10 Best Mounted Archery Bows for Horseback Shooting (2026)

In this article, I’ll cover the best mounted archery bows available and break down what makes each one worth considering.

Starting any new activity is equal parts exciting and stressful, and a lot of that comes down to picking the right gear.

Mounted archery is a niche passion. There isn’t a huge competitive scene, and not everyone has access to horses or the open space needed to practice.

That said, it’s an incredibly rewarding activity once you’ve got the basics down and the resources to support it.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve caught the mounted archery bug and want to find the right bow to get started.

Quick Comparison Chart

1. Huntingdoor Archery Traditional Recurve Mongolian Horse Bow — Best Overall

The Mongolian army was feared throughout the ancient world, and for good reason.

They were fast, relentless, and devastatingly effective. Enemies dreaded facing them in open battle.

A huge part of their success came from their mounted horsemen and the compact horse bows they carried into combat.

Even today, Mongolians remain among the finest mounted riders in the world. If you’re curious about the cultural roots of mounted archery, check out our article on Korean archery and the different types of archery bows.

If you’re a beginner in mounted archery and looking for the best bows you can use, then a better way to begin your journey than using the traditional Mongolian bow.

And if you’re looking for the best Mongolian bow in the market, then the Huntingdoor Archery Recurve Horsebow is what you’re looking for.

They’re carefully handcrafted from genuine materials.

From the wood, leather, and thread used in the bowstring, you can don’t worry that they’re authentic.

It’s also very flexible and durable that could last for a long time.

And even if you used them, they won’t easily depreciate.

Also, the leather grip of the bow is simply amazing.

As we all know, mounted archery requires persistence, heightened-focus, and the ability to hit the target under intense shaky vision.

And one way to maximize these factors is to accompany your skill with the best equipment you can find.

The Huntingdoor Horsebow takes into account such concerns and helps you become a better horseback archer.

And to reinforce your effectiveness in the field, it’s lightweight that allows you to be mobile even on rough terrains.

Another plus factor of this horse bow package is that it also includes other essential items like gloves, bowstrings, armguard, shooting gloves, quiver, etc.

They’re a good value for money, and I assure you that you won’t regret buying them.

2. AF Turkish Short Bow — Runner Up

Turkey was another major military power during medieval times, especially when it came to mounted warfare.

What made them so effective?

Just like the Mongolians, the Turkish were masters of both horsemanship and archery, and they combined the two into a devastating fighting style.

Combine the abovementioned elements, and then you’ll have a fast and efficient army of horsemen.

As of today, they’re still among the best-mounted archers in the world.

They have perfected crafting bow and arrows that are highly effective in hunting, fishing, and official mounted archery competitions.

Fortunately for you, they’re still making these traditional recurve bows, with a twist of modern design to fit today’s generation’s needs.

If you want to own this type of bow, then the Turkish Short Bow is what you’re looking for.

The design of the bow is a mixture of modern and traditional.

The manufacturers used materials that include genuine horse leather, ash wood, bamboo, and fiberglass.

Ashwood is a tough wood and very durable that can stand the test of time.

This may be the case - it’s lightweight and won’t impede your mobility as you compete.

The addition of horse leather strengthens the durability of the bow.

This means you don’t have to worry about damaging your bow during training or competition.

As a result, you can focus more on your craft and improve your skill.

Lastly, the bow is aesthetically pleasing.

However, it’s a little expensive and may not be affordable for everybody.

Nevertheless, it’s a great bow to own if you value the equipment’s durability and longevity.

3. Deerseeker 54 inch Traditional Hunting Longbow — Best Value

The Deerseeker 54-inch Traditional Hunting Longbow is built around a bamboo core that delivers a smooth, forgiving draw cycle. At 54 inches, it’s compact enough to maneuver comfortably from horseback without catching on the reins or saddle.

The leather-wrapped grip provides a secure, comfortable hold during fast-paced mounted shooting drills. It’s tacky enough to stay in your hand without being sticky or uncomfortable during extended sessions.

The bamboo core paired with the longbow limb profile produces a quiet, vibration-free shot. You won’t get the same stored energy as a recurve design, but the smooth release makes it easier to shoot accurately while moving.

This bow works equally well for ground-based traditional archery and target practice. It’s a good choice for archers who want a single bow they can use across different shooting disciplines.

The traditional aesthetic of the Deerseeker is understated and clean, with a natural wood and leather look. It’s a solid value for anyone looking to get into mounted archery without spending a fortune on specialized horse bows.

4. Southland Archery Traditional Recurve Bow — Premium Pick

Southland Archery is a popular archery supply provider.

They have a good selection of selections in supplies.

It doesn’t if your intention is either for official competitions or just a hobby - they have it.

The Southland Archery Traditional Recurve Bow is the perfect horse bow if you’re specifically conscious about its overall aesthetic.

The design features an extremely tough core that provides better stability.

By doing so, results in an improved aim and increases your chances of hitting the target.

Both ends of the bow may not look that durable, but they’re strong enough to handle a high level of pressure.

The design of the rise was developed from the original Samick Sage, and then it was upgraded to address the needs of modern mounted archers.

However, it’s more good for individuals with smaller stature like kids, teenagers, and others with small body frames.

Did I mention that they’re durable?

And yes, indeed they’re.

The materials used in manufacturing the bow include several hardwoods like Hard Maple, Dymondwood, and genuine White Oak.

Fiberglass is also added to solidify its quality.

As a result, it leads to a tougher, versatile, and more durable recurve bow.

Plus, to the strength it brings, the blend of woods also improves your performance and increases your chances of hitting your intended target.

Lastly, they’re portable.

What this means is that you can put them away easily when you’re on a trip.

They also offer a great package.

Aside from the horse bow, it also includes brass bushing, quiver, sight, stabilizer, and brass plungers.

5. SAS Maverick One Piece Traditional Wood Hunting Bow — Budget Pick

The SAS Maverick is a one-piece traditional wood bow from Southland Archery Supply, one of the most recognized names in affordable traditional archery gear. Its solid one-piece construction provides a stable, consistent shooting platform with no takedown hardware to rattle or loosen.

The wood build gives the Maverick a classic traditional look that instinctive shooters appreciate. It’s smooth to draw and releases cleanly without excessive hand shock or vibration.

Southland Archery Supply designed this bow with hunting in mind, so the draw weights are appropriate for game at ethical distances. It also works well for backyard target practice and building form.

The one-piece design does mean you can’t break it down for compact storage or travel. If you need to transport it to a riding arena or stable, you’ll need to plan for the full-length bow.

At its price point, the SAS Maverick is tough to beat for archers who want a reliable traditional wood bow without a premium price tag. It’s a straightforward, no-frills option that performs well in the field.

6. PSE Archery Pro Max Traditional Recurve Bow — Most Popular

Suppose you’re not particularly looking for bows to use in official competitions but still want to get your hands on premium and quality archery gears.

In that case, you’ve to check out PSE Archery Pro Max Traditional Recurve Bow.

They’re the perfect set of archery equipment to own if you’re a complete beginner.

It’s lightweight and flexible but strong enough to absorb pressure and inflict the strength of release you intend without worrying about damaging the bow.

The bow’s mass may also allow the archer to have better stability and aim at the target more accurately.

Needless, the top feature of a lightweight bow is your ability to move freely.

This is also especially true if you’re into mounted archery.

You can expect a lot of motion as the horse gallops from one end to another.

If you don’t have the right equipment, it would be challenging to confidently fire any shot.

Luckily for you, there are many options out there, one of which is the PSE Archery Pro Max Traditional Recurve Bow.

As mentioned, they’re great for beginners in any form of archery.

But it doesn’t mean the advanced archers can’t use them.

As I emphasized earlier, the mass of the mass is very tolerable and helps you to get a better aim even if you’re constantly moving or your target is.

Plus, to the bow, you’ll also get extras such as a recurve stringer, quiver, finger guard, arm guard, stick-on rest, adjustable sight, etc.

7. D&Q Takedown Recurve Bow and Arrow — Best Design

The D&Q Takedown Recurve Bow is extremely durable and extraordinarily tough, and I guarantee you that.

Why am I confident?

Well, it’s because the primary materials incorporated into the bow are a durable aluminum riser.

Aluminum is the main material used.

What this means to the archer is that it ensures the level of toughness.

Also, hard maple wood is added to solidify the quality and performance of the recurve bow.

Aside from their sturdy built, they’re also very comfortable.

Despite its metallic aesthetics and aluminum feature, they’re not a burden to carry.

The riser’s surface is smooth, which prevents any skin injuries related to rough surfaces of woods.

This may be the case - the smoothness of its surface doesn’t interfere with the bow’s grip or handle.

To ensure that your grip isn’t affected - they added a curvature and grip patch on the handle.

As we all know, the abovementioned factors are the key elements in improving your archery skills.

This is especially true if you’re constantly on horseback because it helps to stabilize your vision as you aim for a better shot.

Another plus side of the D&Q Takedown Recurve Bow is that it’s advantageous no matter your archery level - from beginners to experts.

The only downside of the bow is that it’s a little expensive.

And you may have to prepare your budget before buying one for yourself.

The length of the recurve may be a hindrance for mounted archers with shorter stature.

Nonetheless, I still believe that D&Q Takedown Recurve Bow is a good value for your money.

The good thing is that the package also includes other important items in improving your archery skills - a durable quiver, fiberglass arrows, bow stringer, pin bow sight, finger guard, arm guard, etc.

8. Spyder XL Takedown Recurve Bow — Most Durable

If you want to look more professional, then the Spyder XL Takedown Recurve Bow is what you’re looking for.

The bow’s overall design is just pleasing to look at, which is a combination of hardwood and modern materials to suit the needs of today’s mounted archers.

It’s also compact and extremely lightweight, and bringing the set with you would be a delight instead of the other way around.

It doesn’t if you’re a beginner or advanced archer. You can benefit from the bow if you’re looking to improve your skill or just using it for recreational purposes.

The sturdy-built bow also allows you to train without the worries of breaking or damaging the gear easily.

Another concern that the manufacturer has taken into consideration is the individuals’ left or right-handedness.

Again, you can use the bow with ease no matter if you’re a left hand, right hand, or orthodox - it’s all good.

Personally, disregarding other items included, I like the bow itself and pretty much impressed overall.

The black design is simple yet emits an elegant vibe.

The only turn off I’m seeing is that it may not be everybody because of how high the retail price of one set is.

However, for the cost, you’ll be receiving a carbon-made arrow, bowstrings, arrow rest, quiver, armrest, arm guard, stringer tool, and hard bow case (something that isn’t included in other items listed here).

So I believe that it’s worth every penny if eventually, you purchase them.

9. PSE Stinger MAX RTS Pro Compound Bow Package — Best for Beginners

The PSE Stinger MAX RTS Pro is a complete ready-to-shoot compound bow package that comes with a sight, arrow rest, quiver, and stabilizer. You can start shooting right out of the box without buying any additional accessories.

PSE’s cam system delivers a smooth draw cycle with adjustable draw weight up to 70 lbs. The let-off at full draw makes it comfortable to hold while aiming, which is a major advantage for beginners working on their form.

compound bows aren’t traditionally used in mounted archery competitions, which typically favor short recurves and horse bows. However, the Stinger MAX is an excellent choice for ground-based target practice and hunting.

The black finish gives the bow a clean, modern look that appeals to archers who prefer a utilitarian aesthetic. PSE’s build quality is well-regarded in the archery community, and the Stinger line has a strong track record.

If you’re primarily interested in hunting or target shooting and want to explore horseback archery later, this package gets you started affordably. You can always add a dedicated horse bow to your collection down the road.

10. Bear Archery Grizzly Recurve Right Hand — Honorable Mention

If you’re looking for an archery store with a long history, then you must visit Bear Archery.

The store has been around since 1933.

And staying in this business for that long says a lot about the credibility of the business.

With this being said - you can don’t worry that you’re receiving only the best bows around if you eventually decide to avail yourself one of them.

And one example of their excellence is the Bear Archery Grizzly Recurve Right Hand.

Allow me to explain why I think that they’re one of the best choices to consider.

For one thing, the riser of the recurve bow adopts a technological design that the manufacturers were using since the 1970s.

And this includes using laminated maple wood to strengthen the materials’ overall strength and flexibility.

Parts of the limbs are constructed with fiberglass to improve the recurve bows’ ability to absorb huge amounts of tension as you stretch the bowstring.

In regards to the string, they’re pretty decent, in my opinion.

And I believe that it can manage a large number of throws without breakage or anything.

Again, I’m pleased that it’s simplistic in design.

The combination of black and wood grain is just appealing.

The last point I want to stress here’s that it’s lightweight and relatively easy to carry around.

This means you can freely position yourself for a better angle as you aim and improve your shot in the process.

The only downside of the bow that I could think of is that it may only be good for a right-hander, as the name implies.

But overall, the Bear Archery Grizzly Recurve Right Hand is the best value for money if you’re specifically looking for durability and quality.

I hope my review of the best mounted archery bows helped you in determining which gear to use.

Nevertheless, I believe that you can never go wrong with any of the brands I listed here.

They’re among the best in the market, and it would be just a matter of personal preference.

Looks like we covered a lot of ground with this article.

Thank you for your time, and I hope to see you in the next articles.