Had the bow set up at a pro shop. It performed just fine kzfaq.infoUgkxQEKUoxLWwayEDZR0NKB-5limn4MBU-2L . And I would say this is a good starting now that I could pass down to my son when he is older.But the package was missing the release and a nock was missing from one arrow.Dealing with customer support was terrible. They suggested I buy a new release rather than correct their own quality control issue because it’s to expensive for the. to ship it out from China.Update: manufacturer got back to me and resolved the issue. I retract the above statement.

Being traditionally minded, I find compound bows to not be particularly aesthetically appealing, they indeed look like some kind of complex machinery. No offence to compound users, you do your thing.

I am in the same camp. While the compound bow is a precision machine it's also a rather difficult to service one. I went for a single piece recurve for the simplicity of maintenance. String it, check brace height, wax the string, check for mechanical issues. That's it. No timing adjustment, no sight adjustment. Just me, the bow, arrow and the target. If I miss (or shoot crap like I usually do) it's all on me.

"Especially as an Asian, you have to maintain very high standards" lol

I am an engineer by profession and the simplicity of traditonal or barebow recurve appeals to me as I do enough tingkering on my job and I just want to shoot some targets.

I shoot a Hungarian, a recurve and a compound but my favorite is compound. Your explanation is very much spot on and understandable. This is what makes archery such a fine sport. Thank you.

Hi I am a newbie to archery at the age 75. What you're saying is just the way I am thinking. We are fortunate to have enough ground around the house to do archery I'm so glad I found your videos. Thanks for putting them up.🇬🇧👍🙋‍♀️

One of my favourite episodes of yours. I really like your philosophy.

I have watched a number of your videos and I must say that I appreciate the education that you impart (the Sensei side), the inclusive nature that you bring (I think to the Survival Lilly video), and the instructional side (back to the sensei again) - you are extremely balanced and measured in the things that you say - again - much appreciated. I'm only a recreational shooter that always shot compound but have recently discovered that traditional aspect and am running one of the Toth horse bows at this point. I find it challenging from an instinctive and gap shooting aspect as well as relaxing....nothing like going to the back yard and sending a hundred or more arrows down range.

I like re-curve. I enjoy the ritual of the stringing so that I can feel the bow through my whole body. I like the feel of the power building in the draw. I like the awareness that my whole body is engaged with the aim. I like how I must project to the target and make it part of me. For me, archery is a method of joining with the world. Most machines don't help with that.

Yeah, I'm in the "stick and string" old school archery camp, but I'm not the kind of gatekeeper purist that says that anything else isn't "real" archery. Framing it in a context of real or not real seems like a pointless debate. Although making a distinction between historical and modern archery isn't without merit. If folks want to shoot compound, great for them. I just don't want anything to do with it. It's kind of like electric and acoustic guitar. They're both real instruments and just because one has been around for much longer, saying that the newer type isn't a "real" guitar would just be silly.

Excellent vid! Good in depth answers with details. Keep it up NuSensei!

That's why I'm still stuck on my English Longbow :) I learned on a (simple) olympic recurve, but with a sight it wasn't challenging me enough. I'll never get a very high score, but seeing people's frustration sometimes, I'm just happy missing the target half the time and having fun!

I've seen so many of your videos and this one finally got me to choose Recurve. Thanks!

Excellent video. You seemed much happier and more relaxed than you have in your recent videos, its good to see. I started in compound, I'm a big Rambo fan, but it only lasted a for a few months. I wouldn't pick up a bow for almost a decade, this time around I went recurve and now I'm shooting a few times a week for over 2 years. I've pulled my compound out now that I have actually coaching, I shot my compound like a rifle previously never had proper instruction on form, and while I love the look of compounds I simple don't have fun shooting them. I enjoy the difficulty of shooting barebow, I use a modern bow but I like the challenge of I must be perfect and there is just something amazing about drawing back a recurve, I'm not sure I can explain it. This does not stop me from fiddling with every aspect of my bow and tuning my arrows to perfection, my archery friends tell me its good I don't shoot compound as I would never shoot I'd only tinker. I found, at least in my area, that the clubs, which are indoor its a long drive to the outdoor facilities, are target shooters and when you are constantly shooting with target shooters you compare yourself to target shooters and a barebow recurve shooter I have competed against compound shooters. This lead me to assembling a target bow because I wanted to compete, it gets boring winning by default or constantly beating the same casual archers who come out for a fun shoot but never practice, or on the other hand being slaughter by guys 3 times my age because they can shoot compound like scores with their barebows, they only show up for the events so learning from them is difficult. So I'd say I picked up Olympic recurve out of a desire to compete, and maybe a little bit because I get tired of those around me having such low expectations for my style. Above all others I love shooting my horse bows, when I just want to have fun, and fuck with people, I pull them out. I haven't learned the thumb draw yet but the possibilities are exiting. I agree and disagree with you on the compound issue, I agree shooting compound is far more stressful and I never want my archery to collapse into one bad shot, and by bad I mean a 9, to ruin an entire round. My compound friend must hit the X every time and will get frustrated when their fat shafts are not entirely within the X ring. I disagree with the notion that we as recurve and trad shooters don't strive for perfection in our bow, we tune and tweak our equipment as much as the compounders do, we just tune different aspects of our gear. I have spent hours tuning my brace height and tillers to create the most silent set up on my hunting recurve, I've spend hours tuning my arrows and fletching, my rest, my plunger, my sight and I can tell when I shoot without tuned gear and I know that if my gear is not tuned it amplifies any mistake I make. Most compounders I know don't do in-depth arrow tuning but will spend weeks tuning cams and rests and releases because they can compensate for those improperly tuned arrows with all the tech, while a finder release shooter can instantly tell in their shot placement when an arrow is not spined perfectly. And I completely agree Eastern horse bows are where the pure fun is. Yep you are very well known even my compound buddies watch you.

Simplicity is my thing. Do what you like. Whatever makes you happy and afford. Great video bro👍👍👍

Just wanted to say thanks for sharing this. I started with compound and shot it for years until discovering the beauty of simplicity in the form of the longbow. I then also got a traditional recurve... then 2 of them (1 ILF) Now I generally shoot trad/barebow recurve. A little bit like Goldilocks and the 3 bears really.... trying to find middle ground. I still find Olympic style a little bit on the more technical side (not to mention the stabilisers look a little unsightly imo) but bare-bow feels just perfect.

Another great video - thanks for articulating mindset & understanding type stuff ..really enjoy all of your content!! ..so useful across so many layers!!! Cheers :)

I've found that 3D shooting with a Compound Bow is really enjoyable. I no longer hunt so it fills that gap for me anyways. Olympic Recurve is also something that I like shooting as well. I've got a decent size backyard so the days when I just want to step out my back door and release about 40 to 50 arrows is also a very fun experience. Great upload as always @NUSensei

You helped me understand why I enjoy traditional bow shooting over compound bows. It's the simplicity of it. Sure, you can get more accuracy, more distance, with less skill in less time with a compound. It's more rewarding to attempt to get similar results with a simple long bow or recurve along with the personal training it takes to use use them.

Personally I love compound bows, built mine myself I can deliver 300fps speed with 40% let off, it's just fun to push the physics to higher degrees , but I also build my own long bows from time to time . Archery is a blast .

I'm just getting into archery and my archery shops have like, 3 recurves in stock and a whole store full of compound bows because it's hunter focused. You explained my feelings on why I'm not interested in compound bows. If I wanted to spend all the time and money tinkering with attachments I'd get an AR

:) just spent the afternoon tinkering with my compound and came across this video... made me smile when I realized I have more fun with my recurve. Thanks Buddy for the videos!

Why do I do my style of archery? When you asked this at the end of the video I thought that it would be easy to comment on it but I was at a loss of words. As I looked deep within for the answer I heard my inner self respond that I do my style of archery because it is my style of archery. And so it is.

I agree with what you say about the different disciplines. Each to their own. I started at 17 in 1986 with target recurve then compound. For 17 years I was a coach and it was a 4 day/week thing. I was pretty good so I naturally progressed to compound for the new challenge and new things to play with. Soon after, the inner 10 zone was introduced and there was even more pressure on. At the end, I frankly got tired with being so robotic. I got stressed on the shooting line and the mental game took over. I yearned for a longbow as a new challenge, but I never got one and I gave it all up. 15 years later, last October, my daughter persuaded me to take it up again. She had no interest in target so I found a field archery club nearby. I was really nervous. I honestly thought I would never be able to hit a target without the use of sights or the other contraptions I was used to. Of course I missed. Just imagine how career-limiting that is in target shooting... But then I hit some, I missed some and I hit some more. Missing is normal and I found the attitude in traditional shooting is totally different. It's still about hitting the target, but less about perfection and robotics. Every single shot is taken from a different place, targets are all unknown distances; your stance changes to suit the terrain and obstacles. I don't worry about my form so much now; It's more about gauging distance and being intuitive. Above all, we have a laugh going around the course, even in winter, and it's physical exercise too. I can't describe the pleasure of hitting a target some 50 yards away with no assistance, or just missing it, or bouncing an arrow off a tree and it not being broken :) I am hooked again and I have a lot of fun. It's no longer about perfection, but the joy of shooting.

I feel the same way, thanks for responding 🤙🏽

Using a compound bow is like getting a teacher and all the resource in order to get a good grades.

Everyone can learn and teach a subject....but you have a knack for clear precise explanations....putting it in layman's terms.....thank you for another great video I really enjoy them 🍻👍

I got my first compound 5 years ago because I wanted to get into hunting. I always enjoyed shooting traditional recurve at summer camp and in the back yard. But I wasn't confident enough in my ability to shoot a recurve accurately. I do own 3 traditional style recurves and my local archery shop is making new strings for them. I want to practice with them more and one day I will be confident enough to hunting with them. I'm starting to get into local competition with IBO and 3D shoots. The competition helps me push myself to be a better archer. I've been in the mind set of hitting an 8 inch circle and placing an arrow in the vitals of a deer. But recently I've focused on hitting X's and I've seen a lot of improvement in the past month.

I love shooting compound. I love the mechanical look and complexity of the bows

“‘..It’s the balance of both worlds...” Yes indeed !!!

Honestly? Watching this video, I felt like you were giving all my reasons and motivations for my style of shooting and choice of bow. I'm a traditional archer at heart, but the perfectionist in me is drawn to target recurve. Over 20 years I've shot both barebow and target, and will probably end up shooting barebow exclusively one day. Compound would bring out the absolutely worst in my perfectionist streak, and simply does not appeal.

I could say the same thing you've just said in reverse, I never found traditional or re-curve bows to be appealing, I loved the complexity and shape of the compound, it does look intimidating at first but once you get used it you'll like it even more. BUT, I really don't know much about re-curve, maybe once I try one I will change my mind, for now, I'm dead serious about compound and every complex thing that comes with it!

So glad i found this channel. I am hoping to start archery next fortnight. Hoping to stick to traditional bows

Same here. I've been shooting instinctive barebow for the last few years because I simply find it more relaxing. When I first started archery it was with a compound bow because that's what they just handed me. After a little, the couch where I practiced noticed that I'd stopped using the sight to aim and suggested I might try instinctive shooting with a recurve. I enjoyed it so much I continued it for the next four years. Now I'm starting to feel more serious and bought a sight for my olympic recurve. Just watched all your videos on sights btw.

Archery is like martial arts. "same thing" but many different styles. Everybody can find the right one.

Agree 100% I shoot olympic recurve and more recently an American flat bow. I love both styles for exactly the same reasons you mentioned.

Yeah man you said it ,,, I was given a really nice compound rig with a trigger and all ... I could group with it pretty good ,,, but it just didn't connect with me ... Now years later that I've gotten a traditional recurve and Longbow and then a more modern recurve making my own bow stringz that you help me out with big time ... I'm a more immersed in the tradition in the history of it ... I'm really loving it now ,,, thanks 👍👍👍 D ...

I can totally appreciate what you're saying in this video. I shoot bare 'primitive' recurve and horse bows, and make my own arrows. I like the simplicity and self sufficiency of the equipment, and the challenge of shooting accurately with the least amount of help from any devices.

I really enjoy your clips in general and acknowledge the articulate manner in which you get your ideas across...you are a professional educator after all. It is interesting...and frustrating, that you would find yourself having to justify why you do what you do...isn't it the simplest thing in the world......you've tried all types and you know what suits you. I will make an analogy comparing different archery styles to different types of cars....a "Stick and string" Long-Bow can be compared to say a 1930's style of car...manual gearbox, leaf-sprung suspension, little of no sound-deadening...any performance is totally up to the driver's skill. A modern take-down recurve ( or long-bow ) and even a fancier "Bare-bow" set-up is perhaps like a 1990's car...with the benefits of modern materials, modern suspension and brakes and even automatic transmission...pretty-much anyone can get solid performance with a moderate amount of practice and nerve. Now, a modern compound is still "Shooting"...you still have to hold, draw, aim and release ( sort-of )...but what you're shooting is more akin to a Formula 1 car...requiring an engineering and mechanical team and extremely high tolerances, in terms of expectations. So, you try and then pick the "Car" or "Bow" that best suits your personality...even if that means MULTIPLE different types. I played competitive Baseball as a teen-ager and learnt that I had to spend many, many hours to train both my brain and body to achieve a very unique skill ( ranging and then throwing a ball fast and accurately to various distances )...it took a lot of work, but then I really appreciated the growth. It's the same with Golf, with Surfing even. Other people are less about the process and more fixated on the end result, regardless of how they got there...that's their right. Watching so many people on KZfaq throws light on the fact that different people are able to achieve similar things, via TOTALLY DIFFERENT PATHS. Look at say Jeff Kavanaugh and the groups that he can get...rapid fire, from 50m...with a factory-made Bear Trad. bow. Similar ( or better ) to the groups that sometimes win U.S Championships with highly refined gear, ranges and wind-indicators etc etc. But then he's been doing it for well over 40 yrs and Lord only knows how many shots he's fired...in one clip, he talked about his old Bear Grizzly exploding...but he estimated he'd shot perhaps 200,000 arrows through it!! So, experiment...or not, and find out about yourself. Somedays you'll want Pizza, others you'll want BBQ...just as long as none of us ever presume to tell anyone else what tastes, or drives or shoots the best.

I’ve only been doing archery for about 6 months now and already own a compound, takedown recurve and trad field bow and looking at others, I am hooked on it all. Love the feeling of using an old school bow and the “tinker”ability of the compound. Just a pity I don’t have the time, money and places to do it as much as I would like. Love the vids anyway

I have not even started with archery yet, more a gun target shooter, I am just doing my pre-start study :) And one of my basic question as an amateur, who only seen the archery in TV was, how should I decide what to shoot. I didn't understand what's the difference, if there is some evolution and the compound is the latest step, or those two worlds exists side by side and which one is better. So thank you very much for all your videos, seen several of them in last 3 days and learned a lot. I was already leaning to the recurve, the modern "olympic" version, with all those weights, sights and modern shape and materials, but your argument and reasons convinced me completely now. What I am looking for in archery is actually achieving the perfection like with the compound, but with recurve there is much wider span of seeing the progress. As you mentioned, in compound after getting some base skills, it is just about keeping those tens and you never know, if you are just lucky or improving that much, while with recurve, I guess I will be lucky to start with some 7s and move up to the 9-10s in some time. Which might be even longer, then I am willing to admit :) But it will definitely show me my progress in finer steps, then with the compound. I am super competitive person, so the only reason I will do it is to be the best, but at the same time, shooting whatever is fun and with bow it also has this traditional class.

I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of knowing that there are people out there like you that are so open about it. Personally I own a compound and recurve and I love them both maybe my recurve a little more lol. But thank you for showing everyone that though there are differences between whatever it is you shoot that it’s really all about what you enjoy. One thing that threw me off, you said how compound shooters would be buying different things to tinker with there bows(I.e. different parts) but that goes to say for all bows correct? I mean of course you’ll always have maintenance and things but I mean it’s all the same in the end right? Lol

I love traditional modern recurve. My first bow was an old wooden longbow followed by a wooden recurve then a modern recurve. I also delved into compound bows. I LOVED the let-off and accuracy but hated the wheels and cables and sights. It was too much for me. I felt if I am going that route I may as well get a crossbow. :)

Nothing like nailing a target with a recurve, you feel ownership of that shot....

Solid points. And I completely understand what you're saying, especially that part about something like 8 being stressful result for compound shooters. When you think about it like that, it does seem like it's taken way too seriously, but it is what it is. Preferences, and like your attitude seems to be, nothing bad in diversity :) I shot recurve about 15 years ago and I enjoyed it so much. There were these compound shooters at the range then and at that time, I felt like it wasn't "real" archery any longer and more like shooting with a gun (yes, totally different, but with all those sights and releases it was easier to compare that to gun shooting than recurve... and I've always shot with guns too). Our recurves had only basic stuff: arrow rest and nock-ring (if that's correct in english) on the string. No stabilizers or sights at front, because those we considered to be highly non-traditional bow shooting items. It was then... Now, after couple of years, I started again. This time I went full compound. Why? Because I wanted a bow that could be efficiently used for hunting as well. My compound shooting isn't so much as range-shooting, or aiming at competition (tho gotta admit... the thought does have it's charm, because I'm highly competitive person). I shoot because I want to see those arrows fly and hit the target, preferably around the "kill zone", since if I'm ever going to use my bow for hunting, I gotta be damn sure it's a clean shot and the animal will not suffer. But that's another topic... I like the tinkering part. Not only for bows, but everything. I'm just that guy who likes to tinker with all kinds of mechanical gadgets :P Even in my other hobby, airsoft, I spend hours and hours fine tuning my airsoft guns, building and taking them apart while testing different bits and pieces to make them shoot as well as possible. Heck, most of my airsoft hobby is tinkering with the guns and less actually playing the games, which is pretty stupid... anyway... To me, recurve now seems like it's much too basic to be interesting. Not saying recurve is bad, it's just not for me currently. If you're into archery, any kind of archery, then that's completely fine. Tho I do see this foolish gap sometimes between compound and recurve shooters... mostly recurve... like they're watching down on other. Like the bow you're using is something less. It's mostly recurve shooters who have this mind set about their bow being "the one and only". Well, people sometimes turn into elitists if they're not intelligent enough to see it's all good how other people like their hobby. Me? I'm completely fine shooting at the practise with recurve shooters, with my hunting bow. It's not even "proper" target bow, so I'm somewhere below target compound guys to some recurve shooters :'P But always glad to see someone who's into archery and doesn't feel superior to someone else who's not sharing that absolutely same mindset. That diversity is what makes this hobby so great and everyone should embrace it. Who knows, perhaps one of those recurve shooters will want to try out compound and absolutely loves it, or vice versa. Keep an open mind :) Oh and good video!

It’s very simple and clear explanation of archer mentality and personality issues. I started archery just three month back using both compound and modern recurve bows. The three month were enough to get the interesting bow style looking to share competition a day. Recurve Olympic bow is my favorite that I can feel every shoot starting from the first process step of the shoot to the score I got at the end. Recurve or compand bow it’s your choice but be sure to enjoy the archery.

The compound archers at my club have nowhere to go. Their rounds are 10,10,10,10,10, etc. Just tedious.

I enjoy both. I use a compound for hunting but recurve for target.

I've been doing archery for about a year now. Did my beginners course with a club bow, a take down Olympic recurve with a sight but no stabilisers. But in my heart I already knew I was going to go for an English longbow. Like you, I didn't want feel or start feeling that I was losing points, instead of gaining them. I'm already looking at other bow types (Tatar or Hungarian) and draw styles (thumb draw or maybe Slavic), but I'll try to ignore that itch for a while longer, as I've only recently started getting decent scores with the ELB.

I like the feel of the recurve bow when everything lines up and you do a good shot. I still enjoy having my arrows really grouped as that only needs some tinkering with the sight afterwards. I tried compound in the club as other members want to share their joy of course but wasn't my style. It is something you just know after shooting it a couple of arrows and go back to what you enjoy. To each their joy and keep shooting.

I'm mostly getting into traditional bows. I find the craftsmanship with relatively simple technology, and natural materials astonishing the way bowyers select, and work a piece of wood into a weapon/art piece is incredible. That said I have no problem with shooting bows of all kinds. They are fun for different reasons.

I stopped shooting compound for the exact reason he discussed - Stress - As I got better I started expecting close to perfect scores - once I started getting to that point where I was counting down from a perfect score, it stopped being fun. Now I shoot trad recurve - if I hit everything with my first arrow I'm stoked - chuck in some 18s and 20s and I'm over the moon. Anyway, switching disciplines definitely helped me get my joy back. I still like to fiddle though, where it was once arrow rest and sight, I now muck around with tip weight, spine, arrow weight, etc.

You and me have the same mindset. If I ever get to visit Australia I'd love to pay your club a visit.

very well said.. i agree, i stay with recurve archery for most of the same reasons..

I picked up archery very late, a few months ago at 36 years old. I have wanted to try it for years and was given a bow by an old friend after I was enquiring about local archery suppliers. It was a 22# Core and it sucked me right in. I recently paid it forward and gave the bow to a stranger I met on Facebook. I had upgraded to a 30# Samick Sage and was just happy it could help someone else. I watch all your videos when I see them but what struck me about this one is that you were talking about compounds. I have ordered a new recurve (28#) with a sight and stabalisers (first time owning either) and also a compound. I relate with what you say about recurve but super curious about compound. Thanks so much for your videos. Oh, can you tell me what that actual button on a plunger button does please? Keep up the great work.

I have a 50lb compound and a 40lb recurve. I don't understand why people have such strong opinions on these matters, I love both of them and they are quite different. The recurve is without doubt more challenging and skill dependant, but if my life were under threat or if I was hunting? It is compound all day long, also all I have to do to tweak my compound is whip out my alan keys and spend 2 minutes adjusting draw length etc

@NuSensei Have you thought about trying vintage compound at all? For example, while I do own a modern compound produced within the last 4 years, I also own 2 vintage compound in order to explore a less accessory-oriented compound shooting experience. I practice with both an "Indian Stalker" and a "Browning Explorer I". Both have the capability of having a sight, but I am not running one on either. The Indian Stalker has a more modern arrow rest, but the Explorer I cant even support one and thus I'm using the tab-style rests that you would use on a recurve. Hands down though, the Indian Stalker has a great sense of "feel the shot" that I get from a recurve and is highly satisfying to shoot without feeling like you have to tinker with all the bells and whistles. No other compound ive tried can come close to that feel. The Explorer I is far less forgiving in regards to not using a sight but I still enjoy using it. I'd highly recommend trying the Indian Stalker and can be picked up cheap from $40-$60. I enjoy all types of archery and am not elitist in the slightest sense, being a volunteer Archery Coach myself for a Sportsman Club in Texas.

I started with trad recurve for 3D shooting two years ago here in Germany and I like the simplicity and the intuitive approach. I don't feel the need to compete in tournaments, so I enjoy my traditional recurve barebow for recreation on 3D parcours.

Amazing!

I've been practicing for three days andy third day i found se branches and just shot up for fun, I love this and will continue until I pass. I can feel it in my bones

NUSensei I understand perfectly why you don't shoot compound, too complicated, but you should try the old compounds from the early 90's such as the Hoyt Pro Vantage series whose are like recurves, finger shooting, no peep sight, no fancy rest and sight, round simple cams, no need for a press to work on them, they are take down bows , a simple hex key to set them up and to take them down in seconds, they are in fact recurves with basic pulleys ..; Rambo didn't go wrong lol. I shoot both worlds and enjoy their simplicity. Have a great day (long time follower since war thunder)

Having a large area of land I get to enjoy multiple bow types in 1 day. I prefer compound for hunting and trad bow for its simple functionality. And some times I love to use my w&w toz with sf carbon limbs. It just boils down to what you enjoy.

Mechanized archery takes the joy out it, if you ask me. Heading into the woods with a simple stickbow in hand is good for the soul.

I used to cycle. I like tinkering around with my bicycle but it was also a burden. I switched from cycling to (recreational) kayaking. I liked that all I needed was a kayak, life vest and paddle. There was very little maintenance I had to do to my equipment and I liked that.

I been practicing archery for over 3yrs now, started using a 20lb Samick Sage from my instructor and over time as well as hitting the gym, I bulked up my arms and last year I bought my first compound bow: The APA Mamba with a 65lb draw and I love it. As for preference, I just like a fast projectile going down range. Same logic with my bb/pellet guns, now in a survival scenario, the recurve makes a lot more sense because they're easier to maintain. That's a case of practicality over preference, took my nieces out for an archery shoot for the first time last night and they loved it so they'll have a spring/summer hobby with Uncle real soon :)

I started off, buying a Browning bow some 35 yrs. I pull 32 in and it stacked a lot of weight, but I enjoyed it. My other-- grabbed a compound bow [shopping] and I still have it. It just had a little plastic shelf for the arrow. I found it easier to shoot without sights. Less was more for me. Consistent challenging of myself - to learn - and enjoy. It became my Zen. Cheers

NUSensei: Thanks for yor explenation and opinion...leaders of my club has similar opinion and as 4y practicing recurve-olympic archery i can just agree. All the best..lots of health...

Using a recurve really forces you to learn archery. I think Compounds are primarily for hunting but also as target shooting to use it as a carry weapon. Like a gun or something. I love and have both. But if you want to get into archery i recommend starting with recurves

The more advanced the bow, the less you enjoy it, I guess 😂 There's no intrigue in a compound bow. For me, not enough in an Olympic recurve either. But I love what you said about pushing yourself. Very well explained.

Started with olympic recurve in a beginners course just before the virus outbreak so really looking forward to getting back into it. At some point I will learn barebow but not until learning one isn't going to interfere with learning the other, main reason I would like to learn barebow is to learn to use a Mongolian horse bow.

I absolutely agree with you. I love recurve bow with finger shooting for its simplicity and I regard it as a challenge .

Still a beginner (shooting on and off for a few years now). I like going back and forth between my recurve and compound. I like the challenge of the recurve, but also the rewarding aspect of the compound in terms of tighter groups. Sometimes I’m too hard on myself on my recurve performance and just want to get tighter groups. I have experience with rifle shooting which I find comparable to compound. With a compound, I feel one can focus more on form, breathing, and target alignment. Not that a recurve doesn’t do the same, but the added pressure of time at full draw skewing the shot changes things significantly. Compounds let you take more time with things since the bow relieves weight at full draw, allowing one to adjust and hold position longer and get your shot right. Though on days that I do shoot well with my recurve, tighter groups feel more satisfying. I also have a slingbow (Gearhead T15 Pro) which changes things a bit more. Overall, I like archery as a whole: past, present, and future. There’s something for all the different needs one might have and I want to at the very least try them all.

hi nusensei, just wondering what is your take on the oneida bows, or the lever bows?

I own a firearms company and have always been into weapons but last year picked up a new PSE Xpression and now I’m gravitating towards the peace and quiet of 3D. Plus after the initial investment it’s way cheaper too!

Little late to the party, but it is too good of a discussion board to pass up. I got my start in archery shooting recurves off the back porch with my family. It was a fun, relaxing, and wholesome way for us to bond at the end of the day. I loved the simplicity and pure skill it took to land a difficult shot from a variety of changing distances and scenarios. Once I got bigger, I was introduced to bowhunting. Naturally my next bow was a compound. I enjoyed the heft and gadgetry of the compound, and the ability to land more difficult shots with ease. However, once archery became a way to put meat on the table, I slowly forgot the joy that came with a bare recurve. The skill required to land a shot, the quieter sound, and the smoothness of draw and release became things of the past, replaced with an ever growing obsession with speed and broadhead selection. Those days of a relaxing family shoot with steaks on the grill are over. But it is a tradition I cannot wait to introduce to my family when the time is right.

Brother...did you hit that one directly on the head...perfect interpretation!!

I got into archery at about age 16. It was mainly because my uncle handed me an old 1953 Bearcat glass powered recurve (hybrid really) bow. I shot that for several years until I had to put it down for other things in life. I recently picked it back up and have added a Super Grizzly to my collection. The main focus of archery for me is hunting, since archery does open up more months of the year as well as land to hunting opportunities over firearms. However, getting involved in a club and online groups is becoming appealing as long as it is friendly and not the typical trad vs compound debate. I never moved to anything other than trad archery due to its simplicity, at least relative to compound bows. I don’t need a bow press, sync cams, set a fixed draw weight, Allen wrenches, stabilizers, and a myriad of other accessories to shot a trad bow. If I am out hunting and my string looks frayed or breaks, I reach in my pocket to pull out the spare and in the 20 minutes needed to put on beaver tail silencers, set brace height, and string, I am up and hunting again. Nothing against compound, it just isn’t for me at least for now.

Hearing how you describe compound shooting and everything you dislike about it made me realize that that is exactly why I like it. Tinking with things. Shooting for perfection. Using a finely tuned machine to accomplish something as simple as putting an arrow on the bullseye. It's a lot like marksmanship. Using a rifle, the objective is the same, put the projectile on target and it's more fun that using a sling shot. Although having started on recurve there's definitely a bit more catharsis with the feel of a recurve, the string leaving your fingertips. The slow and steady, constant draw weight in you body leading up to the release. Honestly makes me want to pull out my bow next time I'm at the range. Maybe after the next competition. lol

Idk, I feel like the compound bow is almost a different weapon. Whilst it's superficially similar and operates similarly in practice, the mechanics of what is going on are kinda different. To me it's like asking a shotgun shooter why they don't shoot rifles.

"using modern Olympic archery equipment you don't count what you earn you count what you lose"...superb and well put (quite enough of an argument why to go for traditional bows)

I Love all Archery. Shot Trad in the 70's and competitive 3D Compound in the 80's, 90's Did a lot of Compound hunting since 95. Back to 90% Trad the past 5 years but still pick up my Compound Target bow for long distance target. 50 years of archery and there is still plenty of love here!

My interest in archery began in the late 80s. Actually during my military service. I contacted the local archery club to learn how to shoot a bow and got a recurve bow for target shooting. Because that's what was done in the club. Quite shortly after this, the compound bow became a fad, inspired by the Rambo movies. When I started archery I didn't even know there was such a thing as a compound bow. Suddenly all kinds of wilderness stores started selling compound bows. These were often not familiar with archery. Neither the customers who thought it was cool to shoot a Rambo-bow. The compound bow became mythic, and some believed ordinary bows are toys and compound that's a real weapon... I'm glad I didn't jump on a trend but became genuinely interested. Now I want to start shooting bow again, but this time it will be a hunting curve and I go for instinctive shooting. I realize that's what I really wanted from the beginning. Chromed details, stabilizers and laser sight, release: no, it feels like a machine rather than a bow! However, it is still not impossible that in the future I will get a compound bow as well. One thing does not necessarily need to exclude the other. But it will hardly be a strict target recurve again.

Grew up being taught barebow/recurve and I love it but having progressed into target shooting with rifles, I found that compounds give me a closer experience to that. Getting back into archery after a long hiatus, my first choice was a compound due to the speedy learning curve. It's also offers better conditions for hunting due to compact form factor and let off. But for quick fun, the barebow is always nearby.

Years ago after I had graduated High School, I asked for a recurve bow for Christmas. What inspired me was most likely the Robin Hood series on Netflix, I think. I went to Bass Pro with my parents and personally picked out the bow that I wanted, which was a PSE Mustang recurve takedown bow at 60" length and 45 lb draw weight. I had gotten a few other things with the bow such as a whisker biscuit, bow stringer for safer stringing and unstringing, a back quiver, the arm guard, leather draw finger guard glove (probably not the right term), and carbon arrows. It was nice being able to test out the bow in their indoor range before purchasing it and committing. I was excited! I looked up a local archery range, which was free to use but offered lessons if I wanted them for a fee. There I went! Flying down the road in my car, unsure yet excited about finally bringing my dream to life! Once I got to the archery range, I immediately saw other archers there, but 90% of the time the archers were compound shooters. I watched a group of compound archers hovering over their bows with tools, adjusting and tweaking their bows. I may recall one of them admitting that it could take about 15 minutes of tuning their bow before even shooting. That sounded and looked ridiculous to me! Here I am with a simple recurve bow where all I had to do was string it and I'm ready to go. I might have gained some kind of dislike for compound archers, because all this that I saw and heard just didn't sound like what a traditional bow should be, with wheels, gadgets, sights, trigger release, and just the sight of it being primarily metal! I would feel stressed sometimes as well with me being out numbered by all these "fake archers". At the time that's how I felt. There's still a grain of that in my feelings toward compound shooters. Anyway, I did eventually ask one of the elder archers WHY they shot with compound bows. Their responses were something along the lines of "I have back issues and can't handle the pull of a recurve". This made sense to me and I respected them, specifically, more. Every now and then, yes, another recurve shooter would show up, but just like me they felt outnumbered. Back to me finally shooting for the first time. I did receive some general guidance from another recurve shooter where he had me shoot through paper to see how my arrows flew and such. He then advised me to start with closer targets. So, here I am standing on the firing line, knocking my bow, drawing back the string, aiming, and letting loose. Mind you, I had the whisker biscuit on. I began to hate that thing as it slowed down knocking my arrows and I felt like it caused some resistance to my arrows flying through it, slowing it down. I went full barebow at this point, screwing that unsightly piece of crap off my bow, and just using the smooth polished curved arrow rest. This.. this was it. This is what real archery felt like it should be. It felt amazing to shoot this way, a free and unburdened feeling. Tapping into my instincts, which is what I shoot. Instinctive. Like NUSensei, I enjoyed the challenge with the simplicity of the bow and the power of the bow in my body. When I did hit the target, I was happy wherever it hit. If it hit close to the bullseye that just made me extra happy. I feel as though if I had been a compound shooter myself, I would have been more stressed by the tinkering and distracting gadgets and probably would have given up archery. Last bit of note, I always thought "might as well get a gun" whenever I saw a compound bow.

I started out using a compound. Then one day I saw a women at an indoor range and she was destroying a bulls eye at ten yards with a plain one piece bow, so I talked to her and the next time I went to that indoor range I rented a recurve and fell in love the first time I hit the bulls eye which was probably fifty shots in. I found that even though it was harder it was much more satisfying and challenging. The compound was more like shooting a rifle but the free style was more like learning to throw a ball. I sold my compound, bought a recurve and twenty years later I haven't looked back.

Similarly I shoot recurve for competition purposes. When I feel like just letting off a few dozen arrows, I'll switch to a traditional Chinese bow with a thumb draw. I'm no where near as accurate, but I enjoy the feeling of just pulling back a bow and letting off some arrows. I like how you touch on the different psychologies of different styles. My worst experience in archery was at a competition where there were four archers on the same target. Two recurve, and two compound archers. One of the compound archers was a beginner, the other was experienced. The experienced archer would not stop berating the beginner for his lack of form or accuracy. For me one of my greatest joys is encouraging new archers to the sport. I tend to find recurve and traditional shooters a more inviting environment. If you've had apposing experiences, I'd love to hear them.

Gotta love that archery has so many variations,. Have a 20lb fibreglass kids bow,. 60lb compound (15 years old) been getting back, just bought a hunting recurve (compound style riser). In 50lb,. Next will be and olympic style recurve, traditional bare bow recurve, and a horse bow,( I'm a little interested in thumb draw). So many different variations to learn about. For me it's like 10 games in 1.

Every kind of competitive action brings with it a dose of pressure and anxiety. Which is probably why you find "traditional" archery more relaxing. At least that's how it is with me. Which is why I prefer asiatic, barebow archery over all. Archery is about the only thing I find relaxing nowadays. When done for myself, my own soul. Like playing guitar. Competition can be a lot of fun, but too much of it is not healthy. As with all things in life I guess.

I get all you are saying. And you are WAY above my skill level. I have a small collection of recurves. And I add the odd one here and there. But, I have been gathering up Gen 1 "D" shaped compound bows too, often referred to as "wheel bows". They feel much like a recurve. The nicest ones are mostly wood and look and feel very traditional. The offset wheels do help with the let-off. But, I still shoot most of them off the shelf, or simple arrow rest. I think you might enjoy one as a change of pace 😊

With my traditional I can more easily see and understand the steps and elements of my own improvement. Plus, I favour simplicity, I guess. It's also a matter of personal aesthetic.

for all the reasons you mentioned I went from Compound to long bow to reflex/delflex now a trad tech , Im a hunter, but thinking of getting bamboo bow horse bow with no shelf for the fun of it

I’ve owned 3 compound bows and learned to shoot them well. I got into kisser buttons, string peeps, hydraulic stabilizers, and mechanical release aids. All that stuff took the fun out of archery for me. I got to expect too much because of all the gadgets, then there was the issues of things moving, coming out of adjustment, often playing with this and that to get back on target. I got hate it all so I bought a recurve, then I bought a nicer recurve. I finally found what I enjoyed in the bow and arrow. I doubt I’ll ever buy another compound, but I’m planning to buy another recurve this week.

I enjoy both but I like the simplicity of a recurve or long bow over compounds ! The challenge of no sights with reduced speed allows you to go out and shoot targets or by using a judo point instead of a field tip on an arrow for plinking at pine cones or jugs without losing arrows. All have much to offer at whatever level you wish to take it to.

Can you demonstrate more of the traditional Asiatic bows. I'd love to see the thumb draw.

Kind of off topic but that light green riser is gorgeous. And I say that as someone who prefers wood risers and traditional style recurves...

I have a strange Question: what kinda middle part recurve/ color(Name) is that in your hands? I really like the color.. haha..

I build traditional bows and learned archery primarily to test my bows. Lots of tinkering. So many variables.

I practice traditional (Korean horn bow) and occasionally recurve. At first, I was into it because I was interested in my Korean background. Nowadays, I do it for recreation, stress relief, and meditation. Compound archery, while interesting and impressive, seems too cumbersome to me due to the maintenance and tinkering. I intend on getting other traditional bows, particularly a Manchu bow.

I think a compound bow is about two steps away from a crossbow, which might as well be a gun. Recurve bows, on the other hand, are more simple. I find it incredibly pleasing to know that I could take what amounts to a stick and some hair, and fling a sharper stick 50 yards away into a target, perfectly. I wouldn't feel the same about a gun, or a crossbow, or a compound. I would say it roughly goes... knife throwing -> axe throwing -> slinging -> barebow -> recurve -> recurve with sight -> compound bow -> crossbow -> gun -> explosive ...in order of "most satisfaction with hitting the target."