Which Bow should I use Compound or Recurve
This is a question that is asked many, many times, unfortunately there is no clear answer to this question, at the end of the day in most cases it boils down to personal preference. We will however, try to point out some of the advantages and disadvantages of both types of bow.
Recurve Bow
The recurve bow is the closest style to a traditional looking bow and is often the recommendation for learning archery. Although they are easy to use recurve bows are difficult to master, many people believe learning archery with a recurve bow results in much better archery habits because you learn proper shooting skills without the assistance of all the modern gadgets on a compound bow.
Recurve bows are used extensively in archery competitions including the Olympics, actually compound bows are not permitted, only the recurve bow is allowed at the Olympics.
Archery competitions and target shooting are not the only uses for the recurve bow, they are still used for hunting, as they have been for centuries, although the more modern compound bows are very popular in this area. Some hunters prefer the more traditional recurve bow citing that they are a lot more fun to use and require much greater skill.
In comparison to compound bows, recurve bows are normally a lot cheaper due to the fact they a simpler and do not come with most of the add-ons that compound bows have.
Recurve bows require less maintenance and adjusting than compound bows, again due to their simplicity and lack of add-ons.
Disadvantages
Much harder to get proficient with than with a compound bow.
Recurve bows are generally larger than compound bows so when hunting in certain terrains may be more cumbersome.
Recurve bows require more strength to hold when fully drawn unlike compound bows that can easily be held when fully drawn.
Not as powerful as a compound bow and less accurate (except for very experienced recurve bow users) because they lack the modern technology incorporated in compound bows.
Recurve bows do not have the adjustments of a compound bow.
Compound Bows
Compound bows are the most popular type of bow in the United States today, especially in hunting circles. They make full use of modern technol
gies that are continuously being updated.
Although not allowed in the Olympics there are a huge amount of competitions where compound bows can be used.
Compound bows are made from modern lightweight composite materials allowing them to be shorter and lighter than other bows. This makes them easier to carry and more manageable in closed quarters. Another benefit of being made out of these materials is they can be used in all types of climate and in the rain and still have a very long lifespan.
Accuracy and consistency is so important in archery and compound bows are built to make these things as easy as possible, utilizing modern technology and easy adjustment.
Disadvantages
Compound bows require more maintenance than a recurve bow.
More complex so more things can go wrong.
Compound bows need a bow press to restring them which most people would not own on as they require training before you use them, so you generally need to take them to a specialist bow store for restringing.
Most compound bows are lighter than traditional bows so they can be prone to movement errors by the user at full draw.
Compound bows are normally more expensive than recurve bows.
