Going back to the longbow

X2 · July 31, 2007, 12:41:00 AM

I have been shooting recurves for about the last 8 years. Before that I shot nothing but longbows. I have decided to go back to shooting longbows with wood arrows. I have been told that I could not shoot as high of a score with a longbow, as I do with my recurve. So next 3d season I am going to shoot nothing but my longbows with wood arrows. I kept track of my average this last year, and am going to try to match it or beat it.

I have always loved the longbow, but went to the recurve for a little more speed. My current recurves still have longbow handles, so the transition should not be to bad. Has anyone else "downgraded"? Did your scores decrease?

mike g · July 31, 2007, 02:07:00 AM

"DownGraded" to a longbow....
I think it's more like "Upgrading".
All kiding aside....Shoot what ya have fun with....
I shoot a Hill longbow, most of my friends shoot High end Recurves, I hold my own with them....

madness522 · July 31, 2007, 06:40:00 AM

You will score the best with the bow you are most comfortable with. I have seen in most tournaments that the recurves as a group score higher than longbows as a group. I shot recurves for awhile and now I mostly shoot long bows. There is just something about the grip of a longbow....

X2 · July 31, 2007, 09:43:00 AM

I will still have my recurves, but for the next year I will concentrate only on my longbows. If I shoot too many different bows at one time it messes me up. I love both. I have always shot the longbow style handle better than a pistol grip recurve style handle. I just want to see how accurate I can be with the longbow and wood arrows. I have a new fox longbow on the way, that Ron is making as close to my recuve as he can. (Offset handle and cut the same as my breed). It should shot close to the same as what I am used to.

X2 · July 31, 2007, 02:13:00 PM

I truly believe the major difference between the longbow and recurve class is the arrows that you are required to use. In most longbow classes you have to use wood arrows. I went away from wood arrows many years ago because I spent so much time making arrows, and most of the time they were not as consistent as carbon or aluminum. It takes a lot of time and hard work to get a good set of wood arrows. I don't believe my scores would go down at all if I used aluminums from my longbow. The challenge for me will be to make a really good set of matched wood arrows.

I do know that years ago when I switched from wood to aluminum my scores went up. I will have to break out the spine tester, crester, and taper tools. Let the fun begin.

JEFF B · July 31, 2007, 02:50:00 PM

i shoot longbows horsebows selfbows as long as ya are having fun who gives a fat rats ass what bow ya shoot. just have fun x2

Mike Bolin · July 31, 2007, 06:50:00 PM

If yoou go back and check the scores from years past at Cloverdale, you will find that longbow scores are right with the recurves. Some years, the longbows scored higher. I know that one year year my buddy Richard (aka Flatstick here on the 'gang) shot one of the highest (if not the highest) overall scores with a 80#+ selfbow and 700 grain compressed ramin wood shafts....it's not the bow, it's the nut that holds the handle! Mike

Str8Shooter · July 31, 2007, 08:58:00 PM

I don't really believe that recurves are more accurate than longbows. I think it's really keeping good form and tuning that make the difference.

I've been shooting my longbows more and more lately. I took my hill style longbow to the last 3-D shoot I went to and my scores aren't really any different than my recurve scores. And, I've shot recurves almost exclusively for the last couple years.

CS

Ian johnson · July 31, 2007, 09:01:00 PM

I shoot recurves and longbows, cant really tell the difference

Greywolfy/U.P. of Mi · July 31, 2007, 11:01:00 PM

How can you compete with a design that's thousands of years old! You can't! :D

I 'regressed' from recurve to longbow earlier this year. Once I got used to the handle difference, my scores were the same.

SpikeMaster · August 01, 2007, 08:51:00 AM

I believe I shoot my longbow as well if not better than my recurve. I like shooting the longbow better, maybe that why I shoot it as well as I do. It's much quieter and lighter in the hand which I really like in a bow. Like Str8Shooter said, with good form and tuning and about any bow will shoot well.