Best Recurve Bows

Traditional archery was widespread and necessary for millennia. While we no longer have to hunt for our sustenance or engage in medieval archery-based warfare, it’s still an excellent hobby whether you’re an aspiring bowhunter or you want to practice your aim by target shooting in your backyard. 

Several different options are available if you’re looking for a bow; longbows, crossbows, and compound bows have their own benefits. But none come close to the recurve bow for portability, convenience, and performance. The curve of the limbs away from the archer allows for more tension to be carried in the bow, creating a more powerful shot, which is very important if you intend to hunt with it.  The traditional recurve bow design is usually attributed to the Mongolians, credited with creating it and shooting from horseback. Recurve bows are still considered powerful weapons, with them being the only bows used in the Olympics. 

Takedown recurve bows are a more modern adaptation of this ancient weapon, breaking down into three parts for easy transportation and storage.

Today we’re going to be taking a look at several takedown recurve bows, analyzing the best-rated and best-selling options on the market to help you purchase the bow that is best for you. We’ll be looking at several areas like affordability, specs, ease of assembly, use, and durability. We also take a look at bow reviews on Amazon to see what other customers think of them. We’re committed to giving a balanced view. 

Our current pick for the best recurve bows encompasses: 

  1. Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow. 
  2. TideWe Recurve Bow and Arrow Set. 
  3. D&Q Archery 50″ Takedown Bow and Arrow Set. 
  4. TopArchery 56″ Takedown Recurve Bow.
  5. Black Hunter Takedown Recurve Bow.
  6. PSE Archery Pro Max Traditional Bow Set

Samick Sage Takedown Bow

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Best Overall

The Samick Sage is a takedown recurve bow available in multiple draw weights from 25lb to 60lbs. It is suitable for hunting (in the higher draw weights) or target practice and is ideal for beginners and experienced hunters alike. Samick offers a reliable piece of kit with high-quality craftsmanship that can be used by pretty much anyone.

The Sage is upgradeable and can be used for things like bowfishing if you want to. You can even add more advanced accessories such as an arrow rest, bow sights, silencers, and stabilizers.

Speaking of inclusivity, the Samick Sage is also available for left-handed users, an often-overlooked market area. Durability is also assured, with the bow being comprised of maple, fiberglass, and metal elements that allow for flexibility alongside sturdy power.

The reinforced limb tips on the Sage allow you to shoot what is known as a fast flight string or ff. This type of string is better because it has less flexibility and lasts longer. Only bows with reinforced limb tips can take such upgrades.

This, in addition to its longevity, durability, reliability, high-end craftsmanship, reasonable price, and upgradable features, is why we consider this the best overall archery bow on this list.

Read more in our full Samick Sage Takedown Bow review.

Pros

  • Aesthetically pleasing yet durable and built to last for several years. 
  • Smooth to use and provides an accurate shot.  
  • Comfortable grip. 
  • Easy to assemble. 
  • Left-handed and Right-handed options.

Cons

  • Bowstring may require a higher quality replacement. 
  • Reasonably loud and requires a string silencer if you intend to use it for hunting.  

TideWe Recurve Bow Set

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Best Budget Kit

TideWe’s recurve bow provides an easy-to-assemble beginner bow with extras for under $150, coming with a stringer tool to make set up even easier. The value for money offered here is truly astounding, with the kit even including six-carbon arrows. The TideWe bow features strong fiberglass & wood limbs and a 16 strand daclon fabric bowstring. It shoots very accurately in addition to being comfortable to useand aesthetically pleasing.

The bow also has pre-drilled bushings making it an excellent base for future upgrades and given it comes in a variety of draw weights (from 20lbs up to 50lbs). This is a highly versatile and accessible bow, with potential upgrades available, including fishing reels, arrow quivers, stabilizers, and more. You could upgrade it for hunting as the draw weight is sufficient to take down big game.

With all of that said, the arrows provided with the kit are brittle and prone to breakage, so I suggest you buy a different set of arrows to use with it. This isn’t the end of the world because quality arrows are easy to come by.

Check out more in our full review of the TideWe Recurve Bow Set.

Pros

  • Easy to assemble.
  • Excellent value for money. 
  • Very comfortable to use. 
  • Stringer tool included.

Cons

  • Right-hand orientation only. 
  • The arrows included are prone to breakage.

D&Q Archery Kit

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Cheapest Beginner Kit

This bow comes in several colors and two draw weights – 30 or 40lbs. The kit is comprehensive, encompassing the bow, fiberglass arrows, an arm guard, arrow rest, bow sight, and stabilizer. The instructions were easy to follow, but some customers reported that the instructions were missing. The grip is comfortable, with a high-quality metal bow riser. The aluminum riser and strong fiberglass limbs give the impression of durability, and the 50″ draw length is ideal for teenagers. 

This is a great little beginner’s takedown recurve bow and arrow set. The sight included in the box is plastic, and the overall quality of the kit is “okay” but not perfect. This isn’t a good hunting bow but is a great first bow for someone who wants to build up their archery skills in the backyard.

Read more in our full D&Q Archery Kit review.

Pros

  • The comprehensive kit provides some great extras, and the arrows were of good quality. 
  • Suitable for teenagers due to bow size, though it may be slightly heavy for some youths. 
  •  Fiberglass limbs are lightweight but durable. 
  • Easy to collapse, store, transport, and reassemble. 
  • Under $100.

Cons

  • No left-handed options.
  • Customers report missing instructions. 
  • Not ideal for hunting. 
  • Some parts feel cheap.

TopArchery Takedown Set

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Best For Youths

This is another comprehensive kit made of quality materials. The hard maple core is laminated by strong fiberglass,  promising lightweight durability. It was easy to put together, but it’s worth mentioning that no stringing tool was provided, and stringing a bow without one is quite the learning curve for a beginner, so I’d recommend that you buy your own alongside this kit.

Though due to the 56″ bow length, it isn’t going to be recommended for those with a longer than average draw length; the draw weight varies from 18lbs to 50lbs. The low draw weight is particularly suitable for teenagers and smaller archers. It does have the feel of a more premium product and the price (<$100) is unbelievable.

The riser comprises quality high-strength aluminum alloy, superior to the usual plastic risers that I often see on bow sets in this price range, and the bow is also upgradeable. However, some customers did report some issues with limb warping and an inability to get in touch with customer services. While we didn’t have this issue, it is worth noting. On the whole, this is a good bit of kit for practicing.

Check out more in our full TopArchery Takedown review.

Pros

  • Low poundage available makes this accessible for youths. 
  • Excellent value for money.

Cons

  • Difficult to get in touch with customer services.
  • No stringing tool included. 
  • Customers report warping issues.

Black Hunter Takedown Bow

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Best For Practice Sessions

With laminate limbs, the black hunter has  enhanced power yet remains lightweight. Lamination also protects the bow from general wear and tear. It took just a few minutes to assemble, and the rounded design made it easy to grip and wield. With 30-60lbs draw weights, this isn’t the best bow for youths or beginners with low upper body strength.

Overall, this bow had an excellent feel and fired accurately. It was a bit loud, so if you wanted to hunt with it, you’d want a string silencer. We didn’t need to contact customer services, but other customers reported excellent experiences with that. It’s an excellent basic bow, but it isn’t customizable.

For hunting or upgradability, check out the other options on this list, like the Samick Sage. Some customers reported limbs twisting or becoming damaged after a few weeks; while we didn’t experience this, we still consider the longevity of this bow to be questionable. 

Read more in our full review of the Black Hunter Takedown Bow.

Pros

  • High-quality feel.
  • Accurate performance. 
  • Excellent customer service.
  • Lightweight and portable.

Cons

  • Questionable longevity. 
  • A little loud. 
  • Customers report specific twisting/damage issues.

PSE Archery Pro Kit

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Best Left-Handed Kit

Last but certainly not least, we have PSE’s Kit. This is the only kit on the list that caters to both left and right-handed shooters, and accessibility is a big point in general as the draw weight begins at 15lbs, making it an excellent kit for youths. 

The kit  comprehensive including a bow stringer, adjustable sight, Armguard, finger savers, arrows, etc in addition to our new bow. The black fiberglass limbs were well made and helped us shoot accurately and make use of our poundage. Overall, this was a great bow. The kit extras weren’t so great. The feather fletchings on the provided arrows got stuck, meaning the arrows wouldn’t fire well, and we couldn’t use them.

But this wasn’t the end of the world, as quality arrows are cheap. The maximum draw weight for this bow is 35lbs, meaning it’s not really ideal for hunting with unless you’re planning on only hunting small game, but if you’re looking for a left-handed bow package for beginners, you can’t go wrong with this kit.

Read more in our full review of the PSE Archery Pro Kit.

Pros

  • Left-handed orientation is available. 
  • 15 pound draw weight makes it ideal for young entry-level archers. 
  • Lots of extras available offer excellent value for money. 
  • Upgradeable bow limbs.

Cons

  • Poundage is too low to hunt large game with. 
  • The arrows included with the kit aren’t usable.

Recap: The Best Recurve Bows 

We’ve taken a look at some of the highest-rated best-selling bows and archery kits on the market right now, which are – 

  1. Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow. 
  2. TideWe Recurve Bow and Arrow Set. 
  3. D&Q Archery 50″ Takedown Bow and Arrow Set. 
  4. TopArchery 56″ Takedown Recurve Bow.
  5. Black Hunter Takedown Recurve Bow.
  6. PSE Archery Pro Max Traditional Bow Set
 If you’re looking for a new hunting recurve bow, you should look at the Samick Sage. However, if you’re looking for a cheap kit for a teenager’s Christmas gift, you can’t go wrong with the TopArchery Takedown Set. Left-handed users should look at the Sage or if you want an all-in-one deal, the PSE Archery Pro Kit. Whichever product you choose, we wish you the best in your target shooting or hunting endeavors. 

Trey

About the Author

Trey is a lifelong hunter and avid camper. He lives outside Denver, CO with his wife Kaci and their lab mix Ziggy. They spend as much time as possible outdoors - hunting, fishing, and camping.

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