Something you MUST know about shooting traditional. A lot of potential newcomers to traditional have wasted their time and money by buying more bow than they could comfortably shoot. Then they' ve gotten frustrated and given up.
They assume because they shoot XX pounds on their compound that they can also shoot XX pounds on a stickbow. Then they learn one crushing lesson. Shooting muscles develop strength in direct proportion to the bow' s draw cycle.
A trad' s muscles are strongest at the end of the draw, because that' s where peak draw weight is. A compounder' s muscles have adapted to being strongest at the middle of the draw cycle because peak weight is in the middle of the draw. Where a trad needs the most strength a compounder has the least. It takes time and training for the muscles to adapt to the new demands that the traditional bow will put on them. It' d take too much writing to give you a treatise on muscle physiology, so I must ask you to trust me on this one.
As to whether a recurve or longbow.... my longbow side is about to rebel but, I' d suggest a recurve. Most recurves are generally more centershot than most longbows and will shoot a somewhat wider range of arrow spines well. MOST people generally shoot a recurve better than they can a longbow. Besides that, you can usually find used recurves priced much more reasonably than used longbows.
Notice that I' m very careful to use words like ' most' , ' usually' and ' generally' when talking about this. That' s because there are exceptions to every rule.
As for where to find them... That' s a good question. Very few archery shops keep stickbows on hand any more. You can find all you want on the internet, but that' s no help to a new guy that really hasn' t figured out what he wants yet. You can' t draw an internet bow to see how you like it until money has already changed hands. One of the best places to look at lots of bows and get a chance to shoot several different types, side by side, is at an all-trad 3D shoot. Keep an eye open for one of those shoots in your area and go to it. Even if you have to drive a hundred miles, shelling out for a tank of gas is cheaper than shelling out several hundred bucks on a bow you can' t draw.
If you simply cannot find any trad bows in a shop or can' t find a trad shoot, and you' re left with no options then all I can do is recommend ordering a 45 pound recurve. It' s plenty of bow for small game, target and close range deer hunting and, hopefully, still a draw weight you can comfortably shoot and learn with.
WHICH DO I NEED RECURVE OR LONG BOW
