What Is A Recurve Bow

The term "recurve bow" or simply "a recurve" when used in modern archery circles normally describes a typical recurve bow, that is used by the archers in the numerous competition archery events the most well known one being the Olympic Games.

How Does A Recurve Bow Work? 

The simplest method to recognize a recurve bow is by the curved tips on the end of each limb of the bow. This design was initially developed thousands of years earlier by the archers of Egypt. When a recurve bow is unstrung its limbs curve away from the archer. As you draw the string back and the bows limbs begin to bend it starts to resemble a "3".

When compared to a comparable straight-limbed bow, the recurve bow stores more energy and provides that energy much more effectively.
This additional energy provides for a higher amount of speed and energy to the arrow. Which equates to flatter, more accurate trajectories.

Compared to a basic straight limb bow a shorter recurve bow can generate the equivalent arrow energy. This is the reason why this kind of bow is often chosen by archers in environments where long weapons could be cumbersome, such as while on horseback, or in brush & forest terrain.

When you first start shooting with a recurve bow be prepared for your upper back and shoulders to get a good work out. Your trapezius, deltoid & latissimus dorsi muscles will be given a heavy workout.

The lighter recurve bows are simpler to shoot for longer periods, especially if you are a novice archer. When beginning to shoot with a recurve bow you need to practice your shooting form & your shooting process. This is made much easier if you start with a bow that has a lighter draw weight. Starting to shoot with a lighter bow also enables you to build your back and shoulder muscles over a sufficient time period in order to avoid straining your muscles.

Bows which are made with much heavier draw weights do have benefits, specifically they will shoot much faster, flatter arrows and, this can be useful in regards to both the precision of your arrows as well as the penetration into the target.

Recurve bows can be made as one strong piece, however a lot of competitor recurve bows sold today are referred to as "takedown" bows. This is because when the bow is unstrung, you are then able to break the bow down into its 3 component parts which makes it less bulky for transportation. It also makes it more adaptable. Hunters frequently prefer one-piece bows over a take-down bow because the limb pockets on a takedown bow can be a source of noise when drawing the bow.

There are three reasons that you'd usually pick a take down recurve bow rather than a "one piece". 

* Take-down bows are much easier to transport. Given that you can remove the limbs from the riser, the bow is much easier to store and fit into a bag for transportation and safe keeping.
* A take-down recurve is simpler to service. If anything breaks on your bow then you can easily take off the part that needs fixing & send that part for repairing/ servicing, instead of having to send the entire bow.
* Lastly, instead of having to purchase a brand-new bow because the draw weight of your bow is either too heavy or too light for you, you are able to just buy a brand-new set of limbs for your bow as the draw weight of your bow is determined by the tightness & construction of the limbs of your bow. This then allows a novice archer to focus on correct shooting form by using a bow that has a low draw weight, & then once they have picked up the correct form they can easily increase the draw weight of their bow.

The modern-day bow is manufactured from advanced products. With the limbs being typically made from several layers of fiber-glass, carbon and/or wood on a core of wood or carbon foam.

To get good at shooting with a recurve bow takes a lot of persistence, commitment, and many hours of shooting practice.

A Brief History Of The Recurve Bow

The composite recurve was the basic weapon of the Imperial Roman archers, & the stiffening laths, (szarv (horns) in Hungarian bows, and siyah in Asian/Arabic bows) that were used to form the recurved ends have been found on Roman archaeological sites throughout the Roman Empire.

In North America lots of the bows in use were recurve bows especially the bows from the West Coast. Bows from the British Islands might have been composite weapons, or simple wooden bows with their ends recurved by heat & force,

When reliable guns became available the extensive use of the recurve bow for war diminished.

The Best Bow For Target Shooting Or Bow Hunting

A recurve bow is an all around great option of a bow if you are serious about wanting to get good at archery to put in the time required for you to learn how to shoot effectively. Over time you will learn excellent form, which will enable you to use a recurve bow for most of the types of archery.

If you plan on going bow hunting with your recurve bow then make certain that you purchase a recurve bow with at least forty pounds or more draw weight.

Likewise, a recurve bow (specifically take-down recurve bows) are much simpler to store, pack and hunt with than a longbow.

If your main archery objective is target practice, then you should choose any recurve bow from our Finest Novice Recurves & you will be fine. If your main archery goal is to hunt, then any of the recurve bows will also work, so long as you pick a recurve bow with a draw weight of 40 pounds or more.

If you're interested in a recurve bow then take a look at the Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow, it's one of my favorite bows on the marketplace.