I was just wondering what everyone prefers and why? Also, any suggestions on one of them for hunting/target shooting?
It all comes down to preference and confidence. Shoot what you hit best with and like to shoot. Shoot what you have confidence in IMO.
I prefer stringfollow longbows with straight handles cause I shoot them best and they just have more stability for my style of shooting.
I like them all. I own a one piece recurve, one piece r/d longbow, 3 piece r/d longbow, and a ILF set up with a set of long TT carbon/wood recurve limbs and short Dryad epic static limbs. Have to say I love all in there own ways.
Lately I due tend to shoot the ILF set up more then the others. They are very adjustable and being able to adjust weight, tiller and play with limbs from multiple companies makes tuning and finding what works best for you a breeze. Plus the performance is awsome. You can have a longbow or recurve with the same riser and have a short bow or a longer recurve by buying just limbs that are ILF. Its a awsome system IMO
If I could buy another hunting set up right now I would get a 17" TT titan II riser and dryad epics medium limbs with the bamboo core. The titan risers are nice and the dryads are so smooth to draw and whip out an arrow.
As for longbows im happy with my hunterbow, Idaho curt on here makes them and they are really nice and look so good.
If you want a high performance longbow that wont break the bank check out omega longbows, this bow flat out shoots heavy arrows, fastest shooting bow I own and accurate as well. He makes one and 3 piece bows 62-66".
Cant go wrong with hitman longbows as well, they look like a cross between a longbow and recurve and are real shooters, I wouldnt mind owning one of his bows and he has some skill.
You'll have to pull my ACS long bow from my dead hands,I'm kinda partial. :bigsmyl:
I shoot and love them both!
To be fair this is too generic of a comparison to make. There are many different types of longbows and recurves to make a fair comparison. I used to think longbows were more difficult to shoot, but that was just my bad form talking. Now I can shoot both equally well including my self bows. I just finished up a bamboo bow kit from Mike Yancy and it shoots as well as anything I have, including several high priced bows.
I prefer longbows over recurves. I have 64 inch d-shaped longbow and a 58 inch reflex/deflex longbow. Both are Bamabows and the ones I shoot the most.
I have and shoot both, however I seem to shoot my recurves better....
I'm a "both" guy, and shoot one Black Widow of each. The BW bows have similar performance, it's just a different experience to shoot one or the other.
Hill and Ferguson used Longbows....
Enough said....
I have and really like both. When I first started shooting trad, I could not shoot a recurve well. For a while it was only longbows. I recently picked up a Dryad Orion recurve and seem to shoot it well so far. It is shooter preference though.
Longbow - it's the Sherwood Forest factor, mostly. When I did archery/bowhunting in my teens in the early to mid 70s, almost all of the commercially available bows were recurves. Coming back all these years later, I'm satisfying my itch to master and hunt with longbows.
I like them both and have mine tuned so I don't have to make much of an adjustment to hit what I'm shooting at....
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Glenn
I like them all but, I'm more comfortable with the longbow types. I like the handles, quietness & stability of the longbows. Recurves are some of the most beautiful bows made. Longbows have their own simple beauty the is hard to describe.
I like the simplicity of a longbow; no worries about twisted limbs, no stringers to forget, light weight and a delight to carry.
I'm Recurve guy :archer: and look of long bows.
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But if you're coming from Wheel bows to REAL bows, a recurve with the pistol grip sometimes feels more familier
I have both. If you made me choose one or the other it would be recurves though do to better maneuverability in your thick foliage while hunting.
I have both, in fact I have many of each and just grab whatever suits my fancy as I head out of the house. IF, I had to choose I would probably go with one of my recurves.
LongBow .... Hands Down!! :thumbsup: Why? Because Not Just Everybody can Shoot a LongBow and Be Good at It!! :archer:
First I admit I've shot only one Longbow and didn't like it. That bow rattled the tar out of my bow arm elbow and it was noisy, not something you hear much about Longbows. That bow is no longer manufacturered.
I really had no interest in LBs even before shooting that one. I like recurves. First and foremost I like the look of recurves and not just any recurve. I prefer more mass in the riser than many of the ones made or modeled after those from the 1950's and eariler.
I love the graceful curve of the recurve limb tips before and throughout the draw. I like the grip and the balance. I appreciate beautiful handiwork and nicely grained woods. The recurve has more "room" for such wood in the riser than most LBs.
Of course now some of the best recurve TDs also have longbow limb option. I avoid them. I am too attached to my curves and I don't want to risk thinking less of them.
I know, very little of what I feel and just wrote makes any practical sense at all. But I took the impractical fork in the road way back in the 1960's when I chose the bow over other equipment.
Right handed - I swing draw, bite into my anchor and release in about one second, my most accurate and powerful shot. I cannot get a recurve pointed with that tempo. Left handed- I can shoot slower, aim longer and release with a recurve and do well enough. However, when shooting a longbow I shoot them almost the same as I do right handed. It is important when shooting with that swing draw tempo, to intentionally practice your anchor and follow through separately from trying to hit something. Developing a weak anchor is a common problem with that Hill like form.
I shoot both. I'm more consistent with my recurves, but really enjoy shooting a longbow.
My vote goes for Hill style longbows. I like their simple beauty. Which ever route you take don't overbow yourself.
Really just depends on the bows. For me I like both. I have each. My long bow is hard to beat. TT Titan with carbon master LB limbs...best bow I've owned to date.
Other than personal preference, what are the attributes of one over the other, Longbows more stable and forgiving of form errors? Recurves store more energy and cast an arrow faster? Or does it really just come down to which style of grip fits your hand better? Thanks.
I like longbows more, but can't give any reason that it is better than a recurve. As so many say, it is a matter of personal, b ut inexplicable, preference. I still take out my recurves from time to time, though.
to this point of the two I've only owned recurves. I've only shot one longbow and it belonged to a guy at an archery shop I was in. He put a copenhagen can on the target at their 15yd indoor lane and I was hitting by the second shot. The bow was just a Martin but it was a nice shooting bow. I'm pretty sure when I'm ready to buy another bow it will be a longbow but I'll still keep shooting my recurves too. Basicly I like anything that sends a projectile downrange.
I have both, but have come to prefer the longbows.
As much as i love the look of recurves, i just cant make myself enjoy shooting one. The limbs always seem so thin and fragile, you have to use a stringer, even the quiet ones are louder than my longbow, the grips usually feel funny. I could go on....just personal preference. At the end of the day, i'm a longbow guy.
I have more recurves then longbows, but I prefer a longbow. I don't know why, I just do. :dunno:
Schafer
I have both and tend to enjoy shooting my longbow more but my recurve performs much better.
I have owned both, but only have longbows now because I shoot them better.
Can't really tell the difference anymore with RD longbow and recurve. It comes down to riser preference. Try out a bunch! Many bowyers will send you a trial bow.
Same here as many others. I started with a recurve and can shoot it really well (at least for me). Got some R/D longbows and love them as well. The long bows are lighter and have a quickness to them that is not a measure of arrow speed, just how they handle. I really like my short longbow, but found it takes more focus, which makes my form better.
I can see a lot of opinions coming at you on this question. Im a longbow fan at heart, basicly because of the very simple design of the bow, but I enjoy my recurves as well, Its kinda like comparing apples to oranges, theres no right or wrong choice just personal preference. My best advice would be to try as many of each as possible before buying as stated above.
Maineac and Feather Flinger Flinger about sum it up for me...
JW
I'll take a Tomahawk longbow any day and every day! They are light weight, fast, no handshock, and beautiful what more can you ask for.
I prefer longbows, particularly the reflex/deflex styles. They are just simpler and more stable to me. The only big benefit to recurves for me is that because they are shorter, they can be fit in brush better when hunting. However, I've not had that much of a problem with my longbow fitting.
I shoot and like both. I think my longbow is much less forgiving of sloppy form and is very sensitive to hand pressure. Too much finger on the back of the handle and I shoot right. Too much heel on the palm swell and I shoot left. And it really makes me focus. But I notice that after shooting longbow for a couple of days, I'm much better with my recurve.
I tend to like hybrids...
Thanks for the input! I shot a PSE recurve the other day, and didn't like it very much. I also shot a Hoyt Buffalo and an Abbott while I was there. I liked both of them a lot, but also noticed the Hoyt Dorado. Does anyone know if there is a difference between the Dorado and the Buffalo? Or just the signature?