Top 10 Traditional Bows

The Fred Bear pattern that started the modern trad revival. Smooth draw, forgiving, holds value on the used market.

Best beginner-to-intermediate takedown. Cheap enough to learn on, good enough to keep hunting with.

Oregon-built takedown recurves in bocote and osage. Custom fit, hunting-first geometry.

Straight-limb American longbow in the Howard Hill tradition. Slow arrow, dead-quiet shot, deeply forgiving.

Hybrid longbow with carbon-laminated limbs. Fast, stable, and unusually smooth past 28 inches.

Reflex-deflex longbow engineered by O.L. Adcock. Reference-class performance for a hunting-weight bow.

Yew or laminated warbow in the historical pattern. Heavy draws, deep archery tradition, roving and clout.

One-stave osage orange bow, hand-tillered. The oldest working design in North America, still hard to beat for a hunting-weight stick bow.

Short, reflexed composite horsebow. Fast from the saddle or on foot, distinct style of shooting.