Which bow is the best for me?

Before you buy… How to start archery… How to take care of your bow… Just about all you wanted to know about archery.

   When buying a bow, you should consider the following factors:
Expertise
Physique
Use
Budget
Personal taste
Time (esp. in case of gifts)

Expertise, physique and use of the bow define how fast your bow should be. For instance, if you do not exercise and you do not have any expertise, you should go for the lighter (slower) bows. The same goes for short-distance target shooting. A too fast bow just puts unnecessary strain on your muscles and joints and will destroy your target and arrows. In all of these cases you should go for bows in the range of #25-35. Please remember that having expertise in modern archery does not help much when using a traditional recurve bow.

If you are well-versed in traditional archery and want to use your bow for e.g. hunting, you will want to buy a 50+ lbs bow. Mónus József, our world champion long-distance archer, can shoot up to 400 meters with a #50 bow.

Budget and personal taste need no explanation. In case of some of our bows you can even choose colors.

Time can be important if you want the bow as a present or are pressed for time for some other reason. When you want a bow made for you, it can take 2-4 weeks to make and 2-3 weeks to arrive to your address. Choosing a bow that is on stock and indicating what speed you would like when ordering a custom one can considerably speed up the process.

How do I take care of my bow?

   Taking care of your bow is very simple.

Learn how to properly brace your bow. Here is a short video about this.
If you have a horn bow, make sure you watch this. (Magyar language)
Do not leave a bow braced for longer than you use it.
Do not leave your bow in the sun. If your bow gets hot, wait until it cools down before bracing.
Check the string of the bow. If it looks thready, wax it with either beeswax of special string wax available in bow shops.
Do not shoot the bow without a proper arrow.

How do I choose the proper arrow? How long will it last?

   When buying arrows, you should consider the draw weight of the bow and your draw length. If you order your arrows from us, we will choose the ideal traditional wooden arrows for you, made of Scots Pine or other high quality wood.
Arrows should not be shot into hard targets including wood. They should be shot at professional targets or ones made by you, e.g. a cardboard box filled with clothes, rugs, etc. When properly used, wooden arrows will last just as long as any other arrows.

Make sure your arrows do not have any cracks and are not bent. Do not ever shoot unhealthy arrows.

I would like a bow for target shooting and occasional hunting. Which bow do you recommend?

   This is really two distinctively different bows we are talking about.

Target shooting is a repetitive task, where you probably shoot dozens, even hundreds of times in a short period of time. If the bow is too fast, it puts strain on your muscles, joints, arrows and target altogether. When hunting, you will only use the bow once in a while.

For target shooting I would not recommend a faster bow than #35 but for hunting a #45-50 should be the bare minimum.

I am very strong and hunt for deer in my sparetime. Will I be able to use a #70 traditional recurve bow without any practice?

  No.

How do I take care of the string of my bow?

  Make sure your string is not twisted when you brace your bow. Watch out for threading in the string. Use simple beeswax or special string lubricant available at archery stores once in a while, especially when threading occurs.

What is the traditional recurve bow like compared to other types of bow?

  Amazingly few people ask this crucial question. The are quite a lot of types of bows. I am trying to cover the main types here. The first bow in history is theself bow. It is basically a piece of bent wood with a string attached to both ends. The longbow (or American flatbow) is a quite similar apparatus – during all these years the materials and craftsmanship greatly evolved, while the engineering background remained the same.

The traditional energy-storing recurve reflex bow (the bows you find on this website) is an amazing engineering advancement compared to the longbow or flatbow. Both the materials used and the shape of the bow make it much more efficient. Efficiency means speed/weight ratio. Simply put, a recurve reflex shoots arrows faster at the same weight than a longbow or flatbow.

The crossbow is the one bow that probably has got to do the least with traditional bows. It is basically the weapon called ballista, made smaller and resembling in oparation more to the gun than to the bow. Crossbow archers are mocked by traditional archers especially if the crossbow is used to kill living creatures.

The modern recurve bow is quite the copy of the traditional one but it is made of space-age materials. Unlike the traditional recurve, here only the limbs of the bow bend. It also have several add-ons that make it easier to aim (e.g. the bow sight) and shoot even for beginners. Together with the compound bow (where drawing is aided by a levering system), which was developed in the 1960’s by Holless Wilbur Allen, they are considered by many archers the most advanced yet less fun bows, which require little to none skills to shoot. Sadly, the modern recurve bow was chosen by the Olympic Games management for archery events.

Do you have a question? Please do not hesitate to ask. Our friendly, professional staff is always at your disposal.