Recurve age

[PoppaW]

So I was talking bows with a guy at a sporting goods store and he was discussing when to get a new bow. (Compound). So I told him my recurve was semi custom and roughly 30 years old. He almost fell out of his chair. I then told him my longbow is older and both shoot like new. I figure I need some new arrows and get after it again, not a new bow.

How long do most people shoot a trad bow for?

 

[ozyclint]

Until it breaks or until you hand it down to the next generation.

 

[Wrench]

Till I break or lose it.

 

[TNKnoxville]

I shoot several that are from the 50 and 60's!

 

[White Falcon]

Most of my bows are from the 50's.

 

[Beendare]

Recurve is a large category;

Were the limbs all wood construction- no fiberglass or carbon?

A buddy still to this day shoots one of the 30+ year old Wilson bros made Black Widows with lam limbs and fiberglass overlay. Its lost a couple pounds but shoots like a dream. If anything it got smoother he says.

The new ILF limbs of modern construction should be good for many decades. I have a set of WW Innos from 2007 and they are as good as the day I bought them- no loss of poundage.

 

[Arctic Hunter]

I shot my ‘68 Tigercat today….

I will say that I prefer the newer widows to the older models I’ve owned. But it has nothing to do with functionality. Truthfully, I should have kept them rather than buying and selling bows for years.

 

[ScottinPA]

I've got a '54 Kodiak, two '56 Kodiaks, and a mid-80s Silvertip that I shoot. The rest are newer.

 

[juju]

The last several deer have been with Browning recurves from the 70s. They still do what they were meant to do and accurately. They were not shot continuously all those years. I find people bought them and they ended up in a closet soon after. I only shoot them preseason and in hunting season not off-season for targets. The target bows of that vintage seem to be more rare. Maybe they failed because of greater use?

I do shoot heavy arrows. One I use an extraordinarily heavy arrows. This may be significant because I feel heavier arrows are easier on the bow. A quiet bow disapates energy out the arrow rather than vibrating limbs.

Would these bows still be useful if bought new and used year round all those years? I don't know.