Fast Flight on Vintage Bears

[Blackhawk]

Rich and the Bowdoc will also probably tell you they don't have the details or proof of what happened.  Real skinny strings without padded loops would not be good, but many years of FF strings and padded loops show no damage to most vintage bows from those who try it.

Are glues of yesterday inferior?  We know thousands of bows made 50 years ago are still performing without problems.  

Are glues of today superior?  I guess we will know in 50 years.

My limited experience using FF strings on old bows shows improved performance with as much as 10-12 fps increase in speed, less hand shock, and the bow is quieter.  This may not be for everyone and if you have any doubts, it's probably best to stick with your B50.  

If you're one to think outside the box, FF on vintage bows may be to your liking.

[SCATTERSHOT]

Are the benefits of a fastflight string worth possible destruction of your bow? If it's worth it to you, then go for it. The only way you'll know for sure on your bow is to do it, and I wouldn't. Just my .02

[rkelly]

Don't know anything about fast flight string.  Never use it.  But, about brace height on bear bows, I read many years ago bear recommended a high brace height because of arrow selection.
However, I have owed several bear kodiak hunters and they all shot good at 7 5/8 to 7 3/4.

[AWPForester]

Well everyone that says it shouldn't or can't be done says that materials today are much better including glue, but there seem to be an awlful lot of vintage bows still around shooting ff or dacron.  Funny how you never hear about them delaminating at the rate bows 5 years old are.  

As far as expert advice, I don't need to ask anyone to see any pics "caused" by ff because for everyone there is, there will be hundreds more that just happened while shooting the dacron.  Kinda makes me believe it was just the bows time, regardless of string material.  Besides, ff vibrates much less which has to be better for the bow as long as the tips are padded well.

As far as tips, several of the ff rated new bows I have just used left over riser material for the tips.  I am not sure how they are any more or less durable than the micarti tips.  Seems like we all have our opiniions but to suggest it isn't feasible should require more sciene than just because somone says so.  Prove it ain't so and I'll eat crow.  Until then, I'll stand my ground on this one.  God Bless

[cacciatore]

I tryed ff padded skinny string on my Bear TD (Green stripe)and with some very beated green tip limbs,for one full year and the limbs held the string making the bow much faster,smoother and quiter.I probably don't want to use ff on my original white tip limbs or on some older Kodiak,but not because they can break,but just because they are collection bows that I don't intende to use for hunting.Anyway Bow doc stated many times that the micarta-laminated tips could stand the ff!

[motorhead7963]

Shoot what you want it's your bow!!!! I have several vintage Bear bows that I will only shoot FF string from, I bought a Tigercat a year or so ago it is marked 61#s under the strike plate. I had Bearbowman build me a couple strings (hes my string go to guy)out of B50, shot the bow for awhile with mixed feelings on the handshock and performance.Well this past year I tried a SBD bow string on the Tigercat.... Man I got to tell you this is a completely different bow now. No handshock and the speed increase is very noticeble, although I haven't shot it through my chrony yet. Very impressed with the results and to think I was going to regulate this bow just to bowfishing. If I get my opportunity to take a deer early with my greenstriper I will carry this bow late fall with the FF skinny string on it...JUST MY .02

[ddauler]

No use dacron just use less strands than recommended I use 14 strands on bows less than 60 lbs never had an issue I have even used 12 for 50lb bows. I believe the standard strand numbers were for B 50 and B50 plus is a little stronger. Just put extra strands in the loops if no overlays of rough grooves.