Just got done watching "A Christmas Story" on TBS for about the 100th time. When "Ralphie" opens that Red Ryder it brings a tear to my eye every time.
As a kid did anyone get a bow that did the same? Would love to hear any Bear bow stories from yesteryear. Thanks for sharing.
Merry Christmas!
Same here when I see Ralphie open that Red Ryder. I've seen it a hundred times also, and the tears never fail! Best Christmas movie ever made, period!
I got My very first bow a 25# Bear fiberglass recurve as a Christmas present. Still have the bow downstairs. That was 40 years ago. LOL
My father never pulled a bow back in his life. If he only knew how much He changed My life with that first little bow. He's been gone 25 years this year.Maybe by now I could have returned the favor for Him.
We found Dads hiding spot for Christmas presents so we knew a month ahead of time what we were getting, just didnt know who was getting what...PR
I'm 71, and opening my own Christmas Red Ryder (and a couple of years later a Daisy slide action for my birthday)are still crystal clear treasured memories... My dad's lectures and my mother's nervousness and all.
My first bow I bought myself with paper route money when I was 16... $13 at Western Auto... somebody's basic lemonwood longbow. Sure wish I still had it, though I do have a duplicate purchased a couple of years ago off of fleabay hanging on the wall. Every now and then my custom bows and all the bows I've made myself have to stay home while I go shoot that one. By today's standards, the performance sucks, but it's just as much fun as I remember with that first one.
Thanks for sharing guys. I had an all red Bear fiberglass bow as a kid and loved shooting it with my Mom & Dad. I also had a Red Ryder (which I promptly used to break every rule my parents had given me when I got it.) Didn't get either for a Christmas present...but they were my ticket into something that I loved then and love still today.
I did manage to not shoot my eye out with either!
Not for Christmas but for my 12th birthday I got a little Darton Jr. Scout recurve that is frequently mistaken for a similar vintage Bear Cub. Green glass and hard rock maple riser. Only pulls about 20# but I shot the heck out of that bow. Still have it and all my kids have learned on it.
I remember one day sitting on the roof of our spring house pretending I was hunting (elevated stand I guess?) when my older brother and his friend came and climbed up too. We kinda sat there looking for something to shoot at and flung a few arrows at old walnuts. My brother and I had both gotten new "fishing hats" recently and he jokingly tossed his about 10 yards out into the yard and said "bet ya can't even hit my hat"... DRILLED IT!!! Boy was he peeved! Made me throw my hat out next to his so he could shoot mine. He couldn't hit it at all! Finally jumped down, grabbed another arrow and stood right over it and shot an arrow through the top from about 2 feet away.
Brotherly love eh???
We are getting ready to watch it. Loved it so much we bought the movie.
I watched it today also and like others when Ralphie opens the Daisy BB. gun it's priceless and back in the day these things packed a punch...About 6 years ago I went out and bought one and have it hanging in my shop just cause of the memories I had back in the early seventies...It doesn't have the knock down power as the one I think Mama got at Western Auto from years gone by...I must admit my favorite part of that movie wasn't of Ralphie getting his gun but when his mother called his friends Mama and said her son learned the bad word from his friend and he got a beating of his life... :biglaugh:
Mine also wasn't Christmas, but my 11th birthday in October 1971. My dad got me a Bear Bearcat recurve 25#, I was in heaven with a "Real BEAR Recurve Bow"!!
I've still got it and like Bretto said above, my dad also never shot a bow in his life but what a "can of worms" he opened with that little Bear bow!
Dad and I also had a lot of fun with BB guns when I was growing up!(I still shoot BB guns in the garage) Merry Christmas everyone,
John