foot pry bar to lift it up; or use a 6 foot pry bar to lift it. it's still 200 pounds. Now lift it 50 times in a row and see which one feels easier to hold up in the air when you are done.

a recurve bow stores more energy and has better leverage getting it back to full draw. For some guys it makes a world of difference on their accuracy.  .02 cents worth

[stickbowmaniac]

If the bow fits shoot it....Longbow....Recurve...Don't matter to me.i'll shoot anything....  

[rmorris]

Most modern longbows are "center cut" which means the center of the inside wall of the arrow shelf is in the center of the bow, and the arrow for a right handed shooter sits to the left of the center of the bow. This causes more dramatic "archers paradox" because the arrow has to bend around the bow. Most modern recurves are "center shot" which means the the shelf is cut about half the diameter of the arrow past the center of the bow, so the arrow sits in the middle of the bow. This being said most people will say this is the reason a recurve is more forgiving and consistent.

Recurves are typically 1-3/4" wide and long bows are typically 1-1/2" wide so you are able to cut a deeper shelf. The thicker bow typically provides more mass which helps keeps the bow steady and reduces movement during a shot.

One more thing I have learned is that the closer a shelf if to center shot the wider range of arrow spines you can shoot out of the bow. If you ever try shooting and old school long bow they can be super touchy with getting the perfect arrow spine.

All this being said I shoot a longbow and love how longbows shioot...

[USN_Sam1385]

I shoot both. I love my R/D longbow, and if I could only have ONE style of bow it would be a R/D longbow. However, there are times that I can shoot my recurve better.

Seems to go in stages though...

Yesterday at an outdoor course I put two arrows into a 2" area from roughly 40 yards with my R/D Longbow.

Yet there are weeks where I can't keep my groups tight at 20 yards to save my life.

Would I trade either? No, not unless I have to. Is the Recurve easier to stay steady and consistent with? Probably.. but Longbows are more romantic and somehow lighter in the hand. so for me.... I'd have to give the edge to the Longbow.

[cahaba]

Growing up in Wilsonville,Alabama (home of Howard Hill) I naturally started at a young age shooting the longbow. Me,Jerry Hill and several boys in the neighborhood always had a longbow on hand as well as a homemade slingshot. I tried a recurve more than once but I always went by way of the longbow. I dont think either type gives one an advantage over the other. It all boils down to technique,proper alignment,etc. I like the thump of a longbow. It feels alive in the hand.