New old recurve hunter

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elkslayer4x5
Posts: 156
Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:14 pm

New old recurve hunter

#1 Post by elkslayer4x5 »

Hi. As my title tells you, I prefer recurves. Got my first one in 1966. Can't remember the model name but it was an Indian Archery 45# probably 58". Got it at Sears. Shoot it about two weeks, and found a local archery club. Seems they where everywhere then. The memory of that fist recurve is vague because one of the members of the newly joined club ran the local Western Auto, and handled Bear archery equipment in a corner of his store! :)
Next Club night I had a Bear Tigercat. 35# and 62" By hunting season I had a Super Kodiak ;) Loved that bow! Lost it 4 years later to a lower limb failure while at full draw, just slowly broke. :shock: Next week I had this Darton Fury. :D
Darton riser.jpg
Darton riser.jpg (39.39 KiB) Viewed 540 times
Tried compounds for a while, but missed the control of the string, my release, and the arc of a traditional arrow's flight.

Just pickup this pre amo Darton from the auction bay. Any guesses on the riser wood?
Classic riser.jpg
Classic riser.jpg (113.53 KiB) Viewed 545 times
Specs, tips and decal.jpg
Specs, tips and decal.jpg (48.29 KiB) Viewed 545 times

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elkslayer4x5
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Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:14 pm

Re: New old recurve hunter

#2 Post by elkslayer4x5 »

Here's what I hunt Elk with. A little nicked up here and there, but I can't complain. One afternoon several years ago now, while getting my mail from the row of boxes, I started chatting with the ole guy that lived across the road from the mail boxes. the summer previous, there had been a bale of straw out back of his place that had a target on it.
I asked who was shooting. He said his nephew was trying it but then found girls, But hang on a minute, be right back. Off he goes, and soon comes out carrying this bow. He told me that one of his past jobs was cleaning out rentals. He found this bow in the back of a closet. :o Said I was the only pearson who had shown any interest in traditional archery, he knew enough about archery to know there was a difference but that was about it. Gave it to me. :mrgreen:
I was a member of a forerunner Traditional archery forum, (I'll have to look it up, web addy is on old tower out in garage) and told that forum what I just typed, and asked for year id ( on stickwall too, still active there) and find that the curved strip Hi=Speed risers were made in 1974. It must have been my day, as a member there offers me a string for the Hi-Speed, off his own Hi-speed, his serial # was close to 600 before mine, forgot the exact number in the excitement! :D
Damon Howatt Hi  Speed riser.JPG
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Overlays.jpg
Overlays.jpg (75.94 KiB) Viewed 544 times

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Grizzly
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Re: New old recurve hunter

#3 Post by Grizzly »

Welcome to the forum.

Very nice bows. I remember those Hi Speeds from the catalogs but never did get to see or shoot one.

I'd guess shedua on the wood, though some of that tighter grain makes me wonder. Still think shedua though. The wood looks very similar to my old 1966 Bear Grizzly. Nice lines on that Darton's riser. Good looking bow.

In 1966 me, my brothers and Dad were shooting Bear Tiger Cubs that Dad brought home for us boys. It wasn't until I came home from VN in 1969 that I bought my first bow, a Ben Pearson 52" that was on sale. Big mistake as I look back in my mind on the racks and racks of recurves I had the money for back then. The owner tried his best to talk me up. Should have listened. On the way home, someone drove over the hood of my MGB and rolled over; left tire tracks on the hood and broke the intake manifold for the side draft carbs. Messed up a knee and an ankle but didn't hurt the bow. He was Uninsured of coarse.
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Carpdaddy
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Re: New old recurve hunter

#4 Post by Carpdaddy »

Welcome to the site, I like how you come in with a bang, and pictures! Enjoying reading Your history with each bow. Don’t know on the wood. :mrgreen:

stumper
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Re: New old recurve hunter

#5 Post by stumper »

Welcome. I agree with shedua for that riser. Nice entrance. Welcome from the swamp waters of Louisiana.
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

Captainkirk
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Re: New old recurve hunter

#6 Post by Captainkirk »

Super intro!
Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing those beautiful photos and your stories! We love stories, but as Carpdaddy is fond of saying, the ones of us who can't read love pictures even more :lol:
Kick off your shoes, pull up a stump by the fire and make yourself at home. We're glad you've joined in and hope you will not only make our forum a regularly scheduled stop, but also claim it as your own.
Aim small, miss small!

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elkslayer4x5
Posts: 156
Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2020 6:14 pm

Re: New old recurve hunter

#7 Post by elkslayer4x5 »

Grizzly wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2020 5:18 pm Welcome to the forum.

Very nice bows. I remember those Hi Speeds from the catalogs but never did get to see or shoot one.

I'd guess shedua on the wood, though some of that tighter grain makes me wonder. Still think shedua though. The wood looks very similar to my old 1966 Bear Grizzly. Nice lines on that Darton's riser. Good looking bow.

In 1966 me, my brothers and Dad were shooting Bear Tiger Cubs that Dad brought home for us boys. It wasn't until I came home from VN in 1969 that I bought my first bow, a Ben Pearson 52" that was on sale. Big mistake as I look back in my mind on the racks and racks of recurves I had the money for back then. The owner tried his best to talk me up. Should have listened. On the way home, someone drove over the hood of my MGB and rolled over; left tire tracks on the hood and broke the intake manifold for the side draft carbs. Messed up a knee and an ankle but didn't hurt the bow. He was Uninsured of coarse.
If you get another chance at a Hi-Speed, grab it! Great little bow. Comes in a couple of lengths, several different riser shapes. Howatt made that line for quite a while.
Lol, When I saw the Darton Classic, the sight window reminded of my Darton Fury.

My highway, auto and archery gear didn't end as well for my target bow, a 67 Bear HC-30 30# @28 72" black beauty. Got the bow in 68, when I sold the zebrawood Tigercat (another pretty wood!) for it's light draw weight. At the time I was drawing 31", shortened up some, now 30".
All of which brings me to Late 60's archery shops! At this time I lived 60 miles north of the San Francisco bay area. Lots of archery in the 60's, shops all over. Best one was in Alameda, Ca. The Bow Rack was huge, even had a 30 yard range. First trip there was for the wife. A Wing "Gull" 27@ 28 62". I picked up a Hoyt Pro Medalist marked 37 @ 28 69". I was string walking by then, ( when you shoot field round with a 30# bow, you pick up a few tricks!) and wanted more "cast" that that silky HC-30 had. Should have gone with Bob Lee's Wings, the wife's little Gull spit those 1614's right on out there. But I did get the cast I was looking for, might be because Hoyt mismarked that bow. Checked it on a bow scale a few weeks later and found it to be 39#s @ 28.

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elkslayer4x5
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Re: New old recurve hunter

#8 Post by elkslayer4x5 »

Carpdaddy wrote: Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:31 am Welcome to the site, I like how you come in with a bang, and pictures! Enjoying reading Your history with each bow. Don’t know on the wood. :mrgreen:
Well, as my into title as Old recurve hunter, love the 60 and 70 recurves! They still shoot great! Plus you get beautiful wood. Here's another unidentified wood, the riser of a Ben Pearson Cougar of undermined vintage that I think has been refinished, the glass is a satin like black, not shiny not dull. Not sure the AMO belongs or not, but the 45# at 29" is a first for me also first time I've seen USA on a bow's specs. The fine grain in this wood is beautiful.
Cougar riser.jpg
Cougar riser.jpg (94.52 KiB) Viewed 512 times

Cougar specs.jpg
Cougar specs.jpg (19.46 KiB) Viewed 512 times
Cougar sight window.jpg
Cougar sight window.jpg (53.88 KiB) Viewed 512 times

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elkslayer4x5
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Re: New old recurve hunter

#9 Post by elkslayer4x5 »

I've looked all though the Pearson Catalogs on the Vintage Archery site and can't find any wood like this for the Cougar, must be one of "various hardwood" they mention in several catalogs. Darn nice shooter for an "economy line bow" But then Ben Pearson bows are usually under rated. Thinking of changing the grip of this bow, deepen the throat another 1/2 inch.

http://www.vintagearchery.org/

stumper
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Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 7:40 pm

Re: New old recurve hunter

#10 Post by stumper »

Looks like good old black or claro walnut. Also could be shedua also.
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

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