First off, I am looking at getting a recurve bow. A book and posts I read, along with some folks I talked to say to start light in order to perfect form before moving up in lb'd.
This makes complete sense to me; however, I found (what appears to be) a deal on a used BEAR Grizzly #50 for 180$ without the string (seems strings are quite inexpensive?). I shoot full length arrows through my compound and through talking to a few people it is my understanding that a recurve rated at 40lb would pull ~45 depending on the length of the draw length.

From a random website:
As a rule of thumb, most stickbows gain 2½ to 3½ pounds of weight per inch drawn past 28 inches and lose about the same for every inch less than 28 inches. This weight gain and loss works for draw lengths from 25 to 31 inches.

I read that ones draw length can be found by taking your height an dividing by 2.5. That puts me at ~29.6 @ 6'2", thoughts?

How much more would a #50 pull at my draw length? (is the ratio above accurate?)
Would it be too much to start with?
Is this bow even a good deal?
If not, what are good options for starter recurves?

If its a good deal (but too much to start with) I am willing to buy it along with a lighter bow to work up to it.

Also, I shoot a compound LH and a recurve RH.

Lots of areas to cover in this post and the coffee has hasn't fully kicked in, but I’ll take a swing at this.

First, I would buy the bow if the limbs are not twisted. The only way to tell if the limbs are twisted is for it to be strung, so not having a string on it would kind of be a red flag to me.

Next, you may or may not have the same draw length with a recurve as you do with a compound depending on where you anchor. Some bow “stack” meaning the draw weight increases at a higher rate at longer draw lengths. That’s one of those things you have to draw the bow to find out. Most of the time longer bows stack less, but that’s not always the case and each bow has its own “feel”.

I don’t think it would be too most bow to start with. I started with a 45# Ben Pearson bow and over the course of working with it daily for a month was pulling it back and holding rather steady. The trick is to draw with your back muscles and use back tension to release the arrow. The back muscles will develop very rapidly and are less prone to injury.

I’ve been looking at a Galaxy Ember at Custom Archery Center in Huntsville. It looks nice and pulls smooth out to 29 inches (my draw length) with no stacking. The cool thing about it is you can get different limbs for it from 35# to 55# and it’s designed to be a recurve or longbow. The Ember run $200 and you can get extra limbs for $89. They have some in stock that you could shoot and see what the different weights feel like to you. Tell George "the Most Electrify Man on Archery" told you about the bow. Hopefully he won't run you out of the store for knowing "The Rob".

What are the other specs on the Bear? By that I mean what draw length is that 50# rated at?
Also, what is your draw length?

The reason I ask is that 2.5# change is a general rule of thumb, definitely not an absolute. You have to consider brace height as well. For example, One of my Widows draws at 62# @ 28”. If someone wants to by that bow and draws 29, and the most effective brace height for that bow is 9, I would say 62#/(29-9) which would give me approx 3# per inch.

To answer your question on the bow, yes starting lighter and focusing on form is the general advice. I say general because if you are really strong, pulling a 50# bow won’t be an issue. My advice is go to Cabelas or Bass Pro or wherever they sell bows and draw a few to see. Drawing 50# on a recurve is much different than 50# on a bow with training wheels and consistent form is paramount in shooting a trad bow. The main thing is starting with a weight you are comfortable with so your focus is 100% on form.

50 pounds is on the upper edge of a starting recurve. It is much harder to hold a 50# recurve than any 70# compound. Those bow drawing/holding muscles are not used much and need working up to higher weights.

buy it, see how it works. If it's too heavy then get a 40# bow to start out with.

You really dont know what your draw length will be with a recurve until you actually try a recurve.
I wouldn't buy the Grizzly, I have 2 70s model Grizzlies. They are great bows but you can buy one later for less than$180.

Each person will be able to handle different weights depending on the person. I would advise you to start with no more than 40lbs. The Galaxy is a good takedown and so is the Spyder takedown (same as Samick Sage).
$150-200 you can have a bow with a set of lightweight limbs to begin with and move up in poundage later.
I think it's important to start with a poundage you can handle without struggling to hold the weight. I've seen guys that were in very good shape struggle to pull 50lbs because you use muscles shooting a bow most people probably dont use normally.
43 yrs ago me and my brothers and my Dad had nobody around to help us when we got into archery.
Some of what is being discussed we learned the hard way.
Trying to shoot too much poundage can lead to bad habits. What poundage you can comfortably begin with will depend on you but from what I've seen on the average through the yrs, most people can handle 35-40 lbs.
You need to measure your draw length first on a recurve. Example, if you draw 30" on a recurve and the bow is 40lbs @28 inches, you would be pulling around 45-46 lbs...average of 3lbs per inch.
In that case I would go with 35lbs to begin with.
You can always move up in poundage.

speaking from first-hand experience -- having actually BOUGHT a higher poundage Grizzly, i wish i would have done the above recommendation instead ... i'm a diehard Bear guy & i love my little Grizzly - don't plan to get rid of it - but i hardly ever shoot it 'cause it so damn hard to pull back ... if you're fairly certain you want to "commit" to the trad archery deal, definitely start w/a lower poundage bow & work your way up ...

No one has said anything about the LH compound RH recurve comment.

Not knocking it at all, but would like to know how/why you do it?

I didn't catch that lh/rh thing.

I shoot both right hand, but I have shot a left hand compound pretty good, just slow in handling. My shooting with left hand recurves is really ugly and dangerous to anything NOT on the target bale!!!

I’ve heard of RH shooting LH. I can shoot both but would always choose RH because I have practiced more that way. My issue is I am left eye dominant. It doesn’t matter as much for me as I don’t shoot gap, but would present a curve I would have to get over if I did. Anyway, drawing a bow with the non-dominant arm is nothing like throwing or writing non-dominant. That is my opinion at least and that could be because I am not a pure righty. I do some things right and some left (except for voting).

I don't think 50 is too much but the grizzly is a shorter bow and I think at your height and draw length you would shoot a longer bow more comfortably and more accurately. If it's rated 50@28 you'd probably be drawing around 55# so keep that in mind.

I thought I'd add that information in just for kicks. I shoot a rifle left handed, and a pistol right handed. When it came to picking up archery last year it was similar. I was immediately drawn to the RH with the recurve and LH with the compound. Luckily my dad's old compound is left handed and my grandfather always shot RH recurves. I think preferring RH with a recurve has something to do with the slight tilt im drawn to when knocking the arrow as well as the strength it takes to draw the recurve over the compound.

So i think the general consensus is that if #50 is easy to pull back, then it isn't a bad option to start with; however, the best bet is to get a bow that I will be capable of drawing easily so I can work on form and develop muscles for my recurve draw. As far as the Bear Grizzly goes, it is the new one they are making. Mixed opinions thus far, but looks like it is dependent on whether I can draw it comfortably.

What are some PROS and CONS to One Pieces Vs Take Downs?
I guess an obvious PRO with the take down would be the ability to change limb weights, but are One piece bows of better quality? Besides versatility, what does one have over the other? Weight? Durability? Consistency?

When test shooting recurves (and having never shot recurves), are there any tips to help get the best idea as to what weight would be best? I feel like the times Ive shot before I couldn't shoot them comfortably because I was too scare of popping myself with the string slap. This left me drawing back with an awkward stance and my left arm all bowed out. Also, not to get ahead of myself, but two fingers on bottom or three? What is a good starting anchor point?

I own two take downs, one since 1969. I have two sets of limbs for that one and have shot both, one is 52#, the other set is #62 I didn't buy it because it was a takedown, just like the way it shot.

The other bow has never been apart and prolly never will.

I shoot one finger above arra, two below. Anchor bottom finger to corner of mouth, putting arra closer to my eye.

A takedown is easier to store and travel with, but other than that not much difference. Some folks say a takedown is easier to shoot while others say a one piece is easier to shoot. Personally, I shoot both equally badly.

The only advise about testing bows is to shoot a bunch of them. I nor anyone else can tell you what you'll like. You've got to find that out yourself, which is part of the fun.

Now if you're worried about hitting your arm, here's a tip. Put an arm guard on. But if you rotate your bow arm elbow to the outside and let your shoulder sink low into the shoulder joint, you'll be less likely to hit your arm and keep the "red mist of pain" at bay.

George Harris at Custom Archery Center has taught me a bunch, and a little about Archery. He has a indoor range and a bunch of bows you could draw and shoot, plus he can help with your shooting form and answer any questions. I've known him for over 20 years and he is my go to person when I'm having shooting issues (compound, traditional, firearms). He isn't a high pressure salesman driven to make a sale, rather just an extremely knowledgeable old fart that wants to help you get what you need and not what you don't need.

It’s just what you are comfortable pulling without shaking or losing form. I would start with a 35#-40# and you can get one really cheap. Check out Sammick. You need an arm guard when you first start. One can be had from Walmart or Cabelas or anywhere that sells archery equipment really. I haven’t used one in years but they will stop the string slap. It’s hard to tell/show you through a forum but with the proper grip and bow arm posture, you can avoid the string slap. One thing is, I have always been and open stance shooter with my bow arm turned to where the inside of my elbow is perpendicular to the bow. You want your bow arm rock solid. IMO, your bow arm is more important than any aspect of your form.

As far as split finger or 3 under, it’s just what your preference is. I prefer split with my anchor point being my middle finger at the corner of my mouth. What shooting style are you wanting to learn or have you been learning?

I have a Black Widow PMA takedown and a Widow KBX one piece and I like both. It’s just a matter of preference in my book. I’ve killed plenty of animals with both bows. The advantage to a takedown is the ability to swap limbs. For example if you buy a lighter draw bow and build your way up, you can buy heavier limbs. Other than that, I don’t think there is a set performance difference.

Thank you for all the recommendations, tips, and pointers! I plan to go shoot some different bows and weights. Then after shooting and some more research I'll make a purchase on what fits me best.