Compound or Recurve

expediateclimb

Which type of bow is used more often in comp and which is more difficult to use?

lilRedSmurf

Well in Ireland there's far more recurves about the place. But in the last few years there's been a couple more compounds floating around (myself included).

As for difficulty level that all depends. The basic technique is pretty much the same but some people find recurve easier and others prefer a compound.

The reason i have one is cos i've had an iffy shoulder for a long time and recurve wasn't doing it any favors. But it really just depends on the person.
There can also be more expence involved in getting a compound.

A lot of people do say that with the the use of a magnifying scope, release aid. spirit levels and all those shiny dodads shooting a compound should be easier but the top scores in the world still tend to be recurve ones.

Panserborn

I done recurve for about 5 years and then changed to compound. I found this pretty helpful as learning how to shoot a recurve teaches you the ins-and-outs of archery and gets the muscles working for ya. When you then go to compound it is easy to get used to it fast. Starting out cold with a compound can be tough as getting the stance and form correct is critical and easier to learn on a recurve - thats my experience anyway.

Another difference is in competition. Generally, compounds are more accurate and you will get higher scores but the price of a bad shot is therefore pretty steep. An example of this is in field archery. The max possible score is 720, and compounds regularly get this score, which means if you drop just one point you can be out of the game - lots of pressure! Recurve is a little more forgiving as even the best will drop some points giving everyone a little bit of leeway.

Upshot of all this waffle is that compound is technically easier if you know how to use it, but there is pretty much no room for error in competitions. So if you can get into the mind-set of a robot then you have the key to being a good compounder. I do reckon, however, that recurve is the place to learn archery and then after a year make a decision as to which disipline you want to stay with.

doogle deegan

The numbers of compounds are actually increasing at the moment, the irish open outdoor champs was at the weekend. In the womens section there were only a few more recurve then compound and in the mens the numbers looked pretty close too.

I too started archery with recurve( for 3 years) then last year changed to compound. It is a good idea to start archery with recurve even for the duration of a beginners course to learn the basics of archery.

yank_in_eire

I started out on compound mainly because I was into deer hunting and sometimes had to hold full draw for several minutes - guaranteed shakes if you try that with recurve at hunting poundage.
I've never used a magnifying sight or spirit level on it though.