What was your first bow?

nek4me · December 26, 2017, 03:07:00 PM

I have seen many make a reference to their first bow and some mention they still have it. What was your first commercial bow and do you still have it?

My first was a Shakespeare Parabow B-8 Rocket 25# @28 purchased in 1966 with paper route money. Then in '69 the Little Bear was the first wood handle "hunting bow" I ever saw and even though I had already outgrown it at only 20# @24" I had to have it. In '73 I got my first hunting weight bow a 45# Black Bear.

Both Bears have light colored face glass that seems to be getting popular again. The Black Bear was camo painted for almost 40 years and when stripped two years ago I hadn't remembered it had the yellow face - I kinda like the contrast with the black back.

Lots of memories with these three. Just ordered a B55 from Daniel at HCB to see how the Black Bear responds to a real string.

monterey · December 26, 2017, 03:21:00 PM

Mine was a 20# lemon wood longbow that my dad got for me. My friends and I would "rove" for hours shooting at anything that caught our eye.

It met it's end in the spokes of my bicycle when it strayed from my grip.

Next was a green all glass ambidextrous bow near identical to your Shakespeare.

mec lineman · December 26, 2017, 03:35:00 PM

Indian archery 15 lb

Terry Lightle · December 26, 2017, 03:52:00 PM

First real bow was a Bear Grizzly
Terry

acolobowhunter · December 26, 2017, 04:27:00 PM

Herter's Perfection Stitka and still have it. It is a 65# model and shot it for nearly 20 years before started to get some twist in the limbs. It is sure slow by todays standards and took nearly a tree to make it with the huge riser. I still have the catalog that I ordered it out of and the cost was $50.

tradgreenhorn · December 26, 2017, 04:34:00 PM

Double post sorry .

tradgreenhorn · December 26, 2017, 04:38:00 PM

My first trad bow was a Martin Savana. 45lb. Wish I still had it. Now I have the trad bow bug , and have way to many. (So my wife says )

Orion · December 26, 2017, 05:05:00 PM

My first was a lemonwood longbow, about 15#. I was 7 or 8 at the time. Been shooting sticks ever since. No longer have it. Had a Shakespeare (can't remember the model), Bear K-mag with a twisted limb and a Wing Thunderbird as a teenager. A little later, a Bear Kodkak Special and Super Kodiak. First custom was an Asbel Bighorn in the '80s. Don't have any of those bows now either.

Yooper-traveler · December 26, 2017, 05:06:00 PM

Indian archery 20 or 25 pounder was the first "official" bow. My grandfather made me several while I was young.

pinky · December 26, 2017, 05:09:00 PM

My first real bow, that wasn't a string tied to a stick, was a Damon Howatt "Little John."
I came across it again in my mother's basement just a couple of months ago, many years down the road. Somewhere along the line one of the limb tips delaminated. I finally tossed it out.
I got the bow and a beginning set of lessons way back when.

December 26, 2017, 05:21:00 PM

First bow came off the lilac, my first commercial bow was toy piece of plastic junk. My second commercial bow was a Pearson fiberglass. My first real bow was from a piece of straight grained ash that lightening fired off of our neighbors ash tree. A man that made billet osage bows from fence posts, made me a Hill style sinew backed longbow for himself and one for me out of it. I killed my first pheasants with that bow. When it cracked, I got a Pearson Gamester Recurve.

JusAGuy · December 26, 2017, 05:50:00 PM

My 1st bows were wheel bows... Very 1st... a Bear "Black Bear" that i managed to somehow break/destroy...

The second bow was a Ben Pearson compound of some sort.

My 1st "traditional" bow, a TD recurve is the one in my siggy and is a delight to shoot. Got it for Fathers Day this year and been enjoying it ever since.

David McLendon · December 26, 2017, 06:03:00 PM

My first commercially made bow was a '58 Bear Panda semi recurve maple with red glass 58"AMO
36#@26" and it is hanging in a Quillian's Archery Traditions bow sock in the closet with a brand new Ten Ring string.

Jack Denbow · December 26, 2017, 06:32:00 PM

We shot what ever we could make or borrow for 4 years. My first store bought bow was a 52# 1962 Bear Kodiak. I don't have the exact bow but I do have a 1962 Kodiak that is almost the same weight as my first one.
Jack

BAK · December 26, 2017, 06:46:00 PM

Little yellow fiberglass with red rubber grip. Don't laugh, it killed rabbits.

slowbowjoe · December 26, 2017, 06:56:00 PM

A yellow fiberglass bow, when I was a kid. Didn't shoot after that until I was in my early forties (1990's); got an older Stemmler semi recurve with a twist in the lower limb, but shot well. Had that until it blew up a few years ago. Think I overdid it trying to take out the twist.

Sam McMichael · December 26, 2017, 07:04:00 PM

My first bow was a 45# Ben Pearson Gamester. I killed my first deer with it. I still have it.

A Lex · December 26, 2017, 07:07:00 PM

"Little yellow fiberglass with red rubber grip. Don't laugh, it killed rabbits" BAK

Almost exactly the same here, except mine was red fiberglass with a yellow rubber grip. Mine killed the odd bunny too.

I remember it well, it was a Christmas present about 45 years ago.

Best
Lex

ScottinPA · December 26, 2017, 07:12:00 PM

My grandfather got all the grandsons into archery. Each ended up with a Bear Cub at 25lb when we were maybe 6 or so years old.

Wish I still had that bow.

yeager · December 26, 2017, 07:55:00 PM

My first bow I made out of a tree limb back in 1964 when I was 11 years old. My first manufactured bow was a 52" 1965 Herter's Perfection which I bought in 1970.....and I still have it.