Bow (Speed)

[Crystalshrimp]

#5501

Are Recurves truly faster than Longbows? I’m not quite sure what the average speed on either bow is but I hear that a select few of the Modern Longbows are being clocked faster than Recurves. I can’t confirm because I have no idea what the arrow speed for either would be. Can anybody shed some light on this?

[David Petersen]

#41703

I can offer info from only one top bowyer, Gregg Coffey, who makes every Shrew by hand. We recently had this conversation and Gregg said that while a recurve may be a very few fps faster than a longbow, all else equal, the new limb technologies — foam cores, carbon lams, cross-weaved glass, etc. — can easily equal that out. And too, many if not most modern glass longbows are of the deflex-reflex design which can be thought of as offering most of the same benefits as a recurve, but with the recurve spread throughout the limbs rather than all at the tip. That’s an oversimplification but you get the picture. Gregg’s recommendation is to go with whichever design you feel best shooting and looking at — aesthetical appeal will count more in satisfaction in the long run than a few fps one way or another. And as the Ashby study reveals, with the right arrow setup speed is overrated. Now, all that said, certainly the average recurve will be notably faster than the average old-style straight-limbed longbow, given equal draw weight. I own two r/d longbows and recently sold a beautiful recurve simply because the longbows appeal to me more on a gut level. It’s all fun, dave p

[John Carter]

#41796

Nope,,no “true” longbow will out fast a good recurve.
R/D bows ?,,yes there’s plenty of them that can match or beat the best recurves.
Really becomes “what do you call a longbow.
I own or have owned many R/D bows,,a couple of American Semi longbows “as described and built by Howard Hill”.
I’ve never owned a real longbow,,,and don’t ever want to.
I’m from Brittish stock,,,I know what a longbow really is:wink:

Now for the purposes of this thread,,,If you buy a modern R/D bow “commonly called a longbow” you won’t give away much if anything in performance,,,you may give away some wheight based stability due to the bow being light in the hand compered to the average recurve,,,but that’s about it.
:lol:The R/d bow will of course always be much better looking

[Crystalshrimp]

#41889

David Petersen wrote: I can offer info from only one top bowyer, Gregg Coffey, who makes every Shrew by hand. We recently had this conversation and Gregg said that while a recurve may be a very few fps faster than a longbow, all else equal, the new limb technologies — foam cores, carbon lams, cross-weaved glass, etc. — can easily equal that out. And too, many if not most modern glass longbows are of the deflex-reflex design which can be thought of as offering most of the same benefits as a recurve, but with the recurve spread throughout the limbs rather than all at the tip. That’s an oversimplification but you get the picture. Gregg’s recommendation is to go with whichever design you feel best shooting and looking at — aesthetical appeal will count more in satisfaction in the long run than a few fps one way or another. And as the Ashby study reveals, with the right arrow setup speed is overrated. Now, all that said, certainly the average recurve will be notably faster than the average old-style straight-limbed longbow, given equal draw weight. I own two r/d longbows and recently sold a beautiful recurve simply because the longbows appeal to me more on a gut level. It’s all fun, dave p

I agree with you, I just love the way longbows feel and shoot. Do you own Shrews? YOu like them

[Dan Jackowiak]

#42171

I shoot all my bows through a chrono just to see whats going on. I recently shot 3 r/d longbows and 1 recurve with foam core limbs with the same arrow through the ole chrono. 3 of these bows had draw weights within 2 pounds. One was a 55 pounder. All 4 bows shoot within 4 fps of one another. But the foam cored recurve and the foam cored hybrid are the fastest of the 4, they are also 2 pounds or more less draw weight than the other two. One non foam r/d longbow was 55 pounds and was the slowest of the 4, the other was 2 pounds heavier and 2 fps slower. Both the foam cored r/d longbow and foam cored recurve draw 51 pounds and the recurve has a 1 fps speed edge. With all that said, you’re not going to be able to tell any difference when it comes to 4 fps. But, drawing 51 pounds and getting 4 fps more speed over a 55 pounder does have its advantages. I shoot a heck of a lot better with 51 than I do 55.

[Crystalshrimp]

#42715

2blade wrote: I shoot all my bows through a chrono just to see whats going on. I recently shot 3 r/d longbows and 1 recurve with foam core limbs with the same arrow through the ole chrono. 3 of these bows had draw weights within 2 pounds. One was a 55 pounder. All 4 bows shoot within 4 fps of one another. But the foam cored recurve and the foam cored hybrid are the fastest of the 4, they are also 2 pounds or more less draw weight than the other two. One non foam r/d longbow was 55 pounds and was the slowest of the 4, the other was 2 pounds heavier and 2 fps slower. Both the foam cored r/d longbow and foam cored recurve draw 51 pounds and the recurve has a 1 fps speed edge. With all that said, you’re not going to be able to tell any difference when it comes to 4 fps. But, drawing 51 pounds and getting 4 fps more speed over a 55 pounder does have its advantages. I shoot a heck of a lot better with 51 than I do 55.

I like what i hear, thanks 2blade. Tell me more about this foam core stuff.. This is the first Ive heard of it. And who is using this Tech.

[Dan Jackowiak]

#42754

Crystalshrimp wrote: I like what i hear, thanks 2blade. Tell me more about this foam core stuff.. This is the first Ive heard of it. And who is using this Tech.

That 55 pound bow was back to belly, glass, carbon, bamboo cores, glass and the slowest of the bunch, sold it. The 52 pound longbow is glass, carbon, actionwood, glass, for sale. Both are slower than the foam cores and both are harder to draw, the foam feels like your drawing a lighter bow than you really are, its super smooth.

The foam has a different sound to it when you release compared to wood cores. Its kind of a tiney sound but its easily quieted down with normal methods. The limbs on the Dalaa recurve are glass, carbon, foam, glass – I think, they’re Everest Pros made by Win & Win. 3Rivers sells foam cored limbs for this bow but I haven’t tried them. This bows kind of heavy for a recurve.

The other bow is a Black Swan hybrid, its 51.5 pounds at 28 and shoots within 1 fps of the Dalaa. The limbs are carbon, foam, ceramic. The bows 58″ overall with a 12″ handle with a low grip. In my 30 yrs of serious shooting, this is the most accurate bow I have ever shot next to a compound, I love this bow.

Morrison is making foam cored limbs and so is Belcher/Sky archery. Tradtech makes limbs for their ILF setups that are foam cores. There are a few others but they are slipping my mind right now.

Foam is unaffected by weather unlike wood which can swell with humidity or rain. These limbs are very tough. I like em.

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