Recurve Bow, the Most Popular Bow for Beginners?

There are many kinds of bows out there. One of the most common type of bows  archers use is the recurve bow. It is popular for a variety of settings including bowhunting, target archery, competitive archery and even the archery tag ^TM game.

Often touted as one of the easiest styles of bows to operate, it is ideal for beginners, however, it still remains challenging enough for experienced archers. Recurve bows are simple, inexpensive and as I said before provide a good challenge. If your sold, then skip to how to choose your recurve bow.

What Is A Recurve Bow?

With an unstrung recurve bow, the limbs (ends of the bow) point away from the user and the string touches the bow at the ends. That is the primary defining characteristic of the recurve bow, and it provides a few significant advantages to the archer. Recurve bows transfer energy to the arrow more efficiently, making them easier to operate than longbows. The arrows tend to shoot at a greater speed than with a longbow, as well. Everyone, from beginners to archers in the Olympics, uses recurve bows.

What are Take-down Recurve Bows?

Bowyers (bow makers) often make recurve bows as a single piece. Some of those recurve bows could be considered traditional bows, if the material is natural in origin.   A one-piece recurve could be made from synthetic material,  a single piece of wood or laminated (glued) layers of wood and fiberglass or carbon fiber, or  natural materials glued together like traditional horse bows.

Take-down recurve bows are more convenient since they are 3 separate pieces, the riser and 2 limbs that attach to each other easily.

The main advantage of take-down bows is that they are easier to transport. Take-down recurve bows are generally made from synthetic materials such as fiberglass, carbon fiber mixed with wood for the limbs and metal (aluminum or magnesium alloys) or wood for the riser.

A second advantage of recurve take-down bows is that the limbs are replaceable, meaning you can change the draw weight of your bow by changing the limbs only and keeping the riser minimizing the expense.

Recurve bows vs. Longbows

One significant advantage to using a recurve bow over a longbow is size. With a longbow, the bow should be  as tall as the user. So longbows are significantly longer than recurve bows.  Recurve bows are smaller, to begin with; and if they are a take-down bow that would make them even easier to transport. Take note , though,  that in recent years longbows are being modernized. There are take down  versions of them as well.

Recurve Bows vs. other bows

Recurve bows have advantages over other types of bows. For example, they are simpler than compound and crossbows making them easier to repair and give maintenance as well. Since they have fewer moving parts, they are generally lighter and less expensive.

One disadvantage of recurve bows is that they are difficult to master.  However, I would say,  this is an advantage, as they provide the perfect challenge to become a great archer. The learning curve might be steeper than some people might like, so for them, I recommend starting with a compound bow. 

Best Uses for A Recurve Bow

Archers use recurve bows in practically all types of archery. This bow lends itself well to field archery, 3D archery and bowhunting because they are easy to transport to the area, as well as their lightness which helps in long treks and hikes. All 3 of those types of archery require you to move around quite a bit. A recurve bow is also well-suited for target archery, clout archery, running archery and even the less common papingo and Archery Tag^TM. To know more about all the different types of archery, read here. They are a good all-purpose bow.

Choosing Your  Recurve Bow

A recurve bow for a beginner should ideally have a draw weigh somewhere between 15 and 25 pounds. Smaller archers may need a lower draw weight and smaller bow. Don’t try to over do it with the draw weight as you will be drawing that back many many times. Proving your strength is not the goal here. You will develop the basic archery skills by being able to draw back and shooting many times in a consistent way.

One quick way to size a recurve bow is to measure the bow against yourself. The top limb of the bow should come up to your eyebrows when the bow is standing vertically on the ground. The draw length of the bow depends on the length of the archer’s arms and thus is related to the height of the user. Find out your draw length and your draw weight with this guide.

If you haven’t already done so read my beginner’s check list to buying a bow. Once you know your requirements for your bow, check our these must try recurve bows.

Conclusion

Whether you’re new to archery or a seasoned professional, a good recurve bow has a place in your arsenal. Check out these that are the best value. This type of bow is versatile, often lightweight and collapsible, and easy to operate and repair.