Old Production Bows

[woodchucker]

OK Folks!!!!! The March Blahs are officialy here and  some of us are running out of things to talk about LOL.

I know there are alot of old "production" recurves (and longbows) out there that people have in there collections.I also know that many of us still shoot and hunt with them too!!!!!

So,let's hear it!!!!! watcha got????? Still shoot it????? Hunt with it????? What did you kill with it????? Is it LUCKY?????

I'll start.....

1967 Bear Kodiak Magnum, 52" 55#

This is the bow that I bought from Joe Skipp in 1999 when I got back into "traditional" archery. I killed an 85# coyote with it in 2002 (7 yard shot)

1969 Bear Grizzly 56" 40#

I bought this bow for my son Kevin from Joe Skipp in 1999. Now.....Kevin's little brother Tyler has "claimed it"

1967 Bear Grizzly 58" 47#

I won this bow last year in the 2006 Joan Leonard Memorial Bunny Hunt St.Judes raffle. This old Grizzly is "officialy" 40 years old,and it is going to be my designated "Hunting Bow" for 2007.

1956-7 (?????) Bear Kodiak Special 64" 47#

I "liberated" this bow from a guy at work who had it strung backwards "every time I pull it back,the string comes off"     It is missing a tip overlay. Mike Robin (Bamboo) is going to replace the tip overlays and it will be shooting again!!!!!

Let's hear it folks!!!!! Watcha Got?????

[robslifts]

shakespeare necedah 55lb  do not know what year

bowfishing bow shot my first whitetail with that bow.  (with traditional gear)  one of the best day of my life..   that is the day I fell in love with trad way of life

[Blackhawk]

My very first production bow was a used Ben Pearson Cougar in 45# that my dad bought for me in 1965 for $5.  I sold it for $5 a few years later.

My very first NEW production bow was a Bear Kodiak Hunter I bought in 1971 for $52.  I still have it.

[Dick in Seattle]

Your stuff seems kind of new  :^)      While most of the time I shoot current Hills, I kind of stumbled into even older wood longbows.   I got on the list for a "traveling bow" that turned out to be a York lemonwood longbow of about circa 1950.   Took it to the NALS and used it there, with, for me, great success.   Then while setting up a church rummage sale, there was a circa 1950's lemonwood Ben Pearson... that was followed by another Ben Pearson of the same age in heavier weight from ****, and I'm currently waiting for a very modern Ben Pearson longbow... I think the 60's... at least it has some fiberglass on it.
Everyone one of the ones I have in hand shoots very nicely, and I wouldn't hesitate to take them on a 3D, which is the only shooting i do.   I'm sure that if I hunted, they would do the job well from any distance I would shoot from.  For me, it's a pleasure to shoot these oldsters.They're the bows of my teens.

Dick in Seattle

"Shoot your own arrow..."

[Steve Kendrot]

I've got a 70's era super kodiak that will always have a special place on my rack. Picked it up in a Salt Lake City UT pawn shop for $30 as an emergency replacement for a bighorn takedown that blew two sets of limbs 4 days before my first elk hunt! Didn't get a shot opportunity but have killed 8 deer with it back home.

First Bear bow was a 45# Grizzly I got off a fellow grad student for $25. Was my first trad bow and replaced my compound on the first draw. Hven't looked back and that was 1993.

Recently have acquired  an 80s custom kodiak T/D and an olger set of grayling limbs. sweet shooter and excited to hunt with it.

Dad found me a 45# Pearson Equalizer at a flea market. 48" and looks like a toy, but throws an arrow. fun bow and hope to hunt with it too, although I tend to be a one bow hunter. Would be a great ground blind bow.

Have an old Bearcat at 39# that I rarely shoot. And my wife has a Bear tigercat.

Any more and I'm going to have to start hiding them from my wife!

[PaPaFrank]

I have a '64 Grizzly, 58", 48#@28" that I bought last year from an older guy,(well, older than me,lol)  Simply a beautiful little bow that has become my favorite lately.  I shoot it more than my newer bows and am looking forward to sticking a turkey with it in a few weeks...(of course that hasn't happened in a whole bunch of years of trying) but this little bow's got some serious MOJO!!!

[indianalongbowshooter]

1957 BLACKHAWK recurve 60 in. 65@28 made by Cravatto brothers, shoots great but has alot of handshock. Havent hunted with it yet. 1972 Damon Howatt Hi-Speed, 54 in. 55@28, this bow will shoot with most customs, throws a 466 gr. arrow at 185 fps., at my to the front of riser 28 in. draw. Forgot also have a nice Browning Cobra 50 in. 60@28 that shoots really nice..

[BamBooBender]

'57 kodiak 64" 47@28 great shootin bow!

[fflintlock]

I have a 1966 Grizzly 58" 42# I bought at a yard sale for $7.00, about 15 years ago. Any time I pick this bow up to shoot it, it like majic, all the arrows go right where I'm looking, wished I could do that with my long bow.
 The last thing I killed with that Bear was a running squirrel, no hesitation, pull, loose, made meat. What a feeling.
 I'd like to find an ole Grizzly around 50#.
Jerald

[woodchucker]

Thanks Guys!!!!!       Let's hear some more!!!!!    

[Dave Pagel]

I picked up a 45# Bear Grizzly Fascor that I want to set up fishing, but it really shoots 1916s well.  I may put my Robertson down and try to take a deer with it this fall for nostalgia sake.

A guy in my indoor league has a Kodiak Hunter that I really like and I would love to find a lefty.

Dave

[Kip]

I had bowdoc refinish my Damon Howatt 1976 58" 55@28" hunter that was  really rough I had used it a bunch but now looks brand new kinda hate to mess it up now.I also have a mid 70's K-mag I got new still use now and then used it couple weeks ago on a rabbit hunt.Love my old bows.Kip

[Billy]

My Red Wing Hunter is a great bow. It was made 65-68, they lost the records in the fire they suffered. It is pre AMF, 58" 50# @28". It shoots great, I shot okay and together we have fun!!Oh and for $35 bucks it's the most expensive and only Trad bow I own....so far  :D    Hunt,stump, whatever and it rides around the country in a big blue Peterbilt

[john gerrard]

I took a doe this year with an early 70's Bear K-Mag 51# @ my draw. Really like those short bows. I do like the looks and feel of longbows better. I'm waiting on a 52" Mosshorn now. Brokenwing

[Jim Harris]

I have a few older bows. I don't shoot them as much as I should. I'll have to dust them off &  take em' out soon. A few of the bows I have:

      67 Kodiak Hunter, 58 @ 28".
      67 Kodiak Hunter, 53 @ 28".
      70's Kodiak Hunter 50 @ 28".
     I like the 2 67's the best, good shooters.
      Kodiak Magnum, 55 @ 28", bought it knew in 1970.
      I also have my dad's old lemon wood long bow. He bought it knew in the late 1940's. I don't string this one any more.
      I have some old Ben Pearson's too, some shootable, some not.
            Jim

[vermonster13]

58 Kodiak Special, good shooting bow. 46@30 70"

[JL]

Traded my supervisior a ultra-light fishing rod/reel for a 47# 65 Kodiak. Most I've hunted with it is stumps so far but I think it might find it's way into the deer woods this year coming up. And man, it is one great shooting bow!

JL

[elk ninja]

My first tradbow still has a place of honor on my rack, a '76 (year I was born for a little extra mojo) Bear "Black Bear", 50# @28", still a nice bow and I mainly use it for bowfishing since it's the only bow that has a stabilizer insert.

[flatstick96]

My only current trad bow is a '59 Bear Alaskan that I picked up last year when I decided to get back into trad.  To this point I have only practiced with it, but once I deem that I am proficient enough to responsibly hunt with it, I will.  I am very much looking forward to harvesting something with a bow that is approaching 50 years old - I really wish it could tell me what it had been up to in the 47 years prior to my procuring it.  I suspect that in the next couple of years I will get another trad bow (having just had a 2nd baby it will be awhile before I can afford such a non-necessary type of expense), but I doubt I'll ever get rid of this old Alaskan.  

EDIT: In a perfect world I'd like my next trad bow to be a selfbow of my own making, but I have absolutely ZERO woodworking or bow-building experience.  Maybe when the time is right I'll be able to find someone around here who would be gracious enough to teach me how to make one.