As my regular reader knows, I'm an avid archer and run a small online business selling bows and archery accessories with my son. I am compulsive, and if I become interested in a topic or pastime, I tend to become obsessed and absorbed, to my wife's horror. For instance, at last count, I own 33 bows of all types. Although most of my bows are traditional horse bows, English longbows and flat bows, I also own modern recurves and even compound bows. In fact, I own two modern compound bows. I admit that these types of bows are not my primary focus; however, I appreciate them for their efficient modern features and performance. That said, there is something atavistic and soothing to shoot a bow without sights, an arrow shelf and fancy embellishments.
A couple of years ago, my son-in-law gave me a vintage compound bow made in the 1970s. The first compound bow was patented in 1966, so my bow represents a very early iteration. Indeed, my bow differs markedly from the compound bows on sale today. In the 70s, the technology was still in its infancy, and the modern variety has evolved significantly to become the masterful piece of engineering we see today.
Once I had the bow in my possession, I placed it on a bow rack in the barn and let it gather dust. Anyway, the other day, I decided to examine my serendipitous gift for some reason that remains inexplicable to me. I noticed that the bow sported the Bear name and Logo. The Bear company is a highly respected bow manufacturer founded by Fred Bear nearly a 100 years ago. After gently cleaning and waxing, I checked the bow for wear and damage. The mechanics of the bow are fine, and the limbs are without delamination or damage. The bow is in excellent condition, barring minor aesthetic demerits that are inconsequential to its operation. I placed a few arrows through the bow to judge its performance, especially compared to its modern counterpart.
Due to the modern compound bow's short axle-to-axle design, grasping the string with the fingers is virtually impossible due to its acute angle when drawn. To mitigate this issue, the string is fitted with a D loop, allowing it to be drawn with a hand-held mechanical aid. My vintage bow has a longer axle-to-axle configuration and is designed to be drawn without a mechanical aid. The draw weight of the modern compound bow can be adjusted by moving the cables' position with respect to the cams, allowing multiple draw weights up to 70 lbs to be achieved. I estimate that the draw weight on my 'prototype' bow is about 35 lbs. Initially, I could not discern how the draw weight could be altered. However, after a thorough inspection, I observed two small free-moving wheels on either side of the riser. I suspect the draw weight can be increased by moving one of the cables onto the wheels- I see no other way of adjusting the bow.
Unlike the modern variety endowed with a myriad of bushings for the attachment of fancy sights, arrow rests, and accommodation for stabiliser rods, my bow is bereft of adornments. Again, compared to its more evolved kin, the bow is less complex regarding cable and cam configuration.
The Shooting Experience: I was pleasantly surprised by the shooting experience. There was no hand shock, and the draw was smooth. Even without sights, the bow was reasonably accurate at 30 metres. Arrow speed is comparable to a fast modern recurve. Of course, the modern compound bow throws the arrow considerably faster, as expected. Overall, a great shooting experience and I'm highly impressed with the build quality of the bow as it as stood the test of time and shoots just as well when it came out of the box about the time I was sporting long blond hair, platform boots, a cheese cloth shirt and flared jeans (may Woden forgive me).
*Notus Bene: This image is a stock photo garnered from the netty. To be honest, I was too lazy to take a photo of the bow in my collection (big fat Arse).
Does it come with instructions for threading it?
ReplyDeleteAnd it does live up to its name. Your interest has grown over the years.
I've got my coat.