Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow - 62"-64" Hunting & Target Bow - Fast, Accurate, Versatile Handcrafted Riser - Fiber Glass Maple Limbs - 20-60lb Draw - Beginner to Intermediate

I am a beginner archer currently learning to shoot instinctive and I have to say that this bow is great. Given my style and interests, I will eventually make the transition to a Mongolian horse bow, but am using this bow to get my basics down and learn what I am doing.The bow comes packaged nicely with a set of basic instructions. It's easy to assemble and the wood of the riser is beautiful and feels great in my hand. You can tell that its well made once you start loosing some arrows. From what I can tell its an accurate bow and launches the arrows nicely and smoothly. As far as durability is concerned, I have yet to have any issues. I have dropped it a few times and have let my teenage sons take some cracks at it and we all know how delicate teenagers can be with things.When I ordered mine, I purchased 35 pound limbs just to get a feel for things. I am reasonably fit, so I am getting to the point where I would like higher poundage limbs, which I can easily do by purchasing new limbs through Southwest Archery. That's one of the things I love about takedown recurves. You don't have to buy an entirely new bow if you want to increase your draw weight.I have shot this bow from as close as 5 yards to as far as 30-40 and I can say that it is an accurate bow with enough power behind it to get the arrow where its going. At the time of trying the 30-40 range, I was experimenting with string walking and with using that method I was able to get good results at that distance. It was something that really resonated with me because string walking, I feel, is a good test of the accuracy of a bow.If you want a bow to learn on that will last a long time, I would highly recommend this bow. The only downside of this bow that I can give, which isn't any fault of Southwest, is that the length of the bow is a bit too short for me. That is something that I knew going into it. I am 6 feet tall with a draw length of about 29 inches, which puts my bow length between 68 and 70 inches. Because of that, I do experience arrow pinching at times, but again, that is not an issue with the bow.

I want to start off with my very concise opinion as i get kind of long winded and detailed. This is a great bow for the money even with the few issues i have with the provided arrow rest & string. I don't think you are going to find a better deal and within an existing brand ecosystem with supporting limbs available. I did extensive research and simply put this is a great all around choice.In my very limited experience with this bow starting with first impressions. On unboxing the limbs look nice and free of any functional defects, but the wood of the limbs seems to have minimal protection so i am saying any exposure to moisture until i have some chance at adding some would not be a good idea and they do seem to fit well in the limb pockets. The riser like the limbs seems free of any functional defects the finish well that leaves something to be desired as it has multiple tiny imperfections& only one i find annoying a splinter at lower sight insert hole because that sort of thing is 100% avoidable, but still small. Looking at it casually it looks very good and honestly better than i expected for the price.So why did i give it 4 stars for beginner. First of all that stick on arrow rest looks like a real vane stripper so no way i would suggest using it. My only suggestion for new archers arrows and arrow rests are the most important decisions you are going to make right from the start followed closely by instinctual shooting or with a sight.I would suggest if you think off the shelf instinctual start with bear hair & silent plate, but keep in mind if you want that to work well for you feather or faux feather vanes 5" better than 4". I am not going any deeper here or this review would never end so do the research. I would suggest an old stand by bear all weather rest or the cheap white plastic with the weak looking arrow support as some pros use them and replace them often, but me right now trying magnetic wire and plunger.The second reason i took a star for beginner is the string as i have had to twist it so many times for proper minimal height that i can only describe it as poorly sized & minimal. This brings me to the other important upgrade for this bow for anyone a good Flemish twist fast flight string. Then you have to deal with string nock & square and what route to go release method ect. and while i have gone old school split finger Neet calf hair tab and no sight that is the way i learned.The bow draws nice and feels good in the hand while mine @ 55lb is a little stiff that's more down to my large frame and overdraw. I do not feel giving any bow an accuracy critique is fair before settling on a quality dozen arrows and string and rest and besides all that i don't know what to judge it against. I have owned and shot quite a few recurve bows in the last 35 years from old fiberglass Ben Pearson, Bear Kodiak magnum, PSE Coyote v.1 & a custom 74" AMO #42 @28 and that was the only one i have owned suited to my draw length and in my estimate proper consistent form and an arrow rest you feel is working and a good string, but most importantly you must have GOOD ARROWS.I have never shot a bow that without practice couldn't turn in decent hunting grouping at 20yds, but the PSE Coyote taught me that i have a BIG dislike of reflex risers.