Therapy Bows for my Shoulder

[tippit]

I developed a biceps tendonitis this summer from playing pickle ball.  Cortisone shot stopped the pain but my shoulder was still too weak to shoot my normal 40# hunting bows (I'm 74 so I can't effectively hunt with anymore poundage).  I pretty much only hunt hogs now and small (75-150 #) good eating ones at that.  I let my friends shoot the big picture hogs

Back to the story...I reduced the weight on a few bows to 35# to loosen up my shoulder and have fun.  These three older bows started from 60# to 46#@28. 

Therapy Bows...
Morrison Cougar, Toelke Whip, and Green Mountain Stingray now all 35# @28.

[smokin joe]

Great idea, Jeff. Bicep tendon problems are very stubborn to rehab, as you are finding out. And, going way down in bow weight for a while is a good idea. It is far better than not shooting at all and ending up with muscle atrophy too. As you know, I am a shoulder rehab expert at this point. If you need any experienced rehab advice, let me know. I'll be happy to help out.

[Wudstix]

Take it slow, and you'll be fine.  Really like that bottom bow, is that the Green Mountain?

[ron w]

Those Green Mt. bows are like hens teeth. I had a couple of them. Enjoy your “new” bows !!!

[tippit]

Wudstix,

Bottom bow is...Morrison Cougar
Middle...Toelke Whip
Top...….Green Mountain Stingray

[Yooper-traveler]

I like them all, but the top is very nice...

My therapy bow is a Bama Hunter at about 36#. It also doubles as my whitetail bow

[Tedd]

Tippit,
I think that is my old Cougar. Dang thing is still alive and spitting arrows?! Is that the one with copperheads? Why was I dumb enough to sell it?
Tedd

[tippit]

Tedd,
That is your old Cougar plus I still have your old Dakota which is now 40#.  tTey turned out to be easy bows to take a lot of poundage off.

[Tedd]

Well Morrison must have built them right. That gives me confidence to buy used bows more often.
I wish Morrison still had the original 1 pc recurve the used to make.
Tedd

[pdk25]

Did I read that correctly that you reduced the weight on a bow from 60# to 35#?  Please give some details on how you did that.  Side note, I can't believe that you are 74yo now.  Amazing.

[huntryx]

My therapy bows started with a 25# Rudderbow, then moved to a 29# (#32 @ my draw) Skye, then a 35# A&H. This was after shoulder replacement in 2014 @ age 68. Now at 73 I have a kinda funny draw, a bit longer (29") than pre surgery, and can manage regular shooting of a 38# (41# at my draw) A&H. Feel adequately armed for deer or black bear with my heavy FOC arrows. Main thing with shoulder rehab is it takes time and you can't push it any faster without messing yourself up again. Took me 3 years to get to where I can shoot these bows.

[tippit]

pdk25,
You read that right. These 3 bows had been reduced by me before to the 40 to 45# range. That Green Mountain was at 45# from 60#. Since I'd already taken glass of and trapped it, I just took off a bit more glass. I've removed 20# on a bunch of bows but 25# is my new record. I've never had a bow break as I stress them to 32 inches on my filleting board. I have so many old bows that I can't pull anymore that it doesn't make any difference if they they don't make it through my reduction grinding.

[pdk25]

That is awesome.  I have a pile of bows too, and I am not getting younger.  I just don't have the skill to do that. 

[huntryx]

Tippit you are a brave man!

[tippit]

Susan,
Not brave at all.  When I finish my grinding and make sure the tiller is correct, I pull these bows to 32-36 inches and flex them multiple time in rapid succession.  If they are going to break, I want to see them break on my tillering board.  Two things are happening...they surely don't have as much glass but the tillers are correct distributing the weight evenly and they are also holding back significantly less weight.  I DO NOT re-sell any bow I reduce weight on and I refuse to take weight off anyone else's bow.

[Wudstix]

Test drove Bob's personal back-up hunting bow years ago when I was looking into my first custom LB.  Could not believe he sent me his personal bow to try out.  Tried Morrison, Thunderstick, and Massie.  All similar R/D designs.  Went with Jim's bow, just was "it".

[lt-m-grow]

Susan,
Not brave at all.  When I finish my grinding and make sure the tiller is correct, I pull these bows to 32-36 inches and flex them multiple time in rapid succession.  If they are going to break, I want to see them break on my tillering board.  Two things are happening...they surely don't have as much glass but the tillers are correct distributing the weight evenly and they are also holding back significantly less weight.  I DO NOT re-sell any bow I reduce weight on and I refuse to take weight off anyone else's bow.

I appreciate that all the way around.  I still shoot 60+ bows but know one day that ain't happening (currently 57yo) and was wondering when I need to sell the herd and repurchase.   Candidly not looking forward to that and would love to try the Tippet "diet plan".   Do you have link, maybe in bow building, where you describe how you do this?
 

[tippit]

lt-m-grow,
My diet plan would be hard to follow as I use my knife grinder with a rotary platin (rubber backing for the 2x72 belt).  Then I use a worn out 220 belt to start removing glass.  This allows me to take very little glass off on each pass so I can watch my tiller as I drop weight.

[lt-m-grow]

Thanks Tippit