Old bow - is it safe?

[23tony]

I can post pics later if needed.

I'm wondering how to determine if an old bow is still safe? I picked it up several years ago and it seemed fine at the time. Fired ok, didn't notice any problems. But I've gotten a bit more cautious over the years and this bow has been sitting on my wall for years. Before I take it out to shoot again I would like to be sure I don't have to worry about the limbs snapping under strain or anything like that.

Any suggestions what to look for, how to check it over?

It's a single-piece wood recurve.

 

[birdshot8's]

t can't say your bow is safe but I hunt with a Herters recurve purchased in mid 60's. Over the years i have snapped two bows, both broke in the grip area. no injuries unless surprise counts.

 

[earlthegoat2]

As long as it hasn’t had any extreme heat cycles (like in a vehicle in the summer heat)and there is no shards protruding from the limbs (wood or fiberglass) then it should be OK. Even with the heat cycles mentioned it can still be OK.

Many people think that visual lines and visual roughness in the fiberglass means it is bad but as long as you don’t feel anything with your fingers it is OK.

 

[Armored farmer]

I shoot an old Bear recurve.
Don't give up on it just because it has a little age.
If no warps, splits, cracks...etc, go for it.

 

[jmr40]

I have an old Browning Nomad 51 # bow that is at least 50 years old. I went hi-tech on it about 30 years ago and had sight pins and a peep installed. As long as the string is kept waxed, or replaced, it should be fine. Strings aren't terribly hard to find.

This photo has to be about 30 years old too. I ain't that young anymore.

 

[BWS]

I shot a matched pair(47# and 50#) of takedown '70 Bear Kodiaks in dead SERIOUS 3D tournament competition for over 10 years. I'll spare all the details but imagine full on "Pro Mod" drag racing cars. They've been extensively modified,yadayada. Called the 47# my "Million shot bow"..... give you two guesses why.

Just sayin,if it's straight,stored properly(mentioned above) and isn't falling apart..... grab some woodys and give it a try. Just don't shoot real light arrows,in fact.... the heavier the better(with appropriate spine of course). Good luck with your project.

 

[BWS]

Cpl months ago @20 yds

 

[23tony]

Thanks for the input, it's rather reassuring. Probably just getting paranoid.
String is in good shape and I'm pretty sure I have a replacement. Guess I just need to set up some targets!

 

[sean m]

Years ago I had a recurve blow up on me, from were the string notch on the upper limb and separated in the lamination.
Check the limbs for separation and cracks. Do not dry fire it, too much stress for most limbs.
Make sure you have the right thickness of spine for your arrows as well.

 

[LoonWulf]

I've had 3 recurves blow up on me. 2 had failures in the riser lamination (I also pull 30" which CAN stress shorter bow's or bow's with a lot of reflex, but mine were neither), and one set of carbon limbs explode at the upper wedge tips. All had signs I should have paid more attention too.

From those experiences I would recommend checking ANY bow, and all arrows over carefully before shooting.
Clear glass will often show "flaws" which arnt really, just how it is when building with clear glass, but if you start seeing NEW spots showing up you probably have an issue. Delamination of the riser can sometimes be repaired, as can cracks, but they need to be caught early, and fixed. A good inspection will also find these usually.
The other thing is that if you get any difference in shot feel/sound, check your bow and arrow immediately.

With compounds I don't think I've seen one fail that didn't have a crack in the limb. Usually those are pretty visible. I have seen one come apart when a nock failed (also how the limbs exploded on my Titan I think).

 

[Hookeye]

Old bow...........get a new Dacron (non Fast Flight) string for it.
Think Flemish quieter than endless loop.
3 Rivers sells em for around 15 bucks.
Hoppybeer on Ebay makes nice ones in whatever colors you want (he's done several for me over the years).
Im hunting a a '91 Blackwidow, but my prev HS models were from '75 and '83.
Have had some Bears and others from the 60's.

Never blown one up. But I do replace the string every year If shooting it regularly).
Cheap insurance.

Also............use a stringer. That's where most bows come apart.

 

[Hookeye]

Just got a new Blackwidow D97 string for my bow (fast flite model) in the mail today
Put a new one on last yr, hardly been shot really, but if it ever looks funky.........I have a spare.

 

[LoonWulf]

Old bow...........get a new Dacron (non Fast Flight) string for it.
Think Flemish quieter than endless loop.
3 Rivers sells em for around 15 bucks.
Hoppybeer on Ebay makes nice ones in whatever colors you want (he's done several for me over the years).
Im hunting a a '91 Blackwidow, but my prev HS models were from '75 and '83.
Have had some Bears and others from the 60's.

Never blown one up. But I do replace the string every year If shooting it regularly).
Cheap insurance.

Also............use a stringer. That's where most bows come apart.

Yeah, good suggestion, I'd actually forgotten about the stringer.

I make/made both flemish, and endless, and strand for strand I don't think it matters that much difference in terms of speed. The larger, braided, ends of the flemish i think absorb some shock and are a little quieter tho.
I use 452X for my strings, as all my bows are ff compatible, but that's also another good point. FF strings absore significantly less energy, and are harder than Dacron. If you've got an old, older bow, even if it is FF compatible you may want to stick with Dacron, especially if it's a heavy draw bow.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I build selfbows and have always used the old B50 dacron for the strings. I get razzed by some of my thin string/fast flight buddies but it works for me. The older bows were made before the new stuff so I would recommend dacron for yours as well.

 

[Hookeye]

Endless loop strings where they come together at the loop, seem to have a pretty thick "limb knocker".
Flemish don't.
Maybe thats why they're quieter?

 

[LoonWulf]

Endless loop strings where they come together at the loop, seem to have a pretty thick "limb knocker".
Flemish don't.
Maybe thats why they're quieter?

That's certainly possible.

With endless the dia of the string ends can kinda depend on how they are served, and if the loops are padded. I usually run 6 or 8 strand endless and pad the loops to 12-14. Unless you stager the padding strands well, it will form a bit if a clump. Done right they for a slim tapper.

My flemish strings are usually 6-8 strand also padded to 14-16 in the loops, where the extra padding is helpfull since there's no serving to add diameter.

I run a strip of the fuzzy side velcro down my limbs from the center of the string notch to a few inches past where the string contacts the limb. That helps deaden some of the string slap also.

 

[entropy]

I bought an old straight bow 60# for a prop for a Renaissance Fair, but started shooting it. I just brought it in to the shop, they set me up with strings and nocked them. I had shot sightless for hunting for a long time before I put a 3 pin on any hunting bow. My competition bow-That's another story. Back in the day I had a Jennings T-Star, 4x sight,36" stabilizer, x-7's (I'm dating myself here) and the hardest thing about shooting for college Archery PE class was they still used the big multicolor targets, not one-spots, so I'd occasionally Robin Hood one. Everyone shooting the school-supplied bows thought I was really something, but I just was annoyed, because X-7's were almost $10 each back then!
I did hunt with the long bow one year, didn't see anything close enough to shoot. (as usual) My son has it now, he might hunt with it this year, as his two compounds were stolen last winter.

 

[23tony]

I used to never use a stringer, just the old foot-brace method - until I got this one. Up until that point I never had anything over about 30lb. With 50, I found myself getting quite nervous about the pull required to get it strung - picked up a stringer very quickly after.

The THOUGHT of dry firing a bow makes me shudder...

 

[Hookeye]

Even on bows of lighter weight, I like a 16 strand string.
Larger string diameter is easier on the fingers.

I think I had a 14 on my 37# HF1225T Widow. Everything else 16.

Foot method works well, but on some bows, like Groves or Widows, the tip is small, and on widows the limbs narrow...........just risky.
Lots of people get em half string and ease off and things go bad.

Longer bows are more of a hassle too.

Just another reason why I like a 58" to hunt

BTW, Bear for 2021 has reintroduced the Mag Take Down riser.
$399 MSRP.
Might have to snag some 45# limbs to make me a little 56" treestand rig.

 

[Hookeye]

Lots of shops neglect the trad market.
They don't stock or make strings for trad, and order the cheap ones, or maybe have the old 70's era display w a few still in dusty tubes.
Those cheap endless loop strings suck.
They work but have the big knot at fork of loop.
Yeah they're 9 bucks or so, and a decent Flemish string is close to 15.
Get the flemish.

 

[LoonWulf]

I pad my center servings to fit my nocks, but yeah anything under 12 strand, if not double served, is a little rough on the fingers. I also shoot with a duraglove so that adds some protection.
I use the step thru every now and then simply because I've forgotten my stringer.....always makes me a little nervous......perhaps more than a little.

 

[entropy]

You get tapped in 'the sack' with a bow that the string slipped through, you don't forget that..... I never did buy a stringer for my longbow though.

 

[damoc]

I think single piece it is ok I have built many bows and snapped more than my fair share the only bow that did me injury was a 3 piece with wooden handle section and it snapped at the handle/riser and it was the only bow I had purchased new.

 

[spraay]

Any suggestions what to look for, how to check it over?

It's a single-piece wood recurve.

I'd go over it closely to make sure none of the woods is cracked or discolored. I'd have someone draw it while you observe the limbs to make sure they don't twist or appear warped. I've got to think there's little to go wrong with it as long as the wood is in good shape.