I've been shooting compounds for a while now and want to start getting into shooting traditional. I will eventually hunt with it but right now i just want one to practice with. Some of the questions I have are, does the length of the bow affect the draw length? What brands should I look at? Cabelas has some nice looking bear recurves for a decent price. How does shooting a recurve differ from shooting a long bow? Thanks for the help!
I've been shooting compounds for a while now and want to start getting into shooting traditional. I will eventually hunt with it but right now i just want one to practice with. Some of the questions I have are, does the length of the bow affect the draw length? No. But it will affect your exertion to draw said bow. For example, a 64" bow - 50#'s @ 28" will draw more easily than a 58" bow that's 50#'s @ 28". What brands should I look at? Cabelas has some nice looking bear recurves for a decent price. Solid choice (as is the Bear Montana LB) for a "starter" (and there's NOTHING wrong with hunting with them) bow. How does shooting a recurve differ from shooting a long bow? Personal preference. Some like the LB's. Some prefer the recurve.
Bear montana, martin savannah, martin stick, all good starter bows. My suggestion is don't buy new. Trad guys love to buy and sale. You can get martin savannahs and montanas all day for 300 used. Myself, longbows are more forgiving and easier to tune. But alot of folks gravitate to recurves because they can get them shorter and string angle won't be bad and the grip may be more comfortable. IMO, most recurves "high wrist" grip encourages torquing but is usually comfortable and people can handle higher draw wieghts. Where a Howard Hill straight longbow grip, can be uncomfortable and not as easy to shoot a 66lb bow but discourages torque. The large shelf on a recurve can also be a tad more unforgiving for tuning. As you can see many pros and cons of both. Hense I highly suggest not buying a new one. The longer the bow, usually the sweeter draw. If you have a long longbow like 66", a 65lb draw wieght will feel like a 58lb draw wieght from a 58" recurve. Not a rule, but good suggestion.
absolutely start with used and opt on the light side for draw weight. HA, it's taken me 45 years and around 16 bows. My problem is I like them all! Too many bows, too little money.
what should I look for when I buy one used as far as physical damage goes such as cracks or chips in the finish.
Look at the limbs to make sure their not twisted. Ask the seller to string It If It Isn't strung. The only bad thing I've ever saw with some of the older bear recurves was that some of them have had twisted limbs. Maybe this Is all on the previous owners too not taking care of them. To me light chips In the finish don't mean much but maybe rather that he or she had It out In the woods and used It.
thanks guys. I get back to civilization in 20 some odd days. I will look into finding some used bows when I get back with a pocket full of cash.
You want to look at the obvious first. Finish, chips, etc. Because you probably want to resale. Also, you want to see the bow at full draw. Look to see if it bends nice and even and bow limbs look symetric. This is tiller and can be a huge headache in tuning if its off. As other said, twist is common and of course not wanted. Many fix with hot water but this can be temporary. If all possible, see if you can find trad shooters in the area. So you can shoot the bow before you buy. I realize there are not many huge traditional festivals up your way, so this could be difficult.
