There are so many bows that I have not owned and always thought about.

One that I have thought about is the Bear TD.

I know there are many that love these over say Black Widows.

My question to you is which riser limb combination would you recommend for a 29" draw length?

Thanks in advance,

Luis

I own several Bear takedowns and have owned a bunch more, I have a 28” draw and prefer the B with 1s or 2s for most everything. I have a friend that draws out to 30” and his favorite is the B with 1s. All things being equal I think the 60” bows would be good for you, you’ll gain maybe a little more of a smooth draw with an A and 3s and probably a little more speed with the B and 1s but I believe either would be so negligible. The main thing to think of is mass weight, while neither one is what I consider heavy the B is heavier than the A, I prefer the little more mass weight for the stability it gives me

I love my Bear Kodiak Takedowns. I prefer a B-riser with #1 limbs for a 60"amo bow and I have a 28 1/2" draw. All six of mine are B- risers with #1 limbs. If your draw is 29" all the riser and limb combinations will work for you, even a A-riser with #1 limbs for a 56"amo bow. The longer combinations may be smoother drawing. I do like the B-riser better because of the bigger sight window.

Yeah I like bigger risers as well but I want to hear from you guys that have them for obvious reasons.

Nice bunch of bows there! I'm one of the losers that can't decided to love one good model.

I have bows that maybe faster than this but I just love bows.

Do you think a B riser with #2 limbs would give up some performance to #1s? It couldn't be much.

I shoot and love the A riser with #3 limbs for a 60" bow. The B riser actually isn't that much heavier then the A riser. I've got 2 metal risered A mags, and a set of Border limbs coming as well as a set of Kirk's limbs coming. Just gotta send a ride to him soon.

I was going to ask about those Bigfoot limbs as well. I'm sure there are thousands more stock limb owners out there but those who actually have had both, would you take the Bigfoots over the stock? I don't even know the price difference of the limbs.

I was just looking at the mag risers. I wonder what the weight difference is compared to wood.

I have A and B riser awith #3 and with #1 which makes a 60 inch bow. For me they point and are very smooth in the draw and fast enough. Killed a bunch of critters with them. In other words if I could only have 2 bows they'd have to pry them away from me. Plus u have infinite weight and length possibilities. Also has the best limb attachment system. Simple and quick time tested design. Good luck

I've had both A & B. Started w an A but found I shot better w my B. Of course they weigh more than a A, plus I think a bigger sight window helps too.

I had a pair of Kirks longbow limbs for a TD. I didn't care for them. Also had a pair of Brandon Stahl's #3 limbs. They were awesome. Too bad he's not making them anymore. I prefer a 60" Bow so I sold them recently. Factory limbs work fine. Custom limbs may be a bit faster but still not faster than the speed of sound.

Quiet kills!

I just got a B riser with #3 limbs. At 64" it shoots great for my 29 5" draw. I just wish I hadn't waited so long to get one.

Owned a few., pic is only a sample of them lol. I have a 30” draw and have shot the A riser with #1 limbs 56”. It did just fine, really liked it and I shot it well enough. The limbs were flexing a lot though. I got some comments about it at the TN Classic 3d shoot from the guys behind us.

I have grown to like the B risers with #1 limbs 60” best.

The B with #3 64” was smooth though. At 29” you could easily shoot any combo. You like.

My advice is don’t hesitate to try one and don’t over look the vintage mag risers either. Thousands of good bows have been made but the Bear TD even with a few minor faults in the last several years by Bear is still among one of the best designs ever developed imo. Fred Bear obviously knew what he was doing.

here is one of mine,,,,,60 inch ,,B riser

Quieting down the Bear takedowns are easy. Mine shoot very quiet, and I'm shooting a very light arrow now to play with. Kirk's limbs are a huge jump from the production limbs. I've also found my older red tipped 52 pound limbs smoother then my newer 50 pound limbs. Frank Novack also makes after market limbs for Bear takedowns, and he builds a super limb that gives great performance over the production limbs. Are Kirk's or Frank's limbs worth the money? Depends on how much performance you like or want.

I have come to like the A riser with #3 limbs. I've had A and B mags and both in wood plus #1, 2 and 3 limbs. Just for info I weighed my 2019 Rambo wood with #3 limbs and it came in at 2.44 lbs. My B wood with #1 was 3lb even.

I weighed my K Mag B with 2# limbs, it came in at 3.4408 lbs. The riser alone was 2.588 lbs.

Nice! Other than the Bear TD guys and the Widow guys I have not seen such brand loyalty.

What do you guys think of the current mag risers? Not the Fred E. ones.

I have both A and B mag risers. I had a B wood riser that I sold. I like the looks of wood the best, but I shoot the mag risers better. Both my mags are the newer version (not the Fred Eichler one) with the low grip. Good thing about mag risers is they're all the same. Wood risers grips can vary. My draw is 27in. I hunted with my A riser and #1 limbs which makes a 56in bow. My B riser with #3 limbs is what I've been shooting lately. I don't really shoot one better than the other, which is surprising to me. I've always leaned toward longer bows, but I shoot the 56in combo just fine.

I'm thinking I will order one from 3R. The tuing is I'm up in the air about new stock limbs or trying the bigfoots. Brandon doesn't make his anymore. He sure made nice stuff. I haven't been on the bow build forum in a couple years. Don't even know if its active.

I have currently, five Bear takedown's. One two tone wood A riser with a narrow grip that I love. Two of the new aluminum risers, one green and one camo, both A risers. One 1973 magnesium A riser (A) and a 1973 magnesium C target riser. Both of the 1973 risers have been in continual use since I bought them new. I actually shoot the two new aluminum risers the best but love the look of the wood. All have been completely trouble free and shoot great for me. I use #3 limbs on all of them with a 28 and a half inch draw and they are everything I could ever want in a bow, quick, quiet, and dependable.

I have an A riser with #3 limbs for a 60" bow. It shoots just fine for me. I have a 29" draw.

Louis I think if you started out with one of the A or B risers you might consider the A riser can go from 56 to 60 inches.B from 60 to 64 inch bow.

With that B riser you can start with the any size limb and have a nice bow at your 29" draw thats comfortable to start with.

You asked about the #2 limbs.Thier nice and would be a happy medium between the #1 and 3s.I liked my B riser with #2 limbs.

I started with my first Bear T.D and #3 limbs.I liked it right away.

I then added different risers and limbs like many do.I had A and B risers in the all wood,wood phenolic and MAG risers as well.Had limbs in #1,2 and 3.

Thiers a few things to consider when setting them up for your draw length and also intended use.3-D,blind hunting,ground hunting,stalking,still hunting,tree stands and even different poundages for different applications.

An A and B riser with a few sets of limbs can cover alot of functions.

I think I would start with either the B riser and #1 limbs or A riser and #3 limbs.Either one is gonna be a good fit you at 29" to start out with and you can expand your choices if you like the Bear T.D.Thats one of the great things about the Bear T.D if you dig it,versatility!

Always wanted to try a Bear TD so finally got a barely used 50th Anniversary at a good price that was just purchased a month before from a major archery dealer. The UPS tracking number on the carton from Bear to dealer it was packed in confirmed seller's time frame. Only got to shoot it a bit in my garage but liked the balance of it and feel of the shot.

Would have loved to have kept it but one limb had an obvious flaw that I tried to get resolved going through the dealer who sent these pictures to Bear but they refused the claim saying it was only cosmetic - as if fit and finish doesn't matter to the customer on a $1000 bow.

The flaw continued to the upper limb also but was less pronounced. Thankfully the seller took it back.

Even black and or brown glass can have streaking similar to clear glass.Streaking is probably what those limbs had.If its just streaking it would be cosmetic.But we want our limbs to look good.I have had some colored glass that had streaking in the past.

I would not be happy with it either on a new set of limbs.Glad you got your money back.

In my opinion limbs like that could be culled and sold at a discount since thier functionally fine.

Bear and other bowyers dont make the glass.Its unfortunate

I’ve never even thought about a Bear Take down but after reading this post, I want one.

These are my two. I sold my B wood riser. I shoot these mags the best. I hunted with the A mag and #1 limbs.

Krag, those limbs look almost like the set that I sent back. They had a white stripe up the middle of each limb!

Fortunately for me, they refunded my money but I have no doubt that the limbs were sold to someone else. Yeah, I know it's a glass problem that's just cosmetic but it's not gonna be MY glass problem. Bear should price such flaws accordingly or maybe film dip the limbs if they want to sell for full price.

It was only this one limb like this. I think it was more than a streak. That line in the bottom section is raised above the surface of the glass under the finish and closeup is quite rough looking. It is laying on the fleece so I could take the picture at that angle. If I thought it was just cosmetic I probably would have kept it but being the 2nd owner I couldn't take the chance. Maybe someday I'll get another chance to own a TD in one form or another.

Thanks for the replies guys lots of nice bows.

I get cold feet real easy. I don't feel like having issues with a bow north of 1k.

I just watched a YouTube video 2019 review of the Bear takedown and any possibility of getting a wobbly limb fit is a deal breaker for me.

Tell me he is the only one..

I know this is like a slap on the face but really? As much as I would like to add to bows I don't have enough time to shoot, I would run the thing thru the bandsaw if It came this way.

I bought a B riser about a year ago and the limbs fit with a little play, what I would expect. Bought an A riser a few weeks ago and the same limbs fit with quite a bit more play, loose even. Once you string up the A the tension keeps everything solid and I do not believe there is an impact in performance or function. Both risers are the 50 anniversary model.

I watched that same video before I bought, but figured I would take the plunge, and glad I did as I am very happy with the bows. I think the reality is these are hand made items, not precision machined, and the small variances add some quirks to each individual bow or limbs, but they work as designed and intended.

If I were buying a new one, I would also be fussy about everything, but if I bought a used one, I would expect some effect of use or other non-warranted issues as long as they were just cosmetic. For several years I had a Herter's takedown that shot wonderfully, and I even used it in the PSAA state field shoot (1975). Those limbs didn't seem all that stable if you considered they just push in and only lock when strung; over 50 years later they still work fine and shoot better than most can shoot them. But I do understand wanting an expensive new bow to look like one as well as fit well in assembly.

After reading this stuff again and again about the limb fit issues, I would think a simple test fit of new risers and limb would solve te problem with new bows. Quality control 101.

It's just the nature of the beast. It's not a hard, bolt down system. ILF limbs move in the limb pocket before they're strung, but, like the Bear TD, they're solid/fine when strung. BTW, I've never had a set of Bear limbs move side to side, just a little up/down or forward backward. But if a little play in the limbs when the bow is unstrung is a deal breaker for you, then probably best to avoid.

Coming soon!

No that's not ILF.

If I really wanted one I would get one I have been reading a lot post on Bear TD and there more Pros than Cons it like buying anything else sometime you get a bad one.

Dana how do you like that new riser?

Drop, I haven't seen or held one, the pix were shared by a friend who sales-reps Bear bows.

I currently enjoy ILF bows and 'large hook' limbs, but this Bear interests me a lot.

Dang I hate temptation...

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