I know many guys have their custom bows made with heavy draw weights, but lets see some heavy weight vintage bows. I've seen many 60# and under, but have to believe 60+ factory bows are less common.

I usually shoot 45-52 but couldn't turn down this 63# Howatt Hunter from 1966-67. It feels like 70, need to get a bow scale and check her out.

T4

T4 -

Bear had a factory cap of 70#, IIRC Pearson was 65#. Most other companies were around there, but a lot of them would go heavier (a lot heavier) on special order, so it wasn't that uncommon. Of course, even then, you had to get the heaviest they made, right? Heck, I did...

Sorry, too many to list or picture.

Viper out.

Good info Viper. I'll say this, when you step up from 45# to 63# you notice the difference instantly. The pull is one thing, but boy oh boy those arrows are really moving.

T4

I have a super K in 65.

T4 -

The DH Hunter was probably one of the fastest, if not THE fastest production bows of it's time - at any weight. BTW - my 61# 1975 model tips the scale at close to 70# @ 29".

One thing that some folks forget is that when you go heavier, the grain per pound usually get less, unless you go out of your way to make the arrows heavier too. And it's been my experience that above 35-40#, keeping the gpp the same, the speed increase with heavier bows isn't as much as a lot of folks think.

Viper out.

Here's a 70# Swift Wing.

Here's the whole bow...lovely rosewood!

Here's a "butcher block" Root Gamemaster that's 70# @30".

With my draw I am only pulling 65#.

It was obviously a custom with the weight marked at 30".

Here's another one that kills at both ends of the arrow!

A 1955 Bear Kodiak...no decals but dual shelf.

It is 65# @26". Again unusual and likely a custom due to the weight being measured at 26".

With my draw length I am getting close to 70# but not quite.

I have all sorts of 60-65# bows...too many to list.

If Bear had made all their bows like this one I would own more...they are a work of art with the multiple limb laminations.

I recently sold a 1956 Bear Polar that is 77 pounds. I have a feeling that back then they may not have come out of the custom shop.

DDave

Dave makes a good point...many hunters routinely shot heavier bows back then.

Still have a 1990 Howatt Hunter, 65@28. It's almost 70 at my dl, but I bought it new when I was 38yrs old. I shoot it once in a while, boy that thing really throws an arrow. MP

T4, when you measure the Howat remember that they were weighed correctly. Meaning that the draw weight is measured by moving the string 26.25" from the pivot point. That's actually the AMO standard for a 28" draw. Not 28" to the back of the bow.

I've heard for years that Howatt's were marked light, but after weighing dozens, the right way.....nope.

What are we calling "heavy" ?

Rick

"What are we calling heavy?". Good question for anyone who has seen your video for joining the Heavyweight Society. I call anything over 60lbs heavy and anything over 80lbs improbable but you would still be calling those light.

The main reason for "factory" bows not being over 65# or so for the past bunch of years is the fact that Gordon quit making heavy glass. We used to buy .080 and heavier in quantities all the time, and filled orders for hunters and venturas along with ML-10's in weights up to and over 125#. Mostly, these bows were strung with cables and used for a Gym device. When Gordon dropped to .050, we went to weights that were balanced in glass/wood ratio, as did most reputable bowyers.

Bears cp wwas for their cataloge. I ordered an 80lbs bear grizzly for a guy back in the 80's. It came in 78lbs. My howatt hunter was 72lbs and ventura was 75. All my bows are light weights now since my health went down and my age went up. Mine run 58-64.

I bought the 1956, Dual-shelf Bear Polar from camodave, 64" - exactly 77# @ 28" on my club's bow scale. I had to put a stick on rest bc the shelf was way too narrow for my 23/64" Hickory arrows. Nice original condition. It's a nice shooting semi-recurve, but a real "Bear" to string, seriously.

You'll see a ton of heavy bows made in the late 80's n early 90's. Most of my bows back then were customs and all 73-76 lbs.

Big dog, is that a Saxon American? Do you know when it was made? MP

I wonered about that as well.

"One thing that some folks forget is that when you go heavier, the grain per pound usually get less, unless you go out of your way to make the arrows heavier too. And it's been my experience that above 35-40#, keeping the gpp the same, the speed increase with heavier bows isn't as much as a lot of folks think.

Viper out."

That is actually pretty different from my experiences. I find that most people make comments that the efficiency goes way down, and I see a minimal amount of difference when keeping the same amount gpp. I think people use this as justification to shoot lighter poundages, as if they need justification to shoot what the want. There just are no studies out there to support this massive decrease in efficiency that people talk about.

Even if I get the same speed at the same gpp its with heavier arrows for more penetration. I thought I had dropped to low weight when I dropped to 60lbs, till I came to leatherwall,lol.

"Wondered, not wonered" sheesh!

My 100# bear. I also have a 1954 bear polar 94#.

Here are a pair of Howatt hunters from the 90s one is 80 lb ones 90 lb, have been looking for the 100 lb bow that matches for several years.

That amo standard 26 1/4 to the pivot comes out real close to the same as 2i to the back of the shelf. It not gonna make more than a lb or 2 difference unless the bow was custom ordered with a small or shallow throat.

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here