Ben Pearson 709 Hunter - pics added

[tomsm44]

I don't have it yet but a guy I work with is bringing it to me.  It is 58" with zebra wood riser and black glass and he thinks it's around 40#.  I've seen a pic on my phone and it looks to be in great shape.  Anybody know what years these were made?  It may be a few weeks before I actually get it but I'll get the serial number up then if that helps.  Just kidding about the good deal part.  It's FREE!!!!     :eek:    It was given to him with some other stuff a while back and he's never even strung it.  He found out I was a trad guy and said I could have it.    :D    He also has some wood arrows (he thinks cedar) that came with it but I'm not sure how many or what kind of points they have.  

Thanks
Matt

[Jack Shanks]

I'd say you got took.  

[PAPALAPIN]

Matt

Sorry for your misfortion.  All is not lost, though.

Just to help you out I will give you double what you have in it.
 
The Hunter was made from the early '60's on. I don't know how long it was made.

It was a popular alternative to the Red Wing Hunter.  Pretty much the same design. I was also put out under the Locksley Brand as the Wildcat.

Good shooting bows.

[Herder]

709  ?
I guess from 1966.

[tomsm44]

I thought it favored the red wing hunter in the picture I saw.  My hunting bow is a 53# red wing hunter from around '63-'65.  This one is a little lighter than I wanted to hunt with but I'll see how it shoots and it may end up seeing some woods time.  Might make a good "squirrel gun".  I'll at least kill a lot of foam with it.  It'll also make a good bow for my son when he's ready to upgrade from the 35# black bear he's shooting now.  I'm hoping the wood arrows that are coming with it will be already tuned to this bow and have a couple with broadheads so I can use it right away.

[59Alaskan]

These are great bows!  Congrats!

Look forward to seeing a picture.

[tomsm44]

I got it today so here's a couple pics.  It's 40@28" with brown glass instead of black like I thought from the picture I saw.  There are a few scratches that aren't really visible in the pictures but no cracks or limb separations and the lumber are straight.  I borrowed my string from my RWH to shoot it this evening and was surprised at how hard it shot my 530 gr hunting arrows.  I'm thinking that once I get some tuned to it at around 400-450 gr it will definitely get some hunting time.  My only experience with bows ilighter than 50# is a 35# Black Bear, which isn't exactly a high performance bow so I've always considered 45# to be my minimum to hunt with.  This one could potentially change my mind.  The six aluminum arrows and 5 woodies with broadheads came with it but I haven't shot any of them yet.  

 

 

[Hobow]

Matt, that is a great looking bow!  If it shoots anything like a Red Wing Hunter then it's a keeper in my book.

On your wooden arrows it appears that there may be an adapter in between the broadhead and shaft, is this the case?

If so and the shafts are barely under 5/16 in diameter they may be Sweetland compressed cedar shafts.  They would probably weigh around 600 grains.

Regardless, nice score!

Brad

[tomsm44]

There are at least two, maybe three different size wood arrows.  Two of them do look to possibly have  adapters.  Since they're not matched and I don't have practice arrows to match these'll probably go on display in my office.  The aluminum ones are marked Easton xx75 2117 and cut to 27".  As a recent convert from the heathen world of wheels and many strings, I'm not very familiar with wood or aluminum arrows.  Not sure if Easton sells any now that match these or not.  I'll get the old crushed feathers off and see if I can bare shaft tune it with them and go from there.

[Hobow]

Prior to adopting A.M.O. standards, Ben Pearson used the 'X' to denote 2 pound increments in bow weight.  If the X is placed before the poundage it was minus 2 lbs from the marked weight, X40 = 38#, when placed after the poundage it meant plus 2 lbs, 40X = 42#.  Your bow marked 40XX is actually 44 lbs.  This all changed when the A.M.O. standards were adopted.

Easton still makes 2117's.  If sticking with aluminum, I'd personally lean towards 1916's or 2016's depending on your draw length and desired point weight.

[Rays Arrow]

Nice looking stick.
Great info Hobow now he just about has the 45# he was looking for.

[ksbowman]

Your off by a couple of pounds. The X designates one pound (xx being 2 pounds). So it is a 42#@28". The bows were marked 40,45,50, 55 and so on with the one pound X's filling in between with x's on the right being more than the numerical designation.

[tomsm44]

Thanks Hobow.  That makes more sense.  I got my 35# down last night and pulled the two of them and I thought it seemed like more than 5# difference.  I've seen older bows marked this way before but didn't know what it meant.  I shoot a cheap 60-70# carbon express arrow from Walmart on my 53# bow and have had good results with it.  The 40-50# in that same arrow with a 125 gr point will give me about 445-450 gr.  I may get 3 or 4 of them for a starting point and go from there.  Thanks guys.

Matt Toms

[tomsm44]

I made my last post before I saw ksbowman's post.  Now I'm confused.     :confused:   Tell you what, I'll find an arrow/broadhead setup that shoots good off of it, whatever weight that ends up being.  Then if I kill a dear with it, I'll ask him what draw weight it felt like he got shot with.   :D   I'll be sure to post his response.  For now I'll put a piece of tape over the draw weight so I don't think about it.  Seriously though guys, thanks for all the info you've given me on this bow.  Couldn't find much on them online.  I probably won't get it setup to hunt with any this year but I'll definitely carry it some next season.

[Hobow]

You're welcome Matt.  

When the A.M.O. Standards were adopted the manufacturer had the choice of marking actual draw weight or using their system as follows.

19-20-21 lbs mark as 20
22-23 lbs mark as 20 X
24-25-26 lbs mark as 25

This is straight from the pages of the A.M.O. handbook.  

Prior to the A.M.O., each manufacturer could measure and mark his bow however they liked.

[Herder]

I have the double xx often on my B. Pearson Bows and had thought 40XX mean 42 # or 45XX - 47#


 

 

[ksbowman]

This Pearson as well as all my others scale one pound for each X less on the left or one pound for each X on the right more than the numeral shown on the bow. This particular Pearson scales 53#.    

[Hobow]

So then pre AMO (1968) X = 1 lb and post AMO X = 2-3 lbs?

That does make some sense in the fact that I have never seen a bow with both the AMO marking and more than 1 X.

Good info.

A simple scaling is still the best idea.

Sorry to sidetrack the thread and I like Matt's idea, ask the deer what pound he thought it was!

[Bud B.]

Originally posted by Hobow:
Prior to adopting A.M.O. standards, Ben Pearson used the 'X' to denote 2 pound increments in bow weight.  If the X is placed before the poundage it was minus 2 lbs from the marked weight, X40 = 38#, when placed after the poundage it meant plus 2 lbs, 40X = 42#.  Your bow marked 40XX is actually 44 lbs.  This all changed when the A.M.O. standards were adopted.

...

I have two Pearson 709s. One is marked 45 and the other xx50. The xx50 sure seems much heavier than the 46 it would indicate, but I have yet to weigh it.

Good info.

[Bud B.]

After posting I got curious.

I broke out the scale and checked.

The xx50 is 46@28 - pre AMO (44 @ 27 - my DL)

The 45 is 41@28 - pre AMO (39 @ 27)

I guess the 45 has lost some zest over time.