Ow, ow, ow! My bow (compound...so much lighter pull than a recurve of the same power) does not have anything like that sort of kick. It’s pretty, though.

I’ve only once shot a shotgun. Mom and Dad taught us to shoot rifles (.22s) and hand guns (Mom’s .25 derringer). But the one where I hurt myself was firing a .44 at a range with a friend who was a cop...and nearly dislocated my thumb and shoulder. Boy, do you have my sympathy!

The big advantage with the bow for shooting small birds is if you line them up just right, you can get 3 with one arrow. If the arrows are titanium, like mine, you could probably use them as a skewer. :-) Or not...