So, a couple years ago I made the commitment to switch from recurve to longbow. There are some times when I can group pretty good and there are other times (like yesterday) when I'm all over the place. Yesterday I grabbed a friends Black Widow PMA and at 18 yards I was taking fletchings off. Every group with the recurve was the same. Has anyone else had this problem? I have the most amazing Whippenstick longbow but can't shoot as accurately with it as I can with a recurve. I think it's the mass weight of the recurve plus a more cut past center riser. Advice?

I couldn't really tell a difference, the sound is a bit different, the draw pull feels a bit different, anything lost or gained in accuracy

The grip, learn to shoot it on the inside of your lifeline and loose-handed like a recurve.

Easy to torque it. Tuck your three fingers under the hand and only balance it with your thumb and index finger, the way we should shoot all Bows.

everything lost or gained in accuracy I figured came down to how the riser fit my hand

I like the longbow bc I’m a more consistent shooter with one, especially with long shots.

Make sure you have arrows of proper spine. Even if the recurve and longbow are the same weight, they may need different spine arrows. The way the riser is cut, the string etc all can effect the spine needed. Shooting arrows of incorrect spine can kill accuracy.

For me the LBs I have shot are quite light compared to most recurves but BW bows always shoot great.

I shoot both, but prefer the longbow.. I believe like "Sipsey River", and the "Whittler" above. IMO, the longbow is so light in the hand,compared to a 'curve'like the BW, that keeping your shooting hand rock solid until "after" the release, is critical. Also, correct arrow spine is a must, for each different bow you shoot.

Likely it's mass, which makes a bow more stable through the shot. Also, the lighter bow due to less mass, will exacerbate any form issues you have...so the biggest issue is you. That's not being nasty, it's just true and it applies to all of us.

I don't think you can ever be as accurate with a light mass longbow than you can with a heavier mass recurve...one reason why you see weighted recurves in most serious competition. That said, there's no reason not to shoot pretty well with a longbow...again, look at your form from address to follow-through.

No surprise.

There is a higher degree of difficulty shooting a lower mass longbow....everything form and arrow wise has to be perfect.

The guys I see shooting a low mass longbow well [Very few BTW] have a very good bow arm and great form.

Your bang on with your thoughts michihan hunter. Another positive the recurve has over the longbow is the pistol grip. That is why many longbows are now made with a pistol grip.

I shoot all my recurves tournament style straight up and down, and on a good day I shoot very well. When trying to shoot my longbow the same way it feels weird and I don't shoot nearly as consistenly. If I cant the longbow even slightly my accuracy immediately improves. This could be all in my mind or it could be modifying my grip on the bow for the better. I think it's likely a combination of both.

I would agree with many who have posted that there are many factors, but if you are all over the place with longbow it most likely you are gripping the bow too tightly. You an have a “rock solid” bow arm, but your bow hand should be relaxed — otherwise you will never be consistent.

More mass in handle the better i shoot.That being said look at a 21 century long bow close.Kelvin Smock won the Eagle Eye with one, and was shooting against some good shooters with high tech ilf,s.It is pretty fair to say he could beat most anybody with that skinny handled 21 century long bow.Always exceptions to the rule.He can just flat out shoot.

My serious bows are recurves, my pure fun bows are (real) longbows.

I don't hunt these days, do shoot recurves in 3D. If the rules allow flipper rest or require a shelf, I have recurves for either.

Get someone knowledgeable to watch or video yourself when you shoot, both good days and bad and you'll probably see whats going on. My guess is you're torquing the longbow, bad release, the usual suspects.

The high mass and all adding stability should only start to really matter at point on distance and beyond. At 25 yards and under the weight difference between the bows shouldn't matter. You should be able to shoot good groups with a lighter bow at 18 yards. You have some other issue besides mass weight.

In a level target situation, it makes no difference for me, but with a recurve grip my bow arm needs to be straighter. Hunting shots, I am way better with an ASL and the shooting form that goes with it.

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