Do old compounds need a cable guard?
 

I recently inherited a Bear Black Bear compound bow that my Dad used and have been working to get it ready to use it for deer this season. With a new rest and sights, it shoots great out to about 25 yards but when I got the string replaced to be safe the archery shop made a big deal about it not having a cable guard (they kept asking why it was taken off) which the bow did not come with when it was bought new.

The bow has killed deer before without one, all I have noticed is it folds the vane over a little after a lot of shooting. I tried finding one to work with this bow but the threaded area where it could possibly go is around 3/4" and no aftermarket one fits. Also originals from later versions seem to be hard to come by. Is it a major problem that it does not have one?

If anyone has one laying around I would be interested in this part as well.

I have just gotten into bow hunting and am looking forward to our season starting on Labor Day, the old bow is hitting six inch groups at thirty yards and 5 inch at 20 yards. I really don't want to get a new bow because of sentimental reasons and it fits me extremely well.

If it shoots fine probably not but you should paper tune the bow towns sure your etchings are not hitting.

I got it tuned in some more today and have 4" groups at twenty with finger release so I am getting increasingly happy with it.

The fletchings on my gamegetters do hit the cables but I talked to a family friend who has been bow hunting for longer than I've been alive and he said the cable guard was left off of bows in the seventies because the contact wasn't thought to be an issue with feather fletchings and they just used to rotate the nocks to one or two o'clock if they needed anymore clearance. Tried the two o'clock setting today with the four inch veins on the eastons and it only hit maybe an eight of an inch, the arrows need refletching anyway because the easton fletchings are weak and since I just started shooting a month ago they ended up in the grass quite a bit before I updated the rest to a whisker biscuit.

I would still be interested in a bear cable guard from a Black Bear if anyone has one.

If your fletchings are touching your cables even a little bit will affect the flight of your arrows, so you should get a cable guard and you can get those pretty much at any bow shop or cabelas etc. also if your cables are touching each other you definitely need a cable guard

This will be increasingly noticeable once you switch to broadheads. A broadhead will exaggerate the effect of fletching contact on the cables and your groups will be larger. Feathers will help but will not eliminate the problem.

I too have got my hands of a stripped down Black Bear bow and am going through the same things. No grip, I'll wrap it. No string. No rest. I have emailed a few companies for suggestions, but am trying to get it right the first time around. Hookeye, you mentioned a guard that used the same mounting holes as the sight. I have seen the bent guards that screw into the bow itself, that's it. Bear customer service said they believed it to be 5/16 thread. Would many of the generic guards such as Cobra work?

Do you have an archery outfitter near you? The ones I frequent are very helpful and could probably point you in the right direction... they might even know which are compatible and which aren't.

Black Bear Bow Wooooes
 

Yeah, the local pro shops around here are either intentionally not very helpful, or don't have enough time to help me out. I seem to be running into a number of disinterested people. The majority of responses I've been getting via email is, this particular bow doesn't need one. I'd just hate to throw a string on there, then find out that it does need a cable guard.

Well... it is smack dab in the middle of the busiest time for them, so I guess I could see that.

My outfitter has so much work it's ridiculous... everyone waiting until the last minute to get out and get their stuff in gear for the season. I've never liked to do it that way.

used to have some of these an old Bear Whitetail I had, as a young hunter. Problem I had, was they always popped off after shooting. Mine did not have a cable guard either. Never saw one, with one

I have an old Bear Black Bear. I found out today, the hole facing you is NOT 5/16"-24. The actual thread size is 7/16"-20.

They don't make a threaded cable guide rod in that size that I could locate. I'm going to have to fabricate an adapter.

I found a 7/16"-20 external to 5/16"-24 internal threaded inserts. They will probably cost more to ship than the cost of the insert.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/me...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

or

http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/T...573+4288245784

Another option is to take a 7/16"-20 bolt from Home Depot, use a size "I" drill bit to drill down the center of the bolt and then tap it for 5/16"-24. Then you'd need to cut the bolt to the correct length to make it an insert. I'd probably use permanent loctite on it too.

Check out a machine shop. They probably have what is known as a heli coil. This is something similar that is shown in the links shown by hardwarz. If they have, the machinist could build the 3/8 inch offset cable guard (rod) that you need. Make sure the rod is not larger than 3/8 inch out side diameter because if you put a slide or cable roller on it, these parts fit a 3/8 rod. If they have a rod that is (cold rolled steel) this is very smooth. The threads on the rod have to protrude out of the bow to be able to put a thin lock nut on it. The reason for the lock nut, when off setting the rod for clearance, the nut is tightened to keep the rod from moving. The rod has to be long enough that when you come to full draw, the cables do not come off the end of the rod. An inch and a half longer should be acceptable. This will allow for the extra wideth of a slide or roller, plus a bit extra if over drawing the bow. Best of luck.

I know this is an old thread and as usually happens the OP has not followed thru with letting us know how he's done, but here is my input.

7/16x20 is really an odd size for any hole on a bow. For as long as I can remember (35+ years) most holes were standardized by the ATA. Most all threaded holes for stabilizers and cable rods were/are 5/16x24. Today there are no threaded rods being used. They are all 3/8" rods just pressed into a plain 3/8" hole and secured by either epoxy or a set screw coming in from the side of the riser.

Eders.com has a Cobra rod for $11 that is threaded that may work. If the hole in the riser is 5/16" I would drill it out to 3/8" and drill and tap a hole from the side for a set screw to secure it. In fact, I'd drill and tap for a set screw no matter what rod is used. Then just cut the threaded portion off with a hacksaw and bevel the end with a file. Buy a cable slide with the rod and no extra cable separator will be needed.

Parts for old bows are just about nonexistent so you have to think outside the box and be willing to improvise.

But to answer the original question? Yes, a cable rod/slide of some sort is necessary if you're getting any fletching contact at all, especially if shooting vanes.