7 Best Recurve Bows For Beginners in 2023 (Review)
Finding the best recurve bow for beginners can be tough. We've done the research and testing to find the options that will work for your level of archery skill.
When I first got into recurve bow archery, I found that one of the most difficult things was figuring out which bow to get while still future-proofing for when I improved; with this in mind, finding a recurve bow that’s best for a beginner can be tough. We’ve researched for you and tested to find the options that will work for someone with beginner archery skills.
Buying your first recurve bow can be a real challenge if you don’t know much about the different aspects of recurve bows.
Even if you choose from some high-end recurve archery bows, they might not be designed for a beginner. This is because learning to shoot arrows and aim requires different skills than what you would need if you were a pro.
Here we have compiled some of the best recurve bows that are perfect for beginners. These high-quality bows are designed for learners and beginners and don’t require a vast knowledge of archery before you can start having fun.
1. Bear Bow For Children / Young Teens – BEST OVERALL
- Beginner bow set features ambidextrous riser for left or...
- Bow comes equipped with a sight pin and finger rollers
- Recommended age range for children is 5 to 10 years old
The Bear Archery Wizard Youth Bow is not technically a starter recurve bow. It’s what’s called a longbow. But, considering for whom this bow is designed, it doesn’t matter.
The Bear Archery Wizard Youth Bow is meant for children ages 5 to 14 and is the best recurve bow for beginners in that bracket. The bow has a variable draw weight of 10 to 18 pounds and a variable draw length of 17 to 34 inches. This means that the bow is easy to draw for even 8-year-olds but offers enough power for 18-year-olds while still being a budget recurve bow.
The bow has an ambidextrous design and is suitable for left-handed and right-handed children. This feature is particularly desirable if you want to buy a bow for a child around the age of 8 because children often haven’t figured out their dominant hand. Trying to shoot arrows with different hands might help. It is also common for children to use different hands dominantly for different purposes. Even if you think you know the dominant hand of a 66-year-old, you might be wrong. Hence, ambidexterity is always a great feature in a bow, particularly for young children.
The Bear Archery Wizard Youth Bow comes with a sight pin attached, so you don’t have to buy a bow sight separately. The bow also comes with finger rollers that ensure easy draw and smooth release. The finger roller ensures the user doesn’t hurt their fingers drawing the bow too hard.
The bow is 44 inches long. It’s made of fiberglass, which makes the bow lightweight. The size also complements the bow’s overall objective of being versatile.
Since the bow doesn’t have a huge draw weight, you don’t have to worry about buying expensive aluminum arrows or even more expensive carbon fiber arrows. Any wooden arrows of length 25 to 27 inches will do fine. The bow doesn’t shoot with much power so the arrows won’t break.
This particular model has a lot of good reviews; apparently, children love this bow. The ambidextrous design of the Bear Archery Wizard Youth Bow makes it extremely intuitive to use, and its lightweight makes the bow extremely easy to draw.
2. Easton Youth Beginner Recurve Bow Kit – BEST COMPLETE KIT
- Ambidextrous design
- Package includes beginner bow, 3 arrows, hip quiver, arm...
- Color is Pink
Unlike the previous entry, the Easton Youth Beginner Recurve Bow Kit comes with a recurve bow. Recurve bows were first invented in 1000 BC in central Asia and spread throughout the world soon after.
Recurve bows have a more complex design than longbows, but recurve bows can generate a lot more draw weight while also being smaller. This is why recurve bows have almost completely replaced longbows in practical applications.
The Easton Youth Beginner Recurve Bow also has an ambidextrous design, making it ideal for young children who are starting to find their dominant hand.
The bow comes with a complete kit with three arrows, an armed guard, a hip quiver, and a finger tab. The riser is pink, while the libs are black. You can choose a quiver from four different colors
The Easton Youth Beginner Recurve Bow Kit is also designed for young learners and is perfect for children around t0. The bow has aan adjustable draw length of up to 26 inches and offers a draw weight of 10 to 20 pounds.
The bow has all the features beginners would need in a recurve bow. The bow has an arrow rest that allows you to place the arrow on the same spot consistently, whereas the sight window nudges you to aim from the same part of the riser every time you draw. The bow also has finger rollers that ensure you don’t hurt your fingers, constantly drawing and releasing the bowstring.
All these features make the bow perfect for training yourself. The riser is made of plastic, making the Easton Youth Beginner Recurve Bow one of the lightest recurve bows. You can train your back muscles by drawing this bow and familiarizing yourself with the different elements of a recurve bow, When you’re ready for a professional-grade bow; you can upgrade to a heavier recurve bow and use it from the first day. (1)
However, some users have complained that the limbs don’t fit the riser tightly and the bow rattles when it shoots. Users have also complained about the bow being inaccurate and the draw weight not exceeding 10 pounds.
We wouldn’t recommend the bow if you want to train yourself to aim. However, the bow is a light replica of Olympic-style recurve bows. It’s perfect if you want to get familiar with how recurve bows work. The bow’s design also makes it ideal for cosplay and live-action role-play (LARP) games.
3. Horsebow Archery 20 Handmade Recurve Bow – BEST FOR TEENAGER STARTER RECURVE BOW
- Draw weight : 20 LBS
- The advantages of the longbow: simple shape, beautiful...
- Material and Process:The Recurve Bow uses the high density...
The Horsebow Archery 20 Handmade Recurve Bow is technically a recurve bow, but its riser is quite minimalistic to keep the bow lightweight. The bow has a draw weight of 20 pounds, which is adequate for 12-year-olds.
The simple design of the bow makes it quite easy to use. The riser is only composed of a grip and an arrow rest. The bow is also quite aesthetically pleasing, I must add. The bow design is completely original. Diverting from the standard recurve design allows the Horsebow Archery 20 Handmade Recurve Bow to be ambidextrous, which most recurve bows are not.
This bow is meant mostly for those above the age of 12. The relatively high draw weight of the bow allows the user to shoot faster arrows that carry more power and experience less drop due to gravity. The Horsebow Archery 20 Handmade Recurve Bow is also quite accurate. The high power and accuracy make the bow an ideal choice if you wish to train your aim.
Unlike the previous entries, the Horsebow Archery 20 Handmade Recurve Bow is not lightweight. The bow is made using lamination technology which combines different kinds of wood to make a bow that is flexible and powerful simultaneously. The bow uses high-density Nano resin wood which permits its high draw weight and makes the bow durable and resistant other elements.
The bow comes with a nylon string which can endure the tension from the high draw weight of the bow.
The bow is designed and handmade by a China-based craftsman and is tested for its quality, durability, and strength. And the quality is really good, especially when considering the price. The manufacturer also offers after-sales service.
This bow does not have the standard recurve bow design, but its high speed, accuracy, and durability make it the perfect option to train yourself. The bow isn’t very accurate as it has an original design, so it might not be perfect for LARP games. But its camo finish makes the bow an aesthetic option for cosplay.
4. PSE Razorback Takedown Recurve Bows – BEST TO IMPROVE AIM
- CRAFTED FROM HARDWOOD - Made from hand-selected Walnut,...
- RELIABLE STABILIZER – The built-in stabilizer of the...
- SIGHT BUSHINGS - Sight bushings provide increased optimal...
PSE is one of the leading manufacturers of bows and archery equipment in the US, composed of a 120,000-square-foot plant in Arizona. They have been in the industry for over 35 years and own 20 design patents.
This bow is made for slightly older people from 16 to 22 and is the best recurve bow for beginners trying to improve their im. Conversely, the draw weight of the bow goes up to 35 pounds.
This serious recurve bow can easily be used in archery competitions. The riser is made from hand-selected high-quality Burma Whitewood, Walnut wood, and Beechwood. TOnthe another hand, the limbs are made from fiberglass and hard maple.
Bow limbs often experience post-release vibrations. These vibrations can not only disturb your aim, but the shock can also loosen the limb joints and deteriorate the bow over time. Like most professional-grade recurve bows, the PSE Razorback Takedown Recurve Bow has built-in stabilizers that minimize vibration, shock, and noise. Stabilizers also minimize energy dissipation via vibration and noise, allowing the bow to supply more energy to the arrows and release the arrows at a higher speed.
The PSE Razorback Takedown Recurve Bow also has standard sight bushing. Youcan adds any bow sight you want and use the bow for long ranges.
This is a takedown bow, meaningthe libs can come off the riser, and you can easily carry the bow in a bag. Unlike most takedown recurve bows that require an Allen key to assemble and disassemble, the PSE Razorback Takedown Recurve Bow has toolless assembly. You can assemble the bow in under two minutes without using any tools.
Despite all these features, the bow is right. This makes the bow a good choice for beginners. If you want all the features for a high-end rto ecurve bow but don’t want to draw a crazy hhigh-drawweight bow, the PSE Razorback Takedown Recurve Bow is the bow you need. You can use it to get familiar with recurve bows, while its high accuracy can help you train your aim. You can continue using the bow for practice even when you’re a pro.
The only limitation of the bow is its lower draw weight compared to recurve bows made for adults. But unless you wish to hunt large animals with this bow, this draw weight should be more than adequate.
6. Spyder and Spyder XL Takedown Recurve Bow – Ready 2 Shoot Archery Set – BEST HIGH-DRAWEIGHT KIT
- | FOR ARCHERS WITH DRAW LENGTHS OVER 29" SPYDER XL IS...
- IMPROVEMENTS OVER STANDARD SAGE: The hard edges of the riser...
- KIT INCLUDES: SWA Spyder Bow, Bow String, Arrow Rest, Hard...
Spyder XL is recommended to those enthusiastic archers who prefer a draw length of 29 inches or more. The creators of the Samick Sage designed this archery equipment. Conversely, the SWA Spyder is an upgraded version called the Sage 2. It chasa a bow length of 62 inches, and about West Archery USA provides a 1-year warranty
The enhanced version includes a limb pocket with a hard-edge riser or handle. The limb pockets provide a lightweight, sleeker, and more comfortable experience. To make it more impressive, a redwood layer is added to the riser, making it look impressive in a crowd. The high-end recurves usually adopt the redwood layer and, therefore, adds value to the product. The flush limb bolts in the recurve give it a streamlined look. The limbs are compatible with fast flight and have a reinforced limb tip.
The kit includes a Spyder Bow XL, Hard case, Arrow Rest, Armguard, Stringer Tool, and 3threepieces of premium carbon arrows. Each of its arrows has a length of 31.5 inches with a 4-inch feather with installed inserts. The tip case is lockable and airline approved and includes compartments for other accessories and a built-in broadhead wrench.
The thing I particularly love about this bow is its relative draw length. Many shooters don’t realize this but draw length plays a huge role in the arrow speed. Draw weight is an important factor in determining the energy a bow delivers to an arrow, but the energy is a product of both draw weight and draw length.
The draw weight determines the amount of force that will push the arrow, but the draw length determines how long the force will be applied. You can get an intuition about the role of draw length by picturing pushing a car. If you push a car for 2 seconds, you will not be able to accelerate the car much. However, pushing the car with the same force for 20 seconds will result in good acceleration. (3)
Higher draw length means that the arrows keep in contact with the bowstring for longer and can attain higher speeds.
Hand orientation is necessary for using the bow in the right direction. The right-handed bow will be supported by the left hand, and the right hand will be used for pulling the string. Conversely, the left-handed bows are supported using the right hand, pulling the string with the left hand.
This bow is a complete package for all your archery needs. You just set your target and some finger protection to stay safe while drawing the arrow.
7. The Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow – BEST ADULT BEGINNER BOW
- Please note that this listing is for a RIGHT HANDED model...
- 62" vs 64" - The longer 64" Spyder XL is recommended for any...
- Includes – One RIGHT HANDED riser, One pair of matching...
This lightweight, accurate, beautiful compact bow combines naturally sourced wood and is a final choice for eager learners.
This perfection is available for both right and left-handers and has a draw weight of 20lb to 60lb- increment of 5lb. It has several features, including preinstalled threaded bushing to upgrade various accessories such as plunger sight quivers/mechanical rests and bow fishing reels/stabilizers. It also has reinforced limb tops that allow the bow to support fast flights, perfect for deer hunting, target practice, and bow fishing.
Its kit includes a handcrafter riser for the left or right hand, matching limbs (one pair), 14 strand string of Dacron, adhesive arrow rest, and a manual providing step-by-step details with pictures.
One thing I particularly like about this bow is its thin and lightweight limbs. When you draw a bow, you store potential energy in the limbs. When you release the bowstring, most of the potential energy stored in the limbs gets used up, accelerating the arrow. Some of the energy that doesn’t go into the arrow goes into the vibration of the libs.
If the limbs are thicker, they will consume more energy supplied by the draw and leave less energy for the arrow. How does this translate to you as a shooter? An arrow with higher energy travels faster and has more penetrative power. Faster arrows also experience less drop due to gravity.
The South-West Archery bow is a great bow at an affordable price with an industry-backed warranty. All the South West bows come with a 1-year warranty. They offer products to all age groups, from kids to youth, and also target adults.
The beginner bows for recurve bow archery listed here are varied from bows made for a 6-year-old child to adults who wish to get into archery. However, all these bows have one thing in common; ease of use. The right bow for you depends on your age and what you want from the bow. If the user is 16 or less, something from the first half of the list will be best. For older children and adults, the last 4fourbows will be better.
Finally, you have decided to have your recurve bow, here’s a learning guide that will help you how to store a recurve bow.
References
(1) back muscles – https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21632-back-muscles
(2) ergonomic – https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/ergonomic-design
(3) acceleration – https://www.britannica.com/science/acceleration
