Recurve Bow Reviews

Below is a list of all the recurve bow reviews I have written. I typically add one new review every few weeks, whenever I get my hands on a new piece of equipment or whenever I hear of some new interesting product.

Other than the reviews below, I recommend you check out my list of the best recurve bows on the market where I’ve listed over a dozen of the all-time best recurves ever made – I’ve covered every possible price-range. Also check out our reviews by brand if you’re looking for something more specific.

Image	Bow Name	Length	Draw Weight	Takedown?
	Martin Saber Recurve Bow	64 inches	30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 lbs.
	Samick Sage Recurve Bow	62 Inches	30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 lbs.
	Martin Jaguar Recurve	60 inches	30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 lbs.
	Bear Grizzly Recurve Bow	58 inches	60 lbs.	No
	Hoyt Buffalo Recurve Bow	60 inches	45, 50, 55 lbs.
	Martin Hunter Recurve	62 inches	40, 45 50, 55 lbs.	No
	PSE Blackhawk Recurve Bow	60 inches	35, 40, 45, 50 lbs.	No
	PSE Razorback	62 inches	20, 25, 30 lbs.
	Bear Archery Super Kodiak	60 inches	45, 50, 60 lbs.	No
	PSE Archery Stalker	60 inches	45, 50 lbs.
	Martin Archery Diablo	62 inches	35, 40, 45, 50, 55 lbs.
	Bear Archery Bulls-Eye	Varies	20, 25, 29 lbs.
	PSE Coyote	60"	40, 45, 50, 55 lbs.
	Hoyt Gamemaster II	62"	40, 45, 50, 55 lbs.
	PSE Mustang	60"	45, 50, 55 lbs.
	Martin Dream Catcher	60"	45, 50, 55, 60, 65 lbs.	No
	Ragim Impala	60"	35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 lbs.
	OMP Explorer 2.0	5"4 - 62" (depends on draw weight)	20 to 40 lbs.
	OMP Mountaineer 2.0	62"	35, 40, 45, 50, 55 lbs.
	Ragim Wildcat	62"	24, 29, 34 lbs.
	PSE Optima Heritage	62'	15, 20, 25, 30, 35 lbs.
	OMP Smoky Mountain Hunter	62"	40, 45, 55 lbs.
	OMP Adventure 2.0	48" to 68"	20 - 34 lbs.
	Martin Archery X-200	60"	25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 lbs.	No
	PSE Summit	66"	28, 32 and 36 lbs.
	Bear Kodiak Cub	24"	20, 30 lbs.	No
	Hoyt Tiburon	62"	25 - 55 lbs.
	Ragim Brown Bear	58"	40, 45, 50, 55 lbs.	No
	PSE Talon	58"	45, 50, 55 lbs.
	Hoyt Dorado	60"	35 to 65 lbs.
	Martin Independence	52"	40 to 55 lbs.	No
	PSE Kingfisher	60"	40 to 50 lbs.
	Samick Deer Master	60"	30 to 60 lbs.
	Samick Journey	64"	30 to 60 lbs.
	Samick Little Fox	48, 54, or 58"	15 to 30 lbs.
	Samick Polaris	48, 54, or 62"	15 to 40 lbs.
	PSE Club	66"	15 to 25 lbs.
	Martin Freedom Bow	60 inches	25 to 55 lbs.	No
	Southland Courage Bow	60 inches	40 to 55 lbs.
	Southland Spirit Bow	62 inches	26 to 36 lbs.
	Martin Archery Alder	54 or 62 inches	15 to 29 lbs.
	Martin Archery Jaguar Elite	60 inches	29 to 55 lbs.	No
	Martin Archery Super Diablo	60 inches	45 to 65 lbs.	No
	PSE Deputy	48 inches	15 to 20 lbs.
	PSE Honor	56 inches	35 to 55 lbs.
	Samick Red Stag	60 inches	30 to 60 lbs.
	Martin Archery Locust	58 inches	40 to 55 lbs.
	Martin Archery Panther BF	50 inches	29 to 55 lbs.
	Martin Archery Poplar	66 inches	25, 29, 35 lbs.
	Martin Archery Cypress	60 inches	35 to 55 lbs.
	Martin Archery Jaguar BF	52 inches	29, 40, 50 lbs.
	Greatree Archery Firefox	54, 62 inches	16, 20, 24, 28 lbs.
	Greatree Archery Mohegan	54 inches	16, 20, 24, 28 lbs.
	Martin Archery Willow	60 inches	35 to 50 lbs.
	Raging River Busa	60 inches	45 to 65 lbs.
	Raging River Zombow	62 inches	24 to 40 lbs.
	Bear Archery Sonoma	60 inches	40 to 45 lbs.
	Greatree Deer Slayer	60 inches	35 to 55 lbs.	No
	Cabelas Thundor	66 inches	30, 35 lbs.
	Cabelas Warden	62 inches	40 to 50 lbs.
	Bear Archery Youth Flash	47 inches	5 to 18 lbs.
	Cabela Ranger	62 inches	25 to 29 lbs.
	Vista Sage	62 inches	45 to 55 lbs.
	Cabela’s Sparrowhawk	52 inches	15 lbs.	No
	Bear Kodiak Magnum	52 inches	40 to 55 lbs.	No
	PSE Night Hawk	62 inches	20 to 50 lbs.	No
	OMP Passage	54 inches	20 lbs.
	Easton Beginner	64 inches	35 to 55 lbs.

Which of the above do I particularly recommend?

I think all of these reviews are high quality, but of course I would say that 🙂

Seriously though, my favorites are the Martin Jaguar, the Bear Grizzly, the Martin Hunter and the Hoyt Buffalo. Mostly because I have had such a great time shooting every single one of these bows. They are not all in the same price range, mind you. However each of them was the “best,” so to say, in its respective quality league.

The fact that I enjoyed them is also a reason why I was able to make these reviews exceptionally informative; when I like something, I enjoy writing about it, and I try to do so in a way that expresses my emotions and satisfaction with a product. With that said, nothing on this website should be taken as the ultimate truth. These are my opinions, based on my experiences as well as those of fellow archers. So take them for what they are worth.

Disclaimer

I would like you to keep in mind that all of the recurve bow reviews above were written after doing some extensive research – both practical and theoretical. I never review a bow unless I have shot it at least a few hundred times (usually much more) or at least know someone who has done so, as I don’t believe an honest review can be written otherwise. I would like for others to enjoy this sport just as much as I do, which is why I try to review only the finest products so as not to accidentally have someone buy an inferior recurve because of a misunderstanding.

I will however on occasion review recurve bows that are really bad and shouldn’t be bought under any circumstances (unless to present it to someone you don’t like :)). When I do that, I will make it perfectly clear that everyone should stick away from that bow by putting a little red “Stay Away!” sign right next to the review. This should make things pretty clear for everyone regardless of the recurve bow reviews they are reading.

Overall though I do not remember ever shooting a bow which was so bad as to deserve such harsh treatment. There obviously were many inferior products that I’ve dealt with, but somehow I’ve always managed to find the good in them (even if there wasn’t much of that in some cases).

What Should You Look For in a Review?

A few things distinguish a good recurve bow review from one that is not worth your time. Here are just a few elements to look for:

1. Was the review actually written by someone who had access to the recurve bow in question, or at least does the review appear to have been very well researched? If not, and if it is just a load of generic information which is useless to an archer’s purchase, then you are better off looking elsewhere for better reviews.
2. Are the reviews nothing more than a copy/paste of the recurve bow specifications, taken from the manufacturers website, without the addition of any extra useful data from the reviewer himself? If so, then you’re dealing with someone who prefers to take shortcuts, so you cannot really trust anything you read in his reviews.
3. Are you provided with information such as the bow length, draw weight, price and other data? If not, then again you are better off searching for a better, higher quality source of information – otherwise you’ll end up wasting time without actually finding out what you really should know about a particular recurve bow.

The Difference Between Editorial And Customer Reviews

You’ve likely seen lots of reviews and user ratings of different recurve bows on the various websites which sell archery equipment. While these are very valuable, I find that they do not always paint an accurate picture as to the quality of a specific product. Why is that?

Because often enough, only customers who have experienced some issues with their recurve bow will take the time to write a review, usually in anger. Don’t get me wrong – happy customers also like to say what’s on their mind. It is however a well proven psychological fact that people with a positive experience will generally be less inclined to take the time to express their opinion about a product. Here’s an example to illustrate what this means:

Suppose 100 customers bought a certain recurve bow. Of those, 90 were happy with their purchase, while 10 were not happy. Given what I have talked about earlier, it is quite likely that out of the 90 satisfied customers only 5 or so would leave a public rating (the remaining ones would be too busy enjoying their new bow to even bother), while out of the 10 unhappy customers the majority (say 6 for example) would want to take the opportunity to rage about the product. As a result, you might see that a certain recurve has 5 positive ratings and 6 negative ones, leading you to believe that the product is not worth a purchase.

The numbers above are of course exaggerated and in most cases things won’t be this black and white – this was just an example to illustrate my point.

This is exactly why actual recurve bow reviews on a quality site should always be checked before dismissing a certain product based on customer ratings only. An editorial reviewer is usually unbiased towards the bow in question and will likely give you an honest opinion on the product. Also, a quality review website will often list only those recurve bows that are worth your time so as to avoid having people purchase an inferior product “by accident.”

Want me to review a bow?

If there is a particular recurve bow review that you would like to read, please get in touch through my contact form; chances are that I’ve already used that bow in the past, or that I at least have a friend who owns one and who could lend it to me for a few days to try out. I cannot promise a review of course, but I will do my best – I like doing this, it will definitely be a pleasure for me, so please don’t be shy and don’t assume that I won’t reply to you. I check my e-mails every day and reply to everything that isn’t spam 🙂

Is the list above all-inclusive?

No, not at all. There are many recurve bows which aren’t mentioned on this page, and which definitely deserve any serious archer’s attention. The list above simply includes bows that I really felt like reviewing, simply because they “spoke” to me in one way or another. You can always check out more high quality reviews by visiting my best recurve bow guide, which includes an overview and a comparison of more than 12 excellent bows from a wide range of prices.