Difference in old bows by Fred Bear or Ben Pearson

[jwbharper]

Hey there, I am new to the sport of bow hunting and am looking to get an old/vintage bow since they are less expensive for my first bow.

My question is in regards to different models Bear produced.
What is the difference between a Kodiak, Grizzley, or the super magnums of these these models? Is it simply length or style preference? or is there more difference like arrow FPS, quality, or something else I haven't thought of?

What about the difference in the Ben Pearson models?
Thanks all!

[Frisky]

This is a loaded question and I'm no expert but will comment. Yes, there are differences between the Bear bows in length, materials and design. In general, they all shot well. A 60" Kodiak Hunter is an excellent bow for many. The Pearson bows are much the same. They shoot nicely but I'd avoid the take downs. One other bow you will want to consider is the Shakespeare Necedah. The 58" Necedah is one of the better shooting vintage bows and about the best deal.

Joe

[giff]

I just got a 62" Pearson cougar and I love it

[reddogge]

With the older 60s Bears the Kodiak Magnums were basically a shortened Kodiak and streamlined riser.  Bear often used the same wood for the risers and glass was the same.  In effect they were a smaller brother to the Kodiak which was the top of the line hunting bow.  The Kodiaks used more expensive exotic woods and had more decorative trim and overlays than the Grizzly.  The Grizzly was a basic bow with basic wood, no frills and no exotic trim packages.  They shot well however but lacked the mass weight or eye candy of the Kodiak.

I have one example of a '66 Kodiak compared to a '66 Grizzly if that would help explain.

'66 Kodiak.
   
   
'66 Grizzly
   

Sorry, no '66 Kodiak Magnums.

[Charlie Lamb]

If you are a tall guy, consider not buying anything shorter than 60". Easier to shoot well for longer draws. Keep draw weight in the mid forties and you are good to go.

[jwbharper]

Thanks all.
I am 6 foot tall and my draw length is about 28.5 inches or 29 inches.
Would the FPS of the arrow from a grizzly, kodiak, or Pearson Cougar differ much is the length of draw and weight of draw back were the same? Does the length of a bow affect the FPS of an arrow?

[Hit-or-Miss]

I would forget about speed. These old traditional bows, all of them mentioned, shoot fast enough for hunting. As far as your question, there are too many variables, such as string/brace length, string material, arrow weight, draw length, etc. Look for a nice quality old bow, in good condition, straight limbs, no delaminations, etc., get a Dacron B-50 string, some properly spined arrows and have fun. 10 or 15 FPS one way or another doesn't matter much if you like the bow and enjoy shooting it.

[Bowwild]

Speed is fine AFTER more important things are taken care of:
1. The bow needs to be sound. Limbs untwisted, laminations intact, and the riser uncracked.
2. The bow should fit you: 60-62" would fit you (recurve) well--the Grizzly at 56" or 58" would be getting short and less smooth drawing.
3. You'd be better underweighted than over bowed. Your back muscles (rhomboids at scapula) are important in the execution of a proper archery shot sho follow-through is correct. These muscles are often underdeveloped in non-archers. You should be looking for a 40-45# bow at your draw length. More than that and you can develop more bad habits than you want to think about.
4. Be sure you have the correct bowstring. Many vitage deals come with worn out strings. If you get a vintage bow make sure you stay away from fast flight strings because they can destroy your bow.
5. I highly recommmend an instructional DVD to give you a head start in bow selection, bow set-up, arrow tuning, and most importantly how to shoot -- no matter what you'll read, there aren't 50 best ways to shoot traditional.

The fellow below (url link) is a friend so I'm biased. But he is also an Olympic Archery coach, record holding tournament archer, and avid traditional hunter. His methods have worked for more than 4 million student archers to date and at least 10,000 adults.

Good luck!

 http://www.stricklandsarchery.com/WebStore/Products.aspx?cat=7&cookieCheck=true

[Shawn Leonard]

I am with Charlie, a bow 60-64"s is easier to shoot accurately and should not have finger pinch. Any Bear, Pearson, Root will get ya there. Remember keep the weight down to around 50#s, this will allow you to shoot the bow for both target and hunting. A lighter draw weight is nice to learn on but than ya have to buy another bow to hunt. If I had my choice I would look for a Kodiak from the 60's. Shawn

[Sixby]

You guys all forgot the best old bows out there. The Damon Howatts. I'll take a nice Monterray of Catalina over most any old bow except possibly the 59 Kodiak and that just because of its overall esthetics and collectability.

[Sal]

All those bows are good bows, the Pearsons are a little cheaper than the others, but shoot just fine.  Another old brand that I really like is Wing, they made some excellent quality bows.

One of the underrated "old" brands is Blackhawk, I have two of their bows and they're great shooters, cheap too.  I like them because they look like longbows.

[Sixby]

the Shakespeare Ocala is a good bow too.

[KEG]

Living in So Cal I also like Drakes (made in San Diego) and Richards (made in Los Angeles)

[L. E. Carroll]

 Hey if were mentionig good vintage hunting bows... let's not forget the "Wings" of that era the [longer] Thunderbird and Chaparell, being prime examples... excellent bows.

However, like Sixby, I agree the "Howatts" could only be beat by the Game-master and Game-master jet.. however neither of those were "factory bows" by a long ways.. I would personally look for a nice 60" Howatt hunter in the 40-45# range and remember most were and still are, marked up to 4# "lighter" than their actual draw weight.

Gene

[Bjorn]

The sweetest shooting vintage bow has got to be the 1959 Kodiak, the Grizzlies of the same year are just as smooth but do not possess the same fire power.
If your draw is under 29" stick with the 60" bow; longer draw folks will like the 64" Kodiaks.
The 1962 Kodiak has pretty much established itself as the top of the heap performance wise-others will disagree-but few will argue the outright mojo and resale value of a 1959 Kodiak.
I am sure the Drakes and Groves and Howatts and are great bows too I am just not as familiar with them as the vintage Bears.