For me, it's all in the noise factor. I missed a shot at a doe, at 12 yards, from the ground with my longbow this year. Never knew i was there. nocked another arrow, and let her have it. That's QUIET!

I'm really surprised how everyone is saying recurves are noisy. I've owned literally hundreds and can quiet every single one....
all have been 64" or longer, well a few 62" in there, but all easily quieted to a whisper.

I like both style bows, but I shoot recurves much much better.

I own both but shoot the r/d longbows best. Deadly quiet and just as fast as a curve in my experience. Simply just feels right.

QuoteWith all the limb design differences and handle differences....all are not created equal when it comes to how you will shoot them.  You can choose from straight limbed longbow, one with slight reflex, one with mild or heavy reflex/deflex...with straight grip, dished grip, locator grip, pistol/recurve grip.....  

I think Brock nailed it here... The likes and dislikes of long bows vs recurve bows is like comparing Cars vs Trucks....There are many different sizes and shapes out there in both classes, with large differences in the way they feel in your hand and how they draw.....

Finding something that fits your natural shooting style, or having something built to fit your shooting style makes a huge difference in how well you shoot them in either a long bow or recurve limb design.

Well for me personally (and it is just a personal preference thing), I am most comfortable shooting the R/D hybrid longbows.  To me it's the best of both worlds, the quietness and ease of a longbow, combined with the speed and lines of the recurve.  I love the looks of them all and I have recurves, longbows, selfbows and hybrids, but my go-to hunting bow (currently) is my Shrew Classic Hunter.

Like a few have already said,it's personal preference.I've been shooting "trad" bows since the '80's. I've had a bunch. long recurves,short recurves,mild r/d longbows,radical r/d longbows,Hill longbows,Shulz style longbows.
I started out with Black Widow recurves and shot them for years.Then started trying out other recurves and different longbows. I've settled on Shulz style,deep cored,narrow tipped longbows. I shoot well with them and like the way they look,perform and feel and most of all just enjoy shooting them.Shoot whatever makes you happy.There are enough bowyers making great examples of every bow style that it's pretty easy to find a bow you'll be happy with.

Thanks guys for the good responses and advice! I'm still shooting my first recurve 1 1/2 years later and thinking about upgrading, and going to a R/D longbow. Maybe I'll be known as ........"ReflexDeflexLongbowRookie"! Lol

With all the quality bows out there now there is really no performance difference between some of the r/d longbows and recurves. I've shot a few of both through chronographs with various arrows and really can't see a difference.  

With all the design and wood choices avaiable, it really is just a personal preference.  I'm currently shooting a beautiful and great shooting RER r/d longbow - cause I like it. I may have a slight preference for the "feel" of the r/d longbow - both in carrying and shooting. Might be shooting a recurve sometime in the future if one catches my eye.

       

quote:
"It's been my experience that longbows usually run a shorter brace height than recurves, and a higher degree of snobbery"

           

can be true, but not the rule at all.  could it be said that many longbowmen(&women) are "traditional traditional bowhunters"  LOL

I don't really see any real advantages or disadvantages to using either a recurve or a longbow. It all comes down to what you prefer personally. I personally favor longbows.

I love both recurves and longbows, but prefer longbows. I seem to shoot them better, and they are quieter.

I shoot longbows better. I have too many bows as I like to buy and try them out. I always shoot longbows better. Maybe my release is not as good as it should be, but longbows to me are more forgiving. When I take one of my ILF risers and shoot a set of recurve limbs on it and then switch and put longbow limbs on it I always shoot better with the longbow limbs. Longbows are also quieter. Read Byran Fergason's (spelling) article a little while back in TBM magazine and he talks about them being more forgiving in release and less limb twist. I do love them both though. I am sure there are people that will agree and disagree, we all like something different.      

Hill style longbows are the only type bows I shoot. There's longbows and there are hill style longbows. I nver cared for R/D type longbows.I tried recurves for awhile but much prefer the shooting characterstics of longbows. They are quiet and forgiving. Recurves may be too but longbows just do it for me.

Asbell has a good write up on the differences between the two in "Instinctive Shooting II"

Wow! Great read for me as I have one of each and am trying to decide whether to keep 'em both. I usually only keep one at a time as I hate decision making (which bow to hunt with today).

I haven't shot my longbow enough to know which I prefer yet. I like the longbow's looks and feel but still shoot the recurve best. I have to really focus when shooting the LB... but when I do it hits where I look. And... as so many have said, it's quiet.

Keep them both, I have decided on longbows only and then recurves only, cost too much buying them back. I just bought another longbow but I'm not selling my recurves! But I may buy another longbow-ha!

I like them all, and after I buy them my wife is staring to dislike them all.
hope this helps clear it up a little.  

I shoot them both about the same for hunting. But for 3-D and plain targets a recurve suits me better. I cannot explain it.

Love them both but really love longbows because they are light, forgiving, don't get hung in the brush, generally quieter, easier to string, less likely break. If you like heavy in the hand and shorter bows maybe a recurve but for me Longbow.