compound bow hunting guide

Which archery Bow Compound Or Recurve?

Should I use a compound bow or recurve bow? I hear this question asked so many times; really no-one can make a decision like that for you because personal preference and what you want to use the bow for should guide you to the answer to this question. Having said that, there are some factors that may influence your decision, which of course is the objective of this article. I will try to point out some of the advantages and disadvantages of compound and recurve bows.

First off the recurve bow. Of the two bows this is definitely the most like a traditional bow in regards to looks. A lot of people would recommend the recurve bow for learning archery, not because they are easy to become an expert with, actually they are not easy to master but because learning with a recurve bow is a good way to pick up good archery habits.  The skills you acquire have not had any assistance from the many gadgets on a modern compound bow.

Recurve bows are often used in archery competitions and are the type of bows used at the Olympic Games, Compound Bows are not permitted at the Olympics but are also extensively used in competitions.

The recurve bow is used for more than just target shooting and archery competitions. It is still widely used as a hunting bow as it has been for centuries. Compound bows are extremely popular for hunting these days but there are still hunters that think that recurve bows require more skill and are a lot of fun to use.

Because they lack most of the add-ons seen on compound bows recurve bows are normally a lot cheaper than compound bows. They also don’t require as much maintenance or adjusting as the compound bow because of their simplicity.

Disadvantages

Recurve bows can be very difficult to get proficient with. They are generally larger than compound bows which can make them awkward to use in certain terrains when hunting. They take more strength to hold when fully drawn whereas compound bows are easy to hold when fully drawn.

Because they lack the technology that compound bows incorporate, recurve bows are generally not as powerful and are less accurate for anyone that is not a very experienced user. They do not have the adjustment options of a compound bow.

Now for the Compound Bow.

In the United States today, compound bows are easily the most popular bow, particularly when it comes to hunting. They incorporate continuously updated modern technologies.

Compound bows are used extensively in archery competitions except of course at the Olympic Games. They are normally lighter and shorter than recurve bows because they are produced from modern lightweight composite materials. This also makes them easy to carry around and more manageable in confined areas.

Another benefit of the materials that compound bows are made of is their very long lifespan and durability in all types of climate and in the rain.

Of course one of the most important things in archery is consistency and accuracy and compound bows are built using the latest technology and ease of adjustment to make these things as easy as possible.

Disadvantages

Compound bows do have their disadvantages, they require more maintenance than a recurve bow and because of the complexity of a compound bow there are more things that can go wrong.

With most compound bows a bow press is needed to restring them, most people would not own a bow press so they would have to take the bow to a bow shop to get it restringed.

One of the compound bows advantages can also be a disadvantage; being lighter than most traditional bows they can be prone to user movement errors at full draw.

Compound bows are normally more expensive than recurve bows.

Whichever bow you choose I know you will get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

About the Author

Linda is webmaster of Cheap Bows Guide where you can get compound and recurve bows, guides and reviews of archery bows from the major bow manufacturers.

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