Keeping an old bow?

[cornfedkiller]

@2blade , you bring both bows with you?

 

[2blade]

@2blade , you bring both bows with you?

If I'm a long ways from home yes I do. I use soft cases so an extra bow doesn't take up to much room in the truck.

 

[11boo]

I donate mine to a youth archery group.

 

[JjamesIII]

My current bow is 15 years old, and I'm contemplating getting a new one.. I don't think my old one is really worth much so I'm thinking about keeping it, but I'm not really sure why. I hear guys mention having a backup bow, but I'm not really sure what for. I have only had 1 bow my entire life and only once ever could've used a backup, but it wouldn't have been with me on that trip anyways.

The bow has some sentimental value, but I'm not really sure how much. I can picture myself hanging it on the wall in my gun room for the next 20 years, and then throwing it in the dumpster when its really not worth anything. My kids are a long ways away from being able to shoot a 60-70# bow, so it doesnt really do them any good either.

To the guys that keep an old bow, are you glad you kept them, or do you wish you would've just sold them while you could've maybe got a couple hundred bucks for it?

100% keep it! Residual value=practically nothing. But it’s invaluable to have a back up bow on travel hunts back at camp or in the truck. People take extra strings, peeps, portable presses and other stuff just in case the one bow takes a crap on them. I’m not going to screw with that repair, then try a in camp tuning session and waiting valuable time dicking around when I can just grab my old bow that’s already dialed in and ready to rock. Just be sure to occasionally practice with the old bow prior to the season, and make sure it’s still tuned to your form. You may develop different habits with the new set up.

 

[Nawender]

I kept my MQ2 when I upgraded a few years ago thinking it would make a good first bow for my kid.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Once i buy a bow or gun it’s mine, forever. Never understood why guys sell em tbh it’s more satisfying and frankly easier for me to keep ‘em.

I still shoot my 09’ Mathews DXT which puts deer down just as dead as the new Mathews Phase4. The DXT has never given me a reason to replace it so i don’t plan to. If i do down the road though it will be retired to the man cave. Heck, my first release, broadheads from the early 90s, and first Trail Cam amonngst other things are down there too. All relics of years gone by.

 

[CMF]

I can picture myself hanging it on the wall in my gun room for the next 20 years, and then throwing it in the dumpster when its really not worth anything.

Then let er go now!

Just got a V3X last year and although I love my DXT that I've shot for the last 14 years, there really is no reason to keep it and it's for sale. But I don't get sentimental about anything either. After going thru hurricane Katrina and the cleanup that followed, It makes it easy for me to not collect things anymore. The bow I had then, in its hard case floated off thru a gap in a blown-out wall. The only thing I hold onto anymore are antlers!

 

[Page Master]

Gosh, I think I own 12-15 bows. My older bows, rather than bother selling for ~$300 and hassling with folks, I find someone who used to hunt but lost time or the money to do so and just give them a set up with shit I'm not going to use anymore. Or finding a kid/teenager and giving them everything so they can get started.

I believe I have 3-4 bows loaned out to people so they could start/get back into it. Another guy I just met might being getting another bow I no longer use. Many people helped me get into this hobby, we all need to pass it forward.

 

[thedutchtouch]

Hang it on the wall. Sounds like it's sentimental and you won't remember the few hundred bucks you got for it but you'll regret not having the bow to look at and remember with.

 

[Curmudgeon]

I will keep an old model compound bow for a backup when moving to something new but two is all I've ever owned at the same time. I will usually just give a retired bow to someone who can use it because of the poor resale value. My recurve bows are different though. I look at them kinda like classic cars and have kept everyone I've ever bought. This includes the first bow I ever owned which is a Wilson Brothers Black Widow. There's a Ken Beck Black Widow, a Bear Grizzly, a Bear Kodiak Magnum and a Ben Pearson Rogue. I have a custom recurve made by Jim Brakenbury before he died in a tragic accident, two custom Chastain's, both in a take down, and a custom made by Pat Cebuhar. Finally there's several beater recurves set up for bow fishing.

 

[JStol5]

I think having at least two bows is really good. I had three, and sold off my starter bow to a buddy trying to get into archery.

My newest one has been in the shop pending warranty parts and work, and a new set of strings. I still have another bow that I can shoot. Stupidly, however, it has no rest.

When I go pick up my new one I'm going to put a rest on my backup bow so if for some reason my primary is ever out of commission, I can still shoot.

 

[Catahoula]

I’ve hung on to my Mathews Chill R for a secondary.

 

[9.1]

I hear guys mention having a backup bow, but I'm not really sure what for. I have only had 1 bow my entire life and only once ever could've used a backup, but it wouldn't have been with me on that trip anyways.

 

[jonboy]

Oh what I wouldn’t give to still have my Golden Eagle, my Z max, and two very ancient Bear compound bows as well

 

[Swamp Fox]

I put too much time and attention into a bow to make it do what I want to to scrap it or sell it. I always feel like I'll find a use for it even after I've moved on to a younger model.

One of the saddest days of my life was when the Q2 I considered my "backyard bow" blew up. I am a huge fan of the Q2 so I bought a second one, used, back in the day.

It never tuned right. I did everything, including flipping the limbs.

There's a lot more to the story but let's just say that even though it never rose to even the status of a hunting back-up, over time I became attached to that piece of crap. I used it as a warm-up during the off-season.

One day, as it was hanging on a hook behind my desk, it just spontaneously blew up. I mean, the sound was inspiring! I'm glad I wasn't sitting a foot closer. And I swear I'm not so negligent that I rotted the string all on my own.

Anyhow, the pieces parts for that bow are sitting in a box waiting for me to have some "free time" to rebuild it ... and there's no way it's going in the trash or getting sold for scrap.

If anyone has old idler wheels, cams or bushings for the Q2, hit me up on Facebook. LOL



I'm kidding. I don't even know what Facebook is, and wouldn't get on it it even if I did.


But seriously ... Let me know if you have some Q2 stuff ...

 

[CMF]

I always feel like I'll find a use for it even after I've moved on to a younger model.

Anyhow, the pieces parts for that bow are sitting in a box waiting for me to have some "free time" to rebuild it ... and there's no way it's going in the trash or getting sold for scrap.

But do you ever find a use for it.... I eventually realized I never did.

"free time" is something I've found to have more of since I quit holding on to things I don't need. I'm not spending time cleaning it, maintaining it, organizing it, fixing it, moving it around, thinking about it...

But everyone's different, that's just my experience.

Did you try Ebay for the parts you need?

 

[PurpleDriver]

Short answer, yes, glad I kept my old bow.

I always sold my old bow after I bought a new one; until I bought my latest. I kept my SXT(14yrs old) as a backup. I do enjoy shooting it every so often, but it is also the smoothest shooting bow I’ve ever shot and I got brand new limbs for it under warranty.

 

[DanimalW]

I thought about saving my 10 year old bow for my son to use in about 8 years. Then I sold it for $450. Because I can buy him a used one thats 10 years newer for that price

 

[Swamp Fox]

Only in my mind ... LOL ... I have put it down for a project for my "old age" ... lol.... But I'm still not getting rid of it, dagnabbit!!

But do you ever find a use for it.... I eventually realized I never did.

"free time" is something I've found to have more of since I quit holding on to things I don't need. I'm not spending time cleaning it, maintaining it, organizing it, fixing it, moving it around, thinking about it...

But everyone's different, that's just my experience.

Did you try Ebay for the parts you need?

 

[cuttingedge]

In a perfect world, I like to have 2 bows exactly alike. I had 2 Prime Revex 4's, set up, tuned, sighted in and just loving them. A buddy came through town looking for a bow for his wife. I met up with him and he ended up wanting both. He traded me a brand new Mathews Phase 4 33 with lots of goodies and a good bit of cash. I have to say the Phase 4 is a very nice bow. Don't know yet if I will keep it, but I am gonna take it to the 3d range tomorrow and give it a spin. I can always snag another prime if this one doesn't hang around.