Question for the bear experts

[jrbows]

Been looking at bear tigercats on the auction site,the riser and grip look a little "different" who owns and shoots one of these and do they have a feel like any of the other models?THANKS in advance,one more thing I've seen a lot of really nice looking browning bows and have at least one myself any fans? Or collectors? They just don't seem to have the value or popularity they should have for the quality and appearance that they have,THANKS again.

[PAPALAPIN]

I'm sure this will bring some flak

Bear bows are more collectible

Browning bows are better shooters.

Just one collector's opinion that has both.

[Ssamac]

Who actually made Browning bows? Did they have their own factory or was this an OEM deal and they stamped their logo on them? Browning never made junk in any of their lines
sam

[reddogge]

I bought an interim Browning Spartan 30# bow while I was rehabbing my elbow and it is a wonderful shooter.  My grandson shoots it now but I still like to take it out and fling some lightweight arrows with it.

[Ssamac]

Do they pull smooth like the Wing Archery Bows. I like Bear bows but they tend to pull hard at least to me

sam

[Grant Young]

Every bow has fans. Jack has fans- I'm one of them but I've owned a lot of bows and I still prefer my Bears. They are better for me but I wouldn't want to measure somebody else's corn in my bucket. Bears do pull a little stiffer, at least at the back of the draw, while Wings tend to be whippier in the tips and pull a bit smoother. I've never owned a Browning that I cared much for as a shooter but cosmetically several of them were very appealing. As to your original question, the Tigercat was an economical, entry or intermediate level bow and will never rank in the same class as the so-called "flagship" models. Most of the bows from that period varied a bit from example to example and your grip may indeed be "different."  Grant

[TimberlineX]

I’ve met very few quality bows that I didn’t like in some way.

Some of the Browning recurves have indeed shot very well for me. I really like the 62” Browning Explorers from about 1970, for example. Other Brownings have not proved to be my favorites.

But, then again, I could say that exact same thing for EVERY other classic line of bows I’ve ever shot, including the bows of Bear, Wing, Pearson, Hoyt, Howatt, Staghorn and many others. Honestly, I’d say the same thing about today’s bows – Black Widow, Robertson, Shafer Silvertip, Bob Lee, Cascade, Morrison, Pronghorn, Thunderhorn, Habu, Fox, Chastain, Predator, Grreat Plains, Zipper and more. I’ve tried them all. Some of the bows within those lines shot great for me. Others I didn’t care for so much. That seems to be the way it goes.

Actually, there are a bunch of things to consider with any shooter bow. I look at things like how the bow draws at my 29-inch draw length, hand shock and bow jump at the shot, noise at the shot, arrow speed, a forgiving or critical nature and also the historical significance of the bow or line. No bow I’ve ever found is perfect in all of these aspects.

To me, the best of the old Bear hunting recurves score highest when ALL of those aspects are totaled up. I suppose that’s why the old Bear bows have held and even increased (!) their value as collector and shooter bows better than any of the other brands. That doesn't mean the other bows are lesser bows. Some of them do indeed do some things better than the Bear bows. But in total, the old Bear bows are pretty fine bows.

[Grant Young]

Yeah, Bill- that's what I meant, lol. GY

[TimberlineX]

Grant, I like your "corn bucket" thing a lot! I honestly don't know where you southern guys come up with that stuff, but it's powerfully description. Colorful too.

[PAPALAPIN]

Grant and Bill called it right...Different strokes for different folks...and so on and so on.

While my favorite bow is the 66" Jack Howard Gamester Jet, I also like the Browning Explorer II at 62"

Browning did have their own factory.  In later years, the Great Harry Drake was their lead designer.

Back in the day, many of us would not shoot a bow that was made by a firearms manufacturor.  We wanted bows made by Archery Companies...Bear, Wing, Hoyt, Pearson and some others.

Boy were we wrong.  Browning bows have stood the test of time, just as well as the Big archery companies did.

Again, each of us will have our own preference for various reason.

One thing we should all keep in mind though...it's not the bow...it's the man behind the bow that counts.

[wadde]

A lot of Browning bows were made by Wing Archery in the early days. You can see the similarities if you lay a wing next to a Browning. The pointed tips are a dead give away. There were alot of good shooting Browning bows out there, just like any other manufacturer from the day.