Recurve Bows

Seen from the side, the shape tells you what it is. The limbs bend away from the archer and then curve back again at the tips, the profile that gives the recurve its name. The riser in the middle is black, with the grip at its centre and the arrow rest just above it. Every recurve bow for beginners in this collection follows that design, the same one used on beginners' courses at clubs across the UK.

The curve at the tips is where the power comes from. It stores more energy than a straight limb, so a light bow still sends an arrow firmly into the target. The string runs between the two tips, and the arrow sits on the rest, clipped onto the string at the nocking point. Three parts, one tool, about ten minutes to assemble.

Unstrung and taken apart, the bow fits in a cupboard or the boot of a car. Strung and held at the grip, it weighs under a kilo.

Takedown recurve bows in 20, 30 and 35 lbs, for left and right handed archers

Two bows make up the collection. The First Draw Recurve Bow is for a first season. It measures 135 cm strung, weighs around 900 g and comes in 20 or 30 lbs. Its arrow rest sits on both sides of the riser, so the same bow works for a left or right handed archer. For anyone who has never shot, 20 lbs is the place to start.

The Next Step Recurve Bow is stronger. It comes in 30 or 35 lbs and is made in separate right and left handed versions, because at higher draw weights the fit of the grip matters more. Coming from a 20 lbs bow, 30 lbs is the natural step. Thirty-five suits an archer who already holds 30 lbs steadily at the end of a session.

Both are takedown bows. The limbs come off the riser with a hex key, which means stronger limbs can be fitted later without replacing the whole bow.

A bow on its own needs arrows to match it, and our replacement arrows are sized for these draw weights. For a first bow with everything else included, the beginner archery sets add arrows, a target and protective gear in one box.

A takedown recurve bow built for garden archery in the UK

Garden ranges are short, usually ten to twenty metres. At that distance, power is rarely the limit. Consistency is. A light takedown recurve bow lets you hold full draw without shaking, anchor at the same point on your face and release the same way every time. That is what tightens a group of arrows.

The recurve also teaches the fundamentals in full. There are no cams and no release aid doing part of the work. Stance, draw, anchor and follow through all come from the archer, and every habit learnt on it carries over to any bow chosen later.

Unstring it after each session, store it dry, and it will be ready for the next one.