Image | Length | Bow Weight | Draw Weight | Takedown? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Southland Courage Bow See on Amazon.com | 60 inches | 3 lbs How to: choose arrows, draw weight, and tune your recurve | 40 to 55 lbs. | Yes |
| Pros - Simple, inexpensive beginner recurve - Easy takedown design | Cons - Available in right-hand only - Cannot use FastFlight string - No bushings installed for accessories |
| Also recommended: Best Southland Bows |
Package Contents
Welcome to my review of the Southland Courage takedown recurve bow. Each package delivered by Southland includes the following items:
- The Southland Courage Recurve Bow
- 56” string
- Assembly hardware and tools
- Owner’s Manual
- Warranty card
That’s it. No bow stringer, no sight, and no arrows. You will need to purchase these accessories extra, if you do not have them and want them.
Assembling The Bow
When you receive your Southland Courage takedown bow, you will have to perform some simple assembly. You will need to attach the limbs to the riser using the included bolts and Allen wrench, and then string the bow. The bow does not come with a bow stringer, unfortunately, so make sure you purchase one. Stringing a bow without a bow stringer is dangerous, voids the warranty, and is one of the most common causes of an inaccurate bow.
How Powerful and Accurate is the Bow?
The Courage is available in draw weights of 40# through 55#, in 5# increments. All draw weights are very suitable for target practice, and should even be powerful enough to take down wild turkey or deer. If you opt for the strong draw weights, say a 50# bow or a 55# bow, you would be able to take on slightly larger game, as well, such as elk.
Once I had a feel for the bow, I started testing the accuracy of this takedown recurve. I was pretty impressed by the performance of the bow, as I was able to Robin Hood (split an arrow) several times from 20 yards. From 30 yards, I could maintain a 1” grouping, and was able to keep my pattern to under 2” from 45 yards. This is all instinctive shooting, mind you, because the Courage does not come with a sight and I did not take the time to install one.
Is The Bow Suitable For Hunting?
The Southland Courage is definitely suitable for a beginning bow hunter, since it is lightweight and has enough power to harvest the most common beginning archer’s game: wild turkey or deer. Stronger archers who opt for the 50# or 55# model will even find the bow suitable for harvesting elk.
Is The Bow Suitable For Beginners?
The Southland Courage is very good for beginners, since it is well constructed and designed with beginning archers in mind. It does not have a tendency to suffer limb twist, and the takedown design makes it a snap to ensure you keep your limbs in good shape between shooting sessions.
This takedown bow would make an excellent starter bow for a beginner, since it is inexpensive but still strong enough to be useful for target practice or hunting. It would also make a good backup bow for a more experienced bow hunter.
Unfortunately, the bow is not available for left-handed archers, so you should look for a different takedown recurve if you’re left-handed.
Does This Recurve Accept Accessories?
The Courage is not prepared for any accessories, like sights, stabilizers or plungers. This is one of the shortcomings of the bow, but a qualified bow tech should be able to install the required bushings for you. Myself, I prefer instinctive shooting, shooting without a sight, but sometimes I recommend beginners use a sight.
Arrows For The Courage
You can choose whatever arrows you might want to use with the Southland Courage, and they will work quite well. I tend to lean towards Easton and Carbon Express arrows, because of the quality of these carbon arrows, but arrow choice is largely a matter of personal preference and intended use. Be sure to check out our detailed guide on selecting the right arrows for your needs to get a better overview of arrow selection.
Is This Bow Comfortable To Hold?
I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the Courage was to hold, given its low price point. The riser is built to a very ergonomic design, and the bow is light enough for even smaller archers to use without getting fatigued or suffering from hand cramp.
Materials And Durability (Riser, Limbs)
The limbs on the Southland Courage are made of maple and Makore wood laminations, faced with high strength fiberglass. The riser is composed of Bintangor, Makore, and Chuglam hardwoods in a beautiful lamination. The limbs are very resistant to twisting, and the bow is quite durable and able to take a small bit of abuse.
What String Fits The Courage?
Available only as a 60” bow, the Southland Courage will take any regular 56” bow string. Please note that the limb tips are not reinforced, so you won’t be able to use FastFlight or Flemish strings with this bow.
Is the Courage a Heavy Bow?
The Southland Courage weights just around 3 pounds, so it is fairly lightweight. I was able to shoot with it for several hours without suffering any cramping in my hands or arms, and had a good time the whole time I was shooting.
How Loud Is The Courage?
Southland has done an admirable job keeping this bow relatively quiet, but it is a budget-friendly bow so is definitely louder than its more expensive brethren. The addition of string silencers helps bring down the noise tremendously, so I’d recommend installing them if you are going to use the bow for hunting purposes.
Recurve Bow Review – Summary
Thanks for reading our bow review. The Southland Courage has its limitations, but it is still a great starter or backup bow. As long as you don’t mind spending a bit of extra time and money getting your accessories installed, this bow would make a great choice for either target shooting or bow hunting. You’ll be able to get hours of fun and valuable hunting experience in before you decide it’s time to move up to a fancier, more expensive recurve bow.
Take a look at Today's Amazon.com price on the Courage if you’re interested.
