Bloodnativ

I am new to bowhunting and will be buying my first bow soon. I have heard that a recurve is better for beginners. Others say it doesn' t matter. What do you guys (and girls) think? Any opinions will help.

jerseyhunter

If you have the money I would go with the compound.I learned the basics on a long bow as a child,started hunting with a recurve as they didn' t have compounds then. now use the compound.As long as your out there in the woods you' ll enjoy yourself. Drawing on a deer and holding waiting for the right moment takes a little muscle, you' ll be glad you bought the compound with the let off. Also they shoot faster and flatter. a little fogiving for not having spent more time on the range.Hope this helps some and good luck to you. don,t forget the four seasons almost summer,summer,still summer and DEER SEASON

burniegoeasily

Personally, I would start with a compound, that is if money permits. I like to use my compound for deer hunting and my recurve for rabbit hunting and fishing. It all depends on what you intend on doing and how you like to do it. My brother likes long bows and will shoot nothing else.

When choosing, try some out. You will find recruves are harder to hold because of the stack, no let off. recurves are also slower, generating less force. But agian it all depends on what you do and how you want to do it. Its like the debate about fingers or release. Its all personal pref.. I would recomend trying them both out.

A compound is more expensive, but you can find a very good bow just a couple of years old, for half the price. Look on e-bay or at the used bows at your pro. shop.

elknut1

I' d go with the compound if you don' t in a short time you' ll wish you did. I' ts like lookin for a deer rifle, sure a 30-30 will work but in a short time you' d wish you had a 270 or something instead. Something like that. elknut1.

lamb1647

Buy a recurve! I bought a compound, in fact, I bought 9 compounds in my first 15 years of bowhunting. Then my shoulders started hurting with the comounds, so I sold my last three and bought my first recurve.

I wish I would have started with recurves to begin with! They are fun to shoot, you can be just as accurate with them as you can be with a compound at reasonable/typical ranges for shooting deer, and they are pretty!!

I' m now shooting longbows and I' m going to start making longbows shortly. Let me be completely honest with you now and qualify my response somewhat. It depends on where you live and what you' ll be hunting.

If you hunt in the wide open spaces of the West or possibly even Midwest, you might want to get a compound intially. If you live in the East or Southeast where there' s thick cover, get a recurve! Your typical shot will be 20 yards or less, and if you do like I do you' ll set up for 15 or less.

Whatever you do, have fun!

Bill

wulff

i agree with lamb buy a recurve it is more gratafying, i grew up shooting recurves and a fiberglass longbow my dad gave to me and my younger brother. when compounds started to gain fame i bought a whitetail hunter; (rather my father did) since i had no income at the age of 14 and hunted with them until last year and finally went back to my roots and i am so glad i did. to me it is alot easier since there is not alot of gadgets to contend with

davidmil

I started with a recurve. I practiced a LOT and became quite proficient with it. I hunted with it and took many deer for several years. When the compounds got going I decided to try one and see what all they hype was. I' ve been shooting one since the early 70s. If you' re looking for some pin point accuracy and proficiency within a short time.... the compound is the way to go. I can have a beginner whacking the vitals in a very short time consistantly. That' s not true with a recurve or long bow. A recurve or long bow takes much more dedication amd regular practice to become proficient. The recurves because of the physics involved do not have the speed, flat trajectory or pack the wallop a compound does. I' ve been at it for over 3 decades and for the past 3 or 4 years have been antsy to return to the basics and simplicity of a recurve. If a good recurve didn' t cost as much or a lot more than a good compound I' d probably be there... but I haven' t made the leap. You have to decide, what are your goals and preferences. Do you want to have the hi-tech equipment and gadgets or do you wish to make it simple and basic. They both do the job quite well in the hands of a disciplined archer. It will take years with a recurve to get to the level you can achieve in months with a compound. Those who say they went to a recurve after a compound have to remember they already had the skills and shot discipline so it' s not as big a leap as starting from zero. Obtaining a proper fit in draw length etc is critical with the compound and not always easy if you' re relying on a proshop who doesn' t have the crap together. Obtaining the proper bow fit with a recurve is not as big a problem.

Lamb, if your shoulders started bothering you with the compounds and you don' t have the problem with recurves it was probably more due to mismatched shooter/equipment than the physics of the compound. There' s nothing that' ll tear up a shoulder faster than having a draw length to long or poor form or over bowing.

Wingbone

I' d have to agree with Davidmil. I shoot a recurve and wouldn' t switch. I' ve hunted with a recurve for 25 yr.' s. I' ve never hunted with a compound bow. But, If you want to take up bowhunting, a compound is an easier way to get into the sport. A recurve takes more practice and dedication to get compitant. As you can tell from the responces, we recurve shooters are passionate about shooting archery. Some day you might even think of switching. But if you just want to get into bowhunting, a compound will be an easier introduction.

coyote170

Find a good pro shop and try both Im older and
the let off makes it easier for me to enjoy my
hunting and can shoot it in all seasons hot or
cold whatever make sure you are happy,enjoy!!

Rack-attack

I love my fast compounds!!

I shot a recurve once a few years ago....

still waiting for the arrow to reach the target[][][8D]