Old Bows
02-28-2008, 09:46 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 267
Old Bows
How do you guys feel about buying older used bows? Do they wear out? I have plenty of old guns and have no worries about using them but the thought of a bow breaking at full draw scares the chit out of me. Also, I am 6'1" and draw 71# on my compound and have no trouble at all shooting that all day long. Where would you recommend to start bowwise (recurve/longbow). Im looking for some draw weightand bow length suggestions.I thinkI took a hit from PA Hardwoods crack pipe and got addicted without ever shooting one seriously.
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02-28-2008, 10:00 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location:
Posts: 2,053
RE: Old Bows
My husband bought a used Bear and has had no problems with it. Make sre you look at the bow before you buy it. Since they are wood bows you can tell if they have been cared for and if there is stress in the wood.
02-28-2008, 10:47 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 686
RE: Old Bows
The bow I'm currently shooting is 30+ years old and still ticking along nicely. As long as they haven't been abused and/or miss handled, most older recurves and longbows still have a lot of life in left in them. You'll probably find longer length bows, 62"+,more comfortable (smoother feel, etc) to shoot than shorterones. Particularly if you have a longer draw. Poundage wise, kind of hard to say. Different folks have different natural levels of strength. Around the 45# mark would be a good starting point. You can always bump in weight at a later date, if you feel the need.You'll find pulling a compound is very different from pulling a recurve orlongbow with any given weight.A compound with letoff, taxescertain muscles differently than arecurve orlongbow that has no letoff.
02-28-2008, 10:48 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blanchester Ohio USA
Posts: 1,269
RE: Old Bows
I have several Bear bows from the 50's all great shooting bow.
It depends on each bow and the treatment it has had through its life. Check it out real well.
A quality built bow like the old Bear bows are usualy fine if they haven't been abused.
Check for cracks. Test draw it and listen to it until you are comfortable.
As for your draw wieght if you can go with a lighter bow. Maybe 50 lbs or less. Shoot it untill your getting good with it and then go up in wieght. Starting with 70 lbs or near that will only create bad habits that are hard to reverse. Shoot alot with a lighter bow and concentrate on form rather than acurace, that will come with time.
Most of all just have fun at it. Thats one thing about trad its alot of fun to fling arrows.
It depends on each bow and the treatment it has had through its life. Check it out real well.
A quality built bow like the old Bear bows are usualy fine if they haven't been abused.
Check for cracks. Test draw it and listen to it until you are comfortable.
As for your draw wieght if you can go with a lighter bow. Maybe 50 lbs or less. Shoot it untill your getting good with it and then go up in wieght. Starting with 70 lbs or near that will only create bad habits that are hard to reverse. Shoot alot with a lighter bow and concentrate on form rather than acurace, that will come with time.
Most of all just have fun at it. Thats one thing about trad its alot of fun to fling arrows.
02-28-2008, 11:21 AM
#6
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: land of the Lilliputians, In the state of insanity
Posts: 26,274
RE: Old Bows
Shooting 70# with a compound is nothing like holding 70# with a trad bow. Pull your compound back, just before it breaks, that is what you will be holding at full draw with a trad bow. What im getting at? Dont run out and get a 65-70lb trad bow. You will learn bad habits. Im 6'4" with a little over a 30" draw, and have shoot trad bows for over 20+ years. I hunt with bows at 50 to 65lbs. I learned on a 35lb bow. You dont want to start with abow that is too heavy.
As for old bows. I have one from 1978, one of my first hunting bows and it still shoots as well today as it did the day I bought it. It all depeneds on materials and how well the bow was cared for.
Good luck.
As for old bows. I have one from 1978, one of my first hunting bows and it still shoots as well today as it did the day I bought it. It all depeneds on materials and how well the bow was cared for.
Good luck.
02-28-2008, 11:27 AM
#7
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central Minnesota
Posts: 9,445
RE: Old Bows
ORIGINAL: burniegoeasily
Shooting 70# with a compound is nothing like holding 70# with a trad bow. Pull your compound back, just before it breaks, that is what you will be holding at full draw with a trad bow. What im getting at? Dont run out and get a 65-70lb trad bow. You will learn bad habits. Im 6'4" with a little over a 30" draw, and have shoot trad bows for over 20+ years. I hunt with bows at 50 to 65lbs. I learned on a 35lb bow. You dont want to start with abow that is too heavy.
As for old bows. I have one from 1978, one of my first hunting bows and it still shoots as well today as it did the day I bought it. It all depeneds on materials and how well the bow was cared for. Good luck.
Shooting 70# with a compound is nothing like holding 70# with a trad bow. Pull your compound back, just before it breaks, that is what you will be holding at full draw with a trad bow. What im getting at? Dont run out and get a 65-70lb trad bow. You will learn bad habits. Im 6'4" with a little over a 30" draw, and have shoot trad bows for over 20+ years. I hunt with bows at 50 to 65lbs. I learned on a 35lb bow. You dont want to start with abow that is too heavy.
As for old bows. I have one from 1978, one of my first hunting bows and it still shoots as well today as it did the day I bought it. It all depeneds on materials and how well the bow was cared for.
Good luck.
02-28-2008, 01:32 PM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Howard PA USA
Posts: 2,221
RE: Old Bows
If I could reccomend get a bow that is 40-45lbs to start. I warned you it is addicting. LOL And make sure you look for stress cracks and limb twist. Lots of nice old Bear bows out there (Look at the Kodiaks and the Grizzly). Other good ones to look at are wing and Ben pearson. And I'd say get one that is about 58-60"" if you are getting a recurve.
02-28-2008, 01:48 PM
#9
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 7,571
RE: Old Bows
Stress cracks can be OK. Just make sure that they run parrallel to the limbs lengthwise and make sure they are not too numberous, long, or connect to each other. They mostly appear at the fadeouts.
FWIW, I have two 60's Bears, one 70's Bear (well it's my son's) and a 70's Schulz longbow that all shoot fine.
I's also say to stay in the 45# range for your first. If you are going recurve, I wouldn't go shorter then about 60" and longbow about 66".
FWIW, I have two 60's Bears, one 70's Bear (well it's my son's) and a 70's Schulz longbow that all shoot fine.
I's also say to stay in the 45# range for your first. If you are going recurve, I wouldn't go shorter then about 60" and longbow about 66".