Older Bear bows

[NW Jamie]

This may be stupid question 101, but here goes anyway. Do older, say nineteen fifties or sixties, Bear recurve bows send an arrow with more or as much force as newer recurve or reflex/deflex long bows? I know that this is subjective and am not looking for which is the "best" or "fastest", just simply does an arrow come out of them any different then the same poundage bow of newer make. Yes, the Bear bows may be more elegant and have their own class about them, but if you hunt with one does it knock down any better or worse? Just daydreaming and this popped into my mind that really as long as the bow feels right to you then it is the right bow, but then I have not ever shot a older Bear and maybe I am missing the smoothest shooting bow in the world?  

[Shakes.602]

Jamie, there is no such thing as a "Stupid Question" My Friend! Sorry about NOT being able to Answer Your Question, that is How We ALL Learn. "Dont Know? ASK!" Good Luck!!

[Bjorn]

The older Bears are wonderful bows! Not faster than today's best; they just do it with more class!      

[Blackhawk]

Bjorn is right on!

 

Taking a 50 year old Bear Kodiak to a 3-D and competing with (or even beating) the new Widows, Blacktails, etc. is very rewarding.  

Keep in mind that I have many of the more modern recurves and longbows, but the old Bears never let me down when I shoot them.

[wollelybugger]

They made so many bows that some were good, some were better and some were great. I enjoy looking at the old bows and shooting them. You will loose some speed but most are still capable of killing a big game animal. I have noticed that they made a lot of bows in the 45 pound range in the 50's and 60's.

[Stone Knife]

My 70's grizzly's will kill a deer just as dead as any new bow on the market, and do it cheaper  

[jcar315]

IMO the older Bear bows shoot just fine. I have several that are 50+ years old and just got back from the Baltimore shoot and they shot fantastic! Can't speak to how "fast" they shoot as compared to newer designs but they are so nice looking, shoot so smoothly, and were made by Fred Bear the man who I always picture in my minds eye as the "bowhunter."

[ron w]

I had a Bear Kodiack Hunter 55# @ 28" , I went to 3-D shoot a few years ago and they had a chronograph. You got 3 shots thru the machine for a $1. It was a fund raiser. Any way that old Bear with a 31" 2216 xx75 with a 125 field point shot 175 fps every shot. That arrow was around 530 grs. Thats good enough to hunt any I'll ever hunt,new stuff may be faster but so what!!!

[reddogge]

I don't know if they are better or faster but I think they are prettier and do the job just fine.  I just watched a friend shoot his "new" 50# 1964 Kodiak at the Baltimore shoot and I don't see how you could improve on the performance of that bow.

[Orion]

As Wollybugger said, Bear, and others, made a lot of bows that were good, better and even better than that. I've shot some of the better older Bears, and IMO, they don't give up much if anything at all in the speed department to many of the newer bows of today.

[Grant Young]

In my experience, wollelybugger is pretty much right- every bow has a level of performance unto itself- I currently own several Grayling Bears and have owned a bunch more-usually in pretty much the same models and weight ranges and some are a little quicker than others. On the whole, these older bows and other makes as well can perform comparably to about anything made since. Fastflight string material, which shouldn't be used on these older bows, and possibly carbon limbs, are about the only real improvements performance wise that I can see and I want to be objective and am respectful to yoday's bowyers and their work. Same bow weight, same arrow weight, very similar performance as a rule but of course, the exception shows up from time to time in bows of any vintage. A bigger concern, IMO, is the expected life of the bow. Everything has a finite life span and I think of that pretty often when I'm dragging my old Super Kodiaks and Takedowns through the woods; I just haven't found anything I like as much or that performed so much better that I've been inclined to change.                GY

[Brent Hill]

Its not a bear, but my 1969 wing tbird 50lb at 28 with dacron string will shoot the pants off of most of my more expensive refined .. fast flight recurves.  I shoot a bob lee elite takedown (made by the younger lee) and the wing tbird and the bob lee td shoot the same broadhead combo with equal speed and anger.  If the Tbird wasn't so old and rare, I might be using it as the go to bow.

[Arkansaslongbow]

IMHO, the older bows {if taken care of} will get the job done as good as anything on the market; there are alot of good bowyers today that have a vast amount of knowledge in making good bows and there are alot of materials offered that wasn't offered back in the 50'sand 60's; but make no mistake about it,those bows of "yesterday" are STILL stacking deer like cordwood here in Arkansas; if you find a vintage Bear in good shape and don't want it, I'll be more than happy to take it off your hands;

By the way, never be afraid to ask questions here on tradgang; you are in the BEST company of people in the world.....