Fast Flight on Vintage Bears

[buckeyebowhunter]

I was just wondering how many of you guys have shot fast flight strings on your vintage bear bows? I have an early 70's kodiak hunter that I bought a few years ago from e-b-a-y and I shot it with the string that came on it; recently I made a new string for it from b-50 but when I shot it the hand shock seemed way too noticable and it also seemed to have a more of a ka-thud sound when I shot the B-50 string, rather than being swift and quiet like the old string. This made me wonder if the string that came with this bow was a fast flight string that the previous owner had on it (I just assumed it was dacron), is there any way I can tell if the old string was fast flight? I ask this because I know that these bows werent made for ff but if my old string was ff and it shoots this much quieter than I would continue to use ff on this bow.  Just curious what you guys think about this topic, thanks!

[Widow's Son]

There's no way FF strings will ever touch my vintage Bears. I think the new Bears are rated for FF. You may try increasing the brace height. My old Bears like a brace height around 8 1/2". Remember it takes a while to shoot in a b-50 string. They sure seem to streach forever.

Ross

[buckeyebowhunter]

Ross you may be right, I think my brace is around 8" right now but I'll bump it up a little. Hate that b-50 stretches so much.

[buckeyebowhunter]

also meant to ask if you measure brace height from the throat of the grip on your bears?

[Bud B.]

That's where I measure mine. My Super Grizzly likes 8 3/4

[bigbadjon]

If you make up a jig to stretch your string you'll take out alot of the break in time. You can also switch to an endless loop whick is more suited with polyester strings.

[Bjorn]

The way you can tell if a string is FF or B50 is to try and cut it with clippers. FF is more difficult to cut with clippers you need a sharp knife. You can find some loose ends at the splices.

[Orion]

I've been shooting 12- strand D-97 on a couple sets of older Bear TD limbs, red tips and white glass with black tips, for several years.  No problems and considerably quieter and better performance.

[Widow's Son]

Originally posted by buckeyebowhunter:
also meant to ask if you measure brace height from the throat of the grip on your bears?

Yes sir, that's where I measure mine from. My Super K. shook like an earthquake and made horrible noises until I cranked up the brace height.

Ross

[Widow's Son]

I don't know about the Kodiak Hunters but I think the Kodiak Magnums like a brace height around 9".

[reddogge]

Maybe you made a thicker string than the first one.

[Brianlocal3]

A FF string with padded loops will work just fine.  You can pad with FF or B-50

[Widow's Son]

FF strings were not around in the early 1970s. These bows were not designed to take the stress. Do what you want, it's your bow. I would not try a FF string. My two cents,

Ross

[buckeyebowhunter]

Reddoge, I did think about string thickness. My bow is 45# so I made a 12 strand string, wasnt sure if this bow could handle a string with fewer strands?  

[Roger Norris]

Originally posted by Widow's Son:
FF strings were not around in the early 1970s. These bows were not designed to take the stress. Do what you want, it's your bow. I would not try a FF string. My two cents,

Ross

This

[Bud B.]

I use 12 strands of B55 on mine @50#. You're on the money with Dacron strand count.

[AWPForester]

I mean this as no disrespect but many a fellow has proved the statements of Widow's son wrong.  I have them on all my old bear bows.  I only have a combined 5000+ plus shots and no worries.  And you are riht, thy make almost every bow quieter.

Now, ff was not present but the tips serve the same purpose now as they did then.  Meaning the tips that were put on the vintage bears were done so for looks and protection.  FF rated however is just a marketing term that developed from the development of ff material.  Pure marketing.  I read many forums where guys shoot them on self bows.  If they are adequately padded, they are fine.

It is a miisconception that many make and it is wrong.  Shoot what you decide but don't let unsound reasioning be the reason you do not try it.  God Bless

[Widow's Son]

Like I said, do it with your bow not with mine.  FF why?

[tuscarawasbowman]

AWPForester- Ask a couple guys like Rich lopez or Bowdoc to show you some pics of guys that were shooting fastflight on vintage bows. Remember the glass and glue used back then was not as good as the stuff we have nowadays and neither were the overlays.

[BernieH]

I have two vintage Browning Wasps that I have been shooting skinny fastflite (BCY Formula 8125)strings on for years. No issues, ever.

Regarding limb failures, these happen even today with bows designed for fastflite. I suspect that with these failures the limb had an undetected  manufacturing flaw or something else happened like a dry fire.

If you're comfortable with the risk of shooting a fastflite string on your vintage bow go right ahead. The most likely outcome is a quieter bow with improved performance.