The Best Takedown Recurve Bow for Hunting– Top 5 Reviews for 2022

For budding archers who are ready to take their next steps into the world of archery by purchasing their first bow, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the range of things available.

At Archery Edge we have walked that same path ourselves, which is why we have compiled a list of the best takedown recurve bows on the market.

We have  an in-depth buyer’s guide to cut to the information you’ll need to buy your first bow.

Image	Product	Feature	Price
OUR TOP PICK	Southland Archery Supply SAS Spirit 62″	Affordable Perfect bow for youths Riser ready to accept attachments	Check Price On Amazon
EDITORS CHOICE	Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow	Comfortable grip Good for beginner and intermediate Selection of draw weights	Check Price On Amazon
BEST VALUE	SAS Courage 60″ Takedown Recurve Archery Bow	Easy assembly Good price Lightweight	Check Price On Amazon
RUNNER UP	KESHES Takedown Recurve Bow and Arrow	Includes bowstringing tool No tools required for takedown Arrow rest included	Check Price On Amazon
RUNNER UP	Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow (45 LB, Right)	Excellent resistance to bending Fantastic price Suitable for beginners	Check Price On Amazon

The Top Recurve Bows Buying Guide

Entering the world of archery or competitions can be daunting for a beginner, with many different options available, it can be challenging to know how to start.  Should you go with a handmade longbow that resembles the craftsmanship of medieval times, or use a modern 2 piece with plenty of features?

If you have begun archery as a hobby and are looking to make your first purchase, we have compiled this comprehensive buyer’s guide to help you spend your money wisely.

Below you will learn about the parts that make up a recurved bow, and the key factors you should consider before making a new purchase.

Recurved Parts

Riser

The most essential thing to think about if buying a recurved bow is the riser. The riser is the centermost portion of the bow and where your lead hand will come into contact.

Traditionally made of wood, aluminum and fiber risers are becoming common thanks to their high tensile strength and durability. Aluminum and fiber risers reduce the vibrations of the bow when loosing your shot, making the operation of the bow quieter.

The grip is in the center of the riser, and this is where you will hold the bow. Grips can be replaced and swapped, but you will want to ensure the grip feels natural and comfortable in hand.

When on a budget, it is worth noting that it is better to buy a pricier, higher-quality riser with lower quality limbs, than expensive limbs and a cheap riser. Risers don’t become worn and can be used for life, limbs can be replaced and upgraded as performance dips.

Limbs

Attached to the riser at either end are the limbs. Limbs are traditionally constructed from wood, but fiber and composite limbs are becoming commonplace.  Rarer are carbon fiber and pvc materials, but typically those are only found in more tactical uses.

It is the limbs that transfer the potential energy created by drawing the bow, into kinetic energy to fire an arrow. Limbs are interchangeable between brands as most follow a standard manufacturing procedure.  Usually, they are black in color, but we’ve seen them in camo and wooden grain.

Beginners will use limbs that have lower draw poundage and upgrade as they become stronger and competent.

Arrow rest

In traditional bows, the archer would have had to rest the arrow on the gripping lead hand while aiming. These days recurve bows may have an arrow rest, generally made of plastic or metal.

Bowstring

Bowstrings are attached to the tip of each limb.  As an arrow is nocked, they are drawn to create the potential energy required to propel the arrow.

As the bowstring is released, the potential energy is transferred into the arrow as kinetic energy.  The further the bowstring is pulled, the higher the level of energy transfer.

Advantages

Speed

Typically, the arrows fired from recurve bows travel faster than arrows fired from other models of bow.

Because the limbs of a recurve bow curve on themselves (recurve), more tension is created as the bow is drawn. The limbs act as a fling, resulting in more speed.

Portable

Unlike complete recurve bows (one-piece recurve bows), takedown recurve bows can be disassembled.

Once disassembled, takedown recurve bows can be easily transported and stored.

Inexpensive

Takedown recurve bows are cheaper than compound bows or longbows.

Budget can be spread between the riser and limbs to customize your bow, resulting in prices to suit all budgets.

Modular

Since takedown recurve bows are constructed of many different pieces, they can be upgraded over time. Whether this is because you are becoming a competent archer and require higher draw weight, or due to damage.

If you invest in a high-quality riser, it will feature pre-installed bushings to attach additional accessories such as a stabilizer or sight.

Draw weight

If you are new to archery, you will be confused by the term draw weight. Draw weight doesn’t refer to the physical weight of the bow;  its the amount of force required to pull the bowstring.

For newer archers, the lower draw weight is recommended. As your strength increases, you can upgrade the limbs to reflect this, but if you go too heavy, your technique will suffer.

The other consideration for draw weight is what you intend to use your bow for. For target shooting lower draw weight will suffice, but if you plan on hunting, your takdeown bow will need a higher draw weight to hunt humanely.

Draw length

The draw length of a bow is the distance between the nock point and the grip with an additional 1¾’’.

To find your draw length, you can outstretch your arms and measure from fingertip to fingertip; if you divide this measurement by 2.5, you will have an estimation of your draw length.

Assembly

When you’re looking to purchase a new recurve bow, the ease of assembly and disassembly should be considered.

Most bows are straightforward, but some require additional tools to breakdown and assemble.

Bow Size

Bow length is typically measured in inches, the string’s length determines this.

If a take down bow is 62’’ that is the length of string you will require.

Weight of the bow

Bows are lightweight, especially takedown recurves, but it is worth remembering that if used for extended periods, the weight of a bow can become fatiguing.

The ideal weight will depend on age, gender, physical strength, and competency with a bow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 40 pound recurve bow enough to kill a deer?

Recurve bows are one of the most efficient and powerful bow designs and have been a popular choice among hunters and warriors for thousands of years.

In terms of sheer power, a 40lb recurve bow is one of the more powerful draw weights when it comes to this style of bow, meaning it’s a very capable hunter with the ability to take down a range of fairly large game.

A recurve bow with a 40lb draw weight should be able to kill deer such as whitetail quite effectively, however, bows at this power level may not be capable of killing game much larger than this, and will struggle to kill other animals such as moose, elk or bear as it doesn’t have the stopping power needed to cause significant damage to these creatures unless you hit an incredibly lucky shot, or are very confident with your ability to hit precise vital areas with great accuracy and power.

It’s important to note that when hunting with a bow you typically only get one shot before the game will flee, so that first shot has to count. This is the case for many reasons, one of them being that recurve bows are a little louder when fired than other types of bow and this will often startle deer or other game creatures.

What can a 50lb recurve bow kill?

While a 40 pound bow can be a capable hunter, a 50 pound bow is a very powerful option and gives you even more versatility on what you can successfully kill out in the wild.

A bow of this power should be able to effectively kill elk, moose, or even bear in some cases, however, this of course depends on the range you’re shooting at as well as the type of arrowhead you’re using and the size of the animal you’re shooting at.

50lbs is the minimum for large game like elk or moose, and it’s important to stick to this rule as these animals are dangerous, and if you don’t get an effective shot on them with enough force and stopping power you may succeed only in scaring and angering the creature, putting yourself in a lot of danger.

There are some bows with even higher draw weights if you’re strong enough to handle them which can give an even higher likelihood of a kill shot against large game like these.

Again, it’s still important to keep in mind that these bows are often loud when fired, and if you miss you will likely spook your prey as well as any other animals in your vicinity so make your shot count!

Can you hunt with a 35lb recurve bow?

While a 35 pound recurve bow is on the smaller and weaker side of the scale in terms of sheer power, this is still a very capable draw weight in hunting bows and this should be enough to successfully kill most whitetail and other deer species, or creatures of a smaller size than this. 

Generally, your arrow should pass right through a whitetail at this draw weight, however sometimes you may get an arrow stuck in the deer due to the slightly weaker stopping power of this draw weight, so be prepared for this eventuality and always check this before you handle the deer too vigorously.

35lb is the absolute minimum for deer hunting in most states, and trying to hunt deer with a bow below this draw weight will be very unlikely to kill the animal and is more likely to maim it and deal less than lethal wounds which are considered a crime in some states depending on the different hunting laws of these regions.

Using proper equipment is key to hunting humanely and not causing as little unnecessary pain to these animals as possible, and securing your kills as reliably as possible.

Can you hunt with a 20lb bow?

While it may be possible to hunt with a 20lb bow, it isn’t recommended that you hunt large or even medium-sized game with a bow of this draw weight, as you’re unlikely to hit effective kill shots or be able to get in close enough range of most animals to give yourself a good chance of hitting a shot.

20lb bows are best used for target practice and recreation or hunting much smaller game at relatively close range.

A general rule of thumb is to think of your effective range for solid accuracy and stopping power being around half your draw weight in yards, meaning a 20lb bow isn’t going to give you the range you need to effectively hunt most animals without alerting them to your presence or putting yourself in danger.

Summary

Despite requiring a tool to assemble and coming without a bow stringer as standard, my pick would have to be the Southwest Archery Spyder. The main reason for my choice is that the riser is of higher quality than the other bows featured on this list (and a few recurves that didn’t make the list like the Martin, Panther, Phantom, and Jaguar).

The tools required to string the bow and attach the limbs to the rise are cheap, and limbs can be upgraded while a quality riser can last a lifetime. Coupled with it being ready to accept attachments out the box makes the Spyder my top pick for the top takedown recurve bow.

Do you agree with the reviews featured in this article? Let us know in the comments below what you think, or if you have tried any of these bows for yourself.