About 1980... at Woolworths... a bright red solid fiberglass Bear bow archery set, @ 35 pounds. I wanted to buy a heavier bow, a "real" Bear recurve, a laminated 50 pound Bear, one powerful enough for big game, but I was only 12 and lacked the money and approval from Dad. I had birthday cash, and I tried to talk Dad into loaning me some for a better, more powerful bow. He declined, telling me I was wasting my money buying a bow (he was, and still is a gunman. He told me I would waste my cash if I bought the bow, because I would never use it. LOL!!!! One of the few times my Dad was ever wrong. I killed a TON of frogs with that 35# bow!  I still chide him about it now, as I'm an avid archery nut!

My first was a Ben Pearson Junior Jet that I got in the early sixties when I was a kid. No idea what the draw weight is.
I still have that bow and I was going to give it to a young fellow I was coaching in archery until I took a good look at it. The limbs were so twisted that it would downright dangerous to shoot. Wish I had stuck with archery then.
My second new bow was an American archery wood riser compound that I bought back in the 80's. I really knew nothing about compounds and I did not fit me at all. Wish I had stuck with archery then.
My third new bow was a Mathews compound bought in 1993 when Mathews made 50 bows and month. Wish I had stuck with archery then.
Last week I bought my fourth new bow, a BowTech compound, to add to the carefully used Ben Pearson, Damon Howatt, and Bear recurves I bought over the last couple or three years. And come hell or high water I will stick with archery now until I die!

After shooting hand me downs and pieces of junk for years I finally puirchased my first new, real bow. All of the stores had racks of Bears and Pearsons but they were all a little too pricey for me. I really wanted a Herters like my dad's but they were also out of my price range.  I ended up buying a Stemmler.  Picked out the model with the green glass as I felt it was more camoflaged. This was about 1975 or so.

My first stick bow was a Shadowcast 1 piece Longbow made by Tree's Custom Bows. 66" 58# @ 28" draw. I got it in 2008 and took 2 deer with it in 2009. I also own a not very used FireFly takedown Longbow that is 60" 55# @ 28" draw. I plan on taking another Ohio buck with it before the end of this month. I shot compounds from 1993 with Mathews being about all I would shoot. I still own one that I bought new in 2008 which my son is shooting now. Traditional will be the way I roll from here on........Dusty

45# Paul Bunyan custom recurve. I was 12 at the time and couldn't string it so my mother did for me.

Sky Archery Rogue, 60", 58@28

 

1956 Green Bear, 22# and I was darned lucky to get that with my own money from a paper route.
We could not have afforded a Kodiak in our dreams!

Crap I could never afford a new bow until I was in my 20 somethings bd

My dad bought me a brand new green Parabow (25#) solid fiberglass bow in '58 or '59. That was my first real new bow. Later, I began using his Ben Pearson solid fiberglass bow (35#). I saved up and finally was able to buy a laminated bow - a Pearson Cougar (42#)in 1962. Made my first archery deer kill with that bow a couple of years later. I don't have any of those bows now.

Mike

my first bow was a used solid glass model I traded a pellet gun for it along with 3 Bear arrows of which I just happen to run across the bow a couple days ago while looking for something else...my ? to you is how many still have that first bow ? bd

My first bow was a Pearson hickory straight bow that I got for Christmas in 1960. Got a Pearson all fiberglass Jet in '64. The first decent brand new bow I bought as an adult was a first year green-striper in '80 or '81. I felt like I had really indulged, lol. Discovered I liked my '71 T/D that I'd bought used better. I still own the '71.(and several others)GY

hatfield take down

Green glass 20-25#(pearson or p.bunyan?)with rubber suction cups on wood arrows Mom won at bingo,maybe '55-'56. After a few weeks,it disappeared after I harvested a rabbit out of the side yard and proudly showed it to my folks. (good thing "we" didn't get caught when I shot the neighbor kid in the forehead(he dared me & I was maybe 8)earlier, (just)before I realized how lethal the thing was.
I still cringe every time I think about it.

A 1965 52" Herters Perfection and I still have it.  Just as pretty today as it was when I bought it.

My first bow was a 68 super kodiak bought out of Jack witts bow shop in little rock ,Arkansas. We called Fred Bear at his shop and I talked to him personally and told him I wanted a bow identical to what he was shooting. Mine was a 60 inch at 50 lbs.(he shot a 64 in.bow) I shot the bow for a few years ,and shot it well but decided I needed a mans bow bow so sold it and bought a 60 lb. super k from Bobby Murray (won first bass masters classic). It was so strong I could hardly pull it. It delaminated on me one day and broke my nose and cracked some teeth.That cooled my ardor for bowhunting for many years. (1972)   I retired in 1995 at 53 years old and was talked into getting back into shooting. I bought a new 46lb black widow and as they say, the rest is history! I love traditional archery.

Washed dishes at the local Diner....bought a new Browning Nomad  52" 37# @ 28",cost $37. I think it was 67' or 68' wish I still had it, sold it in 1980 for $30  

I tell you BD I still have my first bow 35# Blackhawk Scorpion. It's real beat up as that bow was never out of my hands when I got it. I was about 12 in 1967 and my buddies and me roamed the woods every day with our bows

Bear Royal Safari long bow.  Nice stable fast bow.  Grip was too big.  It was a Byron Ferguson design and I believe he liked his grip that way.

1965 Herter's Perfection,  52"/55#.  Still have that bow and it looks and shoots great, the same as the day I bought it.

1992 Martin Hunter 60# , I was 21