mistahmojoryan

Hello, I'm in the process of getting my first recurve bow. I'm basically putting my trust in a guy I know with decades of experience in traditional bowhunting...he's...well, a character to say the least. He's going to try to find me a bow in the $300 dollar range; something I can use to get my feet wet and practice, practice, practice. He started throwing some ideas out about the length of the bow, draw, weight, one peice or take down. I'm not really familiar with the pros and cons of any of these things so I'm looking for some advice/resources/guidance.

I'm confident he'll set me on the right path but any research I can do on my own can only help. What kind of bow would you recommend? Is a recurve a good first bow? Once piece or take down? Books/websites I should study? Basically, any advice you're willing to throw a total new comer is appreciated!

He's looking for a good deal on a bow for me so when I hear from him I will post the info I get. I would like your feedback.

mysticguido

You have come to the right place. There is lots of people here that will help you out. The best I can say would be, find a traditional bow shop near you and go and try some out. Cabela's have some too, and they have a indoor range so you can shoot them. This is my first year hunting with a long bow and I even shot it before I bought it I do know that ever bow shoots different so what is great for one person ,may not work good for you. Good luck and read ever post that is make and You will get a great bow soon.

kevin1

I'll second what Mysticguido said ,
these guys really got me off on the right foot last year when I first started . I had never shot a bow other than a few half hearted tries when I was a kid , now I'm out in the woods at a time of year when I'd normally only be dreaming about it .

By $300 I presume that you meant CDN dollars , and I've seen plenty of serviceable bows in that range , both in pro shops and catalogs . I got a PSE Kudu from Cabela's for $250 USD , so they're out there . The used rack at your local pro shop may have a few trad bows to sell , you can get some grest deals that way .

Scoobiedoo

You don't need to spend $300 on a bow to get a nice bow. There are plenty of nice used Bear Kodiak Magnums and Kodiak Hunters on eBay for around $100! Same with Browning recurves and Shakespeare's as well. All are nice bows and great for a beginner or advanced shooter alike. The Bear recurves are beautiful and perfectly functional as well. I have purchased several for less than $150 and they have been near-mint. Get yourself some alum or cedar arrows, a shooting glove or tab, some field points and broadheads - and you're pretty set.

I recommend the following books - they are a MUST:

G. Fred Asbell's book 'Instinctive Shooting'

John Trout Jr book 'Trailing Whitetails' Its out of print but used copies can be had on eBay, Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com

These are 'MUST READ' books for any bowhunter.

Good luck.

mistahmojoryan

Thanks for the responses; I will be coming back to the forum for advice on many things.

The guy I mentioned found one bow for me; a Samick Predator. But it had a 55lb draw and he wants me to stick with a 50lb draw. Thing is, I can get one for a lot cheaper on ebay or from an online bow store. The other thing is that he expects me to buy before I try (he has no stock at the moment). A couple other guys I've talked to have recommended a store a couple hours from here; great service and selection so I can try stuff out and get what I want.

I'd like to do business locally but financially and selection wise it just makes no sense. I'll have to give him a call tomorrow and let him know. I'll still do business with him for other things but choosing a good bow in person seems important.

Rich Baker

try this www.recurves.com Chad Is awsome. I just ordered the falcon for 200. bucks

Scoobiedoo

Unless your a big guy I'd not start out as heavy as 55# for my first bow unless a compound bow. You want to master FORM first not WEIGHT. TOO many archers start out over-bowed and this creates more problems than its worth. Accuracy and form usually suffer. Remember - you want a bow you can shoot (in good form) for more than a few shots each day. Too much bow tends to make you over tired, shake, and affects accuracy. You'll never be able to have practice sessions longer than a few shots per session. No fun! Drop down 5# and you'll be happier you did...I still shoot a 50# recurve!

A 45#bow will kill a deer as well as a 55# bow. With bows, shot placement is ideal. If I was to have to buy a bow before trying it out (and I do - thats why I recommended the Bear recurves on eBay) I'd not invest more than $150 in a bow. PS Ebay has some fine green Bear Kodiak Magnum & Kodiak Hunter's on auction as we speak. I know, I JUST bought one for my daughter! $99! Is beautiful! You’ll not go wrong buying one of these. In time you can always resell it and move up to a more expensive bow if you stay with archery and progress. I have shot archery for over 25 yrs yet don't feel I want to spend over $200-300 in a recurve just yet. I could, but why? These old Bear's are beautiful and perfectly serviceable. I sure wouldn't wanna drag an $800 custom recurve thru the woods hunting, and hoisting up my treestand.

PS Rich - Personally I'm not too impressed with Chad's styling. Funky looking risers.

Good luck!

Arthur P

I'd been shooting recurves and longbows for over 30 years before I ever broke down and bought a takedown 'curve. Oh, the things I missed in my ill-spent youth!

If I had to live with only one bow forever, I'd chose a takedown recurve. Several advantages, first two I feel are very applicable to beginning trads.

1) Greater mass in the riser (generally speaking) makes takedowns more stable and easier to shoot accurately.

2) Interchangeable limbs. When your muscles get accustomed to shooting a recurve and you feel the need to bump up in draw weight, you can just get new limbs rather than having to get a whole new bow. But if you buy used, make sure the bowyer is still in business and still making that style bow!

3) Takedowns are very compact and easy to transport. Very important when you've got the jalopy loaded down with hunting/camping gear.

Of course, I've got 1-piece bows that I like, and the last bow I bought was a 1-piece. They're almost always lighter and sleeker with cleaner lines than takedowns. I don't see how anybody can call themselves a recurve shooter and not have at least one of each kind.

There are quite a few guys who shoot better with longbows than they do with recurves. Honestly though, I feel they are exceptions to the rule. A much greater percentage are like me; they shoot better with recurves than they do longbows. I love my longbows, but I have to admit I do much better with the 'curve.

As for reading material, I highly recommend Byron Ferguson's book, "Become the Arrow." Another I've been reading the past week is one that's out of print but is an EXCELLENT resource for traditional shooting, "Archery, From Golds to Big Game" by Keith C. Schuyler. Check your local library or maybe you could run into it at the second hand bookstore. I'll be keeping my eyes open for it, because the guy I've borrowed it from is expecting to get it back.[&:]

LBR

I'll echo some of the advice given here. If you can find a good used bow for $100 or less, in the right weight and length, that is what I'd go with. Develop your form first, then worry about moving up in weight. The used bow should bring about the same price as you paid for it (as long as you keep it in good shape), or would serve as a back-up when you are having an off-day, have a friend that wants to give it a try, etc.

I do not recommend G. Fred Asbell's instructional books or video. I say this because I have never seen any good, consistent shooters use his methods, and I have heard from many that feel it caused them a lot of problems when they tried it. He does offer some good information, but you can get the good parts along with better instructions from other sources. I have the video, and have looked over the books.

I like Byron Ferguson's "Become the Arrow" and Ricky Welch's instructional video, Volume II. I don't agree 100% with all the information they give, and both have completely different shooting styles, but it will give you the basics and some good pointers on developing your own shooting style. Don't worry about it if it all doesn't work for you, just use the parts that do and don't be afraid to experiment. No one style will work for everyone, but the basics remain the same. That's just my opinion, for what it's worth. Your mileage may vary. Batteries not included. [8D]

Just for the record, I do not make Chek-Mate bows. I'm not sure what is considered funky about them though--people have told me that it looked like Chek-Mate copied some Bear designs, especially in the Falcon. That's not the case, but the general appearance of the Falcon is very similar to a Bear--the Grizzly, I think. The Raven have a very similar profile as the Kodiak Magnum. But anyway.......

It's good advice to try before you buy, especially if you don't yet know what you really like or need. If you stay with it, you will most likely find yourself in the same boat as most of us are in, or have been in--buying, swapping, trading until you find "THE" one for you. That's just part of the fun.

Good luck!

Chad

mistahmojoryan

Wow! Lots of good information coming in!

Some suggest getting a good deal off of ebay, whereas, others suggest it's very important to try before I buy. The guy I've been dealing with suggests getting a "decent" bow and one that I'll keep for a long time. I don't know how I can do that without trying it first.

I think the best thing to do is get a reasonably cheap bow off of ebay ($100-$200US) with a good brand name and see how I like it. I'm 5'10" at 200lbs (muscular build); I lift weights but I'm not naturally strong like some guys; and I think my "personal" draw length is about 29 or 30" (just from testing it myself on an old 40lb Bear recurve my Mom has; it's left handed, unfortunately). Given my size and build what do you suggest in terms of dimensions of the bow? Does about 60" total length, 45-50lb draw sound about right? Thanks!