Best Traditional Bows For Hunting

​Traditional bow hunting has picked up in popularity in the last few years and continues to grow.

As more and more bowhunters looking for a extra challenge are moving to hunting with traditional bows, more and more questions are popping up

How do you choose the right traditional bow to hunt with?

What type of traditional bow is best for hunting?

We’ll break down the best traditional bows for hunting and more

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What Is a Traditional Bow?

Traditional bows, also called Stick Bows, are some of the simplest forms of bows in the world.

There’s 3 main types of traditional bows: Self bows, Longbows, and Recurve bows.

Self bows are the simplest, they’re more or less part of a tree that’s flexible.

They have the least amount of processing and as a result are the weakest type of traditional bow.

Longbows are slightly more advanced than self bows, which gives them a little bit more power.

Where they really get a lot of their power is in their name, LONGbow.

These bows are notably longer than other types of traditional bows, which compared to self bows, gives them more power.

Lastly, and the most common type of traditional bow is the recurve bow.

Recurves are the most advanced type of traditional bow, with some even having modern metal risers and laminated limbs.

What sets recurves apart is the shape of their limbs.

They “decurve” back towards the archer and “recurve” back away from them, giving them their name and letting them store extra power.

Despite being more powerful than other types of traditional bows, even recurve bows are nowhere near as powerful as compound bows.

So if compound bows are so much stronger, why do some hunters still choose to hunt with recurve bows?

The short answer is, it varies.

Some hunters enjoy the added challenge of having to get even closer to their target than they otherwise would.

Other people enjoy being able to cut down a tree and make their own bow by hand from start to finish.

There’s a handful of people that just love the stories of famous bow hunters like Fred Bear and Bob Swineheart and want nothing more than to follow in their footsteps.

And still others like the craftsmanship that goes into a high end handmade recurve bow, like a Stalker Stickbow or a Black Widow Bow

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Traditional Hunting Bow

First and foremost are the basics that you need to keep in mind no matter what type of bow you're getting.

Top of the list is make sure you get the bow for your correct hand orientation.

If you shoot right-handed, this really isn’t a problem for you, but if you’re like me and you shoot left-handed…

It’s going to play a role in your decision making.

Next is the legal draw weight laws in the state you plan to hunt.

Most states require at least a 40 pound draw weight for you to hunt with a bow, but this does vary from state to state so check your local laws.

From there you have a few different ways to make a decision.

Material is a big one.

If you specifically want the most natural bow possible with close to no synthetic materials, you’re not going to want a recurve.

Transportation is another big one.

Most longbows and self bows are one-piece bows, which makes them more difficult to travel with.

This becomes especially annoying if you’re traveling across the country for something like a big elk hunt.

Recurves on the other hand can often be found as takedown bows, which makes them easier to store and travel with.

Next is hunting style.

Because longbows are so long they become awkward to handle in tight spaces like a tree stand.

That doesn’t mean you can’t use one in a tree stand, you just have to put more effort and planning into your setup.

Recurves on the other hand can be shorter, making them more maneuverable in a tight space like a tree stand

Last but not least is the craftsmanship.

Do you want to custom hand made bow that looks like a work of art?

Or would you prefer to not break the bank and get a mass-produced bow off the assembly line?

You can go either route with longbows and recurves, so that one is really just more of a personal preference.

Best Budget Traditional Bow for Hunting

Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow

The Samick Sage is one of the most popular and highly rated budget recurves on the market.

It’s a mass production bow, so it’s not Necessarily the highest quality or best looking bow but it does get the job done.

One of the things I like about this bow is that you can buy extra limbs so if you want to go up in draw weight you can without having to buy a completely new bow

If you're brand new to bow hunting or working on making the transition from a compound bow to a recurve bow this is a great starting point because it's not going to break the bank and you can get extra limbs to address your draw weight as you go which can help you from falling in the Trap of picking too heavy of a drawing to start.

The big drawback here though is that Samick doesn't have a ton of customer service in the US so you kind of are on your own with that if something does happen.

But for a super budget beginner bow it can be a great place to start.

Here's a Full Review of the Samick Sage

Best ‘Modern’ Hunting Recurve

Hoyt Satori

Hoyt is well known in the archery world for their high-end compound bows and they took all of their bow making skills and put that to work on a recurve.

The Satori is what I would call a modern recurve it doesn't have a wood Riser it has an aluminum riser.

So you do lose a little bit of that traditional bow look but with that trade-off you are getting extremely high performance.

There are plenty of different options as far as three different Riser lengths and a bunch of different draw weights the high end of the draw weights is at 67 lb which is more than enough for basically any big game in North America.

You're kind of on the edge if you're thinking of maybe going to Africa after like Cape Buffalo.

Outside of that you're going to be in pretty good shape especially if you make some high quality 12 Factor arrows.

Recurve vs Longbow: Which Is Best for Hunting?

​Both longbows and recurves can be used for hunting, but for most archers one is much better than the other.

(If you don’t know the difference between Longbows and Recurves, here’s a quick breakdown)

With recurves being slightly more advanced, and definitely more powerful, than longbows.

That boils down to more power being put into the arrow from the bow and ultimately a longer effective range for hunting.

The only real “advantage” to hunting with a longbow is the more traditional feel and the fact that it’s easier to make a longbow from scratch.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is a 45 pound recurve bow good for hunting?

Yes, for most animals up to a deer. If you’re hunting elk or moose, you either need to make sure you’re shooting a high FOC arrow or you need to get strong enough to shoot a stronger bow.

Why do hunters choose a recurve bow instead of a compound bow?

​The most common reason is for the extra challenge of having to get close to an animal to make a good shot. Some people also like the more historical aspect of it, but tends to be more with longbows than with recurves.

What is the easiest bow to hunt with?

​This is a tough question to answer. The short answer is a compound bow because you can shoot farther, and as a result have more room for error in your actual hunting skills.

What pound recurve bow for deer hunting?

​The minimum recurve draw weight for deer hunting that I’d recommend is 40 pounds.

Is it harder to hunt with a recurve bow?

Yes. Recurve bows can’t shoot as far as compound bows, so you have to be able to get closer to animals than you do with a compound. On top of that, recurve bows aren’t as powerful, so you have less room for error on your shot placement.