How old is this bow?

[melsdad]

I was thinking about bows today, and I realized that years ago a friend gave me a recurve. I had forgotten all about it till today. I did some searching, and I found it this afternoon. It is a Fred Bear Kodiak Hunter. This is what it has written on it.

Bear glass powered
   Kodiak Hunter
KH02249
AMO-60"
50#

The bow is green with bright green lettering. From what I can see it looks like it is in good shape. Can anyone offer me some information on this bow? Does it hold any value? What would the proper string length be?

Thanks
Brian

[Whip]

Looks like you've got yourself a bow Brian!  Lots of those old Bears are still killing deer every year.  I don't know anything about values, but plenty of people here do and will help you with that.  But if it looks in good shape, limbs aren't twisted, I would just get a new dacron string for it and you'll be shooting arrows in no time!

[Toklat1]

Ditto from above!  I don't know the proper string length, however someone here probably does.  You an also have someone make you a flemish twist string.  Make sure you find out the  proper brace height for this bow.  Get you some good arrows to match and start shooting.

[melsdad]

How can I tell if the limbs are twisted or not? Maybe I should say how do you check it other than eyeballing it?

[vermonster13]

56" String and it's a 70s bow. Sell for $100 to $150 if in excellent shape.

[mahantango]

Should take a 56" Dacron string. I believe the "K" ser. #'s started in 1970. My wife shoots a '68 Kodiak Hunter' also 60", but 38#. To check for limb twist sight down the bow lengthwise and see if the tips appear to line up. Also lay the bow on a large flat surface on it's face, (tips pointing up) and see if the limbs make even cotact with the surface. Even if there is some twist it's not that big a deal. It's usually a pretty easy fix. These are great shooting bows.

[Shaun]

Early 70's Bears are some of the best shooting recurves available. Try asking about it on the Trad History/Collecting forum and you will gets lots of info and maybe a string. Good Hunting!

[melsdad]

Thanks for the reply's. What should the brace height be on this bow? And aside from limb twist should I check for anything else before I shoot it? How about some arrow reccomendations? Sorry for all the questions, I am full of them for now.

[melsdad]

O.K. so I checked the bow for twist, I layed it on the floor with one side flat the other side had about a .050-.060 gap on one side. Is this to much, or will it be o.k.?

[Shaun]

Its easiest to check for limb twist with the bow strung. It will be obvious. You can fix limb twist but I have no experience with the methods. Lots more old Bear bow gurus on the other forum I mentioned above.

[Mountain_Man]

i'm a newbie to trad bows.. so, if you take my advice and something goes wrong, its all on you    

as stated above.. 56in dacron
prolly start at 8in brace height
just bought a '68 kodiak mag('cause one bow aint E-nuff) that had limb twist, that wasnt in the description on wweeepay. I panic'd and thought i was surely ruin'd. ..but, i read on this wonderful site, that its a pretty easy fix... if'n it aint too bad. .. just twist in the opposite die-reck-she-on.. AND hold..I strung it up saw which way the limb was twist'n and unstrung and did the ole twist and hold... 'bout a minute in and it was close to a Twist and Shout.. more like a twist and grunt... at any rate, strung it a couple more times repeat'n the process and gots me a shooooter...annndddd with that i'll end this big long para-sentence. ..Mountain  
 

[akdd]

This link has some good info on dating a bear bow.
 http://reviews.****.com/How-To-Date-Your-Fred-Bear-Bow_W0QQugidZ10000000001896218

[d. ward]

Wow good score our should I say good memory.That sounds like a 1970-1972 Kodiak Hunter.The brace hight could range from 7 1/4' on the real low end to 8 1/2" on the high side.The bow will have a sweet spot where it shoots good for you according to your release and how you shoot.I would most likely get a string and brace it up and then check for straightness,if its bad you can see the twist pretty easy by just laying the end of one limb on a flat surface and kind of sighting from end to end lineing from tip to tip if its bad you can see the twist.But with it unstrung its sometimes hard to say which end is worse(diffecult to center both limbs unstrung).The string should actually be 4 inches shorter then that model bow,which is 60" so the string should be 56".But and I say but it really depends on who made the string.They can very a 1/4" from one maker to the next.So if you kind of need the long 56" and get the super short 56".Well you can see where this is headed.Keep us posted bowdoc