In Your opinion, which is the better bow type to shoot, Compound or Recurve and why?

Originally Posted by Aim4Sport Ltd

In Your opinion, which is the better bow type to shoot, Compound or Recurve and why?

"Excuse me....I think this is your cat that was in amongst the pigeons...."

I think it really comes down to your personal preference. Personally, shooting a recurve fits my definition of Archery. i like the fact that I have considerably more influence over the shot, and resulting accuracy. When shooting compound, the technology is ironing out some of the areas for inconsistency. However, I also feel that trad type of shooting (ELB, Horesebow etc), is not seriously competitive.

Recurve, I suppose, also fits my competition needs/requirements. I see compound as very tightly competitive....put an arrow in the red, and you could be out. With recurve, the scope is wider, but still tight enough to offer considerable challenges.

taking up archery, my intention was to dabble with recurve then head off into Field armed with a horsebow which would satisfy my rather practical medieval history interests.
Somewhere, probably in connection to my dribble at the ears competitiveness, I was seduced to focus on recurve. Even with modern materials, stabs, buttons and sights it is ... (as darth says) ... a good fit for what archery is about.
Compounds are just too modern, too technical, too cutting edge to be 'archery' in an emotional sense ... in the same way that modern sports fencing isnt really 'swordsmanship' ... in sports fencing kicking your opponent in the tenders is frowned upon

Better to shoot???? Like many archers I started with recurve. Injured string fingers sent me reluctantly into compound shooting.The fingers are now healed; but I would never dream of going back to recurve.Making a shot with a sweet compound is an experience to savour. The ability to RELAX and make those shots is far easier for me, holding under 20lbs at full draw.I get fair results, with less struggle.With both bow types I worked on getting better. That work is more to my liking with the compound; the subtleties can be felt as there is less strain.I also love the technology in the compound and that opens up a whole aspect of fiddling that is not available with recurve.It's two hobbies in one.

I shot Compound as a Boy Scout, 15 years ago. I am starting again, on recurve. I see recurve as more traditional, and would love to be able to be good at barebow or a bow that I made myself.

Compound appeals to my geeky side, with all the mechanics, gizmos and doohickeys. There's just so much interesting and cool stuff, and all of it expensive.

I'd quite like to be good with recurve, self-bow, and compound done up to the nines, but that probably won't happen... just the same as I want a Harley Sportster 883 and Honda Goldwing. Recurve is my Harley, raw, bare, no nonesense, and Compound is my Goldwing, luxurious and technical.

recurve, by far, it teaches you to use the skills that you need to know. If you want to go compound, then go recurve for a while to build up skill, then go for compound

Whatever floats your boat. Either has facets that will appeal to a variety of people, and put others off. All I would say is that you should shoot whatever you enjoy shooting - too often I have seen archers take up compound because they are frustrated with lack of progress elsewhere and equate higher scores with getting better. That way lies madness (and spending lots of money, and taking up another sport)

As a person who shoots both, I honestly believe a compound is a wonderful tool to learn on. If of course you've got someone to help you with all the intricacies of setting up. Once you're up and running with the right draw length, let-off, rest, sight, peep and release aid you can hardly miss. We live in a culture which revolves around a very short attention span and general impatience. A compound correctly set up for the person shooting it can give instant results. My own journey in archery started with a club recurve to learn the absolute basics, then my first purchase was a compound. Once I was shown how to install and line up a peep sight I went straight to 90M and loved it. However bits started falling off, and I ended up going longbow for simplicity. I now shoot longbow, barebow recurve and barebow compound, all at competitive levels. But I am convinced that starting off with an unrestricted compound
probably saved me a couple of years in practice at least. But that's just my opinion. In the old days, learning to shoot longbow (the hardest discipline of all) was reckoned to take 5 years. I certainly did not have that dedication and self-discipline. Cheers

I shoot barebow too, I've been shooting for a while and can tell you that sights are cheating. They tell you where to shoot, but without form, they're useless.

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Recurve, theres more variables to contend with, giving more challenge.

How the hell can you say sights are cheating ? I am sure you probably put your arrow point on your point of aim at full draw ,there for, using a sight, albeit a simple one but non the less still a sight.
You wouldnt expect lance armstrong to do the tour de france on a penny farthing would you, so what is wrong in embracing modern advances in technology with bows and using them to acheive what all archers are trying to do with every shot and hit the middle more often,isnt that the name of the game? but if you are happy to miss ,fine, keep it up ,be happy with what you do but dont call people with sights cheats,its not cheating.
I for one (and im sure there are many others) take great offense at being called a cheat.

There can be only one answer & you all know what it is.........

The best bow to shoot has to be the one that makes you smile when you pick it up, even before you draw it!
For me it has to be compound, I love the explosion of sheer power, the control & the feel of smoothness as you shoot. You know you are going to hit the target but the challenge is still huge as the X is where it's at!

It's the most logical conclusion of the equipment, why struggle to tune your recurve to make it more accurate when you can pick up a basic compound & beat your score - all the recurve crew who shoot carbons have to see the logic of this one or you would still be using only ally's :

Each type has it's points & I love a bit of banter

Originally Posted by eigoro729

recurve, by far, it teaches you to use the skills that you need to know. If you want to go compound, then go recurve for a while to build up skill, then go for compound

Now that I would totally agree with. It give you a far better understanding as to Why? you do the minor things that can be as important as the Bow itself...!

Paul...

Now, who would buy a bow that gets harder to pull the further you pull it? Bear in mind you can shoot one that gets lighter as you reach full draw.Sounds like a backwards step to me.
It's like changing a wheel on the car and going for lifting the car by brute strength when a jack makes it lighter work.