Im interested in taking up shooting a recurve. Ive been shooting a compound for about 7 months now and i would like to buy a traditional bow. can anyone recommend a good, fair priced bow.

I would go to ebay, you can get some wonderful shootable vintage recurves for next to nothing ,as you improve in your shooting then you can think of a better or custom bow.

I picked up a howatt recurve for $50 and boy it shoots sweet.

check the classifieds here I seen a check mate falcon with everything you need to shoot.

I was faced with the same dilema about 4 months ago. A friend of mine started getting me interested in traditional archery. When I first shot his bows.......one a recurve, one a longbow, I thought I wanted a recurve. As life would have it......I ended up with my first bought longbow. It all depends on the bow itself and your comfort and quality of shooting it. I would strongly suggest you go to either a tradtional archery show where you can freely shoot different types and makers of bows or visit a traditonal shop near you where you can do the same. You wil find the right bow that fits you well and that you shoot well and consistent. Overall most important Item.........YOUR FORM.Whether you have a recurve or a longbow......if your form is not molded and consistent, you will not shoot to your expectations and you will end up disappointed.

For me, one of the hardest things to figure out when I got started was which bow to get.

A couple of things to consider: get a bow that fits your draw length (if you draw 30", don't start with a 58" recurve; or if you draw 26", don't start with a 68" recurve), and get a weight that you can control. Not a weight that you can get to anchor, but a weight that you have full control over, and can shoot comfortably for more than a dozen arrows. Starting out too heavy is a common mistake, and one of the worst, in my opinion.

A fast bow is fine, but can be a hinderance, especially starting out. Personally, once I get past a certain point in speed, my accuracy suffers. Most any bow can be made fast, or can be slowed down--string choices, arrow weight, point weight, etc. can be used to adjust this. Be more concerned with getting your form established and shooting consistently. After you get a feel for it, you will have a much better idea of what you want for your next bow.

Keep in mind there is no one perfect bow or shooting style that will work best for everyone. Don't be afraid to try different things. I like Byron Ferguson's "Become the Arrow" (book) and Ricky Welch's "Instinctive Shooting, Volume II" (video). They have completley different styles, but both are very accurate with their preferred shooting style and both offer a lot of good information concerning the basics.

Good luck!

Chad