Do you remember your first bow?

ldhayes · June 24, 2014, 03:50:00 PM

My first bow was a used Blackhawk Avenger 52" 40 lbs @28" recurve. I hunted with that bow when I was 12 years old (1969), the first year I could legally deer hunt in Michigan. After that first year I bought a brand new Browning Fury I 54" 45 lbs @28" recurve. I'm not positive but it seems like that bow sold for around $140 or $150 back in 1970, which was a lot of money for a 13 year old kid. I still have both of those bows hanging on my wall. The Browning looks just as it did when I last hunted with it: cloth camo limb covers, brush buttons & Kwikee silencers on the string and a Kwikee Kwiver with 4-Browning fiberglass arrows, two with Super Hilbres & two with Bear Razorheads. I'm so glad I kept those bows. I've got lots of fond memories hunting those bows even though I never did shoot anything with either one.

Anyone else have memories of their first bow?

Bladepeek · June 24, 2014, 03:56:00 PM

Absolutely! I picked mine out of an outdoors magazine ad. Nothing special; an el-cheapo solid fiberglass 60", 45@28. It was just like Ralphie's BB gun Christmas. All the presents were handed out, I was a bit down because my Christmas bow hadn't come in when Dad spotted something standing behind a chair in the corner.

We had 2 city lots back then In Farmington, MI. My buddy and I shot that bow every afternoon across both lots into some hay bales we had piled up. Wow, now that I think of it, that was back in 1956!

I sold it a couple of years ago after shooting it a few times to make sure it was still safe. Not a special bow and I don't regret selling it, but it sure was special when I got it

hedgerowhuntr · June 24, 2014, 03:59:00 PM

It was a green fiberglass bow with no writing on it, my grandfather bought it for me at a garage sale back in the mid 1980's (I was about 5 or 6 years old at the time)he paid 5 cents for it. He went to Jamesways and bought me a half doezen wooden kids arrows and I shot the heck out of that thing! I kept losing strings, so I would just make one out of baler twine. The pigeons in the hay mow hated to see me coming with that in hand. Don't think I ever killed one with, but sure did pester the heck out of them. Fast forward to today, and that's the bow my daughter is learning on

Zradix · June 24, 2014, 04:02:00 PM

YEP!

A white flat piece of fiberglass with a little red and blue accents.
Shot wood arrows with rubber suction cups for points.

...till I taped nails to the shaft..lol

Gooserbat · June 24, 2014, 04:29:00 PM

Sure do. Little white fiberglass job from Wallmart, even had 3 suction cup arrows that I would shoot onto the fridge. I latter mover up to a brown fiberglass recurve of about 20-25#, and then a 40# K-Mag, which I still have.

nineworlds9 · June 24, 2014, 04:31:00 PM

33# 62" Bear Tigercat. Dad bought it for me at a pawn shop for cheap when I was around 12.

Hot Hap · June 24, 2014, 04:31:00 PM

Not really. Pretty sure that it was a Browning but have no idea what model or length. I started when I was 14 in 1958.

Hap

riverrat 2 · June 24, 2014, 04:32:00 PM

My folks took us school clothes shopping one late summer/early fall day. My dad and me were in the sporting goods section. I was prolly 10. I saw this awesome little compound bow. I loved it. My dad just knew it. He said "Well if I get you that,you've got to wear the same old tattered clothes to school" I said.."THANKS DAD!!" That was the start. Bless his heart,Mom was not at all happy with us,but that was my 1st bow. rat'

June 24, 2014, 04:38:00 PM

I was three, a branch from a lilac bush. I have foundthat a short chunk of bamboo backing with a longbow handle glued to it and properly tillered makes a great first bow, but be warned, that little arrow will fly further than you think.

mcgroundstalker · June 24, 2014, 04:45:00 PM

My dad got little fiberglass bows for my brother and myself back in 1966... I was ten, my brother seven years old... Dad took us "hunting" at sunrise on Sunday mornings for rabbits and pheasants at the shore line between the Throggs Neck and Whitestone Bridges in The Bronx... Yea! Talk about how things were back then... My favorite time of day is still and will always be at first light...

... mike ...

ChuckC · June 24, 2014, 05:07:00 PM

First REAL bow, Damon Howatt Coronado, 1972. I had fiberglass bows before that.
ChuckC

Uncle Buck · June 24, 2014, 05:16:00 PM

I was 4 in 1958 solid red fiberglass, with 2 target arrows and one arrow with a whistle on the end.

Shane Reed · June 24, 2014, 05:51:00 PM

First trad bow was a browning cobra. Wish I never sold it.

David Mitchell · June 24, 2014, 06:05:00 PM

Oh yeah, I do remember it--like it was yesterday, but it was 58 years ago! :eek: I had been shooting bows made from cut off tree limbs with twine strings. My dad took me to Beards Sporting Goods in Evansville, Indiana to get me a "real" archery set. They had a lemon wood longbow set made by Indian Archery there in Evansville--had a 35# model and a 50# model. I wanted a manly bow--figured from bows I had shot at scout camp that a real bow should be hard to pull back! :D It was! I couldn't string it but dad did. he set up some hay bales and let me go at it. Neither he nor I knew how it was supposed to be done and I didn't care--just hauled back and let fly. Got maybe a 15" draw with that thing! It came with a finger tab, arm guard, target face, and three arrows with field tips. I thought I was somebody!

stillhunter · June 24, 2014, 06:24:00 PM

Same here ChuckC, 1972 Damon Howatt Hi Speed 47# plus my first 4 fletch arrows. Could not stop looking at it and dreaming of adventure. Still have it and still shoots. Howatt was it for me and my cohorts. Before that hickory.

shick · June 24, 2014, 06:30:00 PM

Hunted with a 35# Paul Bunyon green fiberglass longbow in high school. My 'pap' wrapped electrical tape around the upper limb when it started to get slivers. Arrows were green woodies with hilbres on them that we bought for $1.00 each. Used that bow until I went in the service and bought a Wing Gull when I got back from overseas in '68. 64" 40# and it was a shooter. Still have it and shoot it now and then. That was a lot of bows ago.
Shick

DennyK · June 24, 2014, 06:41:00 PM

I believe it was 1970, my first right handed bow was 40X Bear Grizzly. My second first bow was a left handed 49# Black Widow PSAX that was 2004.

Knawbone · June 24, 2014, 07:02:00 PM

My first real bow ( other than the solid fiberglass jobs )was a Martin Rebel bought for me by my father in 1975 0r 76. I was 16 or 17 years old. It came by way of a half dozen fiberglass arrows with field points and three blade ( real razor blades ) Wasp broad heads. My Dad bought a Martin Hunter also, at 5 or 10 lbs heavier. His Martin was 50 or 55 lb draw and bought the same fiberglass arrows with the six blade Wasps. I don't remember what came of the Rebel, whether I sold it or traded it, but I sure wish I still had it!

bigbadjon · June 24, 2014, 07:05:00 PM

My first bow was a Bear Polar compound with a silver magnesium riser and wood limbs that my dad bought me at a pawn shop when I was 9 or 10. I did not get my first trad bow until way later but it was a Bear Montana.

ron w · June 24, 2014, 08:15:00 PM

1967 Browning Stalker, bought with money I made washing dishes at the local diner. Wanted a Bear Grizzly but they were $48 and the Browning was $37. Missed my first deer with it in 1971. By the way......the diner is still there run by the same family.