# Opinions on this old Bear?



## northgeorgiasportsman (Jul 13, 2015)

I was asked by a lady I work with to come help her sons go through some guns they inherited.  She's very apprehensive about her college boys handling their late father's guns, so she asked me to come make sure they were all safe for travel.  While there, I gave them a crash course in gun safety and we even went out and shot a .50 Beowulf just for giggles.  On my way out, I noticed an old recurve wall decoration and I asked about it.  Nobody seemed to know much, but she handed it to me on my way out the door as a thank you.  

So here it is.  It's a Bear Bearcat.  From what I've found online, it seems to be a 1970 or 71.  I can't see any cracks or damage other than a few spots where the finish is flaking.  The string looks fairly new.  The serving doesn't have a nocking point and I can't see that arrows have even been nocked on it. 

Not knowing anything about its history, I gritted my teeth and drew it back a few times and it didn't explode.

Have I just found a good one to start out on?  Or is it just a wall hanging?  It's really pretty sharp looking with black glass on wood.


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## Barry Duggan (Jul 13, 2015)

shoot it.


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## j_seph (Jul 13, 2015)

My dad had one like that I used to play around with. Actually was shooting it one day before I was planning to hunt with it that evening. Pulled back and the limb snapped and hit me in the head. Really enjoyed that old bow


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## Jake Allen (Jul 13, 2015)

Looks like a fine bow.


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## Clipper (Jul 13, 2015)

Look it over real good for cracks and splits.  If you don't find any it will likely give you good service.  Old bows shoot fine, I'm shooting one that is likely over 30 years old.


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## SELFBOW (Jul 13, 2015)

I like it if ya wanna sell it....


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Jul 13, 2015)

I've not shot it yet, all my arrows have plastic vanes.  But I've tried to draw it to full draw (anchoring at the corner of my mouth) and I can't seem to get there.  Is that what they call stacking?  I've not put it on a draw scale, but I don't think I'm getting 28" out of it.


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## Todd Cook (Jul 13, 2015)

It should be fine to shoot. Those old bows last a long time. I would not trust that the string is fairly new however. I would replace it before I drew it back again.


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## SELFBOW (Jul 13, 2015)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> I've not shot it yet, all my arrows have plastic vanes.  But I've tried to draw it to full draw (anchoring at the corner of my mouth) and I can't seem to get there.  Is that what they call stacking?  I've not put it on a draw scale, but I don't think I'm getting 28" out of it.


It says its a 45#@28" so that's not the problem. Quite possible you are not strong enough to pull it back or you have a very long DL like 30+" then it might stack on ya.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Jul 13, 2015)

SELFBOW said:


> Quite possible you are not strong enough to pull it back



  If you only knew me!

I just went out and shot it.  I don't know what changed from the living room to the driveway, but with an arrow in it, I pulled it right to the corner of my mouth like I wanted to.  I sliced a vane off so it will shoot off the shelf and went out and tried it.

I've got a shooter!  I shot about a dozen times from 15 yards and was hitting (basically) where I was looking.

I laughed at the first shot.  It's as loud as a crossbow.  I know it needs silencers, but it seems to me like the strings are vibrating on on the ends of the limbs.  It sounds like plucking a string on a doghouse bass.  Can/should I put down felt or something here?


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## SELFBOW (Jul 13, 2015)

Get a new string w silencers already in place then add felt if needed. Find the proper brace height for it as well. Idk it.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Jul 13, 2015)

Thanks!


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## JBranch (Jul 13, 2015)

Other than the shelf being on the wrong side, looks fine to me.
 I think Fred may have hooked yet another one.


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## sawtooth (Jul 13, 2015)

Looks like a winner to me.  And 45# is just right.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Jul 13, 2015)

The brace height is currently 7" on the nose.  I've read suggestions online of a brace height 7-8"  I measured from nock to nock with it strung up and it looks like 55 7/8"

Y'all help me set this thing up.  I'm a lifelong compound shooter with a traditional itch to scratch.

I've been debating which bow to buy, then this thing showed up.  So now what do I need?  Glove?  I don't like a tab.  What kind of string?


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## SELFBOW (Jul 13, 2015)

You can adjust the brace to help w the noise. Closer to 8" sounds good to me. Theres alot of string makers on here and lots in North Ga. Give one of them some time to see this thread and chime in. Paul Redavid sounds like the man you need to see. Somebody from NGa help him out here


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## AllAmerican (Jul 13, 2015)

*Amen to the new string!*



Todd Cook said:


> It should be fine to shoot. Those old bows last a long time. I would not trust that the string is fairly new however. I would replace it before I drew it back again.



Listen to Todd, I just had a string break in half on me after I shot a 3d course at NGT.  Luckily no one was hurt...Except for the belly of my bow.  So far so good with a new string and never again will I use the brass nocking points.  Get a new string.


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## The mtn man (Jul 14, 2015)

I've got a glove and some arrows for you to try. I'll be out of pocket for a week, I'm gonna leave that stuff with you.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Jul 14, 2015)

It's 60 AMO, so do I need a 56" string?  Flemish B50?


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## Clipper (Jul 14, 2015)

Sounds like you were shooting arrows for your compound which will likely be too light for the recurve.  Heavier arrows will cut down the noise as well as the suggestions above.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Jul 14, 2015)

Clipper said:


> Sounds like you were shooting arrows for your compound which will likely be too light for the recurve.  Heavier arrows will cut down the noise as well as the suggestions above.



That's true and I considered that.  I can pluck the string with no arrow nocked and it vibrates like playing an upright bass.  I unstrung it today and the string that's on it is 56".


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## Clipper (Jul 14, 2015)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> That's true and I considered that.  I can pluck the string with no arrow nocked and it vibrates like playing an upright bass.  I unstrung it today and the string that's on it is 56".



As I understand string making, the string for a recurve is usually 4" less than the AMO length so you should have the correct string length.  I bet a pair of good wool silencers would dampen than noise down very well.  You can also pad the limbs where the string rests with felt and may need to do that.  When you get a new string make sure it is B-50 Dacron and not Fast Flight material.


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## sawtooth (Jul 15, 2015)

With the right string and a good set of wood arrows that bow will be deadly.


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## dpoole (Jul 15, 2015)

sawtooth said:


> With the right string and a good set of wood arrows that bow will be deadly.



Now where would he get some good wood arrows from ?


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