help on purchasing a recurve

PSE Coyotes never fliped my switch, I bought one to bow fish with and just never liked it so I finally parted company with it. I have a Martain Dream Catcher that I like, I also have a Dan Quilin Canebreak which is probably my favorite production bow. I have owned several Bear bows and they have all done quite well. I also have several custom bows, both long bow and recure. Love the way Black Widow bows shoot but don't own one, Just not enought juice for the squeeze for me. I bought a Hoyt Gamemaster a couple of years ago and like it. probably shoot it more than any of my traditional bows as I bow fish with it. If I was starting out I would buy a reasonably priced production bow to see if traditional is going to work for you. It takes much more time and dedication to be proficiant with traditional bows than with training wheels.

drscott
 
Originally Posted By: drscottPSE Coyotes never fliped my switch, I bought one to bow fish with and just never liked it so I finally parted company with it. I have a Martain Dream Catcher that I like, I also have a Dan Quilin Canebreak which is probably my favorite production bow. I have owned several Bear bows and they have all done quite well. I also have several custom bows, both long bow and recure. Love the way Black Widow bows shoot but don't own one, Just not enought juice for the squeeze for me. I bought a Hoyt Gamemaster a couple of years ago and like it. probably shoot it more than any of my traditional bows as I bow fish with it. If I was starting out I would buy a reasonably priced production bow to see if traditional is going to work for you. It takes much more time and dedication to be proficiant with traditional bows than with training wheels.

drscott

Good advice.
 
Check out Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear. They are based out of Denver and sell new and used trad gear. I shoot a Rampart and have 4 others. You can't beat them. Their site normally has a few used, but they go fast. Everyone that I have talked to that has owned one loves them. Plus the guys in the shop are top notch. Would never steer anyone wrong. If you ever make it up to Denver you can shoot all the bows in the shop until you find one you like and shoot well. www.rmsgear.com

Tim
 
I would definately suggest u try a more modestly priced production bow to see if u have the time and "want" needed in order to hunt with a recurve bow. Sportsmans guide has a takedown Martin that runs about $150. I used this very bow to take 3 deer last year.
If u have disposable money go ahead and buy a custom bow. before i bought the martin I bought a black widow that i couldnt shoot nearly as well.
Main thing...dont over bow yourself. Start with a light weight bow to ingrain propper form and avoid the "snap shooting"
 
Keep looking,what poundage and dont worry about the draw lenth.I have over 100 bows for sale,bears ,wings,ben pearsons,bighorn,northwinds etc etc.
 
I realize this post is a bit old, not sure if you've got your bow yet but I can't imagine getting a 60# bow to start with. I've argued with a lot of people with the "over bow'd" debate but more on the lines of starting with a 35-40# rather than a 20#, 60# won't be any fun and at best you'll develop some poor form.

If this is your first venture in trad, pick up an ebay special, for your draw something at least 62" and around 30-40#. See how well ya like it, practice form, and if it's something ya like you can invest into a hunting bow and use your trainer for fishing and stump shooting.
 
Before you do anything go shoot as many bows as you can. You will get a feel for what you are looking for. Buying a stick bow without shooting it is like marrying a gal youve never met. I shoot a Rampart recurve, Great Plains recurve and a Pronghorn Longbow. All for different reasons in how they feel to me. Some customs can get super pricey, but you might find you shoot a more reasonably priced one better. Ive shot many Black Widows, which are really top end and hated every one of them. It just wasnt right for me. A recurve is a personal choice on how it feels to you. It isnt like buying a production compound like a hoyt katera. one hoyt katera is the same as another. My suggestions.......If you are serious about getting into the sport. Save your money and buy a new custom. Dont over bow yourself, you will not shoot it well, period. I shoot 76# on my compound and 57# is the poundage I am super comfy with on a stick bow. It isnt so much if you are strong enough to hold a higher poundage, its can you still concentrate and have good form at that #. :ast, Be prepared to have the most fun you have ever had shooting a bow.
Instinctive traditional archery is the most addicting thing I have ever done. Its like crack....hopefully not the limbs
 
Samick makes some nice stuff, but on my Phantom I found it cut only too center, not past center, so for my arrow choices and style of shooting I had to mod it.

Same for my Tradtech Pinnacle 2. It went on the Dremel diet and feels close to a standard Blackwidow grip now
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Never had to mod any of my Blackwidows, their standard grip fits me perfectly.

Like others have said, you need to try before you buy, as feel/grip is everything.

FWIW I picked up a badly twisted PSE Coyote, fixed it and changed the grip, smoothed the riser, and twisted it to reasonable brace (factory recommendation is too low IMHO).

Twisting it up to where it isn't tooth rattling, is quiet........adds some poundage. My 50 # is nice now, but hits 55#@28".

Not a great bow, but usable with mods. I run a Hoyt Pro grip on mine. Made a huge difference in feel (had to mod grip a bit). Stock Coyote= sucks. Cheap one modified= usable.
 
If you want to shoot off the shelf be wary of some of the metal handled riser recurves out there. They aren't usually a good choice.

A lot of the new metal lesser cost take downs are designed to be a jack of all trades, master of none. IMHO they are marketed at compound guys crossing over.

Elevated rests on them do make sense for bowfishing, as does the metal riser for reel attachment. But if you're into shelf shooting they tend to be a bit funky.

You can shoot them from the shelf with some mods, usually they're cut way past center so you'll need to make some sideplate deal.

A used Coyote would be a good rig there, maybe, if it doesn't blow up. Limbs not the best durability wise- track record shows. Get a 40# and twist it up to 45 and blast all the carp you see.
 
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Most bowyers will have a recommended brace height if you increase that you take the chance of over stressing the limbs and hurting yourself and the bow. I saw a Martin recurve come apart at Denton Hill a number of years ago at the shooting line. The guy had done the very thing you described


Mark2
 
I've seen bows within spec'd brace come apart. It's not uncommon to twist them up an inch or so over factory spec.

Typically one doesn't just twist the darn thing up, rather they shoot it with proper arrows and feel the vibration and hear the noise and twist it to where it suddenly just "behaves". Any more and you start losing performance, there's no gain (except in poundage).

My PSE at factory spec is a piece of crap. It has a lot of shock and if shot there would be tossed in the dumpster.

However, twisted an inch higher it's pretty decent.

Most recurves come apart from poor stringing practices or leaving them in a hot place. The bow that you saw blow apart might have had such a prior stress incident. Do you know its full history?

It might have been braced a little high but that alone is not proof of the failure's cause.

If the gentleman was pulling it hard, beyond the limb working range (into the wall), that'll stress them. Twisted up in brace but not drawn to end of limb working range does what?

Nothing.

I've seen a lot of bows come apart, stringing/hot storage or dry fires are the main culprits. After those it'd be drawing some models hard into the wall.

Brace an inch above spec.........nope.

 
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FWIW some recurves do have "walls". Example: old Hoyt Huntmaster (import). They were 58" and drawn to 29" they just flat out hit it. PSE took over that model and brought them in with 60" limbs to allow for a little longer draw.

When a bow starts stacking bad you've gone too far.

A higher than spec brace might get you there a little sooner in the draw, but the brace itself, when within an inch, aint jack. It's drawing the limbs past their intended working range thats the problem and that is based on draw too, not brace alone.

Some bows are more forgiving in design than others.

I like 58" Blackwidows, draw them to 29.5" and brace them a little high (both things just past what the factory recommends). The bows don't stack, work fine, and have had tens of thousands of shots through them with not even one stress mark.

Recommendations are general rules.

if some folks want to adhere to them as though they are Scripture, so be it. Testing has proven to me and others that the factory specs are often not ideal.
 
BTW, I have seen some babied factory recurves of notable name come apart. Well past any warranty, but never abused or mishandled, their owners knowledgeable and proficient.

Sometimes you know what just happens.
 
I have owned a great plains, Palmer, bears paw, silvertip, bighorn all custom made bows. Every bowyer has a brace height that they strongly recommend for a reason. You go beyond that and you will shorten the life of the bow. Ken Beck from Black widow is a great guy I never cared for the bows my self but he builds a great bow. Store bought recurves are s different breed.
 
When you draw a bow the limbs go more than what the shorter brace is at rest. It's not the brace that screws up the bow, it's drawing them past the limb's working range, and a shorter brace will shorten the max draw length.

Not harping a technicality, but a "shorter brace" by itself is not the problem. And it isn't a problem if the shooter doesn't hit the max draw length set by the limb's workling range limit.

The bows become dogs if braced too much, and with most people being stoopid......the bow won't shoot well performance wise and they'll say "this brand XYZ bow sucks!".

When it doesn't.

Same for a too short brace.

And I've seen a ton of folks bring the bows they're shooting way out of tune, crappy arrows/rest systems.........I'm the poor slob that tries to explain WTH they should be doing.

and they go to Waklklyworld and buy vaned arrows, for shooting off the shelf, after saying they want to shoot off the shelf, and agree that feathers are what's needed.

They add double nock points, move them all over and change brace.........and things go from bad to worse, they come into the shop and say "you said this and that" when i didn't.

Two different preachers guys have done this (God must love an idiot).

Guess what..........idiots are everywhere and manufacturers know that many will be buying their products, hence a safe zone of sorts in their "recommendations".

My brace may be high but I get FP's and BH's to hit the same, my bows are quiet and my last two BW's hit 200 FPS with 480 grain arrows, that blew through deer no problem.

Screw whatever the recommended brace is. I'll set it where the bow and arrows tell me it needs to be (forgiveness and low sound level), and so far on my 2 Damon Howatts, 2 Wings, 3 Bears, 1 Locksley, 1 Hoyt, 1 PSE and 3 Blackwidows it's always been at the top end or over whatever was recommended. My buds with Schafers, Bighorns, Great Plains, Elburgs, Chastains, Cascades and Brackenberries all run theirs pretty high too.

One bud running ILF has shot his OK at lower braces, but for hunting twists them up a bit. He shoots 38-42# so is trying to squeeze as much speed as he can out of them.

BTW, my Tradtech Pinnacle 2 is braces a little over recommended max. With different limb types and lengths, drawn to different lengths......I think the recommendations are just a middle of the road deal. Don't think they are some hard set "rule".

I wouldn't go way past the recommendation, seen bows come in with strings a couple of inches too short on them!

1" if the bow keeps its speed should be fine, if it isn't then what the heck will happen when somebody with a logner draw shoots it at the spec?

From what I;ve seen over the last 30 yrs, it's the long draw guys that blow up bows, outside of those who abuse them with heat or poor stringing methods.

For the guys shooting bows over 58" tip to tip, drawing 28"........there shouldn't be a problem with most bows being braces a little over the recommended max.

if they set the range to a real max, then folks would take it there and blow all of them up.

Read: the max is probably set well within a safe limit.
 
Originally Posted By: nuketheyote243If it's your bow, shoot it where ya want.

I do, and have never had a problem.


+1
 


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