Hey Guys,

What does everyone think about the 2018 Bear takedown limbs? They come in either a 1 or 3 and looks like they have red tips. Are they compatible with a fast flight skinny string? Or the BYC material?

Thanks

Charlie

Yes, some of the best Bear has ever made.

4Nolz is correct. Neil Byce has got it down this year. Got a 2018 phenolic/bubinga riser and these 2018 limbs fit, finish, and zip is spot on.

They're fast flite compatible. Narrower than the older limbs. When I tested the new limbs against older tip limbs with the same low stretch string, I found they shot the same speed. Of course, some folks don't like to put low-stretch strings on older limbs. I've never had a problem doing so. Regardless, I have new and old. I buy new when I can't find the older limbs in the length and weight I'm looking for.

Thanks guys. I just wanted to make sure they could take a new string material. They seem to perform much faster then he older ones.

They are norrower than old limbs but they will still fit old risers correct?

Squirrel Killer. In my experience, the new limbs are not faster than the older limbs when the same low-stretch string is used on both. I compared a set of new limbs to two older red tip sets of limbs.

All the limbs were the same weight, 50#, and length, no.1s. I shot them on the same green stripe riser with the same D-97 padded poop string at the same brace height with the same arrows.

The two older sets were 1 and 2 fps faster than the new set. Basically a wash.

It's the string material that seems to make the newer limbs faster. Compare the new limbs with a low stretch string to the older limbs with dacron, and the new limbs will be faster. Put the same string on both of them, and it's a wash.

Yup. They fit great!

I have an A riser and a set of #1 limbs that pull just a little under #50 at my draw, this is a relatively new bow. I love this bow and I have had a few in my day. I have been looking for a lighter set of limbs, here is my experience so far:

Limbs are not easy to come by back order at 3R

Limbs tend to be a little on heavy side

New limbs that have the bubinga overlays on tips look very nice but the 1st new set I got from 3R fit so lose in the riser they would just fall out. Fit is nothing like original pair.

As always 3R is excellent to work with, still waiting for another set.

My red tips TDL3-18 fit the 07-18 riser like a glove.

Got them from Jerry Dewese at JDHunts.

Yes they are narrower and slightly longer, enough so that if using the same string one needs to adjust brace height substantially like a half inch difference.

That said I prefer them. Now if I can only find a 40# on A riser set? Have 37 & 42, seems they rate them on B riser in 5# increments 30, 35, 40, 45, etc.

Sounds like we are looking for about the same limbs Kelly, 3R said they have 2 pair marked 42. I am hoping that one of them will actually be 44# which would get me close to 40# at 26.

Does the loose fit in the riser cause any problems?

Regarding length, the newer limbs seem to be a little more consistent on length. At least the last two sets I bought were the same length. On the other hand, I have a half dozen older sets, and no two sets are exactly the same length. They vary by as much as a half- inch from the shortest to the longest, with the longest being equal to the last two sets of new limbs I bought. Not a biggie to twist or untwist the string for the appropriate brace height.

I've also found older limbs to fit differently as swell. Some fit like a glove. Some, it's necessary to apply a little moleskin here and there. One set was simply too long to fit any of my four risers. A little sanding on the butt took care of that. Same issue with the new limbs. Some fit really well. Others not as much. But all can be made to fit with a little tinkering.

When you think about it, that's quite an accomplishment for Bear. Limbs and risers made more than 40 years ago are interchangeable with those made today.

NB3's team is going over the 2017 Limited Editions with a fine tooth comb.

I believe that the slowed down production of 2018 limbs is producing higher quality products. Makes sense that Neil's guys are getting better every day by working on higher level projects.

Raymond, I need 40#@28” on an A handle. I would think that 45#@28” on a B handle should get you around 40#@26”.

Regarding loose fit my experience is after strung up they don’t move and are just as quiet as the tighter fitting ones. I have one limb from one set of 2012 limbs that is very loose on anbubinga handle. This same limb fits very good on all my other handles. Now get this, all my other limbs, Grayling old style and new style fit all very good on the Bubinga handle. Just can’t figure out why that one limb is so loose on that one handle? That said, the limbs shoot just fine.

Use string wax on the old limbs - think 4Nolz gave this advice and it was perfect for some 2012s I got off Ebay.

last year I owned 3 different takedowns and 3 different sets of limbs (all new)...one set blew up within a week....second set streaked glass immediately...and then the 3rd set each limb was a full inch longer than the previous limbs...hopefully bear has figured it out for their most expensive bow for 2018....

I will admit their customer service is top notch and they put the customer first...that's why I stuck with them...ended up shooting and A riser with #3s for awhile and foolishly sold it...was a fantastic shooter...with that said I still love bear and shoot their bows

I have a 2017 bubinga/maple A riser and 2018 45 pound limbs. They draw 47 pounds on the A riser. All-around, it's the best bow I've ever shot. Limb fit is perfect. As I said before, I expected it to be an average shooting, somewhat noisy bow, and I got just the opposite. Really fast and quiet! I can't miss with it. It reminds me of a lower poundage version of my Deathmaster I traded away for it, but I think it's a better bow. The fast flight string might be a big part of the speed and quietness.

Joe

Daniel- they were new #1 limbs one set was an inch shorter than the other. And yes it required a different string. That's how I found out they weren't the same length because I couldn't get my brace right using the previous string.

I hope to own a bubinga and phenolic next year maybe. Just hope they do better matching the limb wedges to the risers.

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