I'd make a real nice rack with an attached picture frame for it. Put that picture of you,your brother and Dad in it and hang it in your mom's house. Wouldn't be for sale at any price if it were mine.

QuoteOriginally posted by Goshawkin:
I'd make a real nice rack with an attached picture frame for it. Put that picture of you,your brother and Dad in it and hang it in your mom's house. Wouldn't be for sale at any price if it were mine.

X 1,000,000

Matt

That bow is a beast!    :eek:   Would take a man mountain to shoot it.    :D

QuoteOriginally posted by ceme24:
Is that enough for deer?  LOL

It's probably enough for several of them... if you line them up side-to-side just right.

My father, whose bow this was, was Roman Gray.  If anyone out there knew him, I'd like to hear about it.  I don't know much about his earlier days in the 60s and 70s, but he was pretty serious about his archery.  This is from Bow & Arrow, in 1968.  In his later years, he was busy doing a lot of other things, but was always passionate about bowhunting, even though it ceased to be his top priority.

   

He was working up sort of a 40-years-later field test of the Gamemaster with Jack Howard when Jack passed away.  Then, a few years later, Dad, my brother (not in my profile picture), my brother-in-law, and I were all planning on a fall caribou hunt in Alaska, when dad suddenly passed away unexpectedly in the spring of the same year.  

Dad had dug deep and bought matching Black Widow recurves for all the men in the family, as a way of passing on his archery heritage to the rest of us.  The caribou trip was to be our 'maiden voyage' with our new bows.

   

So, this heavy bow is not a strange relic that was found by itself in a dusty corner; we have a strong archery heritage.

Sorry he didn't make the trip.Sounds like he was a good man.Pretty awesome of him to get you all those Widows.

Archie,
Thanks for sharing all the memories with us and if it isn't much to ask each time you dig up something like that bow and the article please let us see it as well cause it reminds us of the good old days...It just takes us all back of how much archery ment to many and there storys we will all love to hear...God Bless,
                         Keefers <><

Thanks for sharing.I always wonder how in later years heavy weight bows were common.I think men may have worked harder which naturaly made them stronger.
I have my dads bow a 55#static grizzly.Fiftyfive doesn't sound like much but its more bow then I could ever handle.I was very young when my dad and his friends used to get together and shoot but its a memory that i've always kept fondly.The fun they had and I have now is something I can thank my father for.
Sorry for the loss of your dad - carry on the tradition.

Wow what a find and a great poundage to boot
Jim

My father gave my son a very similiar,great shooting, DH with the same(almost) handwriting and label. From the early to mid 1970s I am sure. Have to note the slight difference that my son's is labeled 43# @ 28. Yours probably would  break his string but it is cool to see the huge range of bows DH made. This makes my 60 # Centaur want to shrivel up and hide!  

That hurts my shoulder, just by reading this.          LOL.  God bless.

In a gun/archery shop in Idaho a few years ago they a Howatt hanging the wall that was 167#. Don't remember the name of the place.

Sorry to hear about father! Marlon

Great memories...thanks for sharing them with us.

in addition to the 3/4" dowels for arrows, you'll need a cable instead of a string (kidding!).  That seems like one of those bows you brace with your feet and shoot a mile.  Wow! what a piece.

Awesome.It is a special order unit from Howatt.. Jack Howard MAY have had a hand in ..but i doubt it. It certainly is 1970's/1980's fodder but I strongly suspect direct order from Howatt..here is my Howatt/Howard Hunter. Similar bow but distinct in shape..but  it is fact they did share business at times.

I could have sworn I posted this bow before. It is a 1974 Howatt (Howard) Hunter made by the late Jack Howard. From what I have heard jack made a deal with Howatt to make 200 of these bows. This is #143 from my collection. Essentially made off the Howatt form and finished by Jack using his logo/decal. My Kitteredge Bow Hut catalog has it listed as does my Howard Archery catalog. African Bubinga and East Indian Rosewood. Great shooter, smooth and speedy.


 
 
 
 
 
 

Sorry to hear of your loss, thanks for sharing though. Great thread.

Thanks for sharing the memories of your dad...and the bow.

As for year, I believe the '73-74 versions had the curved stripe in the riser and not the straight one as on your bow.

Now if Larry Hatfield were reading this post, we would all know for sure.

1983?