fakejordan

i have gone hunting with a shotgun the past couple of years and decided that next year i want to try a bow. i do not have enough money for a new bow so i have been looking for used bows. I have found a fred bear adjustable compound bow. the owners says it is in good condition but is an older model and she is unsure of the exact model.She says the only reason why she is getting rid of it is becauseshe wantsto go more traditional.it comes with arrows, quiver, sights ect. They are asking 75$.
First question: How good are bear bows?
2nd question: Do they tend last a long time (i know it depends on the owner but in general)
3rd Question: Is this a good deal?

DEbohuntr17

The Fred Bear company has been around forever and makes some quality bows. If theres anyway u can get a picture of the bow, than youmight recieve some more input or opinions, because that will give a little better representation of the quality. But 75$ has me thinking, most bows nowadays run 300+ $.

fakejordan

i dont have a picture, but i will be going to see within the next week or so. Is there any type of things i should look for or any common damage areas.

KodiakArcher

Care of the string and straightness of the arrows will be good indicators of the use/abuse it's had. Depends on the model of Bear bow that it is as to what it's worth. I certainly wouldn't give more than $100 for a package like that of an older (80's) vintage Bear. It'll be a slow dog in comparison to today's bows but they killed deer back then and they still will now, they just may not be as dead as my BowTech kills them.

fakejordan

i took a look at it today. they said it was between 15-25 years old but has a rarely been used. It has killed deer before so i know it can be used. i tried a few shots and i hit the target each time. so i decided on buying it. the arrows and strings looked fine and i could not see any cracking on it. its nothing special but it is good enough to see if i like the sport.

MDBUCKHUNTER

Take the bow to a local archery shop and ask them if it is a good deal or not. They will be your best help.

In my opinion, Fred Bear bows had problems at the beginning (poor limb construction)but have come around nicely since. I would be proud to shoot a bear bow these days. Most bows will last 15+ years if you take care of them. Who knows, by then maybe you will want to upgrade!

fakejordan

when you the "the beginning" which time period are you refering to (years)

fakejordan

after more inspection, i found PL-134322 written on it.i am not sure what this actually means or refers to but if anyone has any ideas please tell me.

fakejordan

i have been shooting the past few days using a 1 inch thick foam pad. It stopped the arrows atfor about 50 shotsbut then the arrows began going completely through. i add a couple more layers of foam and made it about 3 or 4 inches thick and after about 5 shots, the arrows began going through again.any guesses to why this may be. I am not overdrawing at all and the pad is still in good shape.

fakejordan

i finally took it to a bow shop. The person there still has one but no longer uses it. He says mine looks as if the limbs are in good shape. he said the strings and cable need replaced but thats about all. He said if i take care of it, it will most likely last many years to come (i would have been satisfied with 3).