Anyone shoot a re curve?

[maroonandwhite]

The wife and I just ordered a pair of re curve bows because she is interested in getting into archery. I have always shot a compound and must say the re curve humbles me a bit in the store. I haven't received the yet and have only shot maybe ten arrows on one in the store but I must say it was exciting. The feel of it all was much more involved than a compound and I was hooked. Does anyone on here shoot a recurve and have any advice to offer up to a new shooter?

If you are curious we both ordered the Samick Sage bow. Her's at 30 lbs mine at 45.

[Jonnin]

I have always used one. Not having shot anything else, I cannot comment on what you would find overwhelming though? I did not have any fancy sighting stuff, just look down the arrow to aim. It took a while for me to find the sweet spot with my hands and all; its amazing how much more muscle you need to draw it if you hold it slightly differently. When you find the sweet spot, it is almost effortless to draw and you can hold it there for a long time without any pain.

Mine is old so you have to unstring it every time or it would be ruined if you leave it strung too long. I do not know if modern bows are OK left strung or not.

You will probalby want an arm-guard at first --- the string can hit your forearm and that is very bad if not protected. You can learn to shoot it and not get hit but for a while, you will need the protection.

You can get a little metal ring to put on the string to mark where the arrow should sit and hold it there --- this is a big help to consistent use which leads to accuracy. It is the only "extra" I used.

Like anything else, practice makes perfect.

[maroonandwhite]

Yeah the dealer is supposed to install the arrow nock ring thingy ( I know what it's called but had a brain fart). From what I could tell a compound is much more forgiving of bad form.

[jtmaze]

IMHO recurves are more accurate than a compound in the forgiving factor. A compound bow is about form and doing everything right( the bow perfectly vertical and good release. A recurve is more about aiming and release. With practice you can shoot a recurve from any position which comes in handy in bush conditions. Once you get familiar with new bow, put a piece of cardboard in an old tire, mark the center, roll tire and have fun. This will teach to draw aim release in an almost fluid motion to improve accuracy.

JTM

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[KaNuckles]

I shoot one sometimes. It's hit and miss.

[tnhawk]

I haven;t shot one in many years. After I got out of the Army, compund bows had taken much of the market for archery.

[gjohnsoniv]

They're fun to shoot, but harder to hold back.

[Guest nysos]

I shot recurve bows in my grandfather's backyard growing up. Although hardly an expert, I did have a number of buddies in school that were big into bow hunting. The draw on a heavy recurve bow is all about technique, and many people get it wrong. Most everyone wants to just hold the bow out and pull the string back, but on a heavy recurve you won't be able to do that. You may already know this, but you start with the bow almost pointed up and you push your offhand out, and pull with your other toward you as you rotate it down into position.

If the weight of the bow is light enough for you to pull straight back, then that is fine - but if you are struggling you may need to look at that technique.

[gjohnsoniv]

That's how I draw them when I shoot them. Honestly though I only have a compound bow. One of my friends though has a recurve though.

[MiddTennTaco]

Great... now I want a bow... Yall are jerks.

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[maroonandwhite]

Samick Sage! Only $150 online setup from Twig Archery!! Then you have to buy about $300 worth of arrows, target, glove, wrist guard, broadheads if hunting.

[gjohnsoniv]

Samick Sage! Only $150 online setup from Twig Archery!! Then you have to buy about $300 worth of arrows, target, glove, wrist guard, broadheads if hunting.

Try Lancaster Archery.

[maroonandwhite]

I think they actually get theirs from Lancaster archery. Not downing twig at all as they have had great customer service so far. I was going to order from 3 Rivers but they were out of stock, They say these bows are selling like hotcakes.

[gjohnsoniv]

After The Hunger Games came out, apparently a lot of people are starting to get into archery and hunting. Go figure.

[maroonandwhite]

Funny you should say that. That's where my wife got the idea. If she ends up shooting like that I told her she could quit her job and shoot professionally.

[gjohnsoniv]

Lol NICE. Yeah well I'm not going to complain if it gets kids off their lazy rear ends and away from the tv or video games for once. Or adults too.

[maroonandwhite]

Hopefully it will be an outdoor hobby we can FINALLY do together and both enjoy it.

[gjohnsoniv]

Those bows are tempting though. Another thing I don't have the cash to buy :/.

Edited August 28, 2012 by gjohnsoniv

[JGunner]

Seeing the archery stuff on Top Shot got me to wanting a bow ... I still haven't done it yet though.

Of course seeing every gun on Top Shot usually makes me want every gun on Top Shot too ... not just the bows ...

I've got a little rural property in north Alabama so I think the bow is going to be a mandatory purchase soon for fun times down there.

[Makiaveli]

Can anyone recommend a good website to read up on archery? The boy keeps talking about starting archery and I am pretty much clueless. Played with a fiberglass one when I was a kid so I basically know how to nock an arrow and might even know enough to avoid shooting myself in the foot

For example, how to tell what length of bow to get based on height? How to determine the right poundage? I assume there is a guideline, ie if you can lift and hold a X lb weight etc then you need a Y lb bow?

[gjohnsoniv]

Can anyone recommend a good website to read up on archery? The boy keeps talking about starting archery and I am pretty much clueless. Played with a fiberglass one when I was a kid so I basically know how to nock an arrow and might even know enough to avoid shooting myself in the foot

For example, how to tell what length of bow to get based on height? How to determine the right poundage? I assume there is a guideline, ie if you can lift and hold a X lb weight etc then you need a Y lb bow?

Go to a bow store and get one fitted, accuracy will increase. They also have experience.

[maroonandwhite]

Can anyone recommend a good website to read up on archery? The boy keeps talking about starting archery and I am pretty much clueless. Played with a fiberglass one when I was a kid so I basically know how to nock an arrow and might even know enough to avoid shooting myself in the foot

For example, how to tell what length of bow to get based on height? How to determine the right poundage? I assume there is a guideline, ie if you can lift and hold a X lb weight etc then you need a Y lb bow?

Archery forums.com or something along those lines seemed to have a lot of info. I second finding a GOOD archery shop and trying a few on. I went to the store a tried out the Samick Sage before ordering but if you want into recurve it seems to be about the best deal going for a new bow. In general you will want to start out with a light weight to get your form down if you have never shot before. I got my wife a 30# and myself a 45#. I pulled a 50# in the store and it was challenging to try to hold back with correct form.

[Jonnin]

For example, how to tell what length of bow to get based on height? How to determine the right poundage? I assume there is a guideline, ie if you can lift and hold a X lb weight etc then you need a Y lb bow?

your bow, unstrung, should be right about the same height as YOU in a recurve, roughly. strung, that will make it significantly shorter than you and fairly manageable. However, if you are hunting, you may want it a size or 2 smaller to make it even easier to handle in the woods.

Bows are a funny push-pull. You have to hold it away from you with one arm (push) and pull it toward you to draw (pull). (Proper draw is described above, but once drawn, you still are pushing and pulling for a short time, not saying to draw it straight back by brute force). It is not easy to determine what bow weight you can handle based off any normal weight lifting and you really need to just try a few or get some help. Also, how you hold it and how you draw it matter a lot in how strong a bow you can manage, if you hold it wrong the "right bow for you" may seem impossible!

Edited August 30, 2012 by Jonnin

[maroonandwhite]

^^ That's definitely true. I had my compound set at 70# before I sold it yet 50# in a recurve was rough. From what I have read there isn't really a "correct" way to shoot a recurve. Some folks just pull it back and let it go while others pull to a standard anchor point on the chin, have the string touching there nose, etc.

[Jonnin]

^^ That's definitely true. I had my compound set at 70# before I sold it yet 50# in a recurve was rough. From what I have read there isn't really a "correct" way to shoot a recurve. Some folks just pull it back and let it go while others pull to a standard anchor point on the chin, have the string touching there nose, etc.

if you can pull it straight back with brute force, it is too weak a bow for you if you are looking for the stoutest draw you can handle. You can get more into it with the lift up, hold the string arm still, and extend the arm holding the bow to draw it. That is the best method I know of for a tough to draw bow that is on the limits of what you can handle. Brute force or other methods are not "wrong" if you can do it, and I imagine that technique could be handy in a tree stand or whatever.