Recurve Bows

Recurve bows are a great option for competitive archery and bow hunting and it is the only bow allowed for use in the Olympics. You will find that there are many good reasons you might choose a recurve for yourself.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert archer, you will discover that recurve bows can be used for everything from bow hunting to target shooting. If you are considering a recurve bow, there is some basic information that you should keep in mind, regarding both the bow itself and what kind of bow you might need.

Unlike a compound bow, there is no pulley system on recurve bows. They work a great deal like a longbow, though they are typically shorter, and the tips of the bow will curve out rather than back and towards the archer. This limb design helps the bow transfer more energy to the arrow and they are generally faster than a longbow.

The limb design of recurve bows also shortens the bow which makes it easier to handle for bow hunting.

Recurve bows themselves are typically made from carbon fibre, laminated wood, fibreglass or a combination of materials. The riser of the bow is usually made of magnesium or aluminium although recent competitions are seeing more use of the carbon aluminium hybrids. If you are a beginner, though, bow risers made of wood or plastic might be a good option to start with if you have a budget.

When you are selecting the recurve bow make sure that you know what kind of draw length you need. When you are looking for the right draw length, you will discover that your arm span is typically about on par with your height. However, if you want more accuracy, a measurement of your arm span is going to be required. Other ways to find your draw length is to draw back a bow several times and get some one to measure it.

After you have established draw length, consider what you need from the draw weight. The draw weight is going depend on your own strength and the activity you are engaging in. For most target practice, you will find that a 25 to 45 pound draw will be perfectly adequate.

For bow hunting, recurve bows ranging from 50 pounds and up might be suitable, depending on the game persued.

Another factor when deciding to purchase a recurve bow is whether a one-piece bow or a takedown bow is for you.

One-piece recurve bows may be a little harder to transport because of their length, but you will find that they are significantly sturdier than other types of bows. They are made from a single piece of laminated wood or wood-cored fibreglass, these recurve bows are great for the beginner for the cost.

Takedown recurve bows are essentially bows that can be broken down into risers and limbs, which is ideal for travelling. You might also have two different poundage limbs, maybe one set for bow hunting and one for target archery.

The takedown recurve bows can be made with a wooden riser or metal, allow or carbon fibre or a combination of materials. Good quality take down bows are very smooth to draw and accurate.

There are many different options open to you when you are involved in archery and recurve bows have a lot to offer both amateur and expert archers!