I've had this Bear T/D for over 35 years...all original and never shot. It came with 50 pound #1 limbs and at that time they were too light for me. So I just stuck it away. Now 50 pound limbs are too heavy for me...but a good friend Yellow Dog on Trad Gang offered me a set of newer #1 Bear T/D limbs...40#@28 on an A riser.
Yesterday I got the Bear out and shot it for the first time ever. Now I understand why there is so much chatter about this bow. It feels & shoots so nice, very pretty, and I Love It. What made it even more special was yesterday was my Birthday...tippit
Double Click to enlarge photos...
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Happy Birthday and that is a beautiful bow!!!
WOW!!! Stunning bow and great story!
Happy Birthday Jeff, Beautiful bow!
Jeff, a very happy birthday to you. You just opened a bottle of 'fine wine' there. Glad Mike could be of some help in the limb department. He always seems to 'come thru'. Enjoy it.
Shick
I see a couple Klintworth gobblers in that bows future :thumbsup:
Happy birthday and gotta love them Bear Takedowns .
Happy Birthday.......I was just out shooting mine, and you are right. They shoot and handle just great. Really neat that you kept all that time and never shot it. :thumbsup:
That is a real looker. Congrats on having such a beautiful Bear TD.
Happy Birthday! That is one sweet looking bow.
Thats is a nice one!
Happy Birthday Jeff. That bow is a real piece of History and a great shooter.
Happy birthday, Jeff!
Have fun with your "new" bow!
Bisch
Happy birthday! I'm the opposite, I can't seem to put mine down lol.
Happy birthday Jeff!! Very nice bow. Jeff
Just purchased a set of Bear #3 Red Tip limbs, 42@28, for my Bear mag (A) making a 60" bow. What a pleasure to shoot. Not as pretty as yours Jeff, but shoots straight and fast enough. Happy birthday my friend. Enjoy. :clapper:
Man , just when I had those outa my system. very nice
Happy birthday Jeff, that's a dandy looking bow.
Steve Jr
Enjoy Jeff
Very nice. Love my takedown. Couldn't imagine not shooting it for 35 years!
Oh yeah, happy birthday! Have a great year!
Beautiful bow.
Happy Birthday!
What a great birthday gift to yourself. Happy Birthday!!!! Nice bow.
Happy Birthday, Jeff!!!!!!!!!!
Now THAT's Funny!!! I've waited 40 years to get one... and you've had one tucked away, for 35 years...??
Can't go wrong with the takedowns. Enjoy
Very fine ... Happy Birthday
How SWEEEEET it is :thumbsup: HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jeff :goldtooth:
Fantastic! And Happy Belated Birthday!
can't see the picture because of spyware on the computer ,,,,but happy birthday and enjoy the bow ,,,gib
Could be an all time birthday gift!
Happy Birthday :clapper:
Happy Birthday!
Hard to beat a gift like that!
Enjoy
Happy birthday. That's a 'regifting' we'd all like to be a part of. Wow an original A handle, that's a great investment.
Happy birthday man. That is a real looker. I cannot think of a better way to spend a birthday
Nice. Did you or someone modify the shelf? I've never seen one rounded like that on one of the old ones.
OBXacher,
That's the way it came when I got it some 35 years ago. The wood side plate is routered with a screw in metal spring...hard to explain. It looks like it was done at the factory but I removed it and covered the area with a piece of leather.
That lowered and radiused shelf is interesting. From what I recall reading that is the way Fred preferred his personal bows be cut. I'm not sure if that was an option on special oriders?
I know that Bowdoc often did that on bows that he refinished for people and I've done it on some myself.
Either way, that is one special bow, and personally I think it's great that it finally gets a chance to do what it was made for!
What a beautiful bow!!!!! Congratulations on the b-day!
You have incredible self control! There's no way I could leave that in my closet for 35 years. Beautiful riser.
Jeff, it appears your Bear is a type II; adjustable plate and radiused shelf. Is your s/n in the 2000 range? Bowdoc modified my type I B to look like that. Big improvement.
Shick
I've modified several Kodiaks and one TD to "Fred's grip". It does help a little but I shoot cock feather in and it's hard on my left knuckle.
Shick,
You are corect...serial #2078. Thanks for the info.
myshootinstinks,
It's not that I have a lot of self control, it's more that I have a lot of bows and never needed to to shoot this one. I also have a B riser with Fred, Frank, and Charlie's signature on it that I'll never shoot. Plus a picture of Frank & Charlie holding the bow...very cool for a Bear collector.
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Mike (Yellow Dog) let me shoot one of his take down Bears on our recent hunt in December. Wow it was nice, I had never shot one before but now I can see what all the fuss is about.
This post caused me to make a call to a retired Bear Bowyer. Looks like I have one of the employee specials (1 of 2 of this version) headed my way... and I thought I was over them.
Roy, you better post pictures when you get it.
QuoteOriginally posted by Hermon:
Roy, you better post pictures when you get it.
X2
Roy I still have the one you helped me to buy,
Thanks
Congrats Jeff. Nothing like knowing you were were the first person to"drive a car off the line"
Better late than never. Beautiful T/D. The radius' shelf is an improvement.
Bought one in '69. Broke two sets of limbs (both of which worked me over). Needless to say I regret that sale. They were/are great shooting bows.
Happy birthday buddy.
The one coming is supposed to be a Signature without the gold plating, ivory insert, or gloss finish. It has aged white glass limbs just under 40# draw weight.
I'm looking for a bow that is very easy to draw for form work.
It has never been shot but that will change when I receive it. I was hoping for a stashed LH, Type A, A Riser but all those are apparently within a bow shot of the Matterhorn Mountain (Italy/Swiss range). :)