Living on a farm in the 50's I made my bows out of hickory and would get feathers from the chicken coop for my arrows. I guess I was making self bows before I knew what I was doing. In 1956 my dad let me mail order a 22 rifle from the Sears & Roebuck catalog, I laid down the bow. Sorry guns kick ass! Nine years later out of active duty from the navy the urge to hunt with a bow was back. In 1966 I bought a Ben Pearson and in October I went to Vermont for 3 days by my self to hunt deer, I didn't get it done in 3 days. The following October I took a week off and went back to Vermont and shot a deer with that bow. I was using Micro Flite shafts and Super Hilbre broadheads .That bow broke, and either 1968 or 1969 I bought a 52" Red Wing Hunter 50 lbs amo. I'm using it again this year love how quiet Dacron string is, or, am I reliving my youth.