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The recurve bow
The recurve is the bow of Olympic target archery, a take-down bow whose limb tips curve away from the archer to store extra energy.
What a recurve is
A recurve bow takes its name from the shape of its limbs: the tips curve back away from the archer, so the string touches the belly of the limb near each tip at brace. That geometry stores more energy for a given limb length than a straight-limbed bow, and it is the form used in the Olympic Games.
A modern target recurve is a take-down, meaning the two limbs bolt into a central riser and can be removed for transport and swapped to change draw weight. The riser is usually machined aluminium or carbon; the limbs are wood, carbon and foam laminates.
How draw weight and length set the arrow
The archer's draw weight, measured at their own draw length, is the number that chooses the arrow. A stiffer, higher-poundage bow needs a stiffer arrow, one with a lower spine number, or it will flex too much off the string and fly poorly. This is the same spine logic the fitment tool applies.
Recurve archers shoot off the shelf or a simple rest and use a clicker, a thin blade that falls off the front of the arrow to signal a consistent draw length. Consistent draw length is what makes a chosen arrow spine repeatable shot to shot.
Barebow and the recurve family
Stripped of its sight, stabilisers and clicker, the same bow becomes a barebow, aimed by string-walking or gap methods rather than a sight. World Archery runs separate barebow divisions, and the discipline has grown quickly.
Whether shot with a sight or barebow, the recurve remains the classic starting bow at clubs. A beginners' course almost always puts a recurve in the new archer's hand first.
Match an arrow to your recurve
Open the BoltFitFinder fitment toolGet the spine for your draw weight and lengthFind recurve arrows carbon on eBayaffiliateRelated
Sources: World Archery: recurve ยท Wikipedia: Recurve bow