I shoot an old Fred Bear Polar (47# @ 28"). I've never had a problem with it and it shoots great.
However, I've been eyeing a couple of longbows but I've never even drawn one yet.
So, in your opinion which, in terms of drawing and accuracy is the easiest to shoot, the recurve or the longbow?
Dutch,
I am new (again) at shooting traditional bows, and in the last several months, have bought and had the opportunity to shoot both recurve and longbows owned by friends who are trying to help me. I have found that I am a longbow shooter. What I have been told is, that a longbow, having narrower and thicker limbs are more forgiving of bad form and a bad release. I'm not saying don't try to strive for the best form you can possibly have, but in the case of a mistake, a longbow will, in a way, compensate for it. I saw a video of a recurve being shot in slow motion and the wide, thin limbs look like a ribbon going forward! All of that movement is transferred to the arrow causing erratic arrow flight, the same video showed a long bow, (not a hybrid reflex-deflex) and the limbs went forward after the release in a pretty much straight line giving the arrow a more stable launch.
My two longbows are hybrid reflex-deflex and they are so much fun to shoot! (Even with my target panic and lousy release! LOL,)
I'm too new to really offer an expert opinion, but for what it is worth from one new guy to another. You'll get a lot more expert opinions soon! I'd say try to find a way to shoot a longbow and compare it to the way your recurve feels! I guess it is all person preference, alot of shooters have both
John
The best bow is the one in your hand!
These posts remind me of when I was a kid growing up on a farm. The best tractor was the one your dad had.
Its all personel just have fun with it!!
Exactly Roger!
I love recurves, the look, and smoothness, I just wish I could shoot them well. It is a good thing I can't, my wife would kill me if I buy another bow anytime soon (By the way, my dads John Deere can outpull your dad's Massey- Ferguson anyday!)
How are things in Grand Junction? I used to live in Rifle and really miss tha area!
John
The thing to check is the grip. If you like the grip on your Bear look for one with a similar grip. If you want to shoot with Howard Hill form you would prefer a lower or straight grip. I have no opinion on the exact limb shape.
Most guys that make bows can give you the grip you want, I have longbow, and a recurve, they both have the style of grip that put your hand in the same place, and once I found out "my problems" I shoot both in the same.
Just enjoy shooting.
And don't sweat the small stuff " it's all small stuff" until we get an attitude and make bigger !
Pastor Carl
On the same note the longer the bows limbs are the slower they move at release and all that slop (ribbon effect) is minimized.
Truly though if done an experiment and a number of bows were machine shot for accuracy. All of them would shoot the same. Even wheelies.
At least this is what I heard at Anderson Archery back before they closed their doors.
I have three bows, two recurves and one longbow. Other than the difference in poundage, I shoot them all about the the same. One of the recurves and the longbow have the same style grip, which makes it easy to switch between the two. The longbow draws smoother, but that may be more due to limb material and lower poundage than anything else. Which ever bow fits your hand and your eye, will be the easiest to shoot.
David
Talk about opening up a Big fat can o worms....
It's a personal thing....
Ya migh as well ask which is sexier, Blonde, Brunet, or a Red head....
Luv them all....
Longbows are just COOL... glad I could clear that up for ya... :) :wavey: :clapper:
I like the fact that a long bow does not slap the string onto the bow when shooting like a recurve does and therefore is inherently quieter.
There is something about the longbow that just appeals to me......(especially the r/d ones).
I'm a recurve shooter, but I did pick up (bought) a long bow recently. Fellow Tradgangers all mentioned in various threads how much fun this particular make of bow was to shoot. I like fun!
It is indeed a fun bow to shoot, & wouldn't hesitate to hunt any critter with it. Much easier to string than my heavily curved-tipped recurves!
I've not yet met a bow that can shoot worse than I can, so I feel accuracy is the archer's job.
I suggest finding a bow that appeals to you, feels good in your hand, has a smooth draw & designed for your draw length & draw weight.
Then just fling some quills & have some fun!
All seriousness, Longbows are #1 more forgiving , by that on little things in shooting a bow. Less finger pinch , because its longer. Having said that , test drive before ya buy, shoot some... :)
A lot of it is in the bow itself. You might pick up an ill designed longbow, get handshock that sends you to the dentist to replace fillings and swear longbows are terrible. And in the future pass on longbows that are every bit as good shooting as a recurve. Or you can pickup a recurve that is also ill designed and swear off them too. Gotta shoot some of both and make up your own mind really. Personally I have pretty much settled into a couple of recurves that I shoot well and one longbow that I shoot well.
I recently picked up a Hill style long bow after shooting recurve for the last 12 yrs. I love this bow and it shots better then any bow I've ever shot. I do find though; to shoot it well, I have to concentrate on my form more then I did with my recurves. That's a good thing. :archer:
Okay, first depends on the person. I love shooting a Longbow, but do not shoot it well. However, I pick-up a recurve and bam, will put arrows in a skoal can all day long. It is a struggling thing, but I will still keep trying to learn to master the longbow. I feel it is the personal physique, character and moral's that decide. I mean anyone can master one or the other, but time and effort needs put in them.
They both have there plus and minus, and heros and failables. I will shoot a longbow and try to master it till it comes time to shoot at and animal, at which point I know my limitation for now and will grab my recurve out of respect and ethical obligation to that critter.
I started out shooting longbows, and never noticed the hand shock till the other day. I have been shooting my recurve exclusively for about 3 months then the other day I picked up my Hill to give that a try again, wow that was a rude awakening! Now I'm thinking about pedaling one of those and a few others to finance a new Bob Lee recurve, recurves might be loader and a bit finicky but there faster and i can group better with them, but that is just me you might be different. You will be better served to shoot some and see for yourself.
Vern, I have 5 bows right now and will probaly have another one shortly. Rodger said it as well as anyone could. Mine range in retail from $595 to $1500 and the one I shoot best happens to be the $595 because it feels like that "old shoe" each time I pick it up.
QuoteOriginally posted by Dutch152:
... So, in your opinion which, in terms of drawing and accuracy is the easiest to shoot, the recurve or the longbow?
Yer asking impossible questions for which there are no universal answers.
Asking opinions about longbows is almost counterproductive to understanding how such bows will physically affect you.
You need to experiment with longbows on yer own, try out as many as you can. There are good and not-so-good stickbows of both the recurve and longbow types, so don't let one bad apple spoil it all for ya.
There are three basic types of longbows, and each has its own inherent pros/cons ...
Classic Hill-style with straight or slightly reflexed limbs, braced "D" shape.
Classic mild R/D style, braced "D" shape.
Modern hybrid aggressive R/D style, braced "neo-recurve" shape.
In yer best interests towards understanding longbows, you should try them all ... shoots and events are the perfect arenas for messing with all manner of stickbows.
Good luck!
I have shot both, recurves for 18 years, then longbows for 3.
I "thought"that I was shooting longbow well, that is until I, like Stone Knife, picked up and older recurve I had and was whacking them in there tight,. tight like a tiger! ;)
Needless to say, the longbows have disappeared and a new Black Widow PMA III with all the fixin's will be here in about 7 weeks or so :)
Try as I might, I'm not as consistent with a longbow as I am with a recurve.
I'm betting that would be true of a lot of us on here??
BD
I was/am allured to the romance of the longbow. They look good and feel good in the hand. With me it ends right there. It has taken awhile but I have come to understand that I shoot better with a little heavier bow and with a medium grip. So takedown recurves are my choice. There are exception though. I recently bought a Morrison Shawnee with the Dakota carbon/foam limbs. It is a "longbow" but has just enough riser mass and a great "medium" grip so I shoot it as good as any recurve. My deduction is that it ain't the shape of the limbs that determines what shoots good. It is the grip style and riser mass. Get those two things to fit your personal preference and then everything else will fall into place.
I agree that consistency is harder to achieve with the longbow for most people. I, like many I've read here, would have good days and then bad. No confidence is baddd!!! Shoot something that makes you feel like an archer no matter what it looks like. I admire those that don't have this issue. They are naturally gifted in my opinion. The Michael Jordan's of archery :)
QuoteOriginally posted by Big Dog:
Needless to say, the longbows have disappeared
Boooooooo! Better change that signature then. :saywhat: Say it ain't so Cary.....
So what now, you goint to let the "other" kind to your shoots?
:biglaugh:
BobW
I still have a special Bob...it is never gonna leave!!! lol
66"of HH Beauty coming soon. ;0
But for most of my shooting??? it will be the 'curves :)
BD
Recurves are center shot, so you don't have to be as picky with the arrow spine as you would with a longbow.
Longbows have less string contact on the wood, so they're generally more quiet than recurves.
Recurves are built to be shot straight wristed, which brings the arrow closer to the bow arm, and makes it easier to learn how to shoot it instinctively.
Longbows are built to be shot low wrist, which takes the arrow farther from the bow arm so it requires more practice than a recurve might. The low wrist grip also makes the grip a lot stronger, and easier to retain when you're half-frozen though.
Above all the most important thing is preference, and practice.
QuoteOriginally posted by B4NZ41:
Recurves are center shot, so you don't have to be as picky with the arrow spine as you would with a longbow.
Longbows have less string contact on the wood, so they're generally more quiet than recurves.
Recurves are built to be shot straight wristed, which brings the arrow closer to the bow arm, and makes it easier to learn how to shoot it instinctively.
Longbows are built to be shot low wrist, which takes the arrow farther from the bow arm so it requires more practice than a recurve might. The low wrist grip also makes the grip a lot stronger, and easier to retain when you're half-frozen though.
Above all the most important thing is preference, and practice.
Longbows come in three basic flavors and the modern hybrid aggressive r/d types can be cut to centershot, and can have recurve pistol-style handles.
I have the greatest feel of archer input and therefore the greatest feel of archery feedback when I'm loosing arrows from a small handle straight grip longbow using a heel down grip. Handling such a trim light bow afield using this broke wrist grip places the arrow smack on top of your bow hand which marries the bow to the archer. To me this makes for a feel of "being part of" the bow moreso than using any big handle bow with a high wrist grip. The archer is truly the weak link in this union as he is usually the most difficult to bring into tune w/ the long bow. This probably does not apply to any static target archery, but I do find this true in the dynamics of hunting with the longbow afoot.
Once the archer reaches a level where he can master himself and finds the longbow that best fits, I'm of the opinion that the gains in the fluid feel of handling this longbow afoot would far outweigh any of the static target negatives. As to the accuracy, one could reach a far greater level of static target accuracy if they dumped their recurve for a machine bow, or better yet a center-fire rifle. But, I think one would be one step farther removed from greater user input and therefore a lower level of satisfaction from sucess. No different w/ a longbow or a selfbow. More difficult, but one step closer to greater user input and therefore a greater level of satisfaction from sucess. Granted this success may take more work, but this user input is indeed how we base the value of our success.
Daddy Bear