For Discussion: Recurve vs. Straight bow

[DanaM]

Justin you got iit right I do believe, I'm happy with the bows I've been building they shoot an arrow well enough
to take deer and they are durable. But lately I've been trying to apply Steve's mass theory and reading Tim Bakers chapter in TBB 4
has gotten me thinking more on the subject of efficiency and performance. I like working on Character bows and they are more finicky they also can be optimized
to some extent.

ps most of my bows are pretty darn ugly so you would like them Justin

[Pat B]

A long bow is more accurate for me to shoot than a recurve...and to a point, the longer the better. To get the most from a recurve I believe you have to go short; for me, 60" with 6" static recurves. That puts a lot of stress on the working portion of the limb...theoretically shortening its life.  With lots of practice, I can shoot a recurve pretty well...or at least I think I can until I shoot a long bow again.
   Probably my favorite bow style is a 64" to  66", relatively narrow osage with a moderately crowned belly and narrow tips, pulling about 55#@26".  

[vCo2v]

what does stacking mean? I constantly hear about stacking, but have yet to comprehend what it means.

[JackCrafty]

Stacking is when a bow suddenly becomes harder to pull back.  All bows get harder to pull as you pull back....but stacking is a sudden change....making it seem like the bow cannot be pulled back further without breaking it.  A bow with a "smooth" draw has no stack.  Most people like bows with a smooth draw.

[knightd]

Stacking Means that the further you draw the bow the more pounds per inch it gains.. The shorter the bow the more it stacks.. For example A 68" bow will gain 3# per inch of draw weight from 26 to 28" and a shorter bow lets say a 58" bow will gain 4# from 26" to 27" of draw and then gain 5# from 27" to 28".. Ok I hope this helps.. If not maby sombody better with words might jump in..

[knightd]

Patrick we must have been typing at the same time..lol.

[JackCrafty]

Yep

[vCo2v]

so is that why i hear that longbows that are full compass are easier to draw?

[PeteC]

Dana,my fastest bow, undoubtedly,was a 64 ",osage recurve,I made a few years ago.It was tillered 58#@27",held 2" of reflex ,with 6"  curves.I had to string it with a bow stringer,but with it's early weight,and it's "opening up" character,it did'nt lack much staying up with a 55# glass bow. It was built from the cleanest peice of boisd'arc I'd ever seen,which I cut off a deer lease I was on at the time.I gave it away to a church auction fund raiser. God Bless

[AKAPK]

Dana I just restored a blackhawk hornet that was slower than The holmgaard I just finished, i would say that recurves just more work and noisier unless its a Hupa or Hoopa style with recurved tips which are about3 feet long. Don't matter to me I like to shoot whatever and like wachin how the arrow flight goes to the target.Fun.PK

[Badger]

  I hope we never find out the real answer to this thread, 1/2 the fun is trying to prove it one way or the other. I have had a lot of shorter staves that just needed to be recurves, I love shooting 60" or shorter recurves. My typical bow is a 62" r/d bow or a 64" straight bow but lately I have been falling for the elbs at about 68". Finding they can perform just about as well as anything else. Steve

[Marc St Louis]

Most people leave much more mass on the tips of a recurve than is needed.  I personally have never seen or heard of a straight bow shooting as fast as a recurve.  I know I've never done it.  I have seen some impressive numbers from straight limbed bows but only when they have been drawn to a longer draw length.  With the same power stroke and the same draw weight a recurve will shoot faster.  

Also I don't believe a working recurve is faster than a static recurve.  There are a couple of things that work against a working recurve.  First the outer limbs have to be wider and that slows a bow down through air resistance.  Second, it's a fact that a  bows performance is improved when the outer limbs are stiff and inflexible

[stickbender]

     
     Other than just esthetic's, I can't see putting the time and trouble in making a static re curve.  I feel if you are going to make a re curve, make it a working re curve.  I believe that a working re curve, all being equal, is slightly faster than a straight bow.  But then again, I am not an experienced Boyer like you guys.  But it just seems to make sense to me if you have essentially two little bows, to add to the main bow, it should be faster.  Re curves are not as easy to shoot as long bows, but once you get used to them, they are great.  Just my opinion, and like I said, I am not an accomplished Boyer.  Oh, and while I am at it, what the heck is a " Perry " reflex ?
                                                                                  Wayne

[DanaM]

Great discussion guys, and talk about varied answers, sounds like a good topic for the Bowyers Bar eh
I guess I need to start making a few recurves to see for myself. I don't believe that just because a bow has recurves
its necessarrily faster than a straight bow. All bows must have the proper design to be efficient.

[El Destructo]

Dana.........just buy a "Chrony" brand....they are simple....and dependable too......I have had one for years....and just bought another one for the sake of having a spare.....It works great from Bows...paintballs....to my 7.62 X 54 Russian