I've not actually read this anywhere but I'm getting alot of context clues that longbows are a little harder to master than a plain-jane recurve. Is this correct? What about the reflex/deflex styles? I'm still trying to do my homework before I buy my first trad.

In most cases put not alla longbow has a shorter brace height than a recurve and less speed. A bent longbow has more speed and less hand shock than a straight longbow.

I hower have been working on a longbow limbswith ILF fittings for the last year.

only you can deside what is best to you. You need to go to a traditional 3-d shoot and shoot different bows.

That's a tough thing to answer since it is a real personal thing. Out of my bows it seem like my Adcock longbow is the most forgiving followed by my Brackenburry recurve.

Also work into the equation the length of the bow, centercut, and how the grip fits your hand. The bows that I mentioned are the longest bows that I own (66" and 68"). I have a 60" longbow that is the pickiest of all my bows.