Bear Bows, old vs new?

[rocketman]

I see old Bear bows have quite a following, but I don't see a lot of talk about currently made Bears.  Any reason why?  Thanks

[McDave]

I have two friends who have modern Bear recurves and are happy with them.  I had a Bear Montana that I have now passed on to my son, and he enjoys shooting it.  I've never read anything bad about Bear bows.  You probably don't hear more about them because they are mid-range factory bows, as opposed to super cheap imports or high end bows handmade by bowyers.  Kind of like buying a mid-range Toyota or Ford: if one of your friends buys one, you're probably not going to hear much about it unless you ask him.  He's just going to drive it and enjoy it.

[David Mitchell]

Well, I own a reintro 59 Kodiak which is a great, zippy little bow and well deserving of its popularity, a TD which is smooth as butter, and the most recent addition is the new K4 which I'm still getting used to.  Great quality on all of them.

[varmint101]

I’ve enjoyed the heck out of my new ‘59. Never had a problem with any of the new takedowns I’ve used either. I did have a Montana for a while, but me and that bow didn’t get along.

[mnbwhtr]

I haven't shot any of the new models but the T/D, actually just the limbs, but they pull smoother than any others I've had over the last 40 years and seem to be faster. I think the slimmer design accounts for that.

[TIM B]

I’ve got new and old....just good bows all around. 
They are the workin mans bow.
Tim B

[Trenton G.]

They are all good bows. The only difference is the older models seem to have more comfortable, rounded grips that fit the hand better. That's just me though

[Marc B.]

I’m shooting Gainesville risers and Grayling limbs. I’ve been very disappointed in the finish on last set of Gainesville limbs I bought 2 years ago. All of my one piece Bears are Grayling.

[Captain*Kirk]

I see old Bear bows have quite a following, but I don't see a lot of talk about currently made Bears.  Any reason why?  Thanks

Can't speak for anybody else, but...
The vintage Bears shoot every bit as good as the new ones, and many are less than half the price. Plus, they were built in God's Country under the watchful eye of Fred Bear, rather than in Florida, so there's that...
 

[Crooked Stic]

My first Bear is the new Rambo limited edition TD A riser and # 3 limbs 60 in. I am super pleased with the way it shoots. very quite. I bought a set of white tip # 1 limbs  to make a 56 in. They shoot just as well but of course the longer limbs are a bit smoother. Trying now to find another A riser.

[M60gunner]

I don’t have a Bears made after 1997. I recall having those horizontal lines on the TD I got that year. Bear replaced the limbs, no issues there. My 72 SK shoots well as does my early 2000’s SK. I upgraded my one set of limbs with Rose Oak #3’s some years ago. A performance difference I can see over factory limbs I had. But my best shooting Bear is my B Mag riser with those RO limbs.
 

[kopfjaeger]

I have both older Grayling Bear bows and newer Gainesville Bear bows. My oldest is a 1956 Bear Polar and my newest is a 2016 Bear Kodiak Takedown. I enjoy shooting all my Bear bows vintage and new ones.

[joel0711]

Gainesville Super Kodiak broke in half.No justice from factory. I'll stick with Graylings!!!!

[Paul/KS]

I just remembered, (well saw them on the rack then remembered...) that I have two of the old Bear Cubs as well.
One is an old,1950's, double shelf long bow(ish) version at 37# and the other is a "newer" recurve that I bought for my kid years ago. That one is only 15#.

[Babbling Bob]

I enjoy five '59 through '62 Bears, which include 64-inch '59, '60 K Specials, a 63-inch '62 K Special, and '61 and '62 Kodiaks. But also have a 2013 Kodiak  as well.

When I first acquired the 2013, thought the riser was awful skinny and was not sure I would like it compared to my old Bears.  About half the mass of the old Bears.  The difference was even noticed by my wife when we opened up the package, like did you get your money's worth?  Sure did. 

The 59'er only has a 30lb marked draw weight, but I am impressed with how hard it can shoot an arrow.  It is smooth to draw back and comfortable in my hand despite the small riser diameter.  Bought it with my grown daughter first in mind because she wanted to use her mothers old Damon Howatt.  However like the bow so much it will be the one of eight I'll be pulling off to go shoot.   Had minor hernia repair for a monster hernia two weeks ago, so later this winter that bow will match up to what I need just fine.

[Babbling Bob]

Think old Bear bows can have different meanings to those of us who still keep small racks of'em.   I started with Bear before I was not even old enough to drive a car buying a '62 K Mag and a '63 Tamerlane a year later.  Most folks in the archery clubs in my city shot other brands, not Bears at the ranges, but did see a lot of K Specials on those ranges.  Just the opposite with the hunters. Most who started shooting a bow to hunt with had a Bear. Still I little like that for folks who own an old recurve just to hunt during that second season to use their land leases.  When I worked at an agricultural research center in my sixties, most there my age would talk about some old Bear or mass produced Wing too they had for bow season.

Think now, you don't see a lot of talk on here about old Bear bows unless you go to the collecting section.  But there are some of us here who still like the nostalgia and are satisfied shooting those old Bears. But they are not great for collecting as an investment, as the price of some of the most desirable, unless they are rare, has declined the last ten years significantly.

[Overspined]

I played with Bear recurves for a while. The old ones mostly, when the new ones were being “reintroduced “  and pushed they seemed good too, with a few nuances like grips and finish work stuff. Nothing but cosmetic stuff, the bows seemed fine. I noticed squared corners and grip shapes instead of the old rounded and the tips were shaped/sanded very different depending on who did that part of the bow...all in all fine bows, and they seemed to have listened these past 10 years to people who recommend changes for the better.

[PrimitivePete]

I have a 1964 Bear Grizzly with Zebrawood and brown glass, it is as classy now as it was then, shoots smooth and it's never leaving my hands. I could buy and trade for bows that cost 3 times as much, that little Griz is about as perfect a bow as I could want.

[Sam McMichael]

I am not a recurve guy, so I have little interest in most of the Bear bows. However, a vintage bow that has some collector interest might be an exception.

[Huntschool]

I guess the new ones are ok.....  But for me, its the old Grayling stuff.  I have a second year issue Super Mag hanging behind me on the wall as I write this.  It shoots great 45@ 28 and really for a 48" bow does not pinch or stack and I shoot 3 under.  My first good bow was a Super Kodiak that I unfortunately traded off in a blind fit of wheels and speed.  Boy do I want one of those back.  Smooth as silk and a real pleasure in the hand. 

I cant say much for the new as I have moved on to Black Widow stuff.....  Just me.  I like em and built for me they shoot lights out.

Just sayin