Considering A Recurve Bow...Newbie Advice Welcome

I love shooting mine. I shoot a falco longbow. Never killed anything but it's really fun and challenging.

thanks for sharing your experience and advice upgrade. i think you hit the nail on the head with the suggestion of thorough reading & research.

i still have yet to figure out all the terms but in my limited forum browsing it does seem to indicate that the wrong draw weight is the real killer in regards to learning and enjoyment.

I've been shooting a recurve for a few years. I haven't shot at a deer yet, but am planning to stick with my recurve bow through bow season this year. I'll try to answer your questions.

1) Most people tend to stick to 20 yards or less with a recurve. The arrow really starts to drop for most shooters, especially with heavier arrows, after that and groupings will really open up for all but the best traditional shooters. Your arrow will also be going half the speed of a new compound, so the deer will have more time to react.

2) As far as lethality, there really isn't much of a difference between using a recurve and compound with the same broadhead. Watch videos of recurve hunting online and you'll see people getting pass through shots with 45# bows. Shot placement is what matters and is much more difficult with a recurve.

3) I own multiple bear recurves and the bow I'll be bringing into the woods this fall is a Bear Super grizzly. The build is almost the same, but it can use a fastflight string instead of the dacron string which is on the regular bear grizzly. I love it. You're a lot taller than me, so you may want to look for reviews from people with longer draw lengths because its only 58" and may start to stack on you. Draw lengths are usually shorter with recurves than compound bows though. My draw lenght with a compound is 28.5 and I have less than a 27" draw length with a recurve.

Don't start too heavy with the draw weight. The weight is usually at 28", so you'll probably be pulling more than the listed draw weight. An inch usually adds a couple of pounds. 45# is a nice balance for a hunting bow. I started with that weight and have since moved up to 55# (about 50-52# at my draw length).

Bare shaft tuning is a must, there's a lot of good resources online. I suggest starting with aluminum shafts that you can trim with a pipe cutter. It's a lot simpler unless you have a good way to trim carbon arrow shafts.

wow. thank you yellowhammer5. great info. keep me filled in on how your archery season goes this year. i will definitely checkout the super grizzly with the fastflight string.

tim mullins looks to be a true artist! those are some of the most beautiful bows i have ever seen. thank you for that wonderful tip.

Consider looking on ebay. Bought a 1969 Ben Pearson for $45 a few years ago. Worked great until it flooded and someone set it standing up in the corner.

Bought a string online (ebay too ? don't remember) for $10-12 and was ready to go.

I questioned buying something like that on ebay but the guy I listened to had bought a few that way with good luck. So did I. Always a little bit of risk but I would do it again

I shoot a Bob Lee and love it. Have taken 23 deer to date with it. Not easy, but man what a feeling to put down a deer with stick and string. Cedar arrows with grizzly broad heads

I have a 62" 40# @28" Samick Talon takedown. It's a cheap bow I think I paid $100 for it. I've never hunted with it but I'v shot it quite a bit. When one of my friends wanted to try Recurve hunting v. his compound he borrowed it. Was presented a clean broadside shot from 20 yards. Said the broadhead punched clean through. Deer made it 40 yards before it dropped. He went out and got himself a 50# for the next season even though he was planning on something closer to 60# when he first started looking. Said after seeing how well the 40# worked and after practiced holding full draw with a 40# re-curve that the 60# might be too much bow for him.

Nice set up

well, after shooting both a recurve & a compound i clearly saw the benefit of the compound regarding draw strength & cam system.

i bought a compound BUT will take the advice of the less expensive samick to have fun with as my strength and experience builds. keeping the dream alive of traditional archery hunting.

thanks again for all the advice!