Trad Gang
Main Boards => Trad History/Collecting => Topic started by: hardwaymike on May 22, 2011, 09:00:00 AM
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Who out there makes replacement limbs for the old bear 76er? I am looking for a set of "hunting" wieght limbs for one. Thanks in advance for any info, Mike.
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Not sure if anyone makes replacement limbs but I see enough 76ers' for sale you should be able to find what you are looking for at a reasonable price.
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I've asked this question a couple of times and found no one yet.
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Jack, where have you seen them for sale? I looked on the auction site and didn't find any. I could have very well searched wrongly but it is kinda a "no brainer" I thought,lol.
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76ers come up pretty regular on blahbay you just have to keep checking. I usually go to archery then search for bear and go through the listings.
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Mike,
I see complete 76er bows on the auction site all the time. There are one or two on there right now.
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Make that three or four.
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But I understand where Mike is coming from...most of the bows for auction...the seller has no idea of poundage or length....therefore aftermarket limbs would eliminate the uncertainty.
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Well they were only just OK bows to begin with. I bought mine new in 77 and then had a grizzly by 78 (much smoother and faster and quieter). The 76er shot fish for 2 years then went into moms garage sale. Limb brackets/pocket too thin for a laminate to last at hunting weight(thats why minuteman bows have thicker limb pockets/limb wedges). Try to staighten with boiling water and do yourself a faver and pick up a Grizzley or kodiak. you will be much happier with the results.
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I disagree hvyhitter .I think comparing the grizzly/kodiak to the 76 er is apples to oranges but I'll put my 76er up against a grizzly of the same poundage and year any day as far as shootability. I have mine tweaked and tuned pretty well. They are underrated bows for what they are.
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I have a Kodiak Hunter that I have always hunted with. I got the 76er from my dad for the right price. I plan on using it for fish and for a backup bow that won't take up too much room. I got it yesterday from dad and it has the hvy wgt limbs which faintly reads 45# so I should be good to go. It does have the shorter "hunting" riser so now all I need to do is come up with a string and I should be ready to shoot it. I just hope the loose limb pockets hold together when I am stringing it.
kuch- any suggestions as to how I should go about tuning it up a little? I would like to get it to a 100% before shooting it.
Thanks for all of the responses everyone, Mike
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I personally don't have a problem shooting padded fast flight on older bows....that's just me. Iuse a 6 or 8 strand SBD. I think they "feel" better especially with 10+ grain per pound arrow weight. The "vibration mushrooms" seem to help a little. then the basic proper nock and brace height. Mine really shoots well and I would have no compunction shooting a deer with it .
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kuch, do you shoot your 76'er off the shelf or off of a rest? Mine didn't have a rest on it when I got it so I am unsure of how they are usually shot. This is my first take down bow and first metal riser bow so kinda clueless here,lol. Thanks for any further info sent my way, Mike.
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You guys have got me thinking on these limbs. I have been tinkering with Bear Mag risers the past year or so and have made #1 and #2 limbs. I almost have the #3 form finished also. Anyway I glued up a limb last night on another form and will glue the second one tonight for the 76er. I will try them out Friday and see what I end up with. I will post pictures in the next few days if all goes well.
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OK guys I have two pair of limbs glued up and half of the third pair. They are coming along well and shoot great. The limbs are black glass with maple cores. The tips are Fasflite ready. I'm on the third set trying to get the weight that I want. I draw 26" and want #62. I should be there on this set! I am about to the maximum weight I can go due to the limited thickness I can use on the limb butt and still get it to fit the limb pocket on the riser. I had to use a few tricks on this last set!
I will get some pictures up soon. I'm using my daughter's lap top now as the harddrive is out for lunch on my desktop. (Chad thinks I'm teasing him) LOL
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Tell it to the judge , Monte....You are teasing !! Can't wait to see 'em.
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You got me interested I'am with Chad I'd like to see them ?????? bd
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Ok guys here are a few teaser pictures! I need to do a little tiller work, final sanding and apply the finish but had to post these pictures to maintain my creditablity. LOL
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii66/inrutelk/DSC00488.jpg)
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii66/inrutelk/DSC00489.jpg)
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Very , very nice. That looks like one black ,blue and red carp killin' machine.
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Very nice
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:clapper: man o man those are super. Nice work sir. Takin orders yet?? Thanks for sharing
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Oh man I think your on to something... Great job! :D
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hummmmmmmmmmmmmm with a lot of mmmmmmmmmmmmm looken good looken good don't stop now.I'd love to see the step by step you used to preserve this old beauty bd
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updates? am curious how successful you r limbs came out
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Don't want to speak for Monte but I know he's made a few with some minor headaches and I'm sure he's chasing a big buck about now. Hopefully He'll see this.
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bttt
im also interested in how this is progressing
kevin
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OK guys, I didn't hunt the past few days and was able to spend a little time in my shop. I cut out a set of limbs today and I'm headed back down to put the tip overlays on now. I think I have all the bugs worked out and will post my results in the next couple days! One of the problems with the 76er riser is Bear used two different size limb pockets on the butt section of the limb (and no I'm not confused with the Minuteman). The blue riser above has pockets of .375" and another riser has pockets of .330". More in a day or so!
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The laminated limbs look great, but has anyone tried to recreate the solid fiberglass limbs with the black plastic limb tip covers?
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Well guys my 76'er turned into a light bill payment but I am still interested in how these limbs turned out. So if you have come up with anything new let's see some pics. Happy holidays folks, Mike.
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ok guys
this is just killin me
any up dates?
id just love to see a few more of those 76ers back in action
kevin
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I don't want to speak for Monte, but he has had more headaches than he ever anticipated . i think he knows more about these risers and their differences than most. Hopefully he'll chime in and explain.....'cause i can't....I just shoot 'em.
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I think inrut should back off on bow weight. The 76er riser can handle a maximum of 60# if you remove the clips and bolt on new limbs. Bob Savage and the late Paul Schafer were the experts on this. Working with the 76er riser led to the development of Paul's Silvertip TD. Slip in replacement limbs probably should not exceed 55#. There's a reason Fred limited the limb weight to 50# in these bows.
Joe
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Ok guys here is a little information on the 76er limbs. The problem other than my short attention span on this project is the 76er riser. There are a few variations made of this riser. Pictured below are some pictures of the different riser variations. The biggest problem is the limb pocket. There were two sizes that Bear released. One had a limb butt thickness of .380” +or- .010” while the other was .330”. This .050” difference does sound like much but, when trying to build a limb with a limb butt already really thin .050” makes a lot of difference! I don’t have any problem making limbs with the .380” pockets. After a few tries I now have made limbs that are ridgid enough in the butt of the .330” size to make a 56” bow that is #60@28”. I agree with Frisky #60 is the maximum weight that a 76er is strong enough for (although I have a set of #70 limbs for “my” wide pocket riser). If any of you have a 76er and your limbs have an overlay on the back side of the limb butt it is a .380” model. From looking at a Bear catalog Bear was using the thick limb butt in 1974. I think it was changed to make the riser stronger sometime after that. Bear also added a circle shaped boss on the belly side of the riser near the ends to make the riser stronger. I’m going to finish the tips on the set I built last week and get them to kuch for his testing. He and I will determine if I’m going to work on this project anymore as I have “other” projects in mind! More to follow as I’m at slow typing!!!!!!!
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii66/inrutelk/76erlimbpockets.jpg)
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii66/inrutelk/76errisers.jpg)
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Do you think the limb pocket size difference could be due to some limbs being light weight and others in heavier poundages? Poundages ran from about 30-50#. Bob Savage told me he wouldn't go with 60# unless bolted in place. The steel pocket clips are not very strong. Paul Schafer went too heavy and got knocked down when he blew up a riser. I do know the Minuteman riser is similar and can handle 55#. Any way you look at it, the 76er can benefit from custom limbs. Bob told me his custom-limbed 76er is 60" and is one of the finest shooting hunting bows he has ever owned.
Joe
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I've said it before , the 76er is underrated with stock limbs, my 50# limbs with 6 strand FF shoots surprisingly well......so can't wait to put Monte's through a few paces. I'm in no way a bowyer,but the Bear takedown limbs are not bolted in place and have seen 80+ limbs and have a set of 76#. regardless , i'm excited and know Monte has been pulling his hair out with this seemingly "simple " job of retrofitting custom limbs......Again, that's why I just choot 'em. I would be interested to know what were the deciding factors and reasons for Bear making so many changes to a seemingly simple ,"entry level" takedown.
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Kuch: you might have 80# and 76# Bear TD limbs, but not for the 76er as I assume you know. If you take off the pocket clips, grind the riser ends flat and bolt on new limbs, you can safely shoot 60# using these risers. Personally, I wouldn't trust custom made slide-in limbs over 55#. I've seen risers with broken clips that probably broke with the stock 45 or 50 pound limbs.
I agree with you regarding the 76er, with stock glass limbs, being an underrated bow. These bows can be made whisper quiet and are accurate. I have the Custom and the Deluxe. I bought one when they first came out in 1973. Some folks mistakenly believe they were introduced in 1976. They are not a fast bow but are no dogs either. Back in 1976, I preferred my 76er over my brother's 1976 Grizzly. The Grizzly was just a bit faster but not as smooth.
Joe
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Joe , me too, like 'em better than the grizzly. Still wonder why Bear had so many differences .....was it Bear making the changes or the foundary .I know it is kinda apples to oranges ,but the Amag didn't change much over the years....look how many variations of the "cheap" bow there are ....why?why not keep the thicker limb butts ?
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Great Bows None the less.
:thumbsup:
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I have to admit I've never seen one of these bows fail. I've only seen risers with missing pocket clips on the auction site. These risers could have suffered abuse. I think Fred did not anticipate the bows being used as project bows. They were marketed with the beginning shooter in mind. Mine cost $25 and did not come with an add on grip. 50#, even when shot by someone with a long draw, was probably considered within the safety limits of the pocket design. Many of the 76ers I've examined have slightly twisted limbs. Both of mine were twisted right from the box. Just a slight twist. Being mass produced, limbs didn't always fit perfectly into risers. Also, the glass limbs lacked string grooves. These slight imperfections have no effect on performance. I've read complaints of limb rattle and hand shock and have never experienced either in these bows.
Joe
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Are those clips riveted or welded on?
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Originally posted by Frisky:
Many of the 76ers I've examined have slightly twisted limbs. Both of mine were twisted right from the box. Just a slight twist.
Joe
2 out of my 3 have a slightly twisted limb. I thought mabe the riser was to blame. So you are saying this is normal for these bows? It is OK to keep shooting them with this?
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It almost looks like they are pinned on. I really can't tell but see no evidence of a weld.
CR- Yes, you can shoot them without a problem unless they were seriously out of whack. Usually, they are just off by a visible but small amount. I don't even bother to hand straighten them. In fact, one pair is off by a small amount on my short riser but dead straight when put on my long riser. It just had to do with loose manufacturing tolerances, IMO.
To really get a great bow, try to find a hard plastic #2 grip that was made for the Polar compound. It's a perfect fit on the 76er risers and is the finest grip I've wrapped my hand around. However, I have small hands.
Joe
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In the photo posted above, the green riser looks to have the R2 hard grip, my favorite.
Joe
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Thought they looked like pins. Close up pic threw me off they looked like a small spot weld.
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They are pins. About a 1/2" long. They have a little screw twist to them. You may need a little heat to remove.
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Thanks for the info. I will have to find some old bear polar #2 grips as well.