Trad Gang

OK, im new here and currently shoot a recurve but was wondering what the advantages/disadvantages were to shooting a longbow instead of a recurve. Please enlighten me.  Im more interested in actual reasons for and against not just opinions.

There's no advantages in  a longbow, .....that's why we like them   :bigsmyl:

I really don't know... I just shoot a long bow better...

I also have to agree with Manny....

Generally, the recurve has more advantages.  Because of its limb design, it's a little faster for a given weight.  Also because of the limb design, they usually draw a little smoother and don't stack as quickly toward the end of the draw.  Because the risers are usually larger and heavier, they reduce felt hand shock.  Because they're usually cut to or past center, they usually accept a wider range of arrow spines.  They're usually shorter than longbows.  Some consider that an advantage.  Most recurves have medium or high wrist grips, which those switching from compounds usually find more comfortable than low wrist grips, which most longbows have.  Of course, there are exceptions to every one of these generalizations, but there you have it.  By the way, I shoot longbows.

Recurves seems nicer, maybe smoother to shoot but I shoot my longbows much better. There's just something about that simple stick...

For me it is a personal preference I started out with a longbow and have always mainly shot a longbow.I like the looks of a D-shape bows and just plain shoot them better.Maybe it is becaused I'm used to longbows.I have played with  alot of nice recurves but never really cared for a recurve type grip.When I think of Traditional archery I think of longbows.Nothing against recurves they just are not for me.

try both before you buy. recurves and longbows both have thier merits. I still can't make up my mind, so I shoot both.

just my two cents but i like longbows more. because it seems i just point at what i wanna shoot and its a straight line there. most recurves i have shot, even higher# seem to Arch into the target. with  all my longbows it seems they just shoot more flat. maybe its just me.
also its the simplicity.

Some will say a Longbow is better for Hunting.
Especialy with moving game....I too just like the simplictity of the D shaped bow....
   I own a Saxon Anerican Traditional and a Howard Hill Big Five and I have a Sentman Razorback on order....

Ditto everything above......

One advantage a longbow sometimes has over the recurve TO ME is that they seem to be more quiet at the shot....

The advantage is the style you like.....

I like a variety of recurves and I like the Crow Creek Black Feather longbow.  I'll have another one some day!

I like the mass in the riser of T/D bows and I prefer recurve/semi-pistol style grips.  I shoot recurves better on the average, but the average for longbows went up when I bought a Crow Creek Black Feather!

Bill

Stacy Groscup would have disproved the statement that longbows were better for moving targets 8^).
I watched him hit six aspirins in a row with his Zipper recurve.  The aspirins were moving at the time.

I like both.  Accuracy advantages go to the recurve for me, but I like the longbow as well.

I just shoot alot better with a longbow.  Have 2 curves that just hang on the wall now.

QuoteOriginally posted by George D. Stout:
Stacy Groscup would have disproved the statement that longbows were better for moving targets 8^).
I watched him hit six aspirins in a row with his Zipper recurve.  The aspirins were moving at the time.

I like both.  Accuracy advantages go to the recurve for me, but I like the longbow as well.

George,

There's a young man that Mr. Groscup mentored, Frank Addington, Jr., and I believe he shoots with a Hoyt ILF recurve.  He has a finger tab that was a gift from Mr. Groscup and remains a prized possession.  The young fella also shoots aspirin out of the air, although he does acknowledge that Mr. Groscup was the BEST!    :)

Below are a couple of link to Addington's thoughts on Mr. Groscup.

http://www.bowhunting.net/artman/publish/AddingtonGroscupDeath.shtml  

http://www.frankaddingtonjr.com/seeing.htm

Bill

Bill,  I knew Stacy and he was quite a fellow. He always attended the Pa. Bowhuner's Festival in Sullivan County every September.  Hopefully, Frank will continue his legacy at Forksville.

I have not shot either one alot but I have found a long bow while shooting with Vermonster13 that I fell in love with I will purchase this to hunt and shoot with, but I say shoot as many and own as many as you can they are all fun to shoot.

Shoot both to see which you like.  Make sure the bows are tuned correctly so you get a true "feel" fot it. Then buy which one is the most natural and accurate for you to shoot.  I personally prefer the riser mass of a recurve and like the way they draw better.  

Just my opinion,
-Charlie

My friend has a longbow that points so naturally inside 20 yards that I now understand how people say they shoot longbows better under hunting conditions.  The only thing I don't like is the hand shock.  I've never shot one that didn't have significantly more than a recurve.

To me the recurve just felt better.I just switched from compound 2 years ago.The grip felt more pleasing to me.More of what I was used to.

I like the looks and simplicity of the longbow as well.  I do though, seem to shoot recurves better.  I think it must be the grip as I was a compound shooter for many years as well.

I'll take the best of both recurve and longbow, and that's why I shoot hybrid longbows exclusively - r/d limbs for speed, longbow riser/limb design for stability, string in the limb nocks only for no limb slap noise.  YMMV.

Manny, you are starting to sound like me.     :thumbsup:

Longbow here for grace & simplicity which, for me, translates to beauty and dependability. I shoot straight handle 68" longbows much better than anything else (probably because I want to).

Greetings..I shoot my Black Widow recurve well but as it seems Turkhunter is doing,I would like to go to a long bow. However...I have gone to Denton for the past 3 years and shot all the long bows I could find and could not find one that, despite what the bower claimed, didn't have awful hand shock.I hated them. Where can I find a long bow reflex/deflex or wahtever that shoots where you look and has no hand shock.Is there honestly such a thing? Looking for some suggestions. Thanks and keep America in your prayers!  Cotton

All bows have hand shock.  It's the left over energy in the limbs that's transferred to the riser and your bow arm.  It's not felt as much with recurves because their risers are heavier.  I've never been bothered too much by hand shock, but there are several things one can do to reduce it.  Shoot a fast flite string and heavy arrows, and grip the bow loosely.  With a tight grip, all of the bow's excess energy at the shot is sent right to your hand/arm.  If you grip the bow lightly, the energy is dissipated in vibrating the bow.

If you like holding a board and smacking it with a hammer you might enjoy a longbow or flatbow.  If they don't buzz like an angle grinder they'll kick ya up the arm like a mule.  To me there is nothing more beautiful and enviting than the looks of a flatbow, but they are the harshest woman in the world.    

Bowdude, you either have a really harsh bow or maybe your holding your arm too straight.  My longbows don't kick any harder than my Super Kodak.  Maybe that is because I shoot recurve with a straighter arm and feel more of it.  regardless of lack of speed or what ever, I have a much higher percentage of kills with standard long bows than anything else, also I seem to get in really bad shooting positions.  In those cases larger handled re-curves seem excessively clumsy, but  those who shoot with more vertical form can shoot tight groups with them.

I never understood all this complaining about handshock, ......there must be some real fragile/sensitive dudes out there   :bigsmyl:

Today for instance I was shooting some cedars out of my HILL, to check what spine hardwoods I need to get, ..well I was shooting 620gr arrows out of a 72 # bow, can't even remember if I felt any handshook, the only reason I'm thinking about it now is because of reading this post.

Don't get scared by what people say, shoot a longbow like a longbow should be shot and shoot a short bow like a short bow should be shot, and you'll be alrigth either way you go.