Hey guys, bought my son a bear archery compound bow about 2 yrs ago. He loves it.  Hes getting a little big for it though so we'll be upgrading soon.  In the meantime, hes on a history craze and liking anything to do with Mayan/ Aztec and native American history.     Was thinking of getting him a traditional bow to fit that curiosity.   I don't know anything about bows of any kind besides very basics I learned online.  
 Hoping for something that wont break the bank.  Thanks guys.

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Did you check Kustom King or 3 Rivers?

How old is he? Draw length?

Can’t go wrong with a Samic sage

The Sage is very well made and you can limbs in various weights.

There is also one by a different company called the "black hunter". It is available as a longbow. Lacks some of the features of the Samick Sage. But still good.

Both are well under $200.

He's 10. A taller 10 for his age.    The bear brave bow got a slight too easy and small for him.   But I honestly have no idea about draw length etc.

I’m in for info as well. Similar situation as OP. I’ve been looking into ILF youth bows.

Any suggestions from the experts?

PSE Pro Max

After researching several of the recommendations I settled on a PSE Pro Max Take Down Recurve Bow 20# Right Hand AMO Length 54".      

Had a few questions about it / bows in general.   If my son outgrows the string lbs , can I buy new ones for the same bow?    And I cant find what arrow heads come with it.  It says 28 inch carbon arrows but doesn't show the tips.    Is it standard to always buy your own ?  And if so, which do I get ?  Different diameters etc ?

I’m a bit late to the party but here’s some very basic starter information on arrow tuning.

1. “Spine” matters and higher numbers equal softer spine.  Heavier arrow points result in a softer spine, as does longer arrow length.  Spine requirements also vary for traditional versus compound bows with trad bows needing a little harder spine as they have max force on the arrow at the start. Within trad bows recurves need a little more spine than a long bow, again due to the peak force on the arrow and where it occurs.

Google it, but the short version is that lighter draw weight bows get better arrow flight with softer spine arrows.  This chart will get you in the ball park for a given draw weight, draw length, point weight and bow type:



Field points in the 100 gr range are a pretty common starter point.  You can go a lot heavier if needed to tune an arrow with a stiffer spine, or alternatively to use if you want to use the arrows with bows of different draw weights.

I have three different long bows (as well as a couple recurves) and all three long bows have dedicated arrows tuned specifically for them.  Recurves are less sensitive to arrow tuning so I just use the long bow arrows for the long bow closest in draw weight to the recurve bow I want to use and I get good arrow flight.

If he gets into hunting with a 40 plus pound bow down the road you’ll want points that match the broadheads he is using.  And if more weight is needed with that broad head  you can get weights that thread into the back of the arrow insert (although that’s really something you do with an initial set up and build of an arrow).


2. Point diameter depends on shaft diameter.  You want them to match as you don’t want to damage the shaft going into a target, and you want the arrow to be easy to pull out of the target.  Too small a point diameter and you risk shaft damage, and too large a diameter makes it very difficult to remove the arrows from the target and does more damage to the face of the target.

I would not worry about the arrows that come with it.  You’ll need a lot more than three.  I’d order a dozen arrows of suitable spine based on the chart along with 100 gr points and start there.  

For a 20 pound youth bow wood cedar arrows often work well and they usually come with an attached point.  Carbon arrows are nice as they won’t bend, but they can get slivery  when they get worn, and if you break one while shooting it, it can be very nasty, so inspect them for any cracks or damage.  Aluminum arrows also work well but they are much more prone to bending it out of tune and or pulled out of the target at an angle.


3.  Recurves are more forgiving of form errors than long bows, but they are more demanding of proper form than a compound.   So don’t let him get discouraged initially if he’s not shooting a recurve as well.  Just work with him on his form. There are a lot of traditional archery videos on you tube that can help him with that.  


4. Recurves are also a good way to eventually transition to bare bow hunting, using the bow with no sights.  There are a couple different methods including using the point to determine elevation and string walking.  It’s another area where arrow length can come into play in not only tuning the arrow but also adjusting the point of aim for the desired distances and in particular a desired zero range where you are not holding under or over the desired point of impact.


5. Don’t get too hung up on arrow tuning provided the arrows are all impacting more or less straight into the target.  There’s one arrow here that’s a bit sideways but that’s in all honesty probably due to a not so clean release on my part.



There are a couple different “standards” out there (“ILF” and “Formula”) for compatible limbs on takedown recurves, as well as a number of different proprietary systems. The two standards are not compatible with each other and all the others just work with limbs made by the company. This the system used by Martin on one of my recurves, and they changed the design over the years so even with a brand compatibility can be limited.



My understanding is that PSE does not offer any extra limbs for the Pro Max bows, and I don’t know whether they are compatible with other limbs.

The Samick Sage is a good choice in that regard as while they don’t use the ILF or Formula standards, they make a lot of different limbs for the riser and they can be found in weights from 20 pounds to 60 pounds in 5 pound increments.  A new set of limbs is now about $80-$85.