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Yesterday morning after I got back from hunting I took my recurve out of It's case like I always do and hang It up on It's hook In my front porch. Every time before I hang It I always look at the limbs and string to make sure everything looks fine. Guess what I find, my upper limb Is starting to laminate! Little tiny slivers are slowly peeling away from the outside edge of the top limb. I'm bummed and pissed big time!! I took It outside right away and grabbed some practice arrows and shot about 60 arrows out of It and nothing seemed different. I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn being I was nervous as heck pulling It back and waiting for It to blow up. I'm going to keep hunting with It until It either blows up or the cracks get allot worse then they already are. I'm not exactly sure how picky I'm going to be now with shooting a deer. I'll never shoot a buck that won't make books (management thing) but I'm really thinking seriously about taking a doe now being I'm not sure how long my bow will last. I have no back up bow and the money situation Is very tight right now so I won't be out looking for a different recurve until the middle of the winter I'm guessing. I don't want to go without a deer this year being venison Is allot cheaper then beef Is. I'm In a tough spot, not sure what to do. Do I hold off and wait for a buck and take a chance on my bow blowing up and then go without any venison? Or do I shoot the 1st doe that walks In front of me before my blows up so I can get some meat In the freezer and save some cash Instead of buying some beef? The area I hunt In only gives out one tag total.

I've been bow hunting with this same recurve for 14 years this fall. It's been a great recurve and we've done very well as a team. It's shot me many deer and bear, 2 of which were P&Y animals. 140 1/8" Mn Whitetail and a 20 5/16 Mn Bear. Next year I'll have a new Recurve In the woods for the 1st time In 14 years. It's kinda sad If you ask me! We got pretty attached to each other.

2009 can't get here quick enough, been a tough year all together!

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any possible way of having a professional fix your bow? Relaminate it so to speak?

Loosing a bow of 14 years would be like loosing a friend:), youve done well with it though.

I hope a buck helps you make that decision by offering a shot before a doe. It really depends on what you want. Would you rather have the chance at a buck and possibly go without venison this year, or would you be content with a nice doe for the freezer and no buck this year?

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Just shoot the bow sparingly yah never know you might get anothe 100 arrows out of it ! Good luck

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Goodluck with your bow schultzy hopefully it can hold out til Dec 31st.

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Sorry to hear Schultzy, not sure if you can get epoxy that would do in a pinch or not, either way, I believe it's days are numbers. Good Luck getting P&Y #3 with it before it's ready to retire!!!

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Man, that really sucks! If I were you, I'd wait for a doe that's got a lot of meat on her, or a shooter buck. Good luck with whatever you decide Schultzy!

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Sorry about your good friend Schultzy. Maybe it will finish the season out. Maybe you should charge an extra quarter/hundred for hauling to compensate your loss. Just kidding, good luck with your recurve.
Chris

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Wow tough spot to be in. If your wanting meat, shoot a nice fat doe. Do you have any buddys that you shoot trad bows with? Maybe one of them has an extra bow you could shoot the rest of the season? Just a thought

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That sucks Steve. Can anyone on here lend him a decent recurve for the rest of the season?? I would but I don't own one.

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I have confidence it will work out for ya Steve

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Steve, sorry to here your bad news. I would be afraid to shoot it until it's repaired.Are you right handed ? I would be willing to loan you a bow. I have a couple of bowtechs 29 inch draw @ 70 lbs if your interested ?

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You and me both buddy! Hunting aside this has been a tough year. Add it back in and it has been monsterously bad.

Here is to a happy and fulfilling new year to you my friend.

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I am sorry to hear that Steve. One tag? Man thats tough in and by itself.

I will gladly lend you a bow if you areleft handed. I have a recurve (55#@30")or a back up compound 28" draw.

So depending on whether you are a leftie or a rightie, take either myself or Walleye up on the offerfor it is not worth it to you or your family to get hurt with an unsafe bow.

I am also concerned(at least it would be the case with me) that you will be thinking and concentrating on the condition/status of the bow while drawing and will have less focus on making the shot, which with a recurve is tough enough even under ideal conditions.

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Steve, I'm sorry to hear that buddy. Is there anything you can do to keep it holding together for the rest of the season? I ask out of ignorance as I know next to nothing about recurves. It will be hard to retire that bow I'm sure. It's like losing a hunting buddy.

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Can you post any pics of it? Stuff comming off the sides sounds alot better than delamination from front to back. You may be able to use a little superglue and wrap the limb to get you through. I'd have to see it to let you know what I think you should do. I'd guess you've got alot of use out of it and if you can fix it you could have alot more.


Also what are the specs on the bow. I might have something to get you through the season. (if you need it)

Jason

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Steve, do what any Red - Green show fan would do........... Duct tape it!! [:-]

Hopefully it'll last the rest of the season.

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I sure wish I could trailinone!! Good thinking though!!:D

Walleyefever, Jackflap, Jason- You guys are something else, kind and very good people you are!!:) I'm going to try and make It through the season with It. Jason and I are as we speak are exchanging a few PM'S on what I can do with It, he's optimistic about getting my bow through the season. We'll see what happens.

Thanks everyone!! GregH, that was funny as hell!!:D

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Shultzy....just go whack that big oneon your next trip out, and it will all be ok :D

I'll betcha she's good for one more shot....;)


(LOL...I was thinking duct tape too, the do all / save all!)

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Bummer Steve, but I'm sure you will find a nice sweet bow to replace that one, & you'll be as energized as ever.

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funny as it sounds Duct tape would probably get you through this season.

I think you'll be able to fix it and have it for many years to come.

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Thats a tough one to call Steve. You sure as hell don't want to have it blow up in you hands and perhaps hurt yourself. It sounds like it's minor and may last longer than you think however you just never know...I see your dilemma. Personally Ithink you shouldshoot what makes you happy at the moment, in other words don't rule out anything. If a nice doe walks up on you and you just feel like putting an arrow in herand cut your losses for this season go for it! You'll have some meat in the freezer and a whole year to get another bow.If you see the doe and think to yourself "I think my bow will hold out a little longer, I'm gonna pass" then that's what you do and don't think twice or second guess yourself.

Good luck bud I hope it (your bow) holds together till the end of the season.

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What about just getting new limbs?

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The company I bought my bow from no longer Is In existence. I've looked on the Internet listing there company name (Windwalker Bows) and nothing comes up. I figured the guy who owned this company wouldn't last long making bows. He was kind of a moron with his customers but he did make some good bows, mine just wasn't one of them. Remember that thread John I made In Outdoor Freaks about my bow loosing pounds? It finally showed It's face. At least now I now know 100% why I was loosing pounds.

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After 9 dark to dark hunts so far, I'm starting to loose some of my lamination!:DSteve, good luck with your bow. I think you'll get the rest of the season in with it, but I'd still shoot the first doe that comes into range.;)

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Schultzy- Sorry to hear about the situation, I hope everything works out. I know what you mean by being attached to a tool of the trade, whether its a gun/bow whatever. When its time to retire him, give him a nice spot on a hook next to your 140 incher.:D

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If you lived close by i would totally hook you up with a tone of venison. I have two bucks in my freezer that i shot and one doe that my father in law shot. Sorry to hear about your bow, if i were you i would get out there and see if i could pop one more deer with it and then retire the bow above your mantle. A bow that has been with you for so long deserves to be put on display in your home.

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That sucks Steve, you had a great run with your bow! Kinda like losing a good friend! Hopefully you'll shoot just one more and be able to hang your bow on the wall for the memories!!!

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I got one you can borrow for a while if you want. Brack Drifter 61#'s at 28". It's been complaining to me lately about collecting dust. :D

Shoot a PM if you want.

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Not sure what your limb materials are, but if its a composite glass bow, you should be fine. The silver strips, as you say sound more like a finish rising than the glass. If it glass, it will be about .005 glass which will be thicker than a sliver strip. It will also come up all in one piece. If that is the case, Id not shoot it agian and get you some Smooth on 40 and use a syringe to inject the delam places and either clamp with spring clams, C clamps, or stretch clamps. Once clamped, place it about 2 inches from a lamp with a 60 watt bulb and cover make a tent with foil over it and the bulb. This way it will cure to a decentthreshold and wont delamat moderate temps. You could also use a whole host of other two part, gap filling epoxies instead of smooth on. Smooth on is kind of expensive.

A delamination is not the end of the world and can be fixed real easy in about a days time. Its not worth blowing up your bow over.

If its a finish, after season, scrap off the old finish with a dull knife or dull bur scraper and reshoot it with what ever finish you like. Poly, Shalac, Deft, etc. etc...

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how about lying it across the big bear pelt as a momento??!!!
Yah that's tuff when you really like a paticular weapon, it's kind of like losing an arm.[>:]

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Thats to bad man:(. Great offer BobCo.

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thats sucks man. hope it stays in tack for awhile. good luck