Wow, I'm very impressed by the responses but how is a longbow more "simple" than a recurve? Also, I thought the Turks were going to war with recurves way back when.  Sorry I'm not a huge history buff.  
I know longbows go farther back than recurves.  What did they find with the "iceman."
Lucky I'm still too poor to afford the longbow I want right now. I have too many afflictions.

Longbow = simple and efficient

Ya start with a worm for bluegills and end up dry fly fishing for trout.

Bowmania

But why do most exhibition shooters shoot a longbow and not a recurve?

ttt

Longbows are generally lighter to carry all day,most times quieter,harder to torque the limbs, have less finger pinch and are easier for those of us lesser experts to shoot. I think they also have better cast on heavy arrows. I'm like Mr.Hill(except for the shooting)--not good enough to shoot a recurve.

the best way I can describe it is shooters of this type alot of times have to shoot very quick and alot of times at a moving target, in this case it is real easy to torque the string and this really plays havoc with a recurve where as a longbow especially a stringfollow bow is alot more stable in this case. The longbow is lighter in weight and points quicker. If you really break down a film of one of the greats shooting stuff out of the air frame by frame you will see alot of times they don,t even get to anchor but the just get r done. hope this helps. The reason I use a longbow is for hunting, when I was younger I used a heavy recurve but since then I have transfered the weight to me so something had to give, so I carry a longbow to help desperse the weight issue.

Notice that HH's longbows were not short. it's interesting to note how LONG an olympic tournament recurve is. Longer than some of the "LONGBOWS" out there. Less finger pinch, draw length variation has less effect on weight drawn (supposedly). Mechanical releases have allowed the wheelie's to be very short.
I will not use a mechanical release hunting and i have finger pinch issues that effect my accuracy, so longbow it is, and smoooooth.
rob

I believe Monty Markum and Stacy Groscup both shot recurves and were considered excellent trick shots.  Howard Hill sold longbows so they shot best if he shot recurves he would have said they were best...

Don't forget Ben Pearson possibly the greatest game shot ever used a recurve.  There is a film of him shooting passing ducks with his recurve.

Dan

i love both but it just seems that my long bow is my hand,most of the time.its a heckorybamboo backed bow, and it just looks good in my hand      

Awww heck,
Shoot what ya got and shoot it often...
Ya do that enough ya might get good at it...  

There is nothing like putting on a back quiver full of arrows and heading into the field with a longbow in hand. You just know that the ghosts of archery past are walking with you.

I don't know about the greats or their reasons or, even one being easier than the other. I shot a recurve the beginning. When my wife bought my L.B. it was alot harder for me to hit with but, I like it more than either of my curves.

I think that many of the great archers were products of their time (and started shooting what was available and stuck with it). Other great archers were products of their great mentors, and shot the same gear. Some had a choice of bows, and chose one over the other much like many of us prefer one over the other based on personal views on aesthetics and feel and what we happen to believe we shoot best. There are (and were) some phenomenal recurve shooters, too - Paul Schafer springs to mind. Interestingly, I was talking on the telephone to an experienced old gentleman who was a phenomenal bowhunter with the Hill-style bows he made (and still makes) - he holds views that are a product of his time, and was surprised to find that I hunt with a recurve, as surely I would find a recurve too temperamental and unforgiving for bowhunting (which I don't find).

Well, i've just ordered a longbow. I don't what it is about these that i like. Possibly, that they are almost the same height as i am. It just feels like it's more part of me.

Really looking forward to the delivery. Very, very much.