Older bows safe to shoot?

[trad_in_cali]

Hello,
I recently acquired a 1953 Bear Kodiak Special Recurve 66" 42# and a '63 Pearson Pinto 43# 66". No stress cracks or strange marks going on limbs or riser. One small vertical mark on the tip of the Pinto (seems cosmetic). Are 50 y.o. bows still OK to shoot. Maybe not regularly, but once or twice a month?
Thanks!

[Blackhawk]

Any old bow should be checked closely for cracks, delaminations, or other flaws that might cause it to fail.  

Bows by Bear, Ben Pearson, and others since the early 50's were all constructed with fiberglass on the limbs making the vast majority of those bows very reliable to shoot.  Keep in mind, many folks have kept these bows strung for years without problems, and some have been shot on a regular basis.  

Based on your exam, I would not hesitate to string 'em up and    .

[Bjorn]

Like Blackhawk says...........shoot them as much as you want once you have examined them for faults. I usually string them and leave overnight as part of the exam process.

[Jack Shanks]

THe Kodiak Special was first introduced in 1955. Many times the manufacture date on Bear bows is mistaken with the 1953 Canadian patent date that is present on all Bear bows 1953-72. That is why we often see so many 1953 Bear bows listed on the auction site and elsewhere.

If you do a search of Kodiak Special on this forum there is an excellent guide that would help you put the right year on yours.

[Jack Shanks]

Here it is. I couldn't find it at first.


 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=14;t=002059#000000

[reddogge]

Any old bow is subject to failure though. Just keep that in mind.  I've lost a couple of nice ones.

[trad_in_cali]

Thank you, from the photos it looks like a '63.
Apparently I'm the second owner for these two bows. This gentleman bought them in '63 and had them all this time. Kept them very well. We shall see.
Thanks!

[NancyVTAS]

I shoot a '52 bear cub, 57# alot, hunted to no avail for elk with it this year.  All my pearsonal bows are '56/'57's. Enjoy them!!!Dick

[trad_in_cali]

I have to say, I had not had the chance of handling these older bows before. I just got the Pinto in the mail. It's unbelievably beautiful and the craftmanship is terrific. It makes me both very happy and slightly sad because contemporary objects are rarely this well made. A mass-produced bow looking like this?
I know what we have with technology and gadgets, I work in tech in San Francisco. But I studied as a woodblock printmaker in Tokyo, Japan for several years and I was born and raised in Rome, Italy. I know handmade things... and still this Pinto remains outstanding.
Marco

[Ralphie]

If you do some research with the Bear collecting sites you will find there are some early bear bows that should never be shot. ie the early 50's Bear bows that use surplus aluminum in their construction.

[Larry m]

I shoot a 50 plus year old Bear very frequently and have for years. It's not uncommen to attend shoots and see more then several old bows still shooting good scores. I don't believe there is much the new bowyers are doing that the old guy's had not tried and perfected. Besides old bows just look good......

[damascusdave]

Finally actually shot the 38 and 45 yesterday for the first time and they are amazingly fast. The shocker was they are 60 inch bows that really do not appear to stack to any significant degree.

I was considering trading them for an original Adcock, up until the time I shot them. Now the only way I will ever part with them is if they move to your house, Larry, or yours Jack if Larry does not want them. They would go nicely with the Owl Bow.

[damascusdave]

Originally posted by trad_in_cali:
I have to say, I had not had the chance of handling these older bows before. I just got the Pinto in the mail. It's unbelievably beautiful and the craftmanship is terrific. It makes me both very happy and slightly sad because contemporary objects are rarely this well made. A mass-produced bow looking like this?
I know what we have with technology and gadgets, I work in tech in San Francisco. But I studied as a woodblock printmaker in Tokyo, Japan for several years and I was born and raised in Rome, Italy. I know handmade things... and still this Pinto remains outstanding.
Marco

[damascusdave]

Originally posted by trad_in_cali:
Hello,
I recently acquired a 1953 Bear Kodiak Special Recurve 66" 42# and a '63 Pearson Pinto 43# 66". No stress cracks or strange marks going on limbs or riser. One small vertical mark on the tip of the Pinto (seems cosmetic). Are 50 y.o. bows still OK to shoot. Maybe not regularly, but once or twice a month?
Thanks!

Oops, that last post is because it is 5 in the morning here lol.

So you bow should look exactly like this one.

Now I got technical difficulties with photobucket, so I will post later.

DDave

[ksbowman]

My favorite shooting bows are 40 years old.First I put on a new string and set them up. I look them over good before shooting them when I get them and if they look ok I half draw a few times and look again. If there's no problem I full draw them a few times and reinspect. Then  if still ok I shoot them.My biggest worry is how I'll replace them if something does happen to them as they were hard to find, but until then I'm going to enjoy them to the fullest just like the bowyer intended.

[PAPALAPIN]

If it is solid...it is sold...and safe to shoot.  The bows from the '60's are the best ever made in my opiniom.

My suggestion is to string them up and leave them strung.  This will not hurt the bow.  More bows are damaged by stringing and unstringing than any other cause.

Try to post some pics for us.

[trad_in_cali]

As I'll get the second one ('63 Bear), I'll get the camera out and post some pics up. I can't get over the Pinto...
Marco

[bow'narrow]

I am fortunate to have an old "Patent Pending" Grizzley of 1952 vintage.  I also have letters from the late Al Reader and Bear Archery stating that a bow of that age should probably not be shot because adhesives were not as good as today.  Also, if one of the "ancients" has any collector value, it may not be worth the risk.

[damascusdave]

Here are the pics:

[damascusdave]

The two bows on the right are 47, the next two are 50 and the one on the left is new production. I shoot any and all of them on a regular basis without a moments thought about their age.
DDave