Longbows or Recurves, likes and dislikes!

[Bowwild]

My experience with LBs is very limited. I've owned and shot only one. It was given to me. I didn't keep it.

You asked why LBs vs. Recurves so I won't contaminate your thread with recurve love.

[Steve Clandinin]

Its always nice to have 1 or 2 nice recurves in the stall,like they said I love it all !LOL

[MCNSC]

I am a recurve shooter I have tried quiet a few longbows some I can shoot pretty well but not as consistent as with recurves. There is a different feeling to the shot with a longbow that is hard to describe but that I like. I do have a Wildcat TD longbow that I am playing with right now, really liking it. May be because of the recurve type grip.

[Brock]

I like recurves longbows and selfbows all....I own more recurves and shoot them more.  Likely it is because I choose a different bow every hunting season (Fall Whitetail, Spring Turkey)...to rotate them as I love them all.

I think a longer bow is more forgiving and with the longbow you have no slap on the limb from your string so is inherently quieter in my opinion.

With all the limb design differences and handle differences....all are not created equal when it comes to how you will shoot them.  

You can choose from straight limbed longbow, one with slight reflex, one with mild or heavy reflex/deflex...with straight grip, dished grip, locator grip, pistol/recurve grip.....

I tend to like dished or mild locator grips only...and currently have a Noble Longbow and a Protoge' (Lee Robertson is Sentman influenced)

I also really like the Robertson Stickbow Purist....and there is a nice Deathwish Longbow for sale for $375 that would be great bow.  The holy grail is the Skookum by Fred Anderson in my opinion if you ever find one.


good luck

[longrifle346]

It's surely a personal preferrence. I use both and shoot one as well as the other. Which one I grab on the way out the door depends on where I'll be hunting. In tight spaces like blinds and treestands the shorter Kodiak magnum gets the call. Any place where I have room I'll grab the Omega longbow, it hits harder and shoots more smoothly to me.

[hunt it]

Shoot what you shoot the best. I like longbows for many reasons: Quieter, less hassel to pack - tube etc, stronger limbs by design in most cases,much easier to string, no worry about limb tips killing you if stringer lets loose, in most cases lighter bow than recurve. I've tried em but longbows are my preference.

[RecurveRookie]

Thanks guys, I edited the title so as to encourage a more free conversation. Good information!

[Dirtybird]

I love both and shoot both equally well given practice.  Simplicity of the longbow is nice.  But on the other hand, I love the lines and looks of a beautiful recurve.

[mcgroundstalker]

If I had to choose between a blonde or a brunette, I'd take the redhead every time!    

Recurves are fast but longbows are quiet... Nice for hunting deer.

... mike ...

[Covey]

I started out shooting recurves and eventually switched to longbows. I prefer the longbow for the feel and the simplicity of em. They just seem to point and shoot better for me.

Jason

[mcgroundstalker]

If I had to choose between a blonde or a brunette, I'd take the redhead every time!    

Recurves are fast but longbows are quiet... Nice for hunting deer. Ditto on the Kanati style longbow!

*** Sorry for the double post. ***

... mike ...

[dnovo]

I've been shooting a longbow only for over 30 years. Growing up I shot a recurve till I had a c-bow for a couple years. Started back in with a longbow and that has been it ever since. I like the simple shape and inherent quietness of a longbow. I also have strong opinions about longbows. I don't consider it a longbow if it is shorter than 64". Why? I don't know. That is just where I draw the line. I also don't consider it a longbow if it has a recurve style grip. Straight or semi dish. Those are the choices.
Too purist for you? That's ok because it is just for me.  Shoot what you like and enjoy it. Just don't use carbon arrows    

I have been shooting mostly longbows for the past 40 or so years. Some observations.  If one has a 28" straight up form draw with a recurve, the chances are very good that the same person will shoot a Hill style longbow best with a 26 or 26.5" draw. A longbow that is at least 66" long will have the ability to not show draw length variations in arrow speed as much as a short recurve or short hybrid. Looking at Hill in the dvd format shows that sometimes his draw varied a bit at the point where his fingers left the string, without affecting his accuracy. I find the same to be true for me. A 37 pound at 26" Hill style longbow will kill a deer just as dead as a 96 pound Hill style longbow, same shot, same sized deer, both deer ran about 80 yards and died within feet of each other, two different years. I do not believe that a well tillered r/d bow is less accurate than a Hill style bow, they are on average a bit faster and quite often have less hand shock. However, my own Hill style bows do not have much shock and are faster than the average Hill style bow by quite a margin. either a r/d longbow or a Hill style longbow will feel better if shot with a bent bow arm. If you prefer to shoot with a straighter bow arm, shoot a recurve or a hybrid. A longer recurve is more forgiving than a short one. There are many choices for recurves, some seem to work well for anyone that shoots them, like a Bear Super Kodiak or a Stotler recurve, but the lines for comparing recurves are close and the differences that are mostly noticed are grip and balance. Balance is very important to me and I like a bow that is comfortable to simply hold because while hunting most of the we are simply holding our bow. That is where the longbows really excel.

[Benny74]

I can tell you that I find each of them much more enjoyable to shoot than a compound.  Snap shooting or instinctive shooting is a challenge and highly rewarding.  

If you run the calculations, everything else being equal, the recurve appears to offer more arrow kinetic energy and slings an arrow at a higher feet per second measurement.  The difference between the two is not massive and it is hard to know whether the target or game animal knows the difference on the receiving end.  I have also never seen evidence that either of those measures directly relates to accuracy.

Both can be excellent canvass blanks to create works of art.  The recurve riser usually has more wood to decorate with pretty laminates, exotic woods etc.

Both are deadly capable which is awesome but must be treated like a firearm.  

Both use traditional technology but are starting to show some nice application of new materials.  My Martin Dream Catcher is hand made traditional wood and other laminates, the emblems are hand painted and the whole thing is just sexy.  My wife's Martin Bamboo Viper has a layer of carbon fiber under traditional hardwood, bamboo etc.  The use of carbon fiber is def not traditional but very cool.

When I think of recurve kings, I think of old Fred Bear with his fuzzy hat and wooden arrows.
When I think of longbow masters, I think of Byron Ferguson and others who are relatively young and make it look easy.  
Movies seem to be showing lots of longbows lately.  Could that mean a future surge in longbow popularity and technology?
When looking to get back into archery after 12 years of no arrow shooting, I seriously considered which design would give me easier entry and less of a learning curve.  I chose the recurve but that was purely out of perception and not qualified.  

Price also helped me make that decision.  I was able to find a smoking good deal on a used high quality recurve before I found a deal on a longbow.

I have some slight concern that my wife will not be able to hunt with a longbow due to low draw weight challenges for her.  She is tiny and may not be able to handle a longbow with enough poundage to be effective hunting.  
She might have to switch to a recurve to get enough heat behind an arrow to take down large game.

The general attitude is that the same arrow shot out of a recurve has more take down power than the same arrow shot out of a longbow.

Is that a legitimate concern?

[David Mitchell]

Not really as the modern hybrid or R/D "longbows" will generally shoot right with a recurve--especially with modern string materials.  The difference will be fairly minimal.

[Hoyt]

I've always shot 64" long recurves. Just never been drawn to longbows..not enough to love for me..appearance wise.

[Bjorn]

The differences between modern RD LB's and RC's are so slight ya' can't hardly tell them apart, even when it comes to the dreaded 'S' word. The materials may be new but the bowhunter faces the same test he/she has faced for thousands of years!          

[randy grider]

recurve is harder to string, problems with limb twist, louder, and weeds get hung between string and limb. I like em both, but a good 56-60 inch reflex deflex longbow is hard to beat.

[Archie]

I just like my longbow more than the recurve... can't put my finger on why.  But I tend to shoot the recurve better.  I've wondered if maybe I should get a longbow with a recurve grip...

[Stumpkiller]

Ditto.  My experiences with English style longbow grips and the rectangular "wedge" style grips have been unfavorable.  A hand accomidating recurve style riser with longbow limbs may be OK - but my recurves already come with recurve style grips.