Hi everyone, I know it is said not to ever shoot the Bear bows with aluminum lamination but I want to know if anyone has and how did the bow shoot. Did any of you had one back when they first came out and had it fail on you.

I've heard both sides of the story on these, but have no personal experience to relate. Most will say NOT to use them claiming there were gluing problems with the aluminum.

A few others claim to have shot them lots with no problems...other than the excessive handshock. If you find one that has seen steady use, I bet it's ok to shoot.

My guess is the vast majority of those that were flawed have already separated with use. If collecting them, I would be cautious shooting them.

I have shot several Grizzlies and one Kodiak quite a bit. They all started to take a set after considerable shooting. They shot just like any early '50s Bear-maybe a bit better; the set is really ugly and permanent. Take a few shots if you must but quit while you are ahead.

I had a 1950 Kodiak start to delaminate on the belly just stringing it. Not worth the risk!

Just to fill in the story a bit. After WWII, the big one, Boeing had a surplus of the aircraft aluminum Boeing used to build B17 with. Fred Bear bought some and laminated it between lams of maple in some of his bows. There was a lot of glue failure and many bows broke down. Quite a few of the early fibreglas laminated bows failed as well until modern glues were improved. - lbg

I've heard both sides. But I would like to find a '49 that has no set or delaminations for a wall hanger, since that is my birth year.

My 51 Grizzly is signed by Fred. I am not taking a chance as much as I would like to.

I have what I believe to be a 51 Grizzly. I have shot it some with no issues. I think it is such a cool bow! But, I may just hang it on the wall and not press my luck.

I’ve owned a Polar since the mid 70’s. I’ll never shoot or string it.

In the late 1940s my uncle was a young airman stationed in Alaska and he ordered a bow through the mail from Bear archery. It arrived and he bowhunted with it in Alaska for one or two seasons. I'm not sure of the species of animals he hunted but he did tell me he never shot anything with this bow. Am uncertain of the model Bear bow he had as all of the decals have flaked off, you can see where they once were as they left an impression on the fiberglass. It's a rigid recurve with an aluminum lamination,...still in pretty good condition,...no scrapes, cracks, or de-laminations. I received the bow from him back in the eighties and have never strung it,...never will either, I took the string off it right away so no would ever be able to try to. It's now a treasured keepsake and memento of another era in archery I value highly.

I have a couple of bow with limbs containing aluminum.

Here is a photo of two I have. One thing about them, they are hard to sell, not many people like them.

Here is a photo of two I have. One thing about them, they are hard to sell, not many people like them.

A fellow coach had 3 of them. He sold 1 but still has 2. He said the aluminum was from B24's. But it really matters not. He never did shoot them because of the delam risk. He has brought 1 in to show the kids group we coach. The kids were not really impressed, some parents were, but mostly the grandparents were the most impressed.

When pictures are back up, please post your pix guys, I've never even seen a photo of one (that I can remember)... Thanks

I have a couple of the Bears and of of the Pearson Signatures but I don't mess with shooting them.

According to Jorge Coppen's book the aluminum came from scrapped B17s that Glenn StCharles helped procure for Fred. There are descriptions and pictures of them in the book. bvd

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