how long does a recurve "last"? i mean will it lose its lamination or strength over the years? i didnt know if lots and lots of constant shooting would "wear it out".....

if it's a totally idiotic question please tell me..
thanks
moose

If it is a glass laminated (i.e Modern type with glass lambs) it will last forever and keep the same draw weight. Every bow has the potential to loose its lamination, but that is usually a glue failure, and it does happen but not to often.

Actually that's a good question. If you take proper care of it, they will generally last for many, many years. There are still lots of great old bows around, still being shot, that are 30+ years old.

Chad

I shot with a guy using a 1957 Bear Kodiak last summer. Lots of the guys at our club bring 60's and 70's vintage bows to our weekly fun shoots.

Chad,

Doesn't Marc (of Chek-Mate) have some concerns about the longevity of bamboo?

Jakes

True Jakes--something I hadn't thought of. I've only heard of probably two or three laminated bows going out of tiller (due to one limb getting weak), and they all had bamboo limbs. Chek-Mate has questions about the durability of bamboo over the long run (derived from their testing), so they don't offer it. I've seen and heard of a very few bows delaminating--at least one was very old, and probably not properly stored, at least one was brand new and obviously not glued up properly. These did not have bamboo.

There will be exceptions, but generally speaking they last a long time.

Chad

thanks guys!

Moose,

You never know for sure.
Maybe only one year if it's not made properly but 30 to 40 years if it is and you take good care of it.
If you can buy a bow and shoot it constantly for even 10 to 20 years, it's not a bad investment.
If you go with a bowyer with a good reputation, you should have no problem finding a long lasting bow.



Sag.

i just picked up a martin x-200 recurve, but was just curios. i actually shoot it better and more consistent than my compound