Today’s recurve bow market is filled with many quality offerings, by a number of notable companies. Each one of these companies has their own unique story to tell and areas of specialty within the industry.
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Bear Archery
Bear Archery was initially founded in 1933, and at the time was based in Detroit, Michigan. The company was initially founded as an advertising support firm for Detroit’s ever-growing automotive manufacturing scene.
Co-founder Fred Bear was an avid outdoorsman that regularly retreated to the Michigan backwoods for bowhunting trips.
This love for the woods led Bear to hire Boyer, Nels Grumley, in 1938, facilitating the company’s launch into the archery industry.
For decades, Bear Archery has been known for its production of high-end recurve bows. Some of the company’s most notable product lines include the Kodiak and Grizzly models.
Martin Archery
Martin Archery originally began life as a central Washington State archery supply dealer in 1951. In those early days, the company’s main income stemmed from bowstring production.
The company’s founder, Garil Martin, invented a string making machine that revolutionized this process and prevented premature string failures, which had previously been common.
In 1976, Martin purchased Damon Howatt Archery, which had been producing traditional bows since 1943. Martin then began rebranding Howatt recurve bows, and selling them under their name, to much success.
Though Martin has turned out several incredibly popular recurve bows throughout the years, their Jaguar and Saber bows have remained top sellers even to this day.
These bows showcase detailed craftsmanship and an emphasis on relentless durability.
Hoyt Archery
Hoyt Archery was founded in 1931, by Earl Hoyt Jr. and Earl Hoyt Sr. The company was originally based in St. Louis, Missouri, though it is now headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hoyt experienced early success producing traditional wooden bows and cedar arrow shafts.
However, it was cutting-edge innovation that thrust the company into the limelight. In 1946, Hoyt introduced Dynamic Limb Technology to the market, which balanced limbs to achieve unparalleled consistency.
The company’s Pro Medalist recurve bows were used by Team USA archers, Doreen Wilbur and John Williams, to bring home gold medals in the 1972 Olympics.
Although Hoyt has placed a significant emphasis on compound archery in the last several decades, they still manufacture a limited line of recurve bows.
Of these bows, the Buffalo and Gamemaster II stand out as top-notch offerings in today’s recurve bow market.
PSE Archery
While PSE has not been around nearly as long as some of the other manufacturers on this list, they have more than made up in quality, what they lack in longevity.
PSE (Precision Shooting Equipment) was founded by Pete Shepley in 1970, and is now headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.
When founded, PSE predominantly produced archery accessory items such as release aids, and arrow building components, such as fletchings.
However, as the years passed, Pete Shepley began turning his attention toward the task of perfecting the compound bow, which is where much of the brand’s following is centered today.
Although PSE built its legacy on the engineering of cutting-edge compound bows, do not be fooled into thinking that they are without recurve bow savvy as well.
In fact, the company produces several budget-friendly recurve bows, with the Nighthawk, Razorback, and Shaman being among the most popular.
Southwest Archery
Southwest archery is a South Korean based recurve bow manufacturer that has been in business for approximately 20 years. During this time period, the company has built a prominent reputation for offering quality recurve bows at an affordable price.
Southwest Archery is also well known for their keen attention toward customer service.
Southwest Archery offers a number of different models of recurve bows, both in take-down and one-piece options.
Of their more recent market offerings, the conservatively priced Spyder line of take-down beginner recurve bows has garnered much attention from both beginning and experienced archers alike.
Great Plains Bow Company
Since 1989, Great Plains Bow Company has turned out some of the finest recurve bows on the market.
The company was founded in Pampa, Texas, by Bill Forman, under the premise of providing detail-oriented archers with recurve bows that performed as good as they looked.
The recurve bows manufactured by Great Plains are typically priced at a more premium price point than those of other manufacturers.
However, this pricing is directly reflective of the high-quality craftsmanship that these bows offer. Some of Great Plains Bow Company’s most popular product lines include the Kiowa and Cazador models.
Black Widow Bows
Brothers Norman, Jack, and Robert Wilson in Missouri founded Black Widow Bows. The company got its start in 1951, as the company’s founders strived to provide target archers with the finest equipment on the market.
With time, the company grew into one of the most prominent builders of custom recurve bows in the nation.
Though Black Widow has since changed ownership, the same high-quality custom recurve bows can be ordered from the company, even today.
However, it often takes as long as 6-10 weeks for your custom bow to arrive, so plan on ordering accordingly.
Predator Bows
Today, the company is headquartered in East Tawas, Michigan, and continues to utilize the same handcrafted approach to the building of their bows, as they have since their inception.
Predator bows began as a manufacturer and dealer of archery products in the 1980s, operated by master bower, Ron Pittsley.
Predator offers their recurve bows in three models, the Velocity, Hunter DX, and Custom. These particular models all differ from one another in price, as well as overall design features.
All take-down model recurve bows also feature a one size fits all limb bolt system, which allows any Predator limbs produced since 1996 to easily interchange.
Looking For Popular Recurve Bows?
Our List Of Sought After Bows
If you are looking to buy one of those mentioned brands mentioned above and need a little help to decide which model fits you, then check out our article about the most popular recurve bows in [currentyear].
