# Hybrid longbow vs recurve



## JohnZhou (Oct 26, 2017)

I'm thinking of getting my feet wet with a longbow; I'm a recurve guy. From my research, there are 2 main types of longbow, the traditional Howard Hill D style longbow and the newer hybrid longbow with high reflex/deflex and looks very similar to recurve except that the string are not touching the limbs. The hybrid longbow are supposilly great shooters. Are there much difference in the way they shot compared to recurves?


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## Stephen Morley (Aug 11, 2016)

The great thing about Trad Archery is the choice, a good Longbow can keep up with a good Recurve shooter on a 3D range, Hill style bows are a slightly different animal and lot of respect for people shooting them well.

If you intend to shoot tourney it's always good to check first that your bow is going to fit into local rules, if it's just for you then anything goes.

I've shot my Saluki horsebow in Recurve div, it's just a bigger and more interesting challenge, and nicer feeling of satisfaction when you put a competitive score in.


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## JParanee (Oct 13, 2009)

I’m a big recurve guy 

To the point that if I had to shoot a Hill style longbow I wouldn’t shoot  

With that said I’ve had the chance to shoot most of the high end performance oriented Hybrids

They are really sweet shooting bows 

Centaurs, Borders, Big Jim’s etc 

It took me till this bow to actually put one into the stable 






If you notice the grip looks like a Recurve grip 

Point being if you order a Hybrid and get it with a Recurve style grip you probale will love it 

Good luck


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## Beendare (Jan 31, 2006)

I'm a recurve guy too...and JP nailed it about the hill style longbows. 

I've shot a couple Hybrids that were pretty decent...but all very long; Liberty, and a Toelke whip....never an Omega that everyone raves about.

The problem for me is that I compare everything to a fast efficient low hand shock recurve...and nothing else quite makes the grade.

FWIW, You just can't believe guys when they say, "No hand shock"...theres hand shock with every bow....from the 'rattle your fillings' of the Hill style......on down the line to modern parallel limb compounds. If the Hill is a 10 and a good recurve is a 3....the good hybrids are a 5.

And yeah, I admire the guys 5 guys that can really shoot a longbow well -[grin, kidding...well kinda] there is a higher degree of difficulty with a Hill style longbow over a recurve.


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## JParanee (Oct 13, 2009)

This little hybrid feels like a Recurve 

No handshock


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## JohnZhou (Oct 26, 2017)

Sweet bow...I heard a lot of good things about the Omega. Started by a young guy too.


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## Stephen Morley (Aug 11, 2016)

Nice video JP and great shot on the bottle, you could see how stable that arrow flew in the slow mo.

Not sure what your doing with my wife's whip though lol


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## kentsabrina (Aug 23, 2017)

I personally dislike the feels of slim limbs on chunky handle, that I normally find on most hybrid.

I prefer hybrid with no / minimum deflex handle with slightly reflex limbs


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## Brad Lehmann (Sep 4, 2010)

I am a recurve guy but have added a few r/d longbows to the mix. I got some great advice a couple of years ago to just skip the Hill style and buy a Martin Savannah. I did buy one and loved it. I was curious though and a little while later I also bought a Dwyer. It hurt my bow hand terribly so I sold it. Not being a quitter, I then bought a River Raisin. It also hurt my bow hand, not so much from shock but from a swell in the grip that was in the wrong place. Out with it and in with a Striker. I fell in love with that bow but it was a bit short and the string pinch started working on my fingers. I traded it for a recurve. Having experimented a little, I was content to just shoot the recurves until a really good deal came along on a Sarrels Blue Ridge S/R. This bow shot quick and aimed easy but was just a few pounds too heavy for comfort. I sent it to Bob and had him reduce the weight down to my preferred weight. A couple of months ago I added a Whippenstick longbow to the mix so now I have longbows in 60, 62, and 64 inch lengths. I can say from experience that the longer they are, the more comfortable they are to shoot. I shoot bows for the pure pleasure of shooting. My eyesight is too poor to compete, but the upside is that I don't have to worry about someone elses rules about what my bow has to conform to. I really like the lower, more open grip of my longbows and would not want one with a grip similar to my late model recurves. 
Now, in answer to your question, a longbow has slightly less power and it is noticeable. You can either compensate with your aiming or buy a slightly heavier bow. If you buy a long enough bow, the extra couple or three pounds of draw weight are offset a bit by the smoother draw, and it is easy for me to adjust for and accept it. Some longbows are not anywhere near center cut so you can expect to use a weaker spine arrow for the weight of the bow than you are accustomed to using. They can be a fun addition to the mix so why not give them a try?


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## JParanee (Oct 13, 2009)

Stephen Morley said:


> Nice video JP and great shot on the bottle, you could see how stable that arrow flew in the slow mo.
> 
> Not sure what your doing with my wife's whip though lol


That’s a build the pyramid whip not a fun whip buddy  

The tune really did come out well on that bow and it’s amazingly stable for a little critter 

If someone handed it to me while I was blind folded it never guess it’s a 56 inch longbow


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## Bender (Dec 6, 2006)

Me, I'll shoot anything. Compound too. But my favorite is Longbow with wood arrows. Within Longbows, the Hybrid (R/D) are the best shooters and will make taking it up a much easier transition if it has a recurve styled grip. 

I also really like Self Bows. But then again I also enjoy cold toilet seats and dental work without anesthesia. So "To each his own!" said the old maid as she kissed the cow.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

There's only one way to find out, try one. Like others have said I'm a recurve guy but I've had a couple hybrid longbows I really liked, a McCullough Griffin and a Big Jim Buffalo Bow.

Do some research and pick out a couple or a few possible bows, then watch the classifieds. Buy a nice used one and if you don't like it you can sell it and get most if not all of your money back.


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## Yooper-travler (Feb 28, 2011)

I own and have owned a few. I keep and shoot them because I like them. Performance wise, it's an ILF + super recurve limbs for me. 

All the pertinent points have been spoken above. But *THE MOST* important points are below:

Longbows make you look cooler. When you and your buddies are shooting and some cat with a curve makes a shot you can't, simply say "but I shoot a longbow" - argument won!

Each longbow is imbued with a "soul" by it's maker (just like wooden arrows).

With a longbow you can dress like a 16th century french fur trapper when you hunt. Try that with an ILF.


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## Bowmania (Jan 3, 2003)

When I was a kid, I remember looking at trophy photo pictures and thinking, "wow, he shot THAT with a BOW." So I started shooting a bow. This was BC - before compounds. Once I was shooting a bow (recurve), I'd see a picture with a beautiful animal and a guy with a longbow. And I thought, well you know what I though. So I got a longbow.

I started shooting that longbow and MAN OH MAN, it was fun to shoot. But I wasn't very good with it. So my thoughts were this is fun, but I'll never hunt with it. Everyone makes goals, and after time, I made a goal to shoot a longbow better than my recurve. It really didn't take long and 'bye, bye, recurves.' That was over twenty years ago closer to thirty.

Fast forward to today. I've come full circle. Due to injury last year I hunted with a recurve. In fact, I'd say one of the nicest out there. That be said, I have a Border Raptor longbow on order.

As stated above, get a long longbow. I won't waste my time, I mean shoulders, even drawing back anything under 64.

Bowmania


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## Brad Lehmann (Sep 4, 2010)

Yooper, you had me until you started talking about dressing up to shoot your longbow. I just count that as one more reason to AVOID anything that has to do with D style bows. I'm 64 and quit playing make believe about fifty five years ago. It's Carharts and blue jeans for this guy no matter what the bow is shaped like. Thanks for smile! However, I think that I should get a kilt for when I shoot my Covert Hunter. A green plaid one with some sort of leather leggings because cactus has no friends.


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## Yooper-travler (Feb 28, 2011)

Brad Lehmann said:


> Yooper, you had me until you started talking about dressing up to shoot your longbow. I just count that as one more reason to AVOID anything that has to do with D style bows. I'm 64 and quit playing make believe about fifty five years ago. It's Carharts and blue jeans for this guy no matter what the bow is shaped like. Thanks for smile! However, I think that I should get a kilt for when I shoot my Covert Hunter. A green plaid one with some sort of leather leggings because cactus has no friends.


I just got confirmation on my Border Hex 8-H, so maybe I'll join you in a kilt. Fortunately I'm a descendant of the Atkins family. So I guess it's just a matter of flying over to be fitted......


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## Halt (Feb 28, 2018)

i've always wanted a longbow. I shoot recurve.


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## Stephen Morley (Aug 11, 2016)

I was pretty handy with Longbow and miss it, my fingers a screwed now and too painful to shoot, just the odd tournament in Summer.

I did a course on Japanese Archery a few months ago it was very interesting but I couldn't even hold the bow correctly without pain so I didn't even try to shoot it, old age isn't fun.


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## Yooper-travler (Feb 28, 2011)

Stephen Morley said:


> Nice video JP and great shot on the bottle, you could see how stable that arrow flew in the slow mo.
> 
> Not sure what your doing with my wife's whip though lol


I was gonna let the whip thing slide. I thought maybe Joe accidentally edited the wrong clip in &#55357;&#56832;


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

The longbow embodies the essence of simplicity. They're elegant but incredibly effective, and even now they can be the most challenging weapon to master. That's what makes them fun, though!

As far as performance and shot feel it comes down to the specific bow. Some hybrids can be pretty extreme, and shoot almost identically to recurves. Fast, smooth, with little to no shock. Some more mild D/R longbows shoot more like a Hill style D bow. 

Personally, the hybrid longbow is my favorite style. All of the elegance and challenge with plenty of performance. Best of both worlds.


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## Bow Rider (Jan 16, 2015)

Yooper-travler said:


> I own and have owned a few. I keep and shoot them because I like them. Performance wise, it's an ILF + super recurve limbs for me.
> 
> All the pertinent points have been spoken above. But *THE MOST* important points are below:
> 
> ...


What if I want to dress like a viking, horned helmet and all? can I shoot from land or do I have to be in a wooden boat?


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## Yooper-travler (Feb 28, 2011)

Bow Rider said:


> What if I want to dress like a viking, horned helmet and all? can I shoot from land or do I have to be in a wooden boat?


Only if you are carrying a traditional woodman’s tomahawk with wool leggings lol. A shield is optional. You don’t want to look goofy.


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## sawtoothscream (Apr 19, 2008)

Idk I like both. I reach for the recurve more but I have owned many hybrids and tried a bunch more . Many had a recurve style grip that made the transition easier. 

Think the most recurve like longbow I have shot was a Hitman. Was a pass around bow and I got to spend a week with it. Didn't want to ship it to the next guy lol. 

My favorite hybrid I owned was a omega original, not as pretty as my other bows but damn that thing could throw a arrow and it shot lights out for me, pretty close to my titan accuracy at the time.


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## paulm2014 (Jul 18, 2013)

I have had a striker classic first, sold it and bought a black widow pch. I really started getting good and accurate on the longbow which then got amplified slightly with the recurve. I actually believe that this performance gain came more-so from the heavier riser of my widow compared to such a lightweight longbow. It just aimed easier to me. That being said, when I get another bow, I think I will go back to the hybrid longbow because I like the looks, and admire the simplicity. 
Those extreme recurves or super recurves look very convincing to me and I am anxious to try one but I always feel a little standoffish due to "too much technology"(if that is a thing) with such a classic primitive tool. I don't know maybe I am alone in this thought. Hybrid longbows seem to have just enough technology+performance+simplicity for me


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## mrcoachd (Feb 28, 2017)

I absolutely LOVE my Omega Longbow. Simple and FAST. I took it to a range down here for a trad night, and the owner is an olympic recurve shooter, or was, and they commented on how well it shot and how fast it was, they really liked it. I'm an expert by no means, but Keegan makes some bad ass longbows and won't break the bank if you want to try it!


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