I have been shooting a recurve for a couple of years. Last season was my first season without the wheels. I would like to sell my current bow and upgrade to a nicer bow. I really like the Striker bows but I am partial as I am only a few minutes away from Minster. I have only shot a few recurves in my short past but the longbow interests me. My question for everyone is why do you shoot either one? I am looking for why you like what you shoot. I am sure I can shoot either one before choosing but I am looking for shooting/hunting advantages. The stuff that one doesn't get to understand until they shoot for a while.
Thanks.
Papa,
I like recurves, but have really transitioned to longbows the last year. They are very smooth and also quieter. The newer longbows hang right with the fast recurves. My favorites are the Morrison Shawnee with carbon/foam limbs and I also like my two Centaurs.
Try shooting a friends longbow. Every one has their own favorites and a longbow may become yours or you just may shoot recurves better. Whichever, enjoy yourself and have fun with Trad!
Recently i've started shooting metal riserd ILF bow's.I came to the realization that it's the only thing i can make fit me.Instead of me trying to fit the bow.I've also dropped a little weight.Due to some joint pain issues.
I shoot Pronghorn longbows because they are quiet, quick, smooth, hit where I'm looking, and Herb lives in Wyoming. (I like to stimulate Wyoming's economy) ;)
Choosing between the two is more a mindset than any real advantage. Today's R/D longbows and nearly as fast as the recurve pound for pound.. I chose the longbow for my return to what is now known as traditional archery for the simplicity of the bow.
My favorite Bowyer is Bob Sarrels.. my favorite bow is his Blackhills II
I shoot a long bow. I have 3, 2 by the same maker.
They all have a locator grip and if you put them all side by side couldn't tell the grips apart.
When my head is in the game, I shoot them all dead nuts! why mess with the bows when I know they all work well.
Instead, I work on the shooter.
I shoot strictley long bows now simply because I find I'm more accurate with them.
I shoot a longbow because I wanted to build a bow and figured a longbow would be easier starting out with than a recurve. Well, you can't build just one, so I built another, and then another...I got so use to longbows that recurves just feel weird to me now. I did build a take down recurve, but didn't like it and it ended up with a friend of a friend.
I shoot both. I find bows that are made by bowyers that will stand by their work, that shoot very well and look great. I shoot bows with personality from bowyers with personality, and I enjoy building relationships with my bows and my bowyers.
I like Black Widow recurves for most of my hunting , I like the mass weight of the bow and with a quiver full of arrows it is a chunk , it shoots a heavy arrow very well and is very quiet , I like the look of a Widow , the company has been around a long time with great customer service , I have never had a Widow let me down rain , snow , heat ,12000 ft , they always shoot great , they are very dead in the hand after the shot , just a great all around bow.
I agree with Owlbait, I'm forutnate to have a Static Tip Recurve and a fantastic little 56" longbow.
I agree that I enjoy shooting bows built by guys with Character, and a long tradition of building bows, and all around good people. The two I have now I will keep and have a couple on order from these two gentleman. Different bows, but both very interesting bowyers..
:thumbsup:
I like shooting both styles ! You need to shoot what feels best in your hands . When you release that arrow you will know , trust me ! Good luck !
I started out with a take-down recurve. Shot it for over a decade (I'm no that old yet). I love it. I shot my one and only deer and turkey with it. It has some thing's that bother me though. It was made by an amateur bowyer so one limb is a little sloppy where it lines up. Nothing big about it but I'm constantly wondering that bad shot was me or the bow. Because it's a take down recurve it's also a little heavier in the hands. Not by much but I've held some bows that seem so much lighter.
Now I'm shooting a red oak board bow I made myself. I've put away my recurve to focus on and eventually hunt with my longbow. I've found though that length is a concern. But, I'm learning to work with it.
I will tell you I lay awake at night sometimes feeling like I'm cheating on my first love. I'm slowly going nuts...
Good luck!
-Jeremy :coffee:
i have 12 dirrerent bows.mostly longbows.i am shooting primitive longbows mostly.i guess i just like the way they shoot.alot of my bows are one of a kind.don't get me wrong,i also like my recurves.the thing is,you don't have to limit yourself to one kind of bow.shoot them all.they all have their advantages.i am sure that you will like shooting them all,steve
I shoot both and some that are not quite sure what they are.Recurves definately pull smoother. The statics especially have a super even draw force curve. Speed ect is pretty much the same in the better made bows D and r and recurve. No real noticable differences other than that.
God bless you and good luck on your choice, Steve
I'm shooting a Hoyt Buffalo and it's my only bow now. I admire all you guys who can shoot numerous bow types but I'm striveing to be as good as I can be with just one. Right now I'm shooting with 40# limbs but after the first tournament I will be going to the 50"s. I really just got into this and I wanted to work on form and I think I'm getting there so it's almost time to move up. I have no complaints at all with this bow and have no desire to get another.
I quit the wheel bow over twenty years ago, just so I could watch a slow arrow lob into the target. I love it.
I started out with recurves and fell in with LB's a few years ago and never looked back-it felt so 'free'.
Shoot lots of bows and be ready to follow whatever style you choose they are all great. It is all preferences-there is no 'better' or 'worse'.
I build and shoot the straight longbows I do because to me, tradition is duplicating the equipment of a previous age and seeing what you could do with it. The basic fiberglassed longbows of Hill, Armbruster, Quillian, etc. were the cat's pajama's back when I was young (and that phrase tells you when that was). Those are what I try to duplicate. There's nothing wrong with development, in fact, it's great, but I cringe every time I hear someone talk about "improving" a traditional design. You may have made it better and more people will like it, but you ruined it's traditional aspect. It is no longer an example of what was traditional. It kind of sort of maybe resembles what was traditional. I'm getting to be quite a pill about this as I get older, but I'm as tough on myself as I am on others. More and more, I'm finding it actually painful to put a shelf on a bow... they didn't have them when I learned. Friday I ordered a couple of tee shirts made. One says, "We don' need no stinking shelfses..." and the other, "Real men don't shoot off a shelf!" Should be good for some fun at the shoots :^)
Any more I find that I always shoot a D shaped longbow 66-70" long. There is just something about a narrow limb longbow that makes it a pleasure to shoot. Maybe it is like Dick said, just feels more traditional.
the animals I was shooting at would not stand still long enough for the long recurve with sights that I was using in the late 60s, I had to come up with a shooting style that would work for me. That is when I crossed paths with John Schulz, a shooting style that works and bows that allow me to shoot that way. Hill style longbows.
Longbows, I love the smooth draw, quiet shot, and the traditional look and feel of the bow. Plus I shoot them well.
I share all of your joy and interest in shooting the longbow or recurve that inspires you AT THE TIME! Bjorn, I agree wholeheartedly with your advice to shoot as many as you can and make your own choice. Dick, we've met at TBW shoots before, and I'll see you in a few weeks, but I can't totally agree with you about "traditional" archery.......and I've been it for almost 40 years, and collected the paraphernalia from decades before that. My wife used to laughingly say a family tradition is something you did once, it turned out pretty good, and you want to do again. The point there is that it becomes an excuse for the choices we made....and those don't need to be excused. I shot 75-80# Hill style longbows in the early 80s, as did EVERY "traditional" archer in my part of the world. I don't do that now, nor do I suggest that anyone else choose that route(heck, I couldn't pull it a few inches!). We tried it because Howard did it, Ron LaClair won the 1981(?) World Longbow Championships with a 104# bow, etc, etc. The bows have changed a lot, and a lot of us just plain got smarter(Howard and a few others were able to shoot those bows pretty well....most mortals cannot.) So, it was not a true tradition, nor even a wise idea.
Brently, you choose a longer "D" shaped bow, as I did at one time. More power to you. Dick, I've shot self bows "off the knuckle", with success....but it's not what I'm using now. I know I'm rambling a lot here, but the idea is that there are a lot of divergent paths we travel, for different lengths of time. Sometimes we come back to an earlier path. Paperengineer's original post asked why we shoot what we shoot. That's what we all want when we start any new endeavor: a lighted path to the BEST way! Of course, there isn't a best way. The archer's skills, the arrow, and the broadhead are all more important than the bow....but, the BOW is so damned seductive, isn't it? They get prettier every year, and the claims are so tempting. If I only had the right bow, I'd be a better archer!!!!
I still haven't found it, and am still a long way from figuring it all out!!! But, it's still a heck of a lot of fun!
Paperengineer, I'd suggest shooting all the bows you can, but searching for a local custom bowyer who simply says the things that make sense to you. If you find you can shoot his bows, it's a good start, and-like the rest of us- you will wander into the wilderness from there!
I still enjoy shooting my recurvers, have not giving a longbow a go yet. But been thinking about it lately.
I started with a 3 piece TD recurve. It was made by Ed Mikuta who is a great bowyer. I fell in love with trad archery & that bow. Got my first trad kill that fall, a black bear. Well, then I tried hunting with that bow from a ground blind. Had a really hard time shooting out of the blind. Also hit the rail on my climber with the botttom limb costing me a deer. Decided to try a shorter bow & fell in love with the Lost Creek RD Longbows. I have a 54" NAT that is perfect for ground blinds & tree stands. It is quiet, fast, hits right where I look, and dead in the hand. I recently bought a Lost Creek Life Ender which is a 58" longbow & just as smooth and a joy to shoot. For me I choose my Lost Creeks because I love them & they help me be the best hunter I can be by instilling confidence in my shots. Good luck.
My very first bow when I made the switch back to shooting a simple stick and string was a one piece Alpha Male Hummingbird longbow. It pointed well, pulled smooth as butter and hit where I looked. Probably the most important thing to me in a bow is the grip and not having to figure out "how" the bow wants to be held, but when the grip finds it's own place in your hand when you start to draw it......is a BIG thing for me in being able to shoot the bow well on a consistant basis. The only other thing that I seem to have grown to prefer is that there is some weight to the riser......it just feels better to me.
With all that being said, there are numerous longbows and recurves that lend themselves to me being able to shoot them well. It is, as has been said a very "personal" thing that we seem to discover over time when being exposed to different bows made by various bowyers.
Like as also been said, I would try to get my hands on as many different ones as I could and learn your likes and dislikes. There are several bowyers out there today that make a riser that can be paired up with either longbow or recurve limbs.......so as far as the riser goes, if it works for ya, it will be fine with either set of limbs. Longbows are usually quieter, and if speed is what you like.......there isn't as much difference between the recurve and longbow limbs in the bows being built today.
Winterhawk1960
The best days of my life as a kid were me, my Longbow, and a dog. When I turned twelve I got a shotgun of my own and turned loose with all the shells I could shoot but even then I still messed around with my bow. Then the big compound bow fad hit and one of my first paychecks was spent on a compound and release. I think I sold the compound for half what I paid a year later, it did not have any soul, it was just a contraption.
Maybe the mid late nineties I found a copy of Primitive Archer or something along those lines and thought "This is for me!" and got back into shooting Longbows.
I have never been a trophy hunter, I can kill what I want, proved it all to myself. Mostly I like to be alone in the woods like when I was a kid, when the forest was a mystery to me; Longbows help me get there.
I hunt with only osage selfbows that I make, and that I've made a primal connection with. They're usually straight longbows, but on occasion I make a recurve and/or sinew back one. I make various fiberglass/wood lam bows too, I'm just not interested in hunting with them whith all these beautiful, unique wooden bows callin' to me.
I shoot both but I like longbows best because they shoot best for me.
I shoot recurves. I like the grace of the curved limb tips and the more substantial risers. I am drawn to certain bows by the lines first and then the appearance of exotic woods, waves, flares, and accents. I keep the bow if I like the grip. All my recurves are 56"-60" in length and 45-49# in draw weight.
I shoot left-handed to match my dominant eye.
I shoot longbows. I have shot both recurves and longbows for a long time. My longbow is fast enough, quiet, light, is very smooth drawing and no hand shock. Some longbows can have some hand shock that to some may feel bad while to others it is not noticible.
I recommend that you try a longbow before you buy one. People either love them or hate them. Since you are so close to Striker bow I would go there and ask if you can try both. Then you will get a better idea if you would like one.
Good luck
Gil
I shoot both, but prefer a recurve...usually.
Any advantage of one over the other may only come once you figure out which YOU prefer.
I will say, that when I get too busy to shoot very often, I can pick up my recurve and put my FIRST arrow where I want. I have to "negotiate" with my longbow for a few shots if I haven`t spent time with it.
I see you are in Ohio. Steve Wagner make a nice bow at a price that can't be beat. I don't know where you are in Ohio, he's in Grafton(North East Ohio), but he does attend all the OSTA shoots, so you could always meet him there. Plus, it would be a great place to make connections as a new trad. archer.
I prefer recurves. I shoot a Samick Red Stag take-down. I shoot it because of the convenience of a take down for traveling and changing limb draw weights and its smooth draw. Plus, the Stag is inexpensive and shoots well. However, I recently bought a u-finish longbow from 7 Lakes, a new Sponsor here. This is the first time I have attempted to sand and finish a bow. I am excited to get it done and shoot!
Also depends on what you consider a longbow.Many of the extreme R/D,carbon,foam core,ect,are very different than the traditional longbows.Also there are flatbows and trapazoid style longbows.I've come to like a thick core w/ slight reflex and trapped limb longbows.If built well,a bow of this specs is amazing to to shoot.
Before dropping major money on a new bow wait two months. Go to the Compton Traditional Archery Rendezvous in Berrien Springs Michigan this June. This is a HUGE event and you will be able to shoot more different types and brands of bows than you can imagine. You will KNOW which bow you like best before you leave. Then order a new bow.
If you have ANY questions; WAIT and shoot as many bows as possible before buying. I wish I had done that before buying my 1st custom bow.
I now shoot a recurve that I love. I went to multiple shows before buying another bow and I am glad I did.
Just my opinion,
I shoot a Black Widow PSR V 99% of the time, although I have other Widows and Hill's my PSR is like an extension of me it shoots where I point it so it's hard not to take it into the bush every time,,it just feels right in my hand.
I prefer to shoot a recurve, but I like 64" and 66" length recurves. I did my research on recurves and found there aren't that many custom bowyers who build 66" length recurves at the poundage I want at my 30" draw length. Some bowyers who build a 66" recurve only measure the poundage at 28" which is unacceptable to me.
When it came down to make my choices, I had settled on Blacktail and Wes Wallace and my first choice was Blacktail. I initially wanted a 64" recurve, but Norm Johnson of Blacktail, after talking with me about what I bowhunt, how I bowhunt and my dislike of "finger pinch", he suggested a 66" length for my 30" draw length.
His recommendation was spot on for me. No finger pinch, hits where I look, easy to tune, smooth drawing and absolutely no hand shock. After shooting my 42# Blacktail, I loved it so much I ordered a second Blacktail.
The two Blacktails are the only bows I own now.
I started with a recurve and shot them off and on since the '60s. About 2-3 years ago I bought a Shrew Classic Hunter and then added a Pronghorn. I prefer the longbows now.
Personally, I want a bow without much hand shock as I have recurring soreness in my wrists.
I have no desire for another bow, unless it was a three piece. I am well satisifed with what I have.
I switch around all the time. I shoot recurves better but have more fun shooting longbows. Get one of each.
I shoot a recurve riser bettern than a longbow riser. One exception was oddly a RACO by John McCullough but over time, arthritis created such havoc in my spine and shoulders, I had to drop weight and let the RACO go.
Love how a longbow looks and shoots quiet, but I shoot a recurve so much better!
Recently tried some of the lighter riser mass smaller recurves... couldn't hit consistently with any of them! NOr the smaller riser longbows.
Don't know if it's the grip, but I strongly suspect its got to do with some body mechanics and that, for me, I need the heavier riser mass to shoot consistently.
I'd say go to some good shoots and shoot a lot of different bows from vendors and friends and find what handle suits you best and then order one.
I, like a lot of others here, left the whole wheelie thing for a much less complicated form of archery. Of the three bows I own my favorite is the Hunter longbow. It's just so simple and clean. I have, however, stumbled onto an arrow setup for the T/D recurve that is just plain awesome! This is making for a very difficult choice come Spring turkey season...
I just love the looks of the simplicity of the LongBows , also like the 50's style recurves
I only shoot bows that make me angry!
I really enjoy shooting both !!! I guess it just depends on my mood. :thumbsup:
Bill
I shoot both and am way too insensitive to tell the difference. I cannot even detect the difference between fast flight string and dacron.
If I could only have one bow it would either be a recurve or a longbow.
DDave
I enjoy shooting both recurves and longbows. The bows made by the Oregon bowyers are my preference. Blacktail, Fox, and Wes Wallace.
I shoot both and I don't see why not. It's not like every longbow is the same. I appreciate each bow I have and I love the way the look and shoot.
I love them all....recurves, longbows, right handed left handed, you name it! I've even found myself sitting on stand, looking down to realize I have my shooting glove on the wrong hand! :laughing:
I really need to pick a side and a bow and stick with it! My loyalty is pathetic...
I shoot recurves. The qualities that most longbow shooters like about longbows (light in your hand and shoot an arrow effortlessly-can't think of a better term-) I don't like. I like the heavy weight of a TD recurve or solid one piece and the thump after releasing an arrow.
That's why I shoot recurves.
My wife nailed it for me once and said "your not selling another thing" anything I sell, I buy back, I shoot longbows and recurves and decide I'm just going to shoot one and then change my mind and just going to shoot the other. Done with that, I have both and switch whenever it feels right. I would love to just shoot one but apparently I can not. I have never shot a selfbow or a flatbow - hope I never do or I'll own them too.
I have both even though I am down to only one long bow.
I prefer recurves
I love the grace of all stick bows and use traditional gear not because it is traditional but because I believe they are the best tool for my style of hunting.
We do alot of archery deer drives and for the quick close shooting in my mind I cant beat my recurve even though a longbow would work as well i like my curly tips
Growing up I shot an old solid fiberglass recurve. In college I shot target recurve. When I got married I followed the crowd and went to a compound - but the arrow was too fast and my pricey aluminums destroyed themselves on stumps and rocks (when small game hunting and roving). I own an "old style" long bow - a Martin ML-10 reworked by Dick Palmer - but I never got so I liked the awkward grip and wrist angle and had a lot of problems with under/over because of the trajectory - too slow.
So I went back to recurves - just right. They seem to suit my temperament; but it might just be because the mannerisms are wired into my mind and muscles. I have only occasionally tried a center-cut longbow or a reflex/deflex of the same and I'm pretty sure they would be fine - but why shoot a recurve that looks like a longbow when you already like and shoot recurves? :archer:
If you can "hold your water" long enough to get to a trad show where there are different bowyers who will let you try their bows you can then make an "informed decision"--until then get to a trad shoot and Beg some of the guys there to let you shoot their bows, I've never said no to a archer who admired my Bob Lee (or any other bow I have-Shhhh the wife is across the room) when they asked if they could try it!! GOOD LUCK BROTHER
I like the longbow
I once had a bluff charge at me by a 300+ pound black bear in Alberta.
I now shoot the biggest risered recurves I can. Heavy and solid. Should something similar happen again, If I cant get a shot off or miss, I'm going to die clubbing the living daylights out of something.
I am amazed at the abundant responses in just a short time. Even though I have not been shooting traditional long I know better than to expect an answer from others opinions. What I expected was just to hear some feedback and reasons for each individual and I have received that greatly. I truly appreciate everyone's posts and I do plan on shooting different bows before buying. I currently have two recurves (different weights) but would have to sell both to buy another. I have the common problem of to many hobbies with a tiny budget! That is why it seems like I have to choose now. The truth is if I don't like my next bow I will probably sell it and keep looking.
wapitimike1 - Your outlook on archery would suit you well in golf also!
Thanks
Lots of sage advice in the posts. Common thread is try a bunch and find what works best for you....and that may change over time.
For me....the first bow I ever shot was a red Bear fiberglass, the first bow I ever bought with my own $ was a Bear, and in my hand every time I go afield is some type of Bear TD. Classic design that hasn't changed in nearly 40 years.
longs and curves, its all good!!!
I owned an Ol' Ben Pearson Longbow years ago. Even as a strong, young man (what I used to be) that 70# bow's hand shock caused me to sell it an get a recurve. Since than I've perferred recurves, that is until recently when I purchased a Holm-made Osprey a few weeks ago. Now, I maybe a convert back to longbows.
I say all that to really reiterate what has already been said, shoot a bunch of bows and find out what you like.
I started a couple years ago with a Striker, then a Black Widow then a Robertson. Now I'm looking for another bow, not selling any just looking. Used would be fine that's like telling my wife its on sale. Seems to work for her. Went to my first traditional shoot this spring. Shot a lot of bows, had a really good time. Probably will get a longbow then I will have 2 of each. Problem with going to the shoots is so many bows not enough money.
Buy a T/D with a grip you love and have a set of each made!! I shoot recurves now, but shot a t/d with longbow and recurve limbs for quite a while. The big advantage is when going to short bow longbows under 58"s will be finicky and mat stach a bit but recurves dowb to 48"s will do a bit better! Shawn