Best Recurve Bows In 2022

For the cost, for the quality, and nearly everything else in between, Samick made the best recurve bow regardless of your skill level. You’re not trying to take down the world, you just want to take down a deer or some targets. Samick’s Sage Takedown bow comes with amazing durability through the maple, fiberglass and metal elements that grant good elasticity while remaining powerful. Choose from a 25 pound draw weight up to a 60 pound draw weight in intervals of 5 pounds to determine what your ideal bow is going to be.

It’s not all sunshine, though; the arrow rest is a bit slick due to the finish on the maple, and the bowstrings they include aren’t top tier. They’re going to last for a while and do well, but you’ve got about six months on average, sometimes up to nine months before they break. With a max draw length of 29”, this fits teenagers and adults like a glove. Even if you expand your bow collection over time, the Samick Sage will always be ole reliable. Our guide to the best bow stabilizers features some amazing equipment like this, so be sure to check them out.

If you’re after that perfect bullseye, this is where you start. The PSE Razorback isn’t the most premium bow, but it’s at the perfect median cost, and comes with a durable bowstring that’s ready to hold up to immense pressure. The entire bow sits at a 55 pound max draw weight, which is arguably good enough for hunting as well as intermediate target practice. What it doesn’t have is a left-handed variety; if you hold the grip with your left hand, you’re out of luck on this one.

On the subject of cons, PSE put most of their engineering prowess on the grip, not so much on the limbs. They’re okay, but they’re going to split or crack after about two years. Two years to be free from maintenance isn’t bad for this price. Speaking of that grip, they spared no expense with the full walnut wood and sleek finish to it. For beginners and intermediate archers, this is how you’re going to hit that bullseye time after time. To whatever group you belong, you will sure also like some of the best hunting crossbows, so take a moment to check them out.

When doesn’t a tiger shark sound scary, right? Southwest Archery is at it again, this time with a slightly different twist. They’re still the same makers of the Samick Sage, and that bit of expertise is found throughout Tigershark Takedown Bow. The highly durable takedown limbs attach to this with ease, and you even get an included stringing tool with your purchase to help with disassembly after your training is over for the day. There’s apparently a “Pro” version of this, though it’s not listed properly. It claims to give you extra add-ons for no cost, but it’s nowhere to be found.

On top of that, the problem with Southwest Archery is photo manipulation: the actual bow isn’t as vibrantly colored or sharp as the photographs suggest. It’s still a beautiful bow, just different than what you’re seeing to some extent. Choose from varied draw weights, and register your bow to get that one-year manufacturer warranty that Southwest Archery includes with everything that they sell. If you are also into duck hunting, be sure to check out our guide to the best duck calls and pick your favorite.

It’s hard to say something bad about Bear Grizzly Recurve Bow when you know everything about it, but here goes: it’s not the same color as you see online. Were you expecting more? That’s all that’s wrong with it. Everything you see is made from naturally sourced maple hard wood, so the tint will vary. The only other thing is the price, but it’s because you get what you pay for, and in this instance it’s excellence.

Built out of a single piece of maple hard wood and equipped with a Flemish Dacron string, it’s built to last through thick and thin. With a 58” total height, it’s the perfect size for the average person to use for hunting or competitive archery. Despite only having a total of a 50 lbs. of draw weight, it’s fine-tuned and precise, so you aren’t putting major stress on the bow. As a nice fine touch, there’s bear hair on the arrow shelf to add a little bit of traction to your arrow when you’re lining up your shot. Excellent? Yes. Priced at a premium? You betcha. You may also like some of the best hunting tree stands from our list, so check them out.

These are by no means designed to take down a whitetail deer, but it’s a great beginner bow that you can practice on if you’re a taller person. With a 66” total height, you should be at least six feet tall to even pick this thing up (the average bow height is 28” to 62”). Built with a comfortable handle and agreeable bowstring, it’s going to line up shots like it’s nobody’s business. The thing is, it’s not something you can use in competitive archery.

The maximum draw weight on Southland Archery Supply SAS Spirit is 34 pounds, and that’s the highest that this model goes. That’s not enough to take down a deer, and it’s not enough to hit a 100-meter target unless it’s steeply downhill. The maple wood handle feels good, but it’s not fully finished; there’s no stain or coating to it. Take what you will from that, but it just leaves it feeling like a rushed product. At the end of the day, your aim stays true and the limbs respond beautifully, you just won’t be tackling a competition with this bow. For more cool hunting products, check out our guide to the best trail cameras.

Another SAS model comes to the list, because when you hold these things, you just fall in love with the feeling. They made the Explorer model with a slightly more finished handle, so you’re getting a perfect grip on the heel of your palm while gripping onto this bow. If this isn’t your first bow, then you’ll immediately feel the massive benefit of the aluminum riser on this beast and how it changes the way the bow feels. Much like other SAS models, this one has a max draw weight of 34 pounds.

Despite knowing what to expect, a 34 pound maximum draw weight isn’t going to do much other than short to middle-range target practice, and they’re around the same cost as higher draw weight bows. That leaves a little bit of a bad taste in your mouth, but on the other hand, this thing isn’t going to break on you anytime soon. It’s built tough, the only thing you might have to replace in two years is the bowstring. From the fiberglass/maple takedown limbs to the grip, it’s one of the most durable bows you’re ever going to buy. If you are planning on making your own arrows at home, be sure to pick one of the best arrow saws from our list. 

Bear is back at it, and they’re crushing it with Bear Archery Super Kodiak Recurve Bow. They’re the premium dogs in this race, but the Kodiak is probably one of the most beautiful bows you’ll ever used. Built out of custom Dynomowood and fitted with an insane Dynaflight 97 Flemish string, it’s likely one of the most durable and smooth bows on the market. When you pull back on the string, releasing your shot is like putting a hot knife through butter. The thing is, all this costs a pretty penny.

Much like the last Bear Archery bow we showed, it’s pricey. It’s set to last for at least three years if you don’t take care of it, but if you actually unstring it each time, you’ve got a lifetime ahead of you. It’s a bit tough to unstring, but it’s worth it to do so. Perhaps the best part about this 50 pound draw weight bow is that it shoots and hits like a 65. Whatever they did during the design stage worked, because this thing shoots with ferocious power. Great piece of hunting gear, stupendous for competitive archery.

PSE made that Razorback we reviewed earlier, and their Pro Max is perhaps their second-best model on the market. Unlike the Razorback, it has a very low maximum draw weight, and anything over it will surely put some stress on the fiberglass limbs. The height rests at 54”, so it’s best for beginners in their late childhood years/early teenage years. You can’t use this for hunting in any state in America.

The limbs come off fairly easily, as does the string. Storage is an easy task, and firing this is a breeze, even if you’re a newcomer archer. The package portion of this comes with a recurve bow stringer, armguard, three separate turkey feather carbon arrows, finger savers, a hip quiver and more. It’s good for what you’re paying, but doesn’t even rise to the intermediate level of archery. The adjustable sight helps with newcomers when getting the hang of releasing an arrow, and the entire bow should last 2-3 years with moderate use. 

You can probably tell by looking at the picture above, the HYF Takedown Recurve Bow is a little different from the other products we’ve featured. Most notably, it’s made from an aerospace-grade aluminum-magnesium alloy, a super lightweight and strong material. You’d think that this material wouldn’t have as much flex as a wooden bow but it reacts in the same way. The bow limbs are actually made from glass fiber sheets and maple wood combined with an advanced lamination process giving them a really high level of elasticity. The only real downside is that it’s not available in a left-handed version. 

One of the reasons customers love the HYF Takedown Recurve Bow is that it comes with a huge pack of accessories. You get 12 replaceable arrows, a bow sight, arm and finger guards, an arrow rest, a bow stringer tool, an arrow quiver, an arrow pull, string wax, target paper, and an Allen key set. Basically, everything you need to start your recurve bow journey. For beginners, this is one of the best recurve bow sets on the market. 

It’s not easy to find a perfect beginner’s bow that can be used by both children and adults but the KESHES Takedown Hunting Recurve Bow is pretty close. One of the main reasons we like it is that it comes in a variety of different drawback weights, ranging from 15lbs to 60lbs. That makes it suitable for people of all sizes and strengths. The bow is really high quality as well, especially for a beginner’s set. It’s made from beautiful maple wood and the bow limbs are finished with black fiberglass, which adds to the durability. It’s also designed to be customizable, in case you want to upgrade certain parts. For example, you could add a brass plunger, stabilizer, sight, and more.