As far as hitting your arm more with a recurve, I think you would. If you are using good form your body is going to be in a straight line with your forward shoulder facing the target, your arm extended and the elbow of your rear arm pointed behind you. Further, if you are shooting instinctive (focus on target, draw, anchor point, release), you are not pulling back the bow and resting, then likely bowing out your lead forearm a bit like on a compound.
Get yourself a glove and shoot fingers (put release in case with compound). I use split fingers (two below, one above). Some folks recommend three below for accuracy (which allows you to look right down the arrow but in doing so you really aren't shooting instinctive).
Next, pick up "The Beginner's Guide to Traditional Archery". In it you will be given some good guidance form and drills for accuracy. Until you get the book, I will throw you the first shooting practice. Shoot from the five yard mark at a 2" (I think that’s the size) bullseye at eye level. Then put a dot in the middle of the bullseye. Shoot only 1 or 2 arrows at a time so you won't be as likely to just throw a dozen arrows down range. Focus on the dot in the center of the bullseye (burn a hole through it with your eyes prior to drawing) then while still focusing on the center of the bullseye bring the bow up and shoot. Once you have hit the bullseye 500 consecutive times without missing move back to ten yards. Wash and repeat.
Focusing on a single, tiny spot on the target is key. Here is a fun little experiment to prove my point. Go and shoot at a blank 3' x 3' target just trying to hit the center of the target. Now shoot from the same distance focusing on a 6" bullseye. Now focus on a 1" bullseye. While you would think your groups should have been just as tight, assuming you were focusing and you remembered the face of your father, the tightest group will when shooting at the smallest bullseye. I guess our minds are subconsciously lazy and will only expend the minimal amount of effort and concentration required. Ask any traditional archer who hunts and he will likely tell you that he is not aiming at the animal or the vitals or behind the shoulder. He is aiming at a hair that is over the vitals behind the shoulder.
For some cheap targets I use grain bags from my LHBS filled with old plastic bags from the grocery store. Stuff them as tight as possible. They work GREAT!!!!
Good luck and practice, practice, practice