Recurve Bows
A recurve bow is a form of bow defined by the side-view profile; in contrast to the simple longbow, a recurve bow has tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is unstrung.
By one technical definition, the difference between recurve and other bows is that the string touches sections of the limbs of recurve bows when the bow is strung.
A recurve bow stores more energy than an equivalent straight-limbed bow, giving a greater amount of cast to the arrow. A recurve can be shorter than the simple bow for a given arrow energy. The recurve form is sometimes preferred by archers in environments where long weapons could be cumbersome, such as in brush and forest terrain, or while on horseback.
By contrast, the traditional straight longbow tends to "stack"-that is, the required draw force increases more rapidly per unit of draw length as the string is drawn back.
Recurved limbs also put greater strain on the materials used to make the bow, and they may make more noise with the shot.
There are a number of recurve bows shown below. For even more options you can click on the 'View All Items' link at the very bottom of the listings.
