[Harry Knuckles]

Apologies if this has been discussed already.

Short story:

I'm looking for bow recommendations.

Requirements:

Knockdown - I will be traveling with it

Price - $150

Function - I will not be hunting with it. I want a bow to learn with.

Long Story:

My family and I have planned 1 month trip to Denmark this summer. My wife is from Denmark and her family has a home with a bit of property to do some shooting. Slingshots are not legal in Denmark but bows are unregulated, so bow target shooting would be the next best thing. I'm looking for a reasonably priced bow I can knock down for travel, will have a reasonable life expectancy, and deliver a good shooting experience.

Thanks in advance.

 

[vince4242]

Hey harry! I just bought a $114 bow from Amazon. I just got it and haven't got a chance to shoot it but I have strung it up. Looks to be very high quality and breaks down to a very small size. Not sure when you're leaving but starting this weekend I'm definitely going to shoot it and it looks awesome quality and it's a real recurve bow, my first. I will report back as soon as I have any feedback on it. I have shot PVC homemade bows, breakdown metal bows and cheapy plastic bows but never a real maple limb bow. Looking forward to it, you can find it on Amazon it has a carved wooden middle section and it cost $114. There are lots of bows at $150 and less range if you're right handed I went with this one because it's the only one that's a left-handed that I can use.

They also make inserts that you put at the center point of the arrow and you can unscrew the arrow in half to make it even shorter for travel if you would travel with arrows. I have used this before and they do work really good, not sure where you find them anymore it's been years since I used them.

I will update this post with more info this weekend.

Vince
Cheers

 

[vince4242]

Here's the link on Amazon I found it. But there are lots of other great choices too.

https://www.amazon.com/KESHES-Takedown-Hunting-Recurve-Arrow/dp/B07C3ZQYMP

 

[Harry Knuckles]

Hey harry! I just bought a $114 bow from Amazon. I just got it and haven't got a chance to shoot it but I have strung it up. Looks to be very high quality and breaks down to a very small size. Not sure when you're leaving but starting this weekend I'm definitely going to shoot it and it looks awesome quality and it's a real recurve bow, my first. I will report back as soon as I have any feedback on it. I have shot PVC homemade bows, breakdown metal bows and cheapy plastic bows but never a real maple limb bow. Looking forward to it, you can find it on Amazon it has a carved wooden middle section and it cost $114. There are lots of bows at $150 and less range if you're right handed I went with this one because it's the only one that's a left-handed that I can use.

They also make inserts that you put at the center point of the arrow and you can unscrew the arrow in half to make it even shorter for travel if you would travel with arrows. I have used this before and they do work really good, not sure where you find them anymore it's been years since I used them.

I will update this post with more info this weekend.

Vince
Cheers

Hello Vince, a big thank you for the recommendation. I'm not leaving until June so I have some time before I order. I would love to hear your thoughts on the bow after you shoot it. What poundage did you order? Are you planning on hunting with it or just target shoot?

 

[vince4242]

I got the 35lb draw way. My metal Longbow has a 40 pound draw weight but this one actually feels heavier. I at the moment we'll be using it for target practice but if there is an opportunity for hunting I would like to be good enough to use it for that. But really it's target practice unless I actually have to hunt for food for my family.

Xterra

 

[vince4242]

I got the 35lb draw way. My metal Longbow has a 40 pound draw weight but this one actually feels heavier. I at the moment we'll be using it for target practice but if there is an opportunity for hunting I would like to be good enough to use it for that. But really it's target practice unless I actually have to hunt for food for my family.

Cheers

 

[Pebble Shooter]

Back in late 2019, I purchased a Chinese-made "Junxing" hunting recurve bow with 35 lbs draw weight:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32866661117.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dHpkvMF

Not had a chance to try it yet at the local archery club in view of the pandemic...hopefully soon though. It feels and looks quite well made.

Maybe a viable option?

 

[Tobor8Man]

Harry -

Unlike slingshots where you can change the draw weight by changing bands, recurve bows come in fixed draw weights. To complicate matters, the draw weight is measured w/ a 28" draw - some archers draw more and some draw less - longer draw adds weight to the bow, shorter draw reduces bow weight - so that gets added into the formula. To make it even more complicated, some bows stack past a certain draw weight and become difficult to draw. A take down bow is nice b/c you can start w/ light limbs (25lbs) and build up to heavier limbs (35 to 40 lbs).

Some consideration should be given to bow length. Arrows should be matched to the bow. You should consider if you are going to shoot with a rest or "off the shelf." Feather fletched arrows are more forgiving than plastic veins. Accessories such as a bow stringer, travel case, arrows, arm guard and glove or tab can equal or exceed the price of the bow.

If there is a local archery shop or club- you should take a lesson and try some different setups. Otherwise contact the folks at Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear (rmsgear.com). This is a family owned and operated shop and range specializing in recurves and longbows. If you call, you will speak to an actual archer who can help you make your selections.

 

[vince4242]

All right I got the nock figured out, and went out shooting and was instantly impressed by the quality of this bow. Definitely shoots faster than my supposed 50 lb bow. I have shot bows for quite a bit of my life but never shot a very high quality recurve bow or longbow for that matter. This thing is hands and fists better than anything I've shot in the past and makes me confident that I can make a kill someday if I needed to take down a deer or an elk. I really like the wooden middle section handle part, and the limbs have thumb screws that hold them on, so they come off as quick as you can unscrew them. and you have three very short pieces that can be wrapped up nicely in the cardboard box that came in which is a perfect fit for travel. This bow also comes with a sighting system which looks kind of cheap but after 20 shots of just straight instinctual shooting I went ahead and put on the siding system and at my groupings went from a dinner plate down to a 60 or 70 mm spinner size. Very happy with the setup and the only thing I added was I put a three-prong whisper biscuit on since I'm using regular 500 stiffness rubber flight arrows. I also added a silicone cushion for your fingers on the bow string. It allows you to not need a glove or anything else and it stays on the bowstring and it works great as I've used them in the past for several years. I got a pack of five of them since they were on sale at Amazon and I'd be happy to send you a pack for you to use with your bow if you decide to go that way as opposed to a glove system. The only other thing you would need are arrows and an arm guard.

Hope this helps any questions about something I missed please let me know I will be glad to answer anything else I miss.

Cheers

 

[Harry Knuckles]

Thank you greatly for the write-up and advice on the extra accessories. Those silicon cushions for the string sound like a great idea. I've been looking around a lot on the internet and trying to boil down all the information as best I can. A lot of people seem to like the Black Hunter bow too. https://www.amazon.com/Obert-Archery-Takedown-Recurve-20-60lbs/dp/B07Z2MVQYT/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=Black%2BHunter%2BRecurve%2BBow&qid=1618682119&sr=8-8&th=1&psc=1

Your recommendation and the Black Hunter are in my top 5 right now.

Thanks again!

 

[vince4242]

This one looks nice, but I only see three reviews and one of them talks about not being able to contact the seller multiple times for multiple avengers. One thing I also don't see is any inserted screw holes for sites or whisper biscuits or dampeners if in the future you decide you want one. The one that I suggested does have those things pre-inserted and ready to go.

Three reviews and a trip out of the country to me doesn't sound like a safe idea.

Cheers

 

[vince4242]

The other thing I forgot is one really nice feature to look for is when you can buy the limbs separately at a different weight and use the same middle. Mine comes with that fortunately but just something to think about when you're making your choice.