Best Traditional Bows for Beginners

Getting started in traditional archery can be confusing for beginners.

From getting the right gear to knowing what arrow spine to get, it’s a lot to take in.

But before you can get to any of that there’s one big question you have to answer…

What bow should I get??

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With all of the options out there, it can get overwhelming…

But don’t worry!

We’ll cover how to choose the best traditional bow for beginners.

What Is a Traditional Bow?

First things first, what is a traditional bow??

The term “traditional bow” is pretty broad and includes a handful of different types of bows.

Recurves and longbows are the most common types of traditional bows, but other types include self-bows, horse bows and more.

What makes all of these bows traditional bows is their simplicity.

Some people consider traditional bows to be any bow made out of wood.

This is a pretty solid definition for a beginner, but it does exclude modern Olympic recurves which have at least metal risers.

On the other end of the spectrum are compound bows.

Compound bows have more strings and cables, as well as a cam on the end of the limbs, which gives them more mechanical advantage.

So what makes traditional bows better for beginners?

Because traditional bows are simpler, they require less gear to tune and take care of.

They also have a larger margin of error, when you’re shooting…

Which makes them more forgiving to learn with.

What to Look for in a Traditional Bow for Beginners

As a complete beginner, what should you look for in your first traditional bow?

The biggest thing to look at is the draw weight.

Draw weight is the amount of force needed to draw the bow back to full draw.

As a beginner, the biggest mistake you can make is to pick too heavy of a draw weight

Starting off too heavy will cause you to have poor form, ultimately making you an inconsistent shooter.

This is what stops most beginners in their tracks.

After weeks and weeks of shooting their new bow, they just can’t seem to shoot consistently

Like anything new, if you put in the work and keep struggling with no end in sight, eventually you just have to give up.

Which is really a shame when 9 times out of 10 this can be avoided just by starting with a lower draw weight.

After draw weight, the next most important thing to look for is choosing what type of traditional bow to get.

One of the biggest deciding factors of this is whether you want a 1 piece bow or a take down bow.

Both of these are exactly what they sound like.

You can find every type of traditional bow, from recurve bows to horse bows, as a one piece bow

A one piece bow is harder to travel with and store just because of the bulky size.

But they can be a little lighter in hand.

Takedown bows on the other hand are usually the easier option for beginners.

They are easy to store and travel with and they are easily available.

There is a trade off though…

Most take down bows are going to be recurve bows.

If you look hard enough you can find a handful of high end bow makers that make takedown longbows, but these start getting expensive, which makes them less beginner friendly.

Best Traditional Bows for Beginners in 2026

Bear Archery Grizzly Recurve

The Bear Grizzly Recurve is barely on the edge of what I would consider a beginner traditional bow.

Not that it’s a bad bow…

Actually it’s the exact opposite, it’s almost too good of a bow for beginners!

Founded by Fred Bear in 1933, Bear archery has been a world leader in archery for decades.

Staying with their roots in traditional archery, they continue to make one to their most popular models, the Grizzly Recurve.

​Performance wise, the Grizzly is outstanding.

So why don’t I think it’s the BEST bow for beginners?

Firstly, it’s a one piece bow, that’s not the end of the world but it is something to keep in mind.

The real deal breaker though is the price.

Like I mentioned earlier, it’s one of Bear’s most popular models, and has been for years.

That means the bow itself has a great reputation…

And what comes with that?

A big price tag.

Bear has the Grizzly priced at $500.

That’s not the most expensive recurve on the market, but for most beginners, it’s more than they want to pay

BUUUUUTTTT…..

Because it’s such a high performing bow…

If you’re wanting to jump straight into the deep end of traditional archery, this is a great starting point!

Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow

This is it!

The Best Traditional Bow for Beginners!

It’s the Samick Sage

Coming in as one of the most highly rated bows on the market the Sage has probably started more people in traditional archery in recent years than any other bow.

So what makes it so good?

Overall it’s the price and the accessibility

Available in a WIIIDDEEE range of draw weights and both right & left handed, any archer can get started with this bow

On top of that it’s available on Amazon for a reasonable price.

Not sure what else to get with it?

You can get it in a handful of different bundles so you have all of the gear you need to get going

On top of that, you can order new limbs separately, so if you need to go up in draw weight, you don’t need to order a whole new bow, you can just get replacement limbs

Here's my full review of the Samick Sage

Tips for Getting Started with Traditional Archery

The biggest thing that stops people from sticking with traditional archery is starting with too heavy of a draw weight.

When you’re first starting with traditional archery your form is everything.

If you have bad form, you won’t be able to shoot consistently and from there most new archers get in their own heads…

Then they give up archery altogether.

Unfortunately this can all be avoided by just starting with a lower draw weight to start with!

After you have your form down and know what you’re doing a little more, you can move up in draw weight.

So how do you choose the right draw weight?

There’s no perfect answer to this.

For adults, 20-30 pounds is a good starting point.

If you’re looking to bow hunt with your traditional bow and the state you want to hunt has minimum draw weight requirements you have 2 options.

The first option is to just get a bow at that draw weight (for your draw length) and just play the long game…

Practice drawing your bow with good form a few times a day and slowly build up the strength to draw it consistently.

This option is do-able, BUT you have to be patient!

On the other hand, you can start with a lower draw weight and buy a second set of limbs that are heavier.

Start shooting the first set at the lower draw weight and then once you have your form locked in, move on up to the heavier limbs.

This route is a little more expensive, but it helps prevent injury AND makes sure you’re starting your traditional archery journey with good form.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best draw weight for a beginner traditional bow?

For beginners, the best draw weight to start with is in the 20-30 pound range.

This is low enough that you can draw it with consistent form, but not so light that you can get away with bad form.

Are takedown bows better for beginners?

​The short answer is yes, takedown bows are better for beginners.

They are easier to find and also easier to travel with.

How much should I spend on my first traditional bow?

​A good starting point is the $150 - $250 range.

If you start getting too far below that, you run into lower quality bows that might not make it through your first year of shooting.

There’s plenty of bows above that range, but for most beginners, that’s too much of a commitment for a hobby they may not even like.

If you’re dead set on getting good at traditional archery and you want a higher quality bow, a mid-range traditional bow in the $500 range is a good starting point.