10 Best Recurve Bow | Complete Buying Guide and Reviews

Recurve bow is challenging to shoot, but with proper coaching and practice, you can master it. These bows are a modern evolution of traditional bows invented more than 10 centuries ago. Best Recurve bow limbs are positioned from the top and bottom of the bow and curved back away from the archer at each tip. That’s why it is named Recurve bow. 

There are too many related bows available in the market, so you must choose the right and best one. This guide will cover all the best recurve bows available in the market. After reading this whole buying guide, you can pick the one that is best for you. Just stick with us for the next few minutes, and it will surely be worth it.

10 Best Recurve Bow

ImageProductRatingPrice
1
Samick Sage Recurve Bow best for tall archers
Samick Sage Recurve Bow – best for tall archers

9.5
2
Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow Best All rounder
Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow – Best All rounder

9.5
3
Southland Archery Supply Spirit Budget Friendly
Southland Archery Supply Spirit – Budget Friendly

9.4
4
HYF Recurve Bow - Best Overall
HYF Recurve Bow – Best Overall

9.4
5
Samick Sage Takedown Recurve - Ready to shoot bow
Samick Sage Takedown Recurve – Ready to shoot bow

9.3
6
SAS Courage Hunting Takedown - Best for Precise shooting
SAS Courage Hunting Takedown – Best for Precise shooting

9.3
7
Tigershark Takedown Recurve - Best single piece 
Tigershark Takedown Recurve – Best single piece 

9.2
8
Deerseeker Takedown Recurve Bow - Best for deer Hunting
Deerseeker Takedown Recurve Bow – Best for deer Hunting

9.2
9
Keshes Takedown Hunting Recurve - With lowest draw range
Keshes Takedown Hunting Recurve – With lowest draw range

9.1
10
TOPARCHERY Traditional Hunting Recurve - Antique Design
TOPARCHERY Traditional Hunting Recurve – Antique Design

9.1

Recurve bows are primarily used for field archery, target archery, and bow hunting. They are more powerful and accurate. So, the chances of errors are minimal. One must take these bows seriously because they are not easy like other bows. Keep learning and enjoy the amazing experience.

Without hustling around any further, let’s start exploring the top recurve bows available in the market.

Samick Sage Recurve Bow – best for tall archers

This bow is usually recommended for beginners as it is their go-to recurve. Samick sage is popular for its quality and affordability. A true value for Money recurves. Pre-installed brass bushings allow traditional archers to add accessories like sights, stabilizers, etc.

It comes with toolless adjustments, allowing you to leave Allen keys or wrenches at home. All you need to do is to detach the bowstring and unscrew the knobs, and that’s it. With this little effort, you can take off your limbs. 

Regarding the durability of limbs, Samick takedown smacks other bows and provides extra features of limb upgradation. Mostly, professional archers keep this bow in their arsenal for practice. What else can someone say, as the accuracy provided by Samick is always under the limelight

The riser of Samick sage takedown has a beautiful dymondwood riser. Moreover, the beautiful design of this recurve is just because of the rugged maple, which added more value to it. How could we rule the size of the limbs out of context? The fiberglass composited limbs range from 25-60 pounds.

As you advance in your career, we recommend upgrading your limbs with heavier weights unless or until you start hitting your desired draw weight. 

Hot Features:

  • The Sage recurve bow is 62″ inches long.
  • 28″ draw length, a distance to pull the string back for proper shooting form.
  • Fourteen-strands dacron bowstring, a material known for its durability and long-lasting string ability.
  • Pre-installed threaded brass bushings for upgrades and adjustments, such as brass plunger, quiver, stabilizer, etc.
  • Risers are made with maple wood which is best for recurves.
  • Ergonomic grip, easy to hold and comfort your hands.

Pros

  • Good for beginners, as it is easy to operate
  • Accuracy and durability are a plus
  • Available for both right and left-handers
  • Eye-catching hard maple riser
  • Budget-friendly
  • Tool-free adjustments
  • Limbs are upgradable

Cons

  • Weight is heavier.

Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow – Best All rounder

Southwest spyder and Samick sage look the same but differ in some features. Although southwest requires a tool for a takedown, the best this is its limbs interchangeable with Samick sage.
This bow provides incremental bow weight, which allows you to start practicing with low bow weight and increase it with time when you get some command. It comes with a bow stringer, which allows you to de-string your bow without hurting or damaging it. 

The quality of the spyder is one of the best features in the low-price segment. Lighter in weight and has a little more narrow grip on its riser. This bow is specifically built for tall people with long arms having a draw length of 30 or more. A person height 6’2 ft and above usually has a draw length above 30.

We recommend this recurve bow for recreational practice and target shooting. Performance wise it is among the top-rated bows and provides more accuracy.

Hot Features:

  • Made with naturally sourced woods like white oak, padouk, and dymondwood to keep it lightweight and accurate.
  • Available in two different lengths (62 and 64 inches)
  • Range of draw weights are 20-60 lbs with increments of 5lbs
  • Fast flight of arrows because of reinforced limb tips.
  • Best for deer hunting, target practice of bow fishing.
  • It also allows choosing a stringer tool, which is considered the safest way to assemble and disassemble a bow.

Pros

  • Too many draw-weight ranges
  • Handsome design
  • Premium quality construction
  • Easy to assemble 
  • Grip is comfortable 
  • One-year manufacturer warranty

Cons

  • Required Allen tools for a takedown

Southland Archery Supply Spirit – Budget Friendly

Most beginners prefer this bow because of its low price. They usually use it to learn about shooting or to build some experience before moving to an expensive recurve.
We recommend this bow to newbies unsure of proceeding further in archery, so we suggest they buy this low-price bow and gain some momentum and then make any future decision.

One can use it for normal hunting or target shooting; you won’t face any problems. We agree that it may not give you a premium, but it gives you a starter experience worth your Money. It is made of fiberglass, so the weight is comparatively less.

This bow is for the archer with a height below 6ft, so it is ideal for kids and youngsters just about to start their careers. Like many SAS recurves, the riser on SAS Spirit also comes with pre-installed bushing to add more accessories easily. The maximum draw weight of SAS spirit is 36 pounds.

Hot Features:

  • A riser is made from a mixture of four lamination kinds of wood, i.e., chuglam, Arborea, and beech wood.
  • Limbs are made from maple wood and fiberglass to maintain decent accuracy and lightweight.
  • Best for shooters with height less than 5’2 ft
  • Pre-installed brass bushing to upgrade stabilizer, sight, etc 
  • 3 Years SAS warranty to give you three years of money security.
  • Toolless takedown, so there is no need to carry Allen keys. 

Pros

  • Available in Low price
  • Riser made from strong wood
  • Good and comfortable grip
  • It comes with a draw weight increment of two pounds.

Cons

  • Low draw-weight range

HYF Recurve Bow – Best Overall

HYF falls on the list of modern recurve bows and is also a mid-range product with some awesome features. The look of this mid-range product is very pleasing, and in hand, the feel is more than that. 
Quality has been matched by using the International Limb Fitting(ILF) kit, which spans all top recurve bows manufacturers, ensuring that the limbs and risers will be compatible. It can customize a bow according to your requirement. ILF makes it easier to split the limbs.

HYF Recurve is a 5 pins bow sight that comes out of the box because we usually don’t see 5-pin options in this price segment. This bow is available in 3 lengths, 66, 68, and 70 inches. Limbs are made from hard maple wood and compressed fiberglass to make them strong and keep the weight light.

A machined aluminum riser has a couple of cut-outs, giving it a modern, decent look and feel and reducing weight simultaneously. The weight of this recurve is around 2.4 pounds, which is usually considered lightweight, but someone too young may feel it heavier.

The best feature is the streamlined grip, which is relevant to many compound bow grips, but this one is made from wood. What else can someone dream of in this price slot? We recommend 68 and 70 inches lengths of recurve bows for shooters above 5 ’11 ft. 

Hot Features:

  • Sixty-six inches length is for the shooter with a draw length of 26½ inches or less, while a 68-inch bow is for shooters with draw lengths between 26½ – 29 inches. Moreover, a 70-inch bow is recommended for shooters with a draw length of 29 inches. 
  • You can easily take down or put together the limbs and the riser.
  • 16-44 lbs draw weights options available with 2 inches of increment. You can change limbs to increase or decrease weight.
  • Standard size 25 inches riser painted with magnesium alloy
  • Stringer tool to assemble or disassemble any bow safely
  • Short brace height to shoot an arrow with greater speed

Pros

  • ILF kit for compatibility 
  • Interchangeable limbs
  • Magnesium alloy painter narrow riser
  • Bow lengths for archers with higher draw lengths
  • Out-of-box wooden grip
  • One-year company warranty
  • Affordable price

Cons

  • Stringer quality needs to be better.

Samick Sage Takedown Recurve – Ready to shoot bow

This one is the most popular recurve bow and is known as ready to shoot set. In other Samick, the Sage recurve bow, which we reviewed earlier, comes with a bow, back on rest, and string. While Samick sage takedown comes with arrows, a stringer tool, a quiver, a bow, and more. So a complete substantial package is being provided by the company in this price bracket.

Talking about the quality of this bow, no wonder it is of excellent quality and could be used by either beginners or experts. We usually say it as a newbie archery starter kit, which is undoubtedly the right phrase. This kit gives a beginner idea about shooting and completely eases the tension of things to keep with them while shooting.

This bow set comes with half a dozen arrows and field points which help arrows not be stuck in the target. These arrows may not give the experts a premium feel, but for beginners, they are more than just good, as their only aim is to shoot and gain momentum. The length of the arrows is 30 inches which are good to start things initially. You can easily upgrade arrows later when you get some experience with time.

Hot Features:

  • A riser made with maple wood to keep it low weight for high quality and durability.
  • Ergonomic grip made with good quality wood for a better experience
  • 2 Fiberglass limbs withdrawal range from 25 – 60 lbs
  • Pre-installed brass bushings for various upgrades and attachments, like stabilizer, quiver, bow fishing reel, etc
  • The quality and design are of good level and tested by professionals
  • Limbs are easy to assemble and disassemble with the help of a bow stringer
  • It is of high performance with reinforced tips that give you an experience of fast flight

Pros

  • Available as ready to shoot kit
  • 6 arrows with field points
  • Ideal for beginners as they can start shooting right after buying
  • Fast flight of arrows
  • Quality is good
  • Brace height stretches more accurately
  • Pre-installed brush bushings 

Cons

  • 62″ inches in length shows that it is only for tall people with a high draw length

SAS Courage Hunting Takedown – Best for Precise shooting

SAS has a reputation in the market as the best quality and price bows seller. It’s a good recurve bow from south archery supply. They always try to add more value to their products. If you ever try any of SAS bows, you might be familiar with the quality and design of their bows.
SAS Courage is one of the best affordable recurve bows for hunting available in the market right now. We used it for some time, and the experience was quite good. This bow offers multiple draw weights and lengths for beginners. 

They are made from a mixture of some African and Indian woods like make, bitangor, and chuglam, which makes them durable, stable, and more powerful. Moreover, the weight is around 2.2 pounds, which portrays it as one of the lightest recurve bows available in the market. It is best for still hunting because of its lightweight.

This modern recurve bow is solid and efficient, and the grip is smooth, providing hand comfort and stability while taking shots. Limbs are made from maple and makore woods to keep the weight low and increase strength and flexibility to make it a fast shooting recurve. Available in two options, 58 and 60 inches bow length with draw weights ranging from 29 to 60 inches.

Hot Features:

  • The riser is made from multiple hardwoods, i.e., chuglam, bintangor, and makore, to keep the weight light and make the bow more durable.
  • Limbs are made from African and Indian woods and are faced with fiberglass, which gives great comfort, stability, and precise shooting with amazing arrow speed.
  • Easy to assemble, disassemble, and storage
  • Recommend for hunting (any type of, but try not to hit at extreme level), or just for practice
  • It is an excellent entry-level budget bow, light in weight and comfortable.

Pros

  • The riser is comfortable and of good quality
  • Ultra lightweight
  • Best beginner bow
  • Best value for Money
  • Limbs are super comfortable 
  • Amazing user experience

Cons

  • No pre-installed bushings

Deerseeker Takedown Recurve Bow – Best for deer Hunting

It is another budget-friendly bow for hunting with good quality and some good features. They have been making bows for the past few years and trying to impact the market with good quality products and affordable prices.
Deerseeker takedown is a super quality shooter bow made with dymondwood, laminated fiberglass, and maple wood limbs of higher density.It has a decent draw weight range from 25 to 60 pounds for both-handed archers. 

This one is super fast, and with a maximum draw weight of 60 pounds, you can easily target deer, bear, elk, or any other target of your choice. Though it is budget-friendly, it still provides pre-installed bushing for quivers, stabilizers, and more.

The Deerseeker takedown riser features aluminum pockets that allow accurate limb placement for maximum performance and accuracy. It’s a smooth shooting bow with adequate power for shots. 

Hot Features:

  • A perfect and durable for hunting with a minimum draw weight of 30 lbs
  • The limb and riser are fabricated with fiberglass and maple wood to give this bow a faster speed and less vibration.
  • Aluminum pockets on the riser guarantee the exact placement of limbs for better performance and accuracy while reducing weight.
  • Dacron B-55 Bowstring is a material specific for long and recurves bows because of its durability and ease of use.
  • Ergonomic grips fit in your hand comfortably without any issue.
  • Pre-installed threaded bushings for various upgrades.

Pros

  • 1 Year company warranty
  • Decent range and draw weight
  • Amazing features at a low price
  • Well-ordered shooting flexes and reflexes
  • Durability and accuracy are a plus

Cons

  • Stinger quality is compromised

Tigershark Takedown Recurve – Best single piece 

How could we rule southwest archery out of the competition —– A USA-based manufacturer, always trying to lead the industry from the front with good quality and high-standard bows. 
This Tigershark takedown recurve is a masterpiece designed beautifully by southwest archery. If you are interested in traditional designs instead of modern recurves, then Tigershark is your blind pick.

A simple and elegant takedown recurve with models draw weights ranging from 25 to 60 pounds. Now the best thing is that it is not only for beginners but for intermediates as well. The Stringer tool comes out of the box to string it, and you are all set to rock the party.

Sting it well and shoot; simple thing —– nothing to lose. It is constructed with multiple kinds of wood like dymondwood, tigerwood, white oak, and padouk. The length of the Tigershark is 62 inches with normal draw weights of 25-60 lbs with an increment of 5 lbs.

Hot Features:

  • Have reinforced limb tips that allow the bow flight to be fast and flemish string compatible.
  • It offers a pin-locking technology to make sure of exact limb placement for maximum accuracy and performance while reducing the weight.
  • Pre-installed threaded bushings for upgrading accessories like plungers, quiver, mechanical rests, etc
  • An optional stringer tool to assemble and disassemble the bow safely
  • The draw weight of 25-60 lbs

Pros

  • Higher quality construction 
  • Reinforced limb tips 
  • A good range of draw weights
  • Pre-installed shelf pads
  • A made-in-USA recurve
  • One year warranty

Cons

  • In case of any damage done to the bow, the whole bow needs to be replaced.

Keshes Takedown Hunting Recurve – With lowest draw range

Keshes takedown hunting recurves started building its name in the market in the past couple of years. They are trying very hard to improve it day by day. 
We have heard from a source that they will build an all-in-one recurve with all the latest technology and features. This bow is one of the best hunting bows made by them in the recent past.

The first amazing feature of this recurve is the lowest draw range —– as low as 15 lbs, which most manufacturers do not provide. This one is best for beginners as well as teenagers. The good news is it is tool-free, so as a fresher, you don’t need to find Allen keys for assembling and disassembling.

The second killer point is its draw weight which goes up to 54-55 lbs. It will give you an edge to start your career as a hunter, but we recommend you use it to learn how to shoot accurately. 

Hot Features:

  • It is made from some good hardwood, so the weight is not too heavy.
  • Ergonomic grip with round edges for a comfortable grip
  • Wooden riser to balance weight and accuracy
  • Dacron B-55 Bowstring is a material specific for long and recurves bows because of its durability and ease of use.
  • Manufactured by the same company that made Samick Sage, so it is durable 
  • Pre-installed bushings for upgrading and installations 
  • Brace height between 7.5-8.5 inches

Pros

  • The lowest draw weight of 15 lbs
  • Tool-Less takedown
  • Additionally, it Comes with a good number of accessories.
  • The price is on a lower side
  • 100% Money back guarantee

Cons

  • 60 lbs draw weight is missing

TOPARCHERY Traditional Hunting Recurve – Antique Design

With his name telling the story, toparchery tries to keep the tradition alive in this modern world with his handmade hunting bows. This one is a not too long —— nor too short kind of bow with a design that reminds you of something similar to ancient times, but it doesn’t mean that this bow is not up to the mark. The quality is undoubtedly good.

Who cares about an arrow rest or ergonomic grips if you are given a unique style and shape for less than $100? This bow is for you if you are from a junk of brilliant individuals who love their tradition, even in sports. An amazing Toparrchery’s traditional hunting bow allows you to explore the roots of archery if you are very passionate about it.

Length of the bow is 53 inches which is good for youngsters. Surprisingly, the draw weight here ranges from 30 to 50 lbs for a 53” inches long bow, which we liked the most. Moreover, the weight of this bow is on the lighter side. 

We recommend this bow only for beginners when they are at the level of exploring archery. So, this bow is good for them to use in target practice or hunting.

Hot Features:

  • Best for those persons who are looking for a bow with a power of 200 lbs. 
  • The design and shape are antique, but quality, performance, and durability are above all.
  • It is made from locust wood and transparent epoxy to make it even stronger than before.
  • A wooden riser with a faux leather grip that is comfortable enough
  • Limbs here are made from flexible fiberglass.
  • A newbie archer-friendly bow to start their career.

Pros

  • Traditional and antique design
  • Decent draw weight for a 53-inch bow
  • Impressive weight
  • Fit for any kind of size
  • Grips are comfortable 

Cons

  • Limbs can be separated from the riser.

Things to Consider Before Buying

As always, it is personal preference whichever recurve you buy, but there are a few things you must consider before finalizing any bow. Considering these things, you will likely buy the best recurve bow.

Although we have described the best recurve bows, here you go with the list of what you have to look for in the best recurve.

First thing First:

Yeah, you guessed it right, we are talking about speed which is one of the prime features of recurve bow, and any archer tolerates no compromise to some extent. 

What if we tell you that the arrow of a recurve bow travels up to 225 fps (feet per second) or 150 miles per hour(mph)? Would you believe it?

Undoubtedly, the arrows from these bows can travel at the speed mentioned above quite easily.

Material:

For any product we use in our daily life, we always try to weigh quality over quantity, and for something, we will use to build our career, how could we neglect quality? The material of a product shows the actual quality of a certain product. So, when it comes to the best recurve bow woods, there is an even-steven scenario between maple and hickory material. 

These two hardwoods are most common and available easily, so they are a little expensive, but the key point to note down here is despite being inexpensive, they are more durable and have ideal flex snappiness.

Length and Weight:

The length of most recurves may vary from 58, 60, and 62 inches. Moreover, we recommended a 56 or 58-inch bow if you are looking for a short draw length, which is approximately less than 28 inches. In case your draw length ranges from 28 – 29½ inches, a 60-inch bow is the best fit.

For target shooting, bows that have draw weights in a range from 15 to 70 lbs are considered to be ideal. Recurves with a draw weight ranging from 25-34 lbs are the most common ones. The most considerable part is the type of archery you will pursue.

Height:

Before moving to other aspects, let’s spare some time and have a quick view of the height of this bow. We will discuss the standard height of this equipment. It’s always a plus to know about each and everything about the gadget you will use.

As an archer, our draw length is the key factor we always keep in mind because it affects our equipment. The formula we usually use to calculate an ideal bow is your draw length plus 40 inches. Everyone chooses or picks a bow following the above formula, but if you want to know about a standard setup, it lies in the range of 68-72 inches.

Distance:

If someone is switching to recurve, then the most common thing one is expecting is distance range from these types of bows. Although we all know that these bow sets are known for their speed, accuracy, and precision, along with all these features, they provide a good distance range.

The range of recurve arches lies between 25-35 yards which undoubtedly are decent numbers. If you start hitting this range right and precisely, then you have a chance of mastering this bow.

FAQ:

What are recurve bows?

It is one of the major shapes a bow can take, as limbs(flexible and energy storing part) that curve away from the shooter when unstrung. Usually, the recurve bow stores more energy and delivers maximum energy with more efficiency than the straight-limbed bow.

Do recurve bows shoot faster?

Recurve is usually a shorter bow than traditional longbows, the shape of its limbs allowing it to store more energy. On release, the energy transfer is more efficient, with the reflexed ends accelerating faster than the rest of the limb.

How long can a recurve bow stay strung?

These bows are made from synthetic materials, so they can be left strung for two-three weeks, depending on the shooting session.

Is a recurve bow harder to shoot than a compound?

They are heavier and longer than compound bows, so handling them as a new archer is tricky. The design of compound bows makes it easier to drawstring back, which puts less stress on your muscles while shooting.

What shoots faster, longbows, or recurves?

Recurves are generally faster, so they outbid longbows by a huge margin when it comes to speed. The only reason is its recurve design limbs that store more energy and fully transfer this energy to arrows when shooting. Fast-shooting bows are more popular because they shoot flatter.

How many arrows a day should an archer shoot?

If you want to become a great archer, all you need to do is keep practicing hard under the supervision of a good coach and try to hit more than 100 arrows per day almost 5 times a week, and rest for a couple of days. This practice will lead you towards the title of professional archer, someone who can put the arrow into the 10 most of the time.

Which one is the Best Recurve Bow:

As you have made it right through the end of this guide, you have fairly made up your mind about where you are heading. But as you have shown keen interest and you are passionate about it, now it is our responsibility to narrow it down for you and recommend you a few best recurves in all aspects.

Now without any further delay, we are going to share our top picks from all mentioned above. These are the ones we recommend:

  • If you are looking for a good recurve with higher draw weights and the best flying speed, we recommend HYF Recurve bow, as it is available in three different lengths and is economical.
  • On the contrary, if you are running low on budget and looking for the best recurve bow, it’s a tie between the deer seeker takedown recurve bow, and the Samick sage takedown recurve bow.

We have narrowed it down for you as per promise, and we hope you can now come up with your pick quite easily by keeping your budget and other requirements in mind. 

If you still have any other queries, we will solve them. Just write in the comment box, and we will assist you.