Retirement

[acolobowhunter]

I've got a bow that I have been shooting for probably 40 years and having trouble drawing it the way I used to.  It draws about 70# at my length and I have taken many animals with it, as well as many successful 3D shoots.  It breaks my heart to retire it, but I seem to have no choice due to age and less strength.  It is like letting an old friend stay home when I take a lesser poundage bow hunting.  A lot of good memories with that old bow. 
They say people get attached to their animals.  Well I feel that same attachment to this old bow.  I probably should sell it and let someone else start their own memories with it.
Maybe I'm the only person that seems to have an attachment to an old bow (friend).  Has this every happened to any one else?

[Kirkll]

You are not alone my friend. As far as strength goes, If you don’t use it you loose it.i had to part with my heavy stuff over 70# years ago. Now I struggle with 60# at age 69. It happens brother…

[Orion]

Yep. yours is a pretty common sentiment. I've had a few bows I've hated to part with, but just couldn't shoot them anymore as I aged.   

kirkll.  When you get old enough, you lose it even if you do use it.   

[Wudstix]

I have a stable of 65#+ bows, now I hunt with my latest bow a Moosejaw Razorback x@60#, still can shoot the others, but hunting is better served with the Moosejaw.
 

[David Mitchell]

"kirkll.  When you get old enough, you lose it even if you do use it.  "  Yep, that sure is true.

[Stumpkiller]

At 65 I'm on the downslide and my 60# and 55# bows are gathering dust.  I'm still clinging to some at 51 to 53# . . . but I feel it places I never used to.  And those 45# to 48# bows are calling to me.

[SJP51]

I hung up my 57# limbs some years ago.  47# seems to work fine and shoulder likes it better anyway!

Getting old sucks.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Hey Gene, have you thought about getting the weight reduced on the limbs? There are guys that have done some pretty large reductions successfully, what do you have to lose?

R

[frassettor]

Yes. I have 3 VERY sentimental bows that I will never part with even though they are to heavy for me to shoot. Heck, I even have an old lantern that has been on many nightly tracking jobs with me that I feel the same way about. A lot of my things that are related to traditional bow hunting I have had since day 1, and are still with me to this day . I think it’s only natural to have attachment to things that was there when you created these wonderful memories.

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I feel good shooting bow and good Dogs are hard to let go of.

[M60gunner]

I gave up my last set of 60# limbs a couple years ago. The real heavy stuff left about 10 years ago now. At 79+ even 50#’s is pushing my limit. I just wrapped up a couple sets of 55# ILF limbs for storage and 3 risers. My 45# bows are more fun these days. Can’t get rid of a couple bows, presents from family. But I am better off than a number of my classmates and platoon mates. Many are looking into assisted living or they are dead

[WhistlingBadger]

Sometimes I get asked why I name my bows.  It's because they feel like living things.  I shoot wooden bows these days, but I still have Thumper, my first glass-backed hunting bow.  A lot of memories with that guy.  And it was a sad moment a couple years ago when Jubal, a black locust longbow that got me my first archery deer, popped a big splinter on the back.

Some stages of life we look forward; others we more look back.  I'm kind of in the middle and doing a lot of both.

[Gordon Jabben]

I guess you could take a chance on sanding down the limb fiberglass.  I took seven pounds off a bow I made and that I'm attached to.  Now with my age, it is getting to much for me again.