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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Berube on March 13, 2011, 03:57:00 PM

Title: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Berube on March 13, 2011, 03:57:00 PM
Hi everyone

I Have already 2 longbows and have intention to
possibly by a recurve. Is it truth that recurve bow is more faster and  precise than a longbow.
Thanks to all in advance.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Pat B on March 13, 2011, 04:07:00 PM
Any bow is only as good as the man behind the string. IMO a longbow is more forgiving. Some of the new hybrid longbows are as fast or faster than most recurves.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Rob DiStefano on March 13, 2011, 04:10:00 PM
it's NOT a "this" versus "that" thing, it's all mostly about aesthetic choices, with a dash of functionality thrown in for good measure.  choose which ever flavor makes you feel goodest, or choose them all.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Shedrock on March 13, 2011, 04:25:00 PM
Pat B is right on.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: TWarrows on March 13, 2011, 04:37:00 PM
with todays new tech.. its just what you want to shoot.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Wannabe1 on March 13, 2011, 04:41:00 PM
Read the below thread for some additional comments:

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=098812#000006
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Hud on March 13, 2011, 04:54:00 PM
Speed usually comes at the expense of stability, durability and accuracy. It is your choice, but bowyers have tried for years to reach what they consider is the right combination. Pick a bow you like, and forget about trying to find fastest that is why there are compounds. Match your arrows and equipment, learn to shoot straight and have fun.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: nschlag on March 13, 2011, 04:54:00 PM
i own both, but my recurve is my "go to" bow. totally a matter of preference.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: OP-archer on March 13, 2011, 05:18:00 PM
Faster - yeah.  More precise?  That depends upon the archer.  Everyone (even me) is looking for the  "one" bow that fits them precisely that they can shoot as a natural extension of their arm.  Maybe for you that will be a recurve.  Only one way to find out - shoot em'.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: xia_emperor on March 13, 2011, 05:30:00 PM
I shoot recurves very well and find that longbows perplex me. they feel good, are quite and smooth. my recurve is fast, I produce consistant groups at all ranges and with a heavy arrow is very quite. try many different bows and find the one that you shoot best and run with it.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: JRY309 on March 13, 2011, 05:46:00 PM
For me it is a personal preference,I like longbows.Never really cared for a recurve type grip.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: LH Keith on March 13, 2011, 06:40:00 PM
Have you shot any Recurves to see how they "feel" to you? I own both, prefer Longbows, but like both. "Hard tellin', not knowin'"! Sure you could find some to try.
Also, I think accuracy trumps speed whatever you shoot.
                          Keith
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: tyu888 on March 13, 2011, 06:44:00 PM
I have both but prefer longbow though...
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Swamp Yankee on March 13, 2011, 07:03:00 PM
I like Asbell's definition of recurve and longbow.  Essentially, with current modern materials and designs it's more about the handle than the limbs.  There are some really fast longbows out there now, and there have always been a few dogs among the lower end recurves.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Mike/Columbia Basin on March 13, 2011, 07:09:00 PM
I like both but shoot the recurve better, like what was said previously, personal preference.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: buckeye_hunter on March 13, 2011, 07:13:00 PM
It's all about your personal preference. I like the "idea and look" of a longbow, but enjoy the "feel" of a recurve.

I bet 15,000 members on here would switch my comment to the reverse order for them......

Have fun and shoot the bow that is the most comfortable and accurate for you!   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: on March 13, 2011, 07:37:00 PM
I have found that my form gets more static when I shoot mostly recurves and more fluid when I shoot mostly longbows.  I have made good shots at moving targets with recurves, but for me, they come a little easier with my Robertson or Hill style longbows.  I cannot say that the Hill style bows are more forgiving than the Robertson, but I can say that the Robertson can put out a faster, pound for pound, arrow. I find if I make a bad shot, form wise, I miss worse with a recurve than the with longbows.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: bentpole on March 13, 2011, 07:47:00 PM
I have owned and  shot recurves, hybrid longbows and Traditional D Style Longbows. I shoot D style longbows now. There are hybrid longbows and certain d style longbows that are just as fast as a recurve. Speed doesn't kill quiet does. If you do every thing correctly you can shoot any bow as well as the other. Draw consistant, anchor, smooth release, and follow the arrow to the target. You should try a recurve to satisfy your curiousity. Then you can make your own decision.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: fmscan on March 13, 2011, 07:59:00 PM
Bentpole said it well. I just got a Leon Stewart Slammer Special and it is what most guys would call a hybrid....that is a bow for those guys who are so indecisive that they can make up their minds on Longbow vs Recurves... well now you can have both in one bow. My Slammer fells like a longbow but performs like a recurve.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Covey on March 13, 2011, 08:08:00 PM
QuoteOriginally posted by buckeye_hunter:
It's all about your personal preference. I like the "idea and look" of a longbow, but enjoy the "feel" of a recurve.

I bet 15,000 members on here would switch my comment to the reverse order for them......

Have fun and shoot the bow that is the most comfortable and accurate for you!    :thumbsup:  
My thought's exactly, some people just think alike!  

Jason
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: doubleo on March 13, 2011, 08:52:00 PM
I've always shot recurves better than a long bow, but i know guys who are just the opposite.I just got my first TD longbow and i'm shooting that pretty good so who knows. It's all about the challenge and having fun.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: SlowBowke on March 13, 2011, 09:30:00 PM
For me......
Recurves have the beauty of design and so many are just flat out works of art.

Longbows have the beauty of simplicity which (for me) more stongly links me to "before us", IMHO.

Add "OLD" to either and the beauty is enhanced dramatically and the feeling is deeper.

In 45 plus years Ive never bought a traditional bow based on speed.......and never will. I hunt only and all will whack a deer at ranges we take shots.

What shoots "better" sometimes changes for me, both doing their job IF I do mine, and all shoot as well or better than Im capable.

It's ALL about how it fits ME, MY needs and the feeling I get hunting with such.....both types being equal at many times in my hunting life.

It's more of a feeling each fall that gives the nod to one bow or another, or a few, not any "measured" factor.

Again for me, it's the one the fulfills the feeling I need, a spirit within that needs fed fresh blood, yet I fail horribly when attempting to describe it here, online,.....or locally and, believe me, I am asked.

LORDY there are some higher dollar bows out there (from yesteryear, for me) that would bless me and my life to hunt with, but Ive three (so far) that will likely hit the woods a time or two this fall that I'm pulling from the "leftovers" of bowyers past as I can, the "most costly" was 52.50 to my door.

Other than the undescribable satistfaction I get from shooting them, the single point that leaps forth when shooting them is that they all are as capable of great hunting accuracy as the Widows, Anderson, Asbells, Deathwish,..etc that I have owned.

It is quite common to hand one to a local shooter to only see an astonished look on his face viewing the groups he can shoot with it......from arrow 1.

So, I am in agreement with most here, just more wordy, lol, but for ME, it's more than fitting my hand, my style, etc etc......a whole lot more.

Thank God we all don't think the same.....some bows would REALLY be high dollar, LOL.

As is, we have a plethora of bows to choose from both new and used to fulfill our lives with such as we need to continue down the path we have chosen.

There is no "better" bow to me than the one that graces the shadows of the woods in my hand each fall, be it longbow, recurve..or costing me 25 bucks or 500.

and now Ill shut the H up...

God Bless
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: the longbowkid on March 13, 2011, 09:51:00 PM
ive shot and killed with both, its definitely a butter or margerine sort of thing, whatever you like best. Ive shifted pretty much solely to longbows due to the speed you can get with newer short rd bows. as far as recurves being more accurate, that would be false. there can be a signifigant speed diference, which would make some longbows more challenging to shoot
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: LimBender on March 13, 2011, 10:12:00 PM
Longbowkid, I was really hoping you'd say recurves win hands down.    :bigsmyl:  

I'm too inexperienced and the ones I've shot have been so different, it would be apples/oranges for me.  

What would be cool to see is stat comparisons (draw curve, fps, quietness) on a takedown using thesame riser and same angles, with recurve and lb limbs made of the same materials for different limbs.  But maybe that's a bit too compoundy.    :p
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: kongo on March 14, 2011, 12:13:00 AM
My opinion , unless you're talking about a Hill style L/B , everything else is more recurve then L/B. You will have to work harder to master the L/B .
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Night Wing on March 14, 2011, 08:24:00 AM
I have no accuracy problems with recurves, but I do have accuracy problems with a longbow. I gave up on trying to shoot a longbow and own only recurves now.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Friend on March 14, 2011, 09:14:00 AM
Critters don't know whether you were shooting a curve, longbow or hybrid. However, you do.

Personal fit, personal preferance and personal enjoyment should be the guide if you have to choose one. Many love variety and shoot both. Also, keep in mind that adequate time with each type is required in order to ascertain which may be best for you. Sometimes we ,ourselves, don't know what we really want unitl it is revealed to us.

Curves and longbows can be quite different to shoot with the end results possibly down to splitting hairs. Experience both such that you may not be robbed of what you might find that you personally prefer and come to appreciate what each has to offer.

The only issues I have with either is me.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Brett Wilmore on March 14, 2011, 02:22:00 PM
Nobody mentioned yet...maybe because it's fairly obvious but...longbows are usually quieter (if you use string silencers to kill the "boing") due to no string-slap against the limbs.  I've seen them shoot with such a whisper, I can't imagine a deer jumping the string.

Heh that post may provoke some good advice on quieting-down recurves...
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Stumpkiller on March 14, 2011, 02:35:00 PM
Can't pass up on a topic like this to pass the mud season.

Used-to-was a longbow was a different beast than a recurve.  Now, if someone lined up 20 bows and took a picture that only showed the inner 30" of a bow you couldn't tell which were recurves vs. longbows for most of them.  We have hybrid American flatbows that have overwhelmed the longbow niche.

Here's my spin on "Hill Style" (why not Bill Negley style?) longbow vs. a Ben Pearson style recurve.

Firing 10 arrows at a 10-X target:

The longbow may yield a score of 96 with 2 in the 10-X, 5 in the 10, two 9s and one 8.

The recurve may yield a score of 96 with 6 in the 10X, two 10, one 9 and one 6.

The recurve will throw that six if you miss one moment of concentration or a form flaw creeps in.  The longbow may not produce the same number of Xs. but it is overall more consistant.  At least that was my observation (well, if you swap a "76" for the "96" score with either).  I tended to have an "altitude" error at various distances as my longbow was a snoozer vs. the much flatter trajectory of the recurves . . . though  have a couple slow recurves as well.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: ARCHER2 on March 14, 2011, 04:49:00 PM
Yep, like Mr. Rob said, whatever feels the goodest to you, lol.......and shoots the bestest for you! I like both. Good luck whichever way you go.
                            Charlie
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Bjorn on March 14, 2011, 05:04:00 PM
I shoot both and can't tell the difference anymore-I can differentiate between bows-as in 'I like this more than that'- but not between LB and RC.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Plumber on March 14, 2011, 08:58:00 PM
I own both I really just started with a recurve.I have shot recurves in the past but never stayed with them long enough .I just seem to see around a longbow better.It is also what I started with maybe that has something to do with it.but I can assure you of one thing my friend you cant go wrong with either,.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: bartcanoe on March 14, 2011, 09:02:00 PM
I've always shot recurves, but I may be a longbow convert.

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=101740
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Knapper on March 16, 2011, 08:01:00 PM
Howard Hill was once asked why he did not shoot a recurve and his answer was that he could not shoot one as well as a long bow.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Tulku on March 16, 2011, 10:04:00 PM
I enjoy this topic quite a bit.

Personally I started with Recurves and eventually came to appreciate longbows as my go to bows.

I have always been a sucker for a beautiful recurve, but I started shooting heavy bows 3-under (well, heavy for me at 65 to 70lbs) and I've noticed that recurves are more sensitive to this than longbows.

I have also come to appreciate that 'Longbow' feeling, and as much as I am attracted to beautifully constructed recurves I would not choose a recurve over a longbow because it was more attractive IMHO, (I can say that now, but only because I have tried my fair share of beautiful recurves)
To be honest I still get caught up in the Recurve mystique now and then and I will from time to time pick up a new one to have a summer fling with, but after the glamor wears off I Thank God my Longbow is still there when I come back to my senses...
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: on March 16, 2011, 11:12:00 PM
I am not so sure that one can always declare how a bow will shoot based on the curve of the limbs. I have Howard Hill style bows that are faster than recurves that I have owned at the same draw length and weight. I have shot deer and pheasants on the move with recurves and Hill style bows.  As far how a bow will affect how I shoot it depends more on the handle than the shape of the limb.  If a bow  has a high grip it will require that your hand go straighter into it and that your bow arm needs to be straighter or your hand will tend to torque off of some deep grip shapes. For those that shoot low wrist recurves and low wrist long bows of the same degree there is no change in form to adapt from one bow to the next. Almost any good bow that is properly tuned and tillered will shoot fine.  Now, if you want to get into the Howard Hill style and shoot them more like Hill, you may need to rethink how you use your gear and how you adapt your form.  It is possible to shoot a Hill bow with the same form as a recurve if it has a locator grip, but if it has a traditional Hill style grip you will have more fun and rewards by taking the advise from the experts with those bows, like John Schulz and Howard Hill.  I never try to reinvent a wheel that someone else has perfected.  While there may be aspects from person to person that vary from the Hill form model, it is either the starting point or the ending goal of most who shoot them.  When one looks at how good the Hills and Schulz boys can shoot, it certainly gives credence to philosophy of how to shoot a longbow.
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Sixby on March 16, 2011, 11:30:00 PM
I'm kind of like Bjorn. I shoot both equally. and no I am not going into which direction the equally is.

God Bless you all, Steve
Title: Re: Recurve vs longbow
Post by: Dave Thaxton on March 17, 2011, 10:41:00 AM
I have both and shoot both. I really don't have a preference of one over the other. It just depends on which bow comes off the rack on any given day.

Dave