Advice needed on recurve

[akdd]

I have been thinking about getting a recurve. I know very little about them and was wondering what to look for in one. I am pulling 63# and drawing 28 1/2 in. with the compound. I looked at the Hoyt gamemaster but have not shot one. I will still use the compound for hunting for now. Any advice will be appreciated .

[Greg Krause]

I was gonna reccomend a cheapo on E-bay, to start but the Hoyt is sick. I really wanna get one.
remember you want to start a lot lighter than your compund. I'd say 40-45#'s
With 45 you should have no problem learning and can still easily take deer sized game. the nice thing about that bow is you can put any rest you want on it and sights too if you decide to start that way.

[BT]

I will agree with skipmasters recomendation.
even though you are shooting 63# with the compound...chances are very good that you will not be ready for a 50# at first.
A 45# should be about right...maybe a bit hard to start with but you will build into it very quickly.
Get your shooting down pat with that and then consider a real good 50#....but perhaps not a great one.
You may want to even bump it 5# from 50# in the future

[smj]

If you find the thought of starting at a lighter draw weight annoying - try to slip into a pro shop and shoot a couple bows at different draw weights. Start with the light weight one and see if you can find some form - then pick up the heavier one and see how much harder it is to draw and hold form correctly. I shoot a compound at 70 lbs. When I have not picked up a longbow for a while and try to shoot it at something around 55 to 6o pounds - I find that I shake and tremble at full draw. All the guys around me tell me that my bow is to heavy - which of course leaves me grinding my teeth a bit.... I find this to pass in about a week, but I am not trying to learn a new form, so this is not a big deal to me. If you have never shot trad before, there is a learning curve and if the bow is to heavy for you it will hurt you in the effort to learn how to use it. This is why folks say to start light weight, then move up and buy the bow you really want. A bow you really like with two sets of limbs is probably the best of both worlds - I suppose it might be cheaper than two bows?, but I don't know for sure.

[smj]

As to what to look for in a recurve... What is it that appeals to you about shooting a recurve? Trad bows are pretty personal. If you buy from a good bowyer, or one of the major brands out there, the quality of the bow is going to be great! At a personal level, you want a bow that does not pinch your fingers or stack on you when pulled to your draw length. The bow should have enough brace height to keep it off of your wrist, but again, if you buy a bow from a reputable source that should not be an issue. Do you want a show bow, or something to go beat on in the woods? Are you looking for speed in your recurve, or just wanting to go more traditional? Why a recurve and not a longbow? You should pick up a bow stringer to use when stringing the bow, arm guard, finger tab or glove. A quiver of some sort, hip or back or bow. Arrows are your choice - probably want to check to see what requirements the manufacturer has on arrow weight. To light an arrow can, over time, hurt the bow. Most bows have a suggested draw length - some bows do not survive long if you exceed that recommendation on draw length. In short, you want to make sure that the bow fits you. Not someone else. For example, if you have a long draw length don't buy that really short nock to nock recurve - odds are great that between the finger pinch and stack over-drawing the bow, neither you or the bow will be happy!

[easternhunter]

Exactly what SMJ said!

[akdd]

Thanks for the advice. Will let you know if I get one.

[snoodslapper]

akdd said:

Thanks for the advice. Will let you know if I get one.

For sure. Take some pics too!! Ebay is a great place to get a good used curve. Just take the advise smj, skipmaster, and BT gave to heart. Also, try to buy on e from someone with good feedback on archery sales and look for limbs that aren't twisted and don't have stress cracks if possible.

If you have any pawn shops around, sometimes you can find some in there PLUS you can seet them in person before you buy to look them over.

[lonestararcher]

I draw 73 lbs. on my compound very easy. I want an 80 pounder but mathews don't make em. What draw weight would be best for me for a longbow or recurve. I work out pretty frequently and I had a 48 pound longbow and it just felt a little light to me. I want some good speed and KE so what is a reasonable draw weight???

[smj]

If you have shot a longbow before at 48 pounds, and it seemed a bit light - you might try a 55 pound bow. Jumping more than a few pounds at a time is much more difficult with a traditional bow than it is with a compound. I shoot a 53 pound at 28 inches longbow all the time. I was working on a bow that drew around 60 pounds at 28 inches - it was enough to really notice! I settled around 54/55 pounds at 28 inches - this got rid of the light feeling draw without being a big burden. I have had two compounds in the past that drew 80 pounds and could pull them without issue and currently shoot one at 70. I think that a longbow at that weight would simply not be as much fun to shoot.