I'm kicking around the idea of picking up a recurve bow and learning to shoot instinctive. I have a compound bow but i just can't seem to get excited about shooting it. I've read some reviews online but was just curious if anyone had some personal experience with them. I'm not looking to get any high end bow but I certainly don't want junk. Any info is appreciated.

I would google Traditional bow shoots and see if you can find a shoot to go to nearby. I think they still have them at Tannehill park and I think There are some in Tennessee also. There will be vendors there with new and used bows for you to look at and try out. The nicer bows usually draw smoother and feel better in your hand. I'm hunting with a Black Widow recurve I bought used and got a pretty good deal on. If I can help you in any way give me a holler.

I hunt with a custom longbow. I have another being built now. Mine are reflex/deflex design.

I have a couple of recurves.

Been shooting compounds hunting/3D since 1985.

The stick bows just make it much more interesting for me. It becomes a really up close and personal experience.

Go to Amazon and order a Black Hunter. Get some arrows, an arm guard and a leather tab and get to shooting. It took me about 4 months of shooting every day until I got proficient enough to hunt with my longbow.

I killed my first deer with a longbow, a mature doe, at 25 yards on opening day last year.

Thanks a lot for the information guys. It never occurred to me that traditional bow shoots would be a thing. I haven't been to Tannehill since i was a kid.

I bet taking that doe was an incredible experience and to me that is what it's about.

What are some good brands/models to look into? I’ve read a lot of folks start with a Sammick sage, but I also see tons of others (Bear, Pse, Southwest). And then tons of small custom shops. Not opposed to buying an older, quality bow either, as it looks like folks still used bows from that 60s-70s that are still prime condition

I’m in the same boat as the OP. Id want something basic to start with, but not some beginner junk kit. Something maybe more intermidiate, but quality, if that makes sense.

Read this, read it again, do your own research and then do it. OR, go ahead and order one today and do your research while waiting on it to be delivered:

1. Go online to Amazon;

2. Search “Black Hunter Recurve Bow”

3. Order the poundage that you want.

It should cost around $100

It will shoot as good as a custom bow.

The Black Hunter is a better bow than many mid-level bows and it shoots better than or as good as many custom bows. Don’t take my word for it, Google it, search YouTube for reviews. I have a Black Hunter longbow and it shoots as good as my $1,200 custom bow.

If you discover that shooting a stick bow isn’t for you then sell it and get half of your money back.

If you stick with it and for some reason want a custom bow later on, save the Black Hunter. As a backup bow.


Shooting a stick bow is an art. Anyone, with a few minutes of proper training, can shoot a compound bow. Not so with a stick bow.

Be very careful with this Woodsman. It is addictive. Carbon shafts give way to cedar or douglas fir. Modern styled heads give way to glue-on snuffers or zwickeys. Recurves give way to longbows, then one day while twisting up your own bowstrings, you'll find yourself looking at osage staves to carve a selfbow from and you'll start thinking about hunting with bamboo shafts and stone points.

It doesn't consume everyone the same way, but you'll atleast be tempted in doing all of the above.

Lonster that's a heck of a good shot with a stick bow at 25 yards. Congrats!

Woodsman, whatever poundage you think you can shoot, drop it by 10lbs. If you can buy one of those bows from Amazon for $100, I'd suggest getting a 40# bow. Get your form down, then go up in poundage. As an example, when I started shooting a stick bow, I was 2o years old. I was shooing a PSE Fireflight compound set on 85 lbs. I shot it every day, for at least an hour a day. I bought a 65# recurve and I never could shoot it worth a dang. I ended up buying a 50# bow later and got decent with it but I had a whole lot of bad habits to overcome from trying to shoot a bow that was too heavy for a decade or more. If you have a long draw length, go way lighter than you think. They're all measured for pounds at 28" draw.

Thanks Fur, for the record, I was hunting with one of the forum members here, he ranged the deer and was supposed to be videoing. I was shooting the 3rd deer (a 10 point) as it came from behind some tree limbs. We had been watching these bucks for the last 20 minutes of fading light. There were several deer in the field and along the edges and these bucks would go out of view for maybe a minute before popping out into range, IF they continued on the route they were taking. I watched buck #1 and buck #2 walk by at 20-25 yards. My friend Lance, MBrock knows him, is sitting in a stand right above my left shoulder and he is watching Thru binos and says “wait for the 3rd one, that’s the 10 point.” So as the 3rd deer is coming from behind the tree limb Lance says “you’re about to be able to see him, there he is stepping out now.” The deer stops and is standing broadside. Lance says “he’s 25 yards” and I said “I’m going to kill him.” I had previously told Lance that I would not shoot past 20 yards. Lance said “Are you sure? He’s 25 yards.” I shot and pinwheeled “him”.
After tracking the deer for about 65-70 yards we both looked in disbelief because we were expecting a 10 point!
I guess this lucky doe stepped in between buck #2 and buck #3 when they walked behind the overhanging tree limbs.

You are 100% correct on not being over-bowed on a stick bow. My longbows are #45 bows. I have a 30” draw.

Here is the next deer that I shot with my longbow. The shot was only 16 yards. I hit right where I was aiming BUT my target had dropped too much.

Thanks for the info. I'd be lying if I said that those ideas haven't crossed my mind yet. I want to get my feet wet first and see how it goes.

Also, thanks for comments on draw weight. I was considering shooting a lower weight initially so i could get more reps in to work on fundamentals. I think I'm going to get one of those black hunters. Luckily, my draw length is 28".

That black hunter on amazon is an amazing bow for the money…i mean…they are stupidly cheap and bout the only thing needed to make them feel like a very expensive bow is a decent flemish string..one i shot was very well built..ive heard of a few stories about delaminating but they sent it back and had a brand new one at no cost..quality may have fallen but they were good. You could go the route of an older made in usa bow..but youll be limited on string material and they just dont shoot as good as modern bows do or as fast…i built a ben pearson mustang out for my brother and it is an awsome bow…but nothing even close to modern bows..but for a beginner, you cant beat the options given above, good luck

On the subject of arrows...do I need to shoot feather or plastic vanes? I plan to shoot off the shelf and have read a ton of opinions on it from online guide-type sites and they seem to be all over the place on the subject. I found a kit that throws in some feather fletched arrows and some other goodies with the black hunter for like $140 and I think that's what I'm going to get unless someone here convinces me to go plastic.

Feathers are the way to go, however, I've seen folks shoot vanes off shelves and somehow make it work.

I use feathers exclusively.

Got it. Thanks guys. 👍

You really need to bare shaft tune your arrow to get good arrow flight. (Google once again) Get arrows spined for your poundage and point weight. 3 rivers archery sells bare shaft test kits. I shoot Gold tip traditionals with feathers. Feathers will be a little more forgiving if you have any contact with the riser. Plus the shield cut feathers look cool.

You don't have to spend a lot to get a food shooting bow.
Southwest Archery sales the Spyder recurve in 62 and 64 inches.
I'd recommend not starting out with too much poundage.
Maybe 35lbs or so to start out with. You can buy higher poundage limbs later for around $85.
Put you a low stretch string on the Spyder recurve.
I have one..it shoots as good as some high dollar bows I've had.


I'm shooting a longbow now but the Spyder or Galaxy Sage are good bows.
Don't know what your draw length is on a recurve but most bows are measured at a 28" draw...so if you end up drawing 29" you would add about 3 lbs to whatever poundage bow you have..if you have a 35 lb bow and draw it 29"", you'd be drawing about 38 lbs..for example.

The longer bows will be easier to learn on.

Thanks for the info. I've already got a black hunter with 30 lbs limbs ordered and luckily I'm a 28" draw.

You did right by starting out with a lower poundage. If you need any help let us know