In recent times the sport of archery has made tremendous progress in bow innovation and technology. In fact the bows of today barely resemble the traditional style weapons that have been in use since ancient civilizations hunted with them thousands of years ago. Although a plethora of archers prefer these advancements due to the conveniences that they offer, many of us still yearn for the challenge of the traditional style bow. The basic stick and string not only levels the playing field, it allows people to have a far more primal experience. That is why traditional bows are making a comeback in a big way. Custom recurve bows are leading the way.
The Recurve Bow Explained
The recurve bow was invented in Asia approximately four thousand years ago. It provides archers with the same distance and arrow speed characteristics of the long bow but in a considerably reduced size. This provided ancient hunters and warriors a compact solution while on the move, as the recurve bow is far easier to shoot while sitting on top of a horse. It is also a lot easier to transport, hold, and shoot for modern hunters and archers taking target practice.
Typically recurve bows are made with a composite of materials due to the fact that it is extremely difficult to realize the proper shape from a single piece of material. In the past, they were manufactured with a combination of laminates and composite materials. Most of the more modern versions are built with a laminate construction. Recurve bows are known to have limbs that are wider then long bows. These limbs are also thin in terms of thickness, and protrude out forward of the grip when the bow happens to be unstrung.
Another advancement over the long bow is how the string interacts with the limbs. While the longbow has only two points of contact from the end loops of the string to the limb, the recurve offers a few inches of contact at both ends. In essence the end loops are pulled well ahead of the string. In turn the force of the limbs is exerted in a more vertical manner. This feature both increases the speed in which the arrow leaves the string, and reduces the friction felt in the archer’s hand.
The Basic Recurve Bow Verses The Takedown Recurve Bow
There are two types of recurve bows available on the market today as explained below.
1: The basic recurve bow is typically made of wood laminates that are glued together in order to achieve the curvature and shape of the weapon.
2: The takedown recurve bow is a more modern version of the design, and has become extremely popular in recent years. It actually allows the bow to be taken apart into smaller pieces making it far more convenient to both transport and store. Typically the pieces bolt on and off for easy assembly and disassembly.
Custom Recurve Bows
There are many off the shelf recurve bow options available at any sporting goods store. That being said, for archery enthusiast that would like to take the sport to the next level there is nothing better then a custom made recurve bow. Imagine owning a once of a kind recurve bow that is designed to your exact specifications. It is similar to a piece of art that can be cherished and then passed on to future generation to enjoy. Whether with an off the shelf or custom recurve bow, traditional archery is absolutely one of the best outdoor activities that you can take part in. Grab a bow and get out there today.
We made reviews on the Best Recurve Bows on our site. Happy Hunting!
