What is a Recurve Bow
The dictionary meaning of the word “Recurve” means to curve or bend (something) back or down, curving back is the fundamental design of the recurve bow.
When bows are drawn, energy is stored in the limbs of the bow this energy is then transferred to the arrow when the string is released. With a recurve bow the additional curves turn away from the archer giving the recurve bow greater energy than a straight-limbed bow of the same length.
Because recurve bows can be shorter than the simple bow for a given arrow energy they were often preferred by archers in environments where long weapons could be awkward, such as in the bush or forest or while on horseback.
Throughout history recurve bows were used by some of the most feared fighters of all time such as Attila the Hun and his Mongolian armies of mounted archers.
Today the phrase "recurve bow" or simply "a recurve" usually refers to a typical modern recurve bow, as used by archers in the Olympics and many other competitive events.
Recurve bows are a popular choice for both target archery and hunting.
