Looking for some feed back. Sold my compound bow a few years back and was thinking about getting back into archery with a traditional recurve. Told that to a friend on mine and he said that I wouldn't be welcome in his camp of archers with a recurve. Something about not enough penetration and knock down power bla bla bla. I said Fred bear the grand father of archery probably killed more stuff than you could in a life time. Short of getting into a fist fight I dropped the subject with him. Looking for anyone's opinion good bad or indifferent.
Recurve vs compound
- Thread starter IDELKFVR
- Start date
tdcour
Veteran member
I have a buddy that went from compound to recurve to longbow. I don't care what you shoot as long as you know what your equipment is capable of, know your own limits, and realize that you have to be closer than with a compound. My thought, do whatever you are going to enjoy doing and let them worry about themselves. A rifle hunter could say is archery guys aren't welcome for the same reasons. Doesn't make sense to me.
Hilltop
Veteran member
I think the thing that really decides this is how passionate are you about the sport. To shoot a recurve well, you really have to dedicate consistent time to practice. Muscle memory needs to be developed and maintained in order to consistently be able to put arrows where you want them. If you have the time and drive, I say go for it.
missjordan
Veteran member
I got one for x mas last year and I like to have lots of fun with it. It's very humbling to try and shoot with, I say go for it and try something new!
NE69
Active Member
A recurve can be deadly if you put the time in and practice. It's a very enjoyable way to hunt. Just a joy to shoot instinctive and become good with one. I think your "friend" is misinformed and a little close minded. A good instinctive shooter with recurve or longbow is poetry in motion.
Don K
Very Active Member
As Hilltop said the key is to practice to make sure you proficient and know what you max yardages are. I know traditional guys that can shoot out to 50 yards with no problem and as good or better than compound hunters. I myself when I shot my recurve and longbow kept my max at 30. There is plenty of power behind those bows so don't buy the penetration crap there is lots of elk killed every year with these bows.
And as far as your friends camp not being welcome hes not a real friend in my opinion. You are shooting a legal piece of archery equipment, find yourself a different camp or a partner if you don't want to go alone.
Don't worry about what others think go out and enjoy what you want to do.
And as far as your friends camp not being welcome hes not a real friend in my opinion. You are shooting a legal piece of archery equipment, find yourself a different camp or a partner if you don't want to go alone.
Don't worry about what others think go out and enjoy what you want to do.
It takes more practice. I spent 18 months shooting before I hunted with mine. I killed a spike buck at 30 yards. No penetration problems. The arrow passed through.
I find the recurve more fun to shoot by far. If something fails in the field, odds are I can fix it and keep hunting.
I find the recurve more fun to shoot by far. If something fails in the field, odds are I can fix it and keep hunting.
Thanks you guys i like to hear all the positive feed back. I havent gotten a recurve bow yet but i think theres one in my near future still resurching the one i would like to purchase.
firebeck
Very Active Member
I started with a recurve and switched to a compound because of lack practice with the recurve and unable to get into hunting form. Than I quit archery all together. Shooting the recurve was a blast and I got side tracked with the accuracy of a compound. Regret buying the compound to this day. Still wish I had the recurve! It takes lot of hours shooting to get comfortable but man its fun!
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6mm Remington
Very Active Member
A lot of those folks shooting compounds think they can take those 70-100 yard shots because of the sights and all of the other crap that a compound has. As your buddy how much energy a compound arrow has at 70 yards! I think I would find another group to hunt with. His thinking is pretty close minded and quite frankly a pretty poor attitude.
I shoot a Martin Hunter recurve and sure love that thing. Get one and go hunting. One way to meet some like minded archers are at those 3-D shoots and a lot of archery shops have weekly shoots with folks with traditional gear. Best of luck.
David
I shoot a Martin Hunter recurve and sure love that thing. Get one and go hunting. One way to meet some like minded archers are at those 3-D shoots and a lot of archery shops have weekly shoots with folks with traditional gear. Best of luck.
David
Stay Sharp
Very Active Member
I hunt with both Homemade traditional bows and compounds. Both are very lethal in a practiced hand. The lethality of a recurve or longbow cannot be disputed. The accuracy of a given user can be. As to penetration and lethality, there is no doubt even a moderate weight traditional bow coupled with a razor sharp broadhead will topple every big game animal in North America provided the user can place the arrow in the vitals.
I like to hunt with a homemade longbow using homemade broadhead on homemade arrows fletched with turkey feathers from birds Ive harvested and a homemade leather finger tab. Your friend may scoff at that saying its not proper gear for his camp. The last 8 point buck I killed didn’t object to the gear I used.
I like to hunt with a homemade longbow using homemade broadhead on homemade arrows fletched with turkey feathers from birds Ive harvested and a homemade leather finger tab. Your friend may scoff at that saying its not proper gear for his camp. The last 8 point buck I killed didn’t object to the gear I used.
ColoradoV
Very Active Member
- Oct 4, 2011
- 821
- 939
Just like boots recurve bows and long bows seem to like a person. If you are going to get one go somewhere you can shoot several and pick the one that likes you. I like Yellowstone custom longbows as they work great for me.
I hunted a long time with only a long bow and killed my 2 best bulls as well as other elk and a good buck with one but as others have said it takes a lot of continual practice to stay on top of it. I draw a bow 32" and with the heavy arrow/broadhead I was shooting it was as others have said plenty lethal. I limited my shots on elk to 25 yds and at that distance longbows work plenty well.
Dont discount how hard it is to be able to pull a bow with in 20 yds of a animal with out them seeing. Very difficult and separates long bows from compounds as you are not going to draw and wait for the elk to walk in. I shoot a compound now and they have a lot of advantages but if you want to put in the time go for it as in the end it is a very rewarding way to hunt.
I hunted a long time with only a long bow and killed my 2 best bulls as well as other elk and a good buck with one but as others have said it takes a lot of continual practice to stay on top of it. I draw a bow 32" and with the heavy arrow/broadhead I was shooting it was as others have said plenty lethal. I limited my shots on elk to 25 yds and at that distance longbows work plenty well.
Dont discount how hard it is to be able to pull a bow with in 20 yds of a animal with out them seeing. Very difficult and separates long bows from compounds as you are not going to draw and wait for the elk to walk in. I shoot a compound now and they have a lot of advantages but if you want to put in the time go for it as in the end it is a very rewarding way to hunt.
wy-tex
Veteran member
A shiras moose fell to my 50 # recurve and I found 2 arrows made a pass through the vitals and ended up lodged in the opposite shoulder blade. Plenty of penetration for me.
MtnBuck
Member
Here's what Saxton T. Pope had to say about penetration in his classic and absolutely peerless book published way back in 1923:
"Hunting with the Bow and Arrow"
Shooting a blunt arrow from a seventy-five pound bow at a white pine board an inch thick,
the shaft will often go completely through it. A broad hunting head will penetrate two or
three inches, then bind. But the broad-head will go through animal tissue better, even cutting
bones in two; in fact, such an arrow will go completely through any animal but a
pachyderm.
To test a steel bodkin pointed arrow such as was used at the battle of Cressy, I borrowed a
shirt of chain armor from the Museum, a beautiful specimen made in Damascus in the 15th
Century. It weighed twenty-five pounds and was in perfect condition. One of the attendants
in the Museum offered to put it on and allow me to shoot at him.
Fortunately, I declined his proffered services and put it on a wooden box, padded with burlap to represent clothing.
Indoors at a distance of seven yards, I discharged an arrow at it with such force that sparks
flew from the links of steel as from a forge. The bodkin point and shaft went through the
thickest portion of the back, penetrated an inch of wood and bulged out the opposite side of
the armor shirt.
The attendant turned a pale green. An arrow of this type can be shot about
two hundred yards, and would be deadly up to the full limit of its flight.
"Hunting with the Bow and Arrow"
Shooting a blunt arrow from a seventy-five pound bow at a white pine board an inch thick,
the shaft will often go completely through it. A broad hunting head will penetrate two or
three inches, then bind. But the broad-head will go through animal tissue better, even cutting
bones in two; in fact, such an arrow will go completely through any animal but a
pachyderm.
To test a steel bodkin pointed arrow such as was used at the battle of Cressy, I borrowed a
shirt of chain armor from the Museum, a beautiful specimen made in Damascus in the 15th
Century. It weighed twenty-five pounds and was in perfect condition. One of the attendants
in the Museum offered to put it on and allow me to shoot at him.
Fortunately, I declined his proffered services and put it on a wooden box, padded with burlap to represent clothing.
Indoors at a distance of seven yards, I discharged an arrow at it with such force that sparks
flew from the links of steel as from a forge. The bodkin point and shaft went through the
thickest portion of the back, penetrated an inch of wood and bulged out the opposite side of
the armor shirt.
The attendant turned a pale green. An arrow of this type can be shot about
two hundred yards, and would be deadly up to the full limit of its flight.