Used to be when there were only straight limbed longbows with straight handles and recurves with pistol grip handles, there was a lot of difference between the two. Now, even though the old straight limb longbow is still with us, we've got reflex/deflex longbows with semi-pistol grip handles, recurves with straight handles, longcurves, rebows, various and sundry hybrids. You can even get a takedown riser with interchangeable longbow and recurve limbs!

The fastest recurve is still a bit faster than the fastest longbow but, overall, there's not much difference in performance. Shooting over the chronograph, my reflex/deflex longbow shoots the same arrow at the exact same speed as my Chek-Mate recurve, and they are very close to equal draw weights.

I like shooting longbows. I really do. However, I shoot recurves quite a bit better than I do longbows. I know other guys who are exactly opposite. They shoot longbows better than they can recurves. It really comes down to what you shoot best.

But I like Basswacker's suggestion to get one of each. No truly civilized man can go thorugh life without having both.