What's your idea of the perfect recurve?

[xtrema312]

58" for all around hunting, but mostly from stands and blinds.  I would want it to draw to 30 with no stack, 4" site window before it starts to angle out the side, quiet, quick, decent mass, grip on the low side and with a positive pressure point rather than one that fills the hand, and very stable limbs.  I also like a narrower shelf; too many bows have a way wider shelf that I need and it just gets in the way.  A TD is a plus and I like a narrower limb and more slender riser when possible in a TD so it has more the feel of a 1 pc.

I have yet to find the just right grip in a quiet bow with the site window I want in a bow under 60".

[ron w]

I have a couple of River Runners by Chad Holm.....nice bows. I also have a Zipper ILF with Dyrad Static recurve limbs that I grown really fond of....it's 42# @ 29" 62" long, works great for 3-D and working on my form......which seems to always need work....lol! I really like the bows that have that 50's look to them, my Kota "Killum" come to mind! So many bows........  

[champ38]

54" with the grip and speed of a Centaur, smooth out to 29" with no finger pinch.

Question for Mike. If you were to attempt to optimize your "retro" recurve for a 26" maximum draw what would you need to do?

[Plumber]

for me its 62 inches
52lbs
with a low checkerd grip
maybe a little horn on the tips
an has a lot of zip

[59Alaskan]

What Hoyt said and left handed.

A 62-64" recurve can be just fabulous.  I prefer a heavier riser.

[Recurve50 LBS]

I HAD the perfect recurve (a take down) until I stepped on one of the limbs after tripping while stepping off my climbing stand :-(

I sent it back to the boyer for a new set of limbs. But the design changed and after getting it back it just was not the same bow.

Why do I have to be so clumsy?

[Bowwild]

If I could just get a certain bow I own a tad bit more quiet, I'd have the perfect hunting curve for me.

[Moots]

Low to medium grip.  Enough mass in the riser for stability.  Very smooth and quiet.  Fast and beautiful.

[Lonnie bailey]

the grip is the most important part, get a good fit on the grip and the rest will fall into place. that is after you straighten the limbs out to make it a longbow!

[Echo62]

1. Grip. Most important in my book. High wrist(straight wrist), good palm swell.

2. Smooth and quiet.

3. Fast enough.

4. Enough weight in the riser to make it stable.

5. I prefer one piece.

[Easykeeper]

The grip is important to me, I like a grip that my hand melts into easily and gives very little room for being a little this way or that.  I like a relatively thin grip.  Of all the bows I've had my favorite grip is what's on my Blacktails followed closely by my Silvertip (sorry to mention brands).  I specifically don't like a wide (side-side) grip, too easy for me to torque, nor do I like the minimal grip found on many longbows.

After grip, the bow must be quiet and have as little vibration after the shot as possible.  Arrow weight and brace height play a big part in this but the bow itself should be as inherently shock and vibration free as possible.  

Fit and finish...life is too short to shoot an ugly bow.  Fortunately there aren't many of these, most bows are relatively well made and decently finished.  Some stand out though so I look for it.

[MnFn]

I really liked a 64" Cheeta recurve from the 60's. I liked the grip mostly, 64", 60 lbs. Gave it to my son.

Now I have a 60" 55# @28" bamboo limbs i think, not sure about the riser. I probably like this bow the best of the recurves I have had/or have.
All about the grip for me. I have tried to sell this bow a couple of times, just because I wanted to try something else; not a good idea and glad I kept it. I have been shooting it a lot lately.
Pretty sure I will never own a bow shorter than 60" again. But never say never.

[Kamm1004]

THE perfect recurve (at least for me) is Chuck Deschlers (sp?) two tracks ambush recurve! Lightning fast, short, sweet, not much handshock, no string pinch (I shoot 3 under), and the list goes on....