by Jackson | Mar 15, 2017 | Choosing a bow
11 Top Selling Recurve Bows Under $200
If you’re an archery enthusiast on a budget then you need to review this list. Anyone who’s looking for a good value recurve bow under $200, then you are in the right place. We have compiled a list of the top selling recurve bows for 2015 featuring their main selling points. You can then make your own decision regarding which is best for you. To assist in the process the list has been divided into 3 sections; recurve bows under $200, under $100, and under $50. Without any further ado, let’s get started.
Recurve Bows Under $200
If you’re looking to spend as little money as you possibly can, then this bow is one of the best to go with, if not the best. It’s suitable for many different activities, including hunting and target practice. If you have a sensitive pair of hands, you’ll be delighted to know that this particular model has a very comfortable grip.
This bow is also pretty durable, since it’s made out of aluminum. Since it consists of 3 parts, it means that you will have no trouble carrying it around no matter where you go, and it also means that you can store it pretty much anywhere. If you’re a beginner and are unsure as to whether you’d want to continue with this hobby, this is a huge plus, because you can just store it under the bed or something after you’re done shooting.
To recap:
Easy to store and carry around
Beginner-friendly
Comfortable grip
Good price-to-features ratio
Multiple draw weights
The first thing you’re bound to notice on this bow is how beautiful it is to look at. It almost looks like a piece of jewelry. That being said, its looks are not the end of what it has going for it. To start off, it’s good to know it comes either in 20, 25, or 30 lbs. These draw weight options are really important, because women will typically want to go with a lower number than men.
This model also has an ambidextrous design, so both right-handed and left-handed users will be able to enjoy it. This is a take-down bow, which means that carrying it around or storing it is incredibly simple.
It’s made of laminated wood, which is pretty sturdy. The amazing thing about this bow is that it hits pretty hard, which is almost unusual for its draw weight, so this is a perfect choice for those who are looking for maximum power while still retaining the comfort level when using it.
The only drawback is that this bow is rather large, and might not be that great for those who have a shorter stature. However, a lot of archers have plenty of success shooting bows that are much taller than they are, so you really should try it out first.
To recap:
Ambidextrous design
Affordable
Different draw weights
Elegant-looking
Laminated wood construction
Hits hard
This is another budget-friendly bow, and it has different draw weights, with 30 pounds being the minimum, and 55 pounds the maximum. Upon taking a first glance at it, you immediately get the feeling that this bow was taken straight out of Lord of the Rings or something similar, because how traditionally-wooden looking it is, which is a great feature for purists.
The bow is very versatile, and if you’d like to attach something extra to it, you will be able to do it without any problems. But if you’re just looking for something beginner-friendly that works from the get go, this bow pretty much delivers it.
Being constructed from Maple and Olive Dymondwood, this bow is as sturdy as it gets while still retaining its natural beauty. The limbs tend to be on the longer side of the scale, but since this bow is take-down, this really isn’t a problem, since you’ll be able to carry it around and store it wherever you want to.
It’s suitable for hunting too!
To recap:
Customizable
Suitable for both beginners and experts
Very budget-friendly
Traditional-looking
Sturdy
Limbs will remain in perfect shape even after 2 years
Another fascinating piece of equipment for archers who prefer the traditional wooden look of their bows. Having the option of having either 40 pound or 50 pound draw weight, this bow was designed for those who are very serious about their hunting. However, these draw weights might make the bow a little less suitable for beginners.
It might be a little more difficult to carry around this bow, because it has a one-piece construction. If you’re unsure what draw weight you’re looking at when you see one in person, just inspect it closely. You should see a huge number being engraved into the wood that will tell you the exact draw weight.
This bow is perfect for any string, and you can even customize it if that’s what you’re looking for. In any case, this thing can pack some serious punch.
To recap:
Traditional wooden design
Suitable for serious hunters
Accepts any string or accessory
Packs quite a punch
One-piece construction
This bow is basically a perfect starting point for beginner archers, sort of like a starter kit, because you also receive a quiver, an instruction book, and 4 arrows with your purchase. As a matter of fact, it’s a great choice for kids who are at least 8 years old. Available both as a left-handed or right-handed version, so no-one is left out of the equation.
You also get to choose between draw weights ranging from 12 to 40 pounds, which truly allows everyone to find a perfect bow for themselves. And when you get stronger, you can simply replace the limbs which should up the challenge by quite a bit.
The downside of this bow is that it’s not really made for serious hunters, only for outdoor target practice, which is still fine (depending on your needs of course). It’s also a lot lighter than several other bows, which makes the user experience that much more enjoyable.
To recap:
For outdoor target practice only
Great selection of models
Lightweight
Upgradable
Affordable
If you’re looking for a traditional bow for young beginners, this is a great choice. It’s still popular in 2015, even though it was already introduced in the 60’s. Nearly every bow expert has learned and refined his craft by starting out with this model, so it definitely has a rich history.
This bow is a pleasure to use, and a great bow for learning. As far as its construction goes, it’s worth noting that its hand-finished and satin-coated. The bow string is already included, so it’s pretty much ready to go once you purchase it.
To recap:
Grab and go design
Hand-finished
Rich history
Great bow for learning
Recurve Bows Under $100
This is the perfect bow for younger archers, since its draw weight totals at merely 22 pounds. It’s also very budget friendly. This particular model has ambidextrous design, which means it’s suitable both for left-handed and right-handed people.
Upon picking it up and holding in your hands, it gives a very sturdy and robust feel. Because of its draw weight, however, this is not suitable for those who are serious about hunting. But that’s okay, since this model was designed for younger people who are just seeking to get their first piece of equipment before getting more serious with their hobby.
To recap:
Beginner-friendly
Suitable for younger people
Affordable
Ambidextrous design
This bow is ideal for hunters and also suitable for those who just want to have some fun outdoors. It’s made out of fiberglass and maple, which should be sturdy enough.
Because it has different draw weights (between 26 and 36 pounds to be exact), it’s suitable for both children and adults. It’s easy to put it together and apart, which shouldn’t take more than a few moments. The bow tends to be very beginner friendly, and is suitable even when you get past the beginner stage and want some extra challenge.
The handle is beautifully sculpted and feels great when holding.
To recap:
Suitable for hunters as well as hobbyists
Made out of fiberglass and maple
Durable
Extra-affordable
Beginner-friendly
Recurve Bows Under $50
This is one of the most budget-friendly options for young beginners. It might not be as powerful as its competitors, but it’s very non-demanding to use, which makes it a great entry-level bow. And if their hobby ever becomes something more serious, they will be able to get a new one in time. But starting with a more expensive bow is never a good idea, because they tend to require more strength to handle, which is very unpleasant for those who don’t have as much arm-strength.
Anyway, this bow has ambidextrous design, so your kids will love it, no matter which hand is their primary one. The experts might criticize it, but for its price and its target demographic (kids), this is still a great buy. The 10 to 20 pound draw is just not going to be a hurdle, not even for the youngest kids.
It’s worth noting that you receive some extras with your purchase, which includes setup tools, a storage solution, and more, which makes this a perfect starting kit for young archers. And when your kids grow up and have kids of their own, they can use the same model to teach them the fine art that is archery.
To recap:
Budget-friendly
Very low draw weight
Suitable for kids
Smaller size
Ambidextrous design
This is probably the cheapest bow listed here, since you can get it around $40. Because of the price, you really can’t expect this to be professional-grade hunting equipment, but then again, it’s not a toy either. If you’d like, you can pay a tiny bit more to also receive an arm guard, some arrows, a target, and some other goodies, which is the perfect starter kit for kids over 12 years of age.
It has ambidextrous design, and you can choose among several draw weights, from 20 to 29 pounds. This bow is available in different sizes, so you can get one that goes along with the size of your kid perfectly.
It’s also very lightweight, which enables the user to focus more on technique rather than fighting with the bow all the time. In any case, if you’re a novice who’s just starting out, or you want to buy your kids a great entry-level bow for the best bang for your bucks, this is probably the bow to go with.
To recap:
Great starter kit
Among the cheapest bows out there
Amazing for the money spent
Different draw weights
Ambidextrous design
Another modern-looking starting piece of equipment for the aspiring archer, but this one comes with a beautiful wooden handle. Its multi-laminate limbs are quite capable of withstanding all sorts of abuse and pressure and won’t break as easily.
This bow is a take-down bow, which means you will be able to carry it around no matter where you go, then store it just about anywhere. Assembling and disassembling is done in seconds, and should not be that big of a problem.
To recap:
Affordable
Great for beginners
Modern design
Take-down
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now have a better idea what the top selling and best recurve bows under $200 are. By carefully going through the list, make a note about your favorite picks, then carefully analyze them some more in order to pick the best one available for your particular needs.
For example, some of these models are made mostly for target practice in mind, while some will be more suitable for the most serious among hunters. Still, everyone should find something for themselves just from this list of top-selling bows.
So what are your favorites?
by Jackson | Oct 11, 2015 | Archery Education
The JOAD Program
JOAD, Junior Olympic Archery Development is an archery development program that operates across America. This course is designed to teach children and teenagers the things that they need to know to progress from beginner level archery to intermediate and advanced levels. In addition to teaching youth about archery and proper techniques, the program also focuses on promoting life skills and self-confidence. Operated in USA Archery clubs across the nation, it is a simple matter to find your closest club to sign yourself or your children up for the program. To locate your nearest archery club, check out our listing of of Archery Clubs and Ranges here.
Most of the clubs have rental archery equipment available for hire for those that do not already possess their own equipment. For those interested in starting a club in their area, it is possible to establish your own club, to do so, contact a JOAD State Coordinator and talk to them about opening your own branch.
To reward achievements within the program, JOAD offers special “star pins” to recognize the accomplishments of those participating in their program. These star pins are treated as a way of observing the competency of the archers in the program based on their performance in the achievement program. The star pins all come in different colors and are decorated with a number of starts representative of the achievement level of the respective archer. The highest achievement attainable in this fashion is the 6-star pin, awarded to those who manage to shoot 6 10’s in a row.
JOAD supports archers who make use of both recurve and compound bows and offer a safe place for prospective archers to practice and improve in both of these styles of archery. Participants of the program are trained to participate in both local and national competitions. Catering for those between the ages of eight and twenty, the program is suitable for anyone between these ages and wishes to improve their archery, whether for recreational or competitive reasons.
Photo by Eric Goranson
Many people who have taken part in the program previously have reported that in addition to improving their archery, JOAD allowed them to forge new friendships and team-building skills that they previously did not have. The beauty of this program is that it puts a group of like-minded and similar aged youth together and provides them with an activity that offers instant recognition of improvement and can encourage a healthy competitiveness between those in the program. Such an atmosphere is perfect for bonding and finding people with similar interests. For those who are too old to participate in JOAD or for family members who wish to partake in archery as a family, Archery USA also offers similar programs for adults.
To sign up to the program, a membership fee of $90 is required or a fee of $65 to those who previously participated in USA Archery’s Explore Archery program.
Equipment
JOAD programs are open to both recurve and compound bows and most clubs offer rental equipment so you can try both styles before you invest in the equipment that suits you best. If you are ready to take the next step and use your own equipment our reviews in both compound bows and recurve bows can help you find the bow that will cater to your needs.
For basic compound bow reviews, click here.
If recurve bows are more suitable for you click here.
by Jackson | Aug 2, 2015 | Hunting Tips
Essential Accessories For Bow Hunting
You’ve got the talent, you can hit the bulls-eye regularly from your preferred distance. You’ve got the desire and have found your ideal hunting area and have identified your desired prey. To assist in locating your prey, you may choose to use trail cameras or other optical accessories. To learn more about these read my review here.
However you can’t really succeed at bow hunting without the right types of equipment. The key to hunting is not only skill and technique, but ensuring that your equipment is appropriate for the type of hunting you’re doing. Do you need a blind/hide or tree stand or are you going to try the stealth approach to your prey? These are some of the questions that you need to answer before you head out for your hunt. Think outside the box and be try to think like an animal. What would you do in order to hide from a hunter? What places may seem secure and undisturbed by hunters? To these questions and more you’ve found the answers in the right place.
Camouflage Clothing
Ready to hunt like you’ve never hunted before? Pretend you’re a tree? A bush? See your success rate improve dramatically.
The most important thing with regard to bow hunting is the ability to remain undetected by your prey. Whatever camouflage clothing your get it needs to blend in with the environment that your are hunting in. The main thing is to break up the human shape and not to alert your prey to your location, whether by movement, sound, smell or sight. Therefore your need to have a plan to cover all these areas.
For camouflage clothing suited for a woodland environment consider the following. Look no further than the Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity pattern or the Realtree Xtra pattern, these are available for a variety of manufacturers.
If you are hunting out in the open then maybe a ghillie suit will be a better solution. Turn from human into ground cover within seconds, and they come in a variety of color ranges from snow to woodland. It’s the ultimate in 3D camouflage concealment. To read more about ghillie suits and hunting with ghillie suits, have a look at bestghilliesuit.com
Walkie Talkies
Walkie Talkies are a perfect edition to your bow hunting kit, this is especial the case when hunting in pairs. It can be essential to stay in contact, particularly if your hunt is covering some distance. You may want to consider a long range walkie talkie something suitable to talk over a vast miles and cover mountainous terrain. Reporting back to your group or the ability to radio for help could literally be the differences of a life or death situation in the outdoors.
Animal Callers
Why wait for the animals when you can get the animals to come to you!
Walsoon CP550 Outdoor Wireless 10W Speaker Turkey Decoy Bird Caller
The Walsoon CP550 Outdoor Wireless 10W Speaker Turkey Decoy Bird Caller is perfect during thanksgiving and delivering a special fresh turkey to the dinner table. Not only does it take care of turkey’s, but has more than 400 sounds of different animals and birds that will make the job so much easier. Wireless remote control, both in synchronization, react sensitively, work up to more than 250 Yards.
But there is a simpler choice for those who are less experienced and aren’t ready to fork out a lot of money.
Summit Zillions Deluxe Animal Caller
The Summit Zillions Deluxe Animal Caller is just one simple breath to create nature sounds and bring those animals coming. There are only 10 sounds to choose from, but it’s a way of easing into the world of hunting. On the plus side? It looks like a Viking horn. So Game of Thrones fans, get excited.
Scents and Baits
Another course of action to take is to try and bring the animals to you, by the use of scents and baits. These will have the benefit of luring your prey to a certain spot. If the area looks to be animal-friendly or you have identified animals in the area, leave bits of food and find somewhere to hide and wait. Depending on your intended prey, ensure that you leave the right type of bait. It is however worth noting that leaving the right type of bait will ensure that you hunt only the specific animal you intended to. Some of the more popular varieties are:
Or you could try a scent as you attractant
For those that want to try some simple attractants from your home pantry, you could try peanut butter or vanilla extract
Tree Stands or Blinds
As we said at the beginning of this article, your success with hunting depends largely on your ability to remain undetected by your prey. Therefore a means to hide your presence is essential. You may like to look at the following blinds and tree stands as a means to achieve your objective.
With all stands and blinds, it is worthwhile remembering how long you may lay in wait for your prey. Seriously think about a suitable seat to allow you to remain vigilant and comfortable. Remember your movement and sounds will also alert your prey even if you a secreted in your blind.
Conclusion
If you’re in a location that is renowned for its hunting ground, find a particular spot and lay low till you begin to hear any sort of rustling. Use your animal caller to seek out and bring it closer to you, but remember to lay low and hold your position. You may try this on a tree, rock, bushes, or near a cave site. The waiting game is always the hardest, and at the end of the day, you may leave with nothing. So be patient and keep trying. As they say, patience pays and all you need for a successful hunt is patience, apart from your bow and arrow.
When hunting in any setting, it’s a requirement to stay quiet, watch where you step, and ensure that there are no humans within the of your intended hunt. For example, as you come close to a deer, take deep breaths and remember to have your equipment ready. Aim as if you’re about to win gold in the Olympics. Take a deep breath and pull, steady yourself, and release the arrow at your target. Always remember to take that deep breath and release when shooting. It not only helps you stay calm, but the aiming process means you’ll be steady and not shaking or feeling the pressure to shoot.
Good luck
by Jackson | Jun 27, 2015 | Archery Education
National Archery in the Schools Program
Introduction
The National Archery in the Schools Program, also commonly referred to as NASP, was created in order to educate children about the basics of target shooting. This program began when the Department of Education started searching for ways to enhance the attention, attendance, behavior and focus of their students. Through teaming up with the Kentucky Departments of Fish and Wildlife Resources, the NASP was created as a way to enhance the school lives of participating children. The NASP program was launched in early March, 2002, within a year of its launch, the program had been implemented across over 120 schools and catered to year levels between grades 4 and 12.
What is NASP? And What Is Their Mission?
The NASP is dedicated to teaching a generation of children the benefits of outdoors activities, the program initially considered several other sports like; fishing, hunting, hiking and catching animals as a way to engage children before they settled on the idea of teaching children the basics of archery. As the program developed and became more than a physical education program, the creators of the program came up with a mission statement, “Promote the teaching of target archery as a part of the in-school curriculum to improve educational performance of students and encourage their participation in the shooting sports.” Since its development, the program has grown steadily and today, it has interest in over 12 000 schools across 5 different countries and teaches the basics of archery to over a million students every year.
School Application
There are three branches to the design of the NASP, these three components being; the archery curriculum, teacher training and universal fit. The archery curriculum features units of study that were written and revised by educational, conservational and target archery experts to meet the educational standards of a school based program. These units of study were created to be included in a participating school’s physical education program but in some cases, schools have included the program in their history, language or art programs.
The NASP instructor training program was developed so that teachers in participating schools would be able to carry out the requirements of the program and supervise the students to keep all participants of the program safe including; students, instructors and bystanders/spectators. To date, the program has certified over 22 000 people to instruct these courses and this number is steadily increasing.
The universal fit aspect of the program means that the program is designed to cater to every student that participates, not just the ones who are good at archery, within the program, learning the process of shooting is more important than the scores that are gained during this process.
Equipment
The NASP has authorized the usage of only a single bow within its program, the official NASP
Original Genesis Bow
. This bow has an adjustable draw weight of 10-20lbs but at 20lbs draw, harnesses the same kinetic energy as an average 35lbs recurve bow. The NASP Original Genesis Bow also has zero let off, meaning that the bow has the same draw weight even at full draw. Some hunting bows have up to 80% (or higher in some cases) let-off meaning that if the draw weight of the bow was 60lbs, at full draw, the bow would let off most of that weight and reduce it to 12lbs to hold the string at full draw. The advantage of having a bow with let off is that it gives the shooter the opportunity to relax their muscles prior to taking their shot. The reason for the NASP Original Genesis Bow not making use of this feature is because it slows the rate of muscle training. The NASP Original Genesis Bow is available in both left and right handed models and features aluminum components and composite limbs, meaning that the bow is both lightweight and durable.
The NASP program has also authorized the use of only a single type of arrow within the program, the NASP Easton Full Length Aluminum Arrows. These arrows are 30 inches in length, feature 7075 aerospace alloy (the same grade of aluminum used in the creation of aircraft and other aeronautical equipment) a nickel plated target point. These arrows are very lightweight and can withstand a large amount of punishment, due to the fact that these are aluminum arrows they can also be bent back into shape if they are shot into a harder surface and warp under the impact pressure. The nocks and vanes of the arrows can be easily replaced if they undergo strenuous hardship and replacement parts are readily available.
by Jackson | May 31, 2015 | Archery Education
Introduction
Archery is the skill or practice of using bows to propel arrows. The word archery comes from a Latin word arcus. Historically, archery was used for combat and hunting. Today it is mainly a recreational activity and a competitive sport. The pinnacle of competitive archery is represented by Olympic archery. Someone who is an expert or fond of archery is usually known as a Toxophilite.
Getting Started
Archery clubs are reasonably prevalent and most of them welcome new archers with open hands. Archery is a great sport even for families and you can take everyone in your family from your grandma to your 6 year old. It is also an amazing sport for those with disabilities (they usually compete against other able bodied competitors in tournaments). A club membership usually costs around $50 annually depending on the location and size of the club. You can also participate in archery throughout the year as most clubs usually move indoors during winter. The indoor sessions usually run from October to around March, when you can easily shoot in sports halls, church halls and so on.
If you interested in finding an archery club you can start with our extensive listing of archery clubs, click here. You can also try the International Field Archery Association or USA Archery.
Most clubs require beginners to have some little tuition before allowing you to shoot the arrows on your own. Beginners normally start with targets that are about 10-15 yard away and then the distance will be increased gradually as you improve your skills. You can become proficient in archery after about six to eight weeks of training.
Qualification To Olympics
All qualification spots in archery are usually allocated to National committees rather than the individual athletes. There are four main ways for National Olympic Committees to earn spots in Olympic archery. No national committee is allowed to field more than 3 archers of either gender. The host nation is usually guaranteed 3 spots for each gender. The most recent World Target Competition top 8 teams receive 3 spots each and the top 19 archers after the team qualifiers also get spots to represent their countries. Then 15 of the 18 remaining slots are divided among the 5 main Olympic continents for continental spots. The remaining 3 slots are normally determined by the Tripartite Commission Invitation.
Each National Olympic Committee that gets 3 spots for individual archers like the host nation and the top 8 ranked teams and any other country that takes 3 out of the remaining 37 spots can compete as a united team in the team competition category. The minimum age required for any Olympic archer is at least 16 years.
Competition at Modern Olympic archery mainly consists of 4 main events, men’s team, women’s team, women’s individual team and men’s individual team. In all the events the distance between the target and the archer is usually 70 meters. Individual tournaments normally consists of 64 archers. The competition starts with ranking. Each athlete shoots around 72 arrows (in 6 groups, or ends of 12 arrows).After that, the archers are then ranked by their score to establish their score for the elimination bracket. Then the final rankings are determined by the score each archer got in the round that they were defeated, with every archer that was defeated in the first round ranked through 33rd to 64th.The round usually pits the 1st ranked athlete against the 64th,the 63rd against the 2nd and so on. The athlete with highest score after 18 arrows proceeds to the next round while the loser is eliminated from the completion.
After 3 such rounds, there will only be 8 archers left in the competition. The remaining rounds are the quarters, semis and medal matches, which are referred to as the main finals. They normally consist of every archer shooting around 12 arrows in ends of 3 arrows. Here the two competing archers alternate by arrow instead of shooting simultaneously like in the initial 3 rounds. The losers in the quarterfinals are eliminated from the competition while loses in the semis fight it off to determine the fourth place and the bronze medalist. The winner between the two undefeated archers takes the gold medal while the loser gets the silver medal.
Archery Equipment
When you are first starting out, archery clubs will usually provide trainees with the required equipment so at first you will not need any but over time you will need to buy your own equipment. Wear stable shoes like golf shoes or good runners. Do not wear any type of heels that could unbalance or inconvenience you.
Other equipment includes:
Archery armguard
– A guard that protects the arm from the bowstring
Bohning Slip On Armguard
This armguard is easy to slip on without the need for any straps or clips to fit. It is comfortable to wear and comes available in 3 sizes so you are able to ensure a good fit. It is great for target and 3D shooting.
Arrows
–
Arrows have a diameter of up to 9.3mm, but for less wind drift and faster flight most are usually as small as 5.5mm. Each archer usually has their arrows marked with distinctive colors to distinguish owners.
Bow -Most competition bows have a draw weight of about 50 pounds for men and around 40 pounds for women. In Olympic competition the only bows permitted are recurve bows. The recurve bow has 4 main parts; 2 limbs, the riser and the string, recurve bows are sometimes referred to as takedown bows as they can be taken apart for easy storage. Examples of commonly used recurve bows include: Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow
, Bear Grizzly Recurve Bow
and the PSE Mustang Recurve Bow
.
Compound bows may be used in National competitions, however they are not permitted in Olympic competition. The compound bow is a bit different from the recurve bow and it cannot be taken apart for storage. Examples include: Genesis Bow
, Infinite Edge Bow
, PSE Stinger
and the Bear Archery Youth Bow
.
Bowstring
-This is the string of the bow. Most of the bowstrings are usually made of high quality polythene fibers.
Chest-guard-It is either leather or plastic used to keep out the archer’s clothing from the way and for protecting against other body injuries.
Shooting glove or Finger tab-This is a flat piece of leather usually worn to protect the fingers when an archer releases the arrow.
Quiver-This is a container used for holding the arrows and is normally worn around the waist.
Sight-This is a device that is usually placed on the bow to aid the athlete aim correctly, it is also called bows light
Stabilizer-This is a small weight usually mounted on top of the bow to stabilize it after or during a shot.
For more information on getting started in archery, click here.
For information on junior compound bows, click here to read my review of the best beginners compound bows
