The deflex riser itself is far more forgiving than a reflex riser. Higher brace height on a reflex riser bow is more forgiving than a lower brace, but not nearly to the same level when compared to riser configuration.

Picture this: When you're shooting at a target, you're pulling the string one direction while pushing the riser the other direction, trying to keep everything - string, arrow, cams, limb tips, limb pockets, riser and grip - lined up in the same plane from your eye to the target, so the arrow will fly where you want it to. Now, with that image in your mind...

Look at a reflex riser bow. The grip is BEHIND the limb pockets, which makes the limb pockets the forward center of pressure, but in front of the limb tips. When you draw the bow, the string is the rear center of pressure. So, when you've got the bow drawn, you're pulling the limb tips toward you while attempting to keep the limb pockets pushed away in the same plane toward the target.

Your hand has a lot of leverage because it's between the two centers of pressure. Vary the pressure of your hand just a little bit, and you can move the limb pockets out of alignment with the limb tips and target. That's called torque. A reflex riser bow CAN be shot very accurately, but it's also exceedingly demanding of exactly proper form.

Check out a deflex riser bow. On a deflex riser, the grip is in front of both the limb pockets and limb tips. The grip becomes the front center of pressure. When you pull the bow's string, the limb tips and pockets are automatically pulled into the same plane of alignment with the target. Your grip has very little leverage to move the limb pockets out of alignment. VERY difficult to torque a deflex riser bow.

In fact, if you have a slick grip and keep your hand loose, the force of drawing the bow will force your hand to slide into almost exactly the same grip placement for each shot.

That's why a deflex riser bow is so much more 'forgiving' than a reflex riser bow, even when both bows are otherwise identical (same limbs/cams/axle to axle length). Naturally, if you have identical bows but one has a riser that is reflexed 1" and the other is deflexed 1", the deflex riser bow will have a brace height that's 2" higher - another 'forgiveness' factor. But, that's also 2" less power stroke. Less power stroke = less speed.

I really like the forgiveness of deflex riser bows a lot more than raw speed. Too bad this speed freak foolishness has blown a great riser profile almost completely out of the marketplace. A whole lot of people would be enjoying their shooting a lot more and struggling with their accuracy a lot less if they were able to buy deflex riser bows.