Bear Limbs Question

[Trooper]

If two sets of limbs for the Fred Bear t/d were made the same year and were the exact poundage, could both of the bottom limbs be used to make a complete bow; or both of the top limbs (I know the locator screw would have to be taken out of the handle). What would be the side effects?

[450 marlin]

It would have to be retillered, and drill the locate hole in the limb..

[PAPALAPIN]

Yeah...top and bottem limb are tilered different.

I go with Marlin.

[Trooper]

Ok, this happened to me.  I had two sets of the newer FF limbs, both made in 2001.  Both sets are exactly 65#'s.  I hunt hard and shoot almost every day.  The top limb on my hunting set starting separating so I took that set off and put on the spare set I have.  I hunted with the spare set last year and have been shooting them just about every day.  Saturday, while at full draw the string popped and the limbs came forward so hard that the top limb on that set broke, beyond repair.  So now I'm left with two bottom limbs.  I put one of the bottom limbs in the top socket of my handle, (after taking out the locator screw), and the bow is shooting the same, no tillering no nothing.  It's shooting just as quiet, fast and accurate.  How could that be?  What's going on here. Did I just get lucky?

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

If it ain't broke don't fix it..
I did do a miss matched set a few years back, I believe I had 2 uppers one red tip one white tip an about 5# difference, I did re drill the fool proof hole, filled the other, and retillered it.
That was 6  or 7 years ago and the last I knew, they were still going strong.

[Jeremy]

Check the tiller on the bow.  If the limbs were exactly the same weight the tiller should be dead even, which should still shoot fine depending on your shooting style.  Probably be ideal for 3-under.

Knowing the post 2000 Bears though, I doubt the limbs were exactly the same     If they weren't the tiller measurement should be different and you may have gotten very lucky to have them be off enough to give it just enough positive tiller on the upper limb.  

Either way, if it's shooting good for you and you're happy there's no issue  

[450 marlin]

Anyone have a lower #2 limb without a partner laying around....
50# 58"
48# 62"
43# 68"
White Tip 2-4884 serial number

Let me know if you have one...Roy

[d. ward]

green tip limbs do not need to be retilled as they were the same upper and lower and you can switch them around and can't tell the difference because they were made from one 4" wide piece of fiberglass and then cut in half.
However white red blue black white whatever other color limb tip you have may or may not need tillering.Some sets are zero tiller and some are not.
But to answer your question yes you can switch them around I've done so several times myself.I personaly own a set of green tip limbs(back-ups) that are or were two uppers and one was a bit heavier then the other and Owen Jeffery narrowed the one down to make weight to match the other.They shoot just like any other set of green tippers.bd

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

As long as we are going down this road, I'll veer off just a tad and say I am looking  for a black glass with white tip to make a key fob of if any one has one..

[Orion]

Wouldn't most of the tiller on a takedown be created by the angle of the limb beds in the riser?  For example, the lower of two identical limbs could be given a little less tiller just by adding a half-degree, or whatever, to the lower limb bed angle. Granted, a little fine tuning might be required, but as folks have already pointed out, most of the limbs are interchangeable, top to bottom and vice versa, with little modification.