I'm looking to buy a recurve. What maker would you rec. I want somethig that will last. Please help;)

there are a lot of good bows out there and you can get a good bow that wont cost you an arm and a leg!  

go over to the tradition bows classifieds on here and post this, there will be plenty for you to look at.

cheers Andy

Tell us a little more about yourself. The standard answer to your questions goes something like this...Get a light weight 35#-45# bow to start with to work on your form. Form is everything. Lighter weights are easier to learn form on than struggling with heavier weights. If you switched from compound you'll be surprised at how much you can draw comfortably in a recurve. It will be less than you expect. You can go to the online auction store that we can't name here to find a nice bear recurve or something like that or go to the classified section here and find something. If you have friends that shoot trad try their bows to see what you like or dislike. Go to club shoots or trad shoots to see whats there. Most people will let you not only touch but shoot their bows! Don't go and shell out big bucks for a nice bow until you've found what you like. OK...that was the standard answer.

I noticed you live in California...where at?

And it was very well done, too, BTH! I cannot emphasize enough the rich world of possibilities that open up at a trad shoot. Don't be wowed by big name bows, either. That little cheapie that everybody overlooks just might feel like the ONE for you. Try them all!

Killdeer  

Could you make it to the trad bowhunters west expo in Boise Idaho feb 28th - March 2? At that expo you could shoot many bows and get a feel for what is comfortable for you.

All that being said....

1. I agree with spending less money and buying a lighter bow to learn with (40-45lbs).

2. Shoot as many bows as you can BEFORE putting down big money on a custom bow.

Here are a few reasons to try A LOT of bows first.

-What grip are you most comfortable with?  Some choices are high, low, medium or straight.

-What length bow are you going to get?  Your choices go from roughly 48 to 66 inches or so. Usually loger bows are more stable and forgiving, but tougher in many hunting situations.

-Do you want a takedown or 1 piece bow?

***Someone once told me all bows are made to shoot more accurate than we can shoot them.  From the less expensive versions to the elite and exotic high end bows.

Good luck and take your time, there is a huge learning curve (but it sure is fun!!).  

-Charlie

All statements above are true. You are in for the ride of your life. Welcome to the gang and have fun!

... mike ...

About myself, I'm a pro shooter for Whisper Creek Trophy Taker Unlimited Outdoors SSStrings and a few others. I love the compound world but I've always love the freedom of the traditional archer.
My lightest compound is 50-60#s to my 80-90# I've also owned a Hoyt takedown but that is a s close as I've got to the wood bows.
So when I do see all these names I get a little crazy. Black Widow, Great Plains Fred Bear... I want to do this right with a good quality bow.
Thanks-Les

I live bellow Tahoe Off of Highway 49 (80)BTH always going through Petaluma Have family that lives there and my mother live in Windsor. I do a lot of skulls for some of the Taxidermist around your area

Welcome      

There are plenty of smooth shooting Bear recurves available on the popular online auction site.  Unless you get one that is damaged, any of those ought to shoot just fine.  My son shoots his short, little KMag (that we purchased that way) pretty well.

Here are some brands that are reasonably priced AND good quality.

Fred Bear
Bob Lee
Zipper
Assenheimer
Rose Oak
Striker
Navajo Bows
Thunderstick

Going out on a limb, but I would say get a 62 inch 45lb Bob Lee takedown recurve or longbow. That would be a great place to start. If you would like to move up in weight after practicing, you can just buy a new set of limbs instead of a whole new bow.

They have:
1. Excellent customer service
2. One of, if not the best, warranty because of a dependable product.
3. You will get your bow quickly
4. They send a bow care video and will be happy to talk with you personnally on any questions you may have.

Just my opinion,
-Charlie

I am ordering one myself in about 5 months, just need to get the cash together.

****If you do want to go good but cheaper, then I agree to go to *&^bay and buy a fred bear.

Agree with everyone I would add RER bows as well. Shawn

Quote
So when I do see all these names I get a little crazy. Black Widow, Great Plains Fred Bear... I want to do this right with a good quality bow.
Thanks-Les [/QB]

Well Beetle, here's the ugle secret about Traditional Archery and bows....they're like Lays Potato Chips, you can't only have just one. Jump in, sell a couple shooting machines to make room for some wooden specimens and have fun.

I'm going to go with RER. So, I'm looking now if anyone has one laying around. Thanks everyone. bbh I have sold some of those machines so I can get one of the wood types;)

Beetle, there are a few for sale in the Classifieds here right now. RER is an excellent choice.

I've seen some nice bows. But I talked to the people at RER and they have some nice bows ( in stock) for $500. So it's hard to spend $475 on a used bow.