If you are a fan of archery, you might have come across the terms compound bow and longbow. These types of bows offer different advantages, and each one has its own drawbacks. If you are in the market for a new bow, here are some pointers to help you make the best choice.
Recurve Bows
The name of this bow comes from how its frame is shaped. This bow is more powerful because of how its tips curve towards the target. At an arc, a large recurve bow can fire an arrow for several hundred yards. However, you must also note that a recurve bow will a large frame will be a lot harder to pull back. There is a lot of effort required to draw an arrow, which also explains why the arrow will go further than if it were fired with a smaller bow. It will also take more effort to hold the bow steady, so you can aim.
Recurve Bows are Lighter and Easier to Maintain
Apart from the strength required to pull a recurve bow back, these bows are also lighter. This means they are easier to transport than compound bows. Additionally, these bows have had fewer parts. Therefore they are easy to maintain. However, if you break the bow, it can be very costly to repair. These bows are usually made from one piece of wood, which makes repairing them a complicated task.
Compound Bows
Compound bows are a modern cousin of the recurve bow. They have become quite popular with time with people who want to hunt or just shoot. A compound bow uses a pulley system, and this takes the strain from pulling the bow. Because of the lesser amount of energy needed to pull the bow back, it is also easier to aim with it.
Compound Bows are Highly Customizable
There are a lot of customizations that can be made to compound bows. This is probably why they are very popular. You can add a scope to the bow and a lot of accessories. As a result, you might find that you will encounter more compound bow packages than single bows.
Additionally, these bows are made in such a way that they can carry several tools for the archer. For instance, you can hook your scope to the bow or attach a small quiver to it. This allows for a more mobile setup than you can achieve with a recurve bow. The advancements in compound bow design and technology are probably fueled by the rising demand for archery equipment. At the moment, analysts estimate about an 8.5% growth in the archery equipment market by 2022.
There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to choosing between compound bow packages and recurve bows. If you want something easier to use, you will probably need to go for a compound bow. However, if you are an experienced archer who needs something more powerful, you might also want to consider a recurve bow.
