Can I shoot it?

[mathews4ever]

I have acquired and old Bear Kodiak Special and I have no idea weather or not I can shoot it. I have contacted the phone jockeys at bear archery and they told me to hang it over the fireplace but I would love to hunt with it just once. It was my grandpas bow and has not been strung in probably 30 years. I have looked over the bow from tip to tip and there are no cracks. I would love to refinish it and start shooting with it.

Any help would be great.

[reddogge]

You may get a faster answer by posting this on the Trad History/Collecting forum here.

[mathews4ever]

I am new to the forum and didn't know where to put it. I guess I will see what happens with it here. I would hate to post it in two places at the same time. I don't think you can move a post, can you?

I am going to post pics of the bow as soon as they load.

[mathews4ever]

Heres the pics. Maybe you can tell me the date of manufacture then too.
 
 
 
 
 

[reddogge]

I'm far from the expert but I'd clean the dirt off of it and look it over for any delaminations or splits or limb twists.  If none, shoot it.  Draw it back a little at a time to work the limbs again after they were dormant for so long.

Again, they would know over at the other forum on dating but would probably need the serial number.

[mathews4ever]

The writing in the pics is the only writing on the bow. I thought it was weird too that it didn't show draw length/weight or a serial #. My grandpa sad he bought it brand new, so i don't believe it has been refinished.

[mwmwmb]

reddogge is right the guys in the Trad History/Collecting forum are real knowledgeable on old bows. Seem like especially bears

[mathews4ever]

Is there a way to move my post over there? Or can I have a mod do it for me. I really don't want to post it twice. I know that really cheeses off people.

[snapper1d]

There was an old bowyer about 25 years ago told me to peel back the strike plate at the arrow rest and there would be the draw weight there.He said they would put the draw weight there also.Sure enough it seems that all older bows I have seen had it under there.I put the draw weight on all my bows under there also plus on the limbs.

[McK]

Its a 1962 Kodiak Special, a fine shooting bow, I have 4 0f them, it is probably a 66" recurve, they also came in 69" and 63" but less common.
  The weight and length were written in gold ink on the riser but may have worn off.  Check under the strike plate, as stated earlier it is usually also there (wt.)
McK