The stiffness of the draw depends to a large degree on the force/draw curve. Less energy is stored by a longbow than a recurve in the early part of the draw. More energy is stored in the final few inches of the draw. Therefore, it may seem more difficult to draw a longbow toward the end of the draw than a recurve of the same poundage. I'm not talking about stacking, just the normal force draw curve of a longbow compared with a recurve.

Longbow aficionados get used to this and prefer the comfortable early part of the draw to the more abrupt start of a recurve draw, and don't mind the extra increase in weight toward the end of the draw.

While there are individual exceptions, recurves are generally faster for the same poundage because more energy is stored overall during the draw than is the case for a longbow, assuming equal quality limbs in both cases.

 

Longbow is going to start lighter but ramp up weight more at the back end. Makes it feel heavier than an equal weight recurve. Even more drastic change if you get used to a new super recurve.

 

Does that apply to these new so called hybrid longbows?

 

Smoother release with longbow,i think

 

Have you ever shot one of them shrew bows?

 

No.

 

Le Clair knew his stuff

 

Not a bow expert in any means, but I think the hybrid take the hook of a recurve tip and spread it evenly across the whole limb. That's why 'most' are getting the speed of recurve but has the overall shape of a longbow. Look at the unstrung shape of a Shrew or other short hybrid longbows, The whole limb is reflexed when drawn compared to an Olympic recurve where only 1/3 of the limb actually flex.

I started on recurves but move to longbows due to personal preference on the feel of draw. Longbow has a constant pull while recurve has a bell shape that is similar to compound. But there is no denying that recurve produce energy better.

 

All of my longbows have as much or more preload than my recurves. They give up nothing in speed either, my ACS still smokes everything while being very smooth and silent.

 

My ILF Longbow lets me know that I'm holding 45# and I'm at full draw. I wouldn't say that it stacks, rather I just feel the full poundage at full draw. The release is very sharp and the draw cycle makes me concentrate more on getting to full draw to complete the draw cycle.

My ILF Recurve doesn't have a back wall, due to the "super curl" design of the limbs. It's easier to hold at full draw, is much faster and provides flat trajectory with 10-12 gpp arrows. These limbs are also 45#. Overall, the draw cycle, felt weight at full draw and crisp release makes it easier to shoot and therefore I'm more accurate with it.

 

2 paths to the same place.I've always shot recurves,my brother shoots hybrid...he usually beats me.

 

I owned and shot many different longbows and recurves.

Depending on the longbow design, the draw differs.

Some longbows I had, like Jack Harrison reflex/deflex El Lobo drew very smooth with no hand shock and performed well. Other RD longbows also were smooth drawing and good performers, like the Black Widow PLX longbows.

ASL longbows you could feel the difference in the draw and did have some hand shock that varied from minor to severe. I never did a draw curve on them, but I think there would have been a fair amount of pre-load causing the difference in the feel of the draw.

A&H ACS CX longbows had a fair amount of pre-load, which made them very good for short draw shooters. These bows drew smooth, but you felt the pre-load at the beginning of the draw. These longbows were hands down the best performing bows I had tested. They were as fast as the better performing recurves.

You either love or hate longbows. I loved them.

The same thing holds true for recurves. I have had many and the design and bowyer made the difference in the feel of the draw and performance.

To be honest I always felt like a recurve was more of a tool, while the longbow felt like going hunting with a friend. Sounds corny but that is how I felt. I never felt alone carrying my longbow.

Custom recurve bows varied greatly. Today's materials and designs have changed that dramatically. You cannot beat the smooth draw and performance of today's recurves. You can thank Border and Uukha for that.

Just like what OL Adcock did for longbows in regard to design and performance, Border did for recurves. Then Uukha came on the scene with superior limb alternatives.

A good thing for recurve shooters is that it appears Sid's son has a strong hold on the rains of Border. He has learned a lot from his father and I bet he will continue to improve recurve designs and performance.

 

Any bow that builds up energy quicker in the draw cycle will require more energy to draw. Longbows like string follow ASLs seem to draw easier for many for a reason, the bow weight is easier at first, but as it is drawn stronger muscles are engaged. As far as longbows that stack, that is an individual bow's tillering. I just gave away the best shooting longbow I ever owned, my own tiller. It was 57.5# at 26", 60.5# at 27". I cannot say that it felt stiff, to me it felt lighter that a 54# recurve that i also parted company with. For myself, it could be that a recurve will naturally straighten out the bow arm, while an ASL draws more naturally with a spread draw draw, more muscle groups are involved with the draw cycle.

 

I also like string follow longbows. I have had several Sheltons and a Hill Wesley I had made with string follow. They do draw smooth and in my opinion have less hand shock. I also shoot string follow better since the bow wants to jump straight towards the target.

 

All depends on the design. My omega is prob one of the smoothest bows I’ve owned recurve or longbow. I had a big stick bow that was brutal felt 2x as heavy. Stalker stick bow pretty darn smooth as well.

also gotta factor in what I consider smooth compared to the next guy…it’s all relative

 

I have looked at Omega longbows and that would probably be my choice if I was to buy one. I believe they are in driving distance from me.

 

I recently got my first R/D longbow and really like the draw. Much softer on the front end than a recurve. This makes it easy to get into alignment without shoulder stress. Most of the work comes after the shoulders are aligned and the draw shoulder is in a safe position.

The R/D longbow draw force curve should be more comfortable/safer for the archer with wide shoulders and short arms.

 

At a 28" draw I shot 62" RD longbows.

A&H ACS CX bows I shot at 64" with a 28" draw. The reason I chose 64" bows was because OL Adcock had told me that the 64" was his best performer. I assumed with my 28" draw.

I shot ASL longbows from 66" to 70" with my 28" draw and 68" with my 30" draw. I ordered a new Hill Wesley String Follow bow about a year and a half ago. Craig told me to go with 68" or 70" for 30". He thought 70" would be better for 30", but I went with 68" and it was fine at my draw.

After going back to recurves after my injuries and experimenting with Anton weights, I find heavy mass weight bows to be the most stable and comfortable to shoot for me. When I couple the risers with limbs like Border, Uukha and Nika that are so smooth and great performers, it is hard to go back to light longbows.

At one time I loved the simplicity and light feel of a longbow. Now with the equipment I have I find it very hard to go back to the longbow.

 

At a 28" draw I shot 62" RD longbows.

A&H ACS CX bows I shot at 64" with a 28" draw. The reason I chose 64" bows was because OL Adcock had told me that the 64" was his best performer. I assumed with my 28" draw.

I shot ASL longbows from 66" to 70" with my 28" draw and 68" with my 30" draw. I ordered a new Hill Wesley String Follow bow about a year and a half ago. Craig told me to go with 68" or 70" for 30". He thought 70" would be better for 30", but I went with 68" and it was fine at my draw.

After going back to recurves after my injuries and experimenting with Anton weights, I find heavy mass weight bows to be the most stable and comfortable to shoot for me. When I couple the risers with limbs like Border, Uukha and Nika that are so smooth and great performers, it is hard to go back to light longbows.

At one time I loved the simplicity and light feel of a longbow. Now with the equipment I have I find it very hard to go back to the longbow.

There is so much to like about ILF bows it makes it hard to spend money on one piece recurves or longbows.
GilV was your injury archery related?

 

Wow GilV, that’s a hard way to go, good luck on your with your efforts and strategies.
I have been healing my shoulders 6 weeks and it’s killing me, it’s very hard not to shoot. I too have a bit of arthritis, probably also from many years of weightlifting and martial arts. I also have stenosis in my cervical spine. I think my real problem is shooting way too much for the last four years.
I am also hoping to get back into shooting and possibly hunting again. I had been shooting a kind of instinctive which you know takes a lot of shooting. I too may look into a sight to reduce how much shooting I need to do. I have both a single pin and an SRF sight I might play with a bit.

 

Marie is right...gettin old Sux.

 

One of my best friends has bad arthritis in his shoulders. He is a year older than me. He is one of the best Trad shooters I know. We shot heavy longbows together for many years. He could actually use the thumb tab shooting 70# longbows. I could never shoot heavy longbows with one, but I could occasionally shoot a 70# compound, but even that was hard and I reverted to fingers. When compounds came out we started off shooting compounds with fingers, instinctive and canted. That was natural to us, but the break over was not natural to us.

He shoots trad most of the year. It kills his shoulders and by hunting season he reverts to a compound at first. He does switch back to Trad off and on during hunting season. He usually scores with both.

If you looked at his back his shoulders are uneven. His drawing arm shoulder is about 2" closer to his spine then his bow arm shoulder. That was from shooting the heavy longbows. I told him he was full of chit. Then he took his shirt off and showed me. Ha!

My other best friend also shoots trad all year, but at hunting season he goes back to a compound. He shoots well but he worries about being inconsistent on that first shot. He will also start off hunting with compound, but does switch off and on back to Trad.

All three of us wish we never shot heavy bows. It led us all to have bad habits. It was an excuse so we wouldn't feel we needed to shoot a compound. We never really knew that you didn't need that much weight to hunt. Today with the materials and designs in archery there really isn't a need.

Whenever I first injure myself I would switch a compound during hunting season until I was confident to hunt Trad again. After each injury when I was confident in my shooting I would hunt with Trad.

These last two injuries have taken a long time but last year I hunted Trad and this year I am committed to Trad again.

If I injured my shoulders again to where I have to stop shooting for any extended period of time, I will switch permanently to the compound and just shoot my Trad bows for fun.

It is all archery and bow hunting no matter what type of bow you use. It is all good and fun.

 

GilV, thanks for sharing. I did look at one option you had mentioned, just shoot low poundage traditional for fun. I can hunt with a compound or even a crossbow. I have had so much pain in my shoulders for the last two months it hurts to sleep. For the last two weeks my shoulders seem to be getting better. I just need to make sure I take enough time off.
I did shoot a lot of heavy hatchet cam bows in my younger years and that probably didn’t help.

 

My Bamboo backed Hickory six footer most definitely stiffens up during the last 1/3 of draw. Some might subjectively say there is a wall at about 29”. My 64” Montana R/D longbow however is a mostly consistent pull to 29”, tightening ever so slightly the last couple of inches. No other relative longbow experience to relate.

 

uhhhh.....
wtf is "stiffness"?

Its not a term used to describe bow draws.
Logically it would just mean a bow of a heavier weight. A 50 lb bow will have a "stiffer" draw than a 40 lb bow - if we just go by the word definition.

We do use the term "smoothness." And basically smoothness is the opposite of "stack."
A "stacky" bow increases draw weight rapidly at the end of the draw cycle. A "smooth" bow a slow and steady increase in draw weight as you go through the whole draw cycle.

 

uhhhh.....
wtf is "stiffness"?

Its not a term used to describe bow draws.
Logically it would just mean a bow of a heavier weight. A 50 lb bow will have a "stiffer" draw than a 40 lb bow - if we just go by the word definition.

We do use the term "smoothness." And basically smoothness is the opposite of "stack."
A "stacky" bow increases draw weight rapidly at the end of the draw cycle. A "smooth" bow a slow and steady increase in draw weight as you go through the whole draw cycle.

Word police 😲, did I commit a trad violation 🤣.
Stiffness is a term “often used” to describe a draw on a bow, it’s the opposite of smooth. I have had many bows and limbs of the same poundage, one is smooth from the start and the other is stiff. It’s not hard for someone to understand what a stiff draw is 😉.

 

If that came across as harsh to the OP that wasnt my intention. Inexperienced shooters should ask questions.

But as to the majority of responders - really? This used to be a place where informed people gave good responses - this thread is a bunch of gibberish.

 

Wow 😲, I can’t believe the response. I have heard there were people in the trad community like this but this is the first I have encountered one on TT. Maybe it’s an ego thing 🤔.
That said, everyone on TT have been extremely kind and helpful here, something I boast about to others. I guess others on here have been shirking their responsibilities and should have been setting me straight from get go 😂.

 

Im not impressed by you

Im not impressed by your victimhood.

If your bow bow is "stiff" from the start of the draw and stays stiff through the cycle - it simply means you are over bowed.

 

nothing. edited. my bad.

 

yeh most on here are pretty helpful and positive with response.