Fred Bear POLAR LTD
Equipment
There's a blast from the past. One Question:
Does anybody know if/how you can shorten the draw length on this ancient bow???
I'll tell you why. I have an immaculate one hanging in the storage room. It's adjustable from 40# to 65#. I'm thinking of setting it at 40# to effortlessly do a million repetitions of blank bale practice, mostly aimed at back muscle release & draw hand work. Unfortunately, it has about a 31" draw length. I'd like to get it down to 29-1/2". Is it true that the Romans used this bow in the campaign against the Gauls in 121BC???
That piece of art was my first compound and I still have it. I'll never get rid of it (no one wants it, lol) I'll have to go look to answer your question....
I do not think so, unless you messed with the string length. Great bow, I killed my first deer with one. Really smooth to pull back. Paul
Well ... I figured this thread would drop like a stone. LOL But I figured it was worth a shot that SOMEBODY might have the ancient manuscript that came with the bow ... perhaps kicking around in the catacombs below their temple.
Yeah, the LTD does draw smoothly ... but the back wall feels like it's 3" long.
Change the string. Shorter string = shorter draw length. Plus, as the draw length shortens, the draw weight will come down. I've used this trick on an older Hoyt and an ancient PSE years ago.
>>>>>------------------>
The Polar LTD was the follow on the to the Polar II that I bought for $126 in Dec 1976 in Penny's in Montgomery AL. It had laminated wood limbs and I won several NFAA State level tournements with it
I don't remember if it had the Tri Draw string slots on the cam like the later Whitetail II. I do remember adjusting the length of the cable pigtail to fix a timing problem.
With the 6 cable angle changes it was a very ineffecient and slow bow. But we and the deer didn't know that. 8^)
Greg
My first compound bow and I killed my first deer with it too. When I was in the army I had it stolen...I wish I still had it. It would look great on my wall.
BC
Isn't it correct that if one shortens the string, the draw weight INCREASES? That was my understanding anyway.
Carl
Carl, nope. Shorten the cables and it increases though.
I have an Old Bear Whitetail Hunter that I bought new back in about 1974. It is similar to the Polar LTD and I put a shorter string on it years ago so a girlfriend could shoot it and it also reduced the draw weight, but it worked fine.
You can adjust the draw length on it. Where the cable wraps around the stops at the end, just past where the last wheel is on the arms that you adjust the draw weight on, it can be loosened with an allen wrench and hex wrench. Put the hex wrench on it, loosen the allen bolt, slowly unwind the cable, tighten the allen bolt. You will have to do it on both sides, and time the wheels, but it will work. You can also use a slightly shorter string, and fine tune it with the adjustments. Those old bows really were adjustable, most folks just didn't realize it. Have fun.
Ironbow notes the adjustment post solution, as that is how I used to adjust mine.
I've still got the scars on my forearm from shooting that particular bow. Mine was a biter, even though I had the draw length more than short enough for me. It was still in excellent shape when I gave it to my nephew as a hand-me-down bow about 8 years ago.
The bow's shelf, however, does limit the use of most center shot rests, as the shelf is pretty shallow for using a rest of that style, so fingers is best with it. I finally did find a cheap center shot rest that worked OK, but I can't remember what it was.
I still have my Polar LTD, I had it since 1979 still in great shape. I had no need to replace it since the deer die just as dead If I hit them right. I am somewhat disable due to an injury to my right shoulder so I have it set to its minimum power 35# it is better to shoot accuretly at a lower setting than poorly at a higher one, something that a lot of new archers do not realize. In the archery club I belong to I see them with 70 and 89 lbs bow shaking like a leaf in a storm but they think that they need that much power to hunt. Yes the trajectory would improve but a miss with a high power bow is still NO cigar.
If you aren't going to shoot it the simplest thing to do is tie a few knots in the string to shorten it until you get it where you want. Otherwise, lengthen the cable from the cable stop nut that is on the weight adjustment bracket - just as Ironbow described above. You also could play around with the length of the cable pigtail coming out of the wheel down to the string - shorten it. There is an allen screw that goes throught the middle of the wheel that anchors the pigtail - just loosen it up and adjust the length.
Back then you didn't pull to the wall, you tried to shoot from the middle of the valley as the old round wheels won't give you a nice hard wall to hit.
I had a Bear Polar II and I was adjusting the heck out of it all the time. Have fun.
A Polar LTD was Dad's first compound... He wishes he still had it...
A Polar LTD was my first compound bow. I took my first deer with a bow with it when I was 15. I will never part with it.
I still have my Polar LTD- I retired it to carp fishing duty, where it has scored several thousand Bugle-mouth Bass!!
This thread is almost as old as the bow. :)
I have the same bow and a copy of the original manual. I could send you a copy of it if you wish can scan it I do not have a scanner but send me a message and I will mail it to you. Acording to the manual the draw length is adjusted by shotenning the cables. Maybe and archery shop can do that for you as it also says that once you do that the bow has to be retuned. You can change the power without retuning they were desinged that way. If I can be of help let me know, Tony
i remeber buying my polar ltd from bowhunter warehouse in PA i couldnt wait for the UPS truck ,, i think i paid about 115, I killed my first buck wth that bow ,, a xx75 with a savora head .. i still remember the whole shot like it was yesterday.. louis
How prices have changed we sold an average of Bear Ltd for $119. and the white tail for 79.95. Fred Bear hated the compound bows when I was lucky enough to hunt with him at Grouse Haven he told me he was sorry to see the compound bows in the Bear line. He would be amazed at what the archery business has become.
i recently acquired a polar ltd and have been practicing with it. I love the bow but am having problems with finding the correct size allen key to adjust the pin sights. any info on this ?
My first compound I still recall chasing the UPS driver to ask if it was on the truck , I paid 115 Anderson archery. bow had a that bear flipper rest !! I own two these days . Killed my first deer buck field dressed at 188 Nov 4th 1998 afternoon hunt came into a scrape I did a drag with pete Richards scent lol 15 yard a perfect shot xx75 2016 savora 3 blade !! I see it all clear as day !!!
The first buck that I took was in 1981 with a Polar LTD with Easton Game Getter arrows and a Savora 3 blade broadhead. The bow didn't have a solid back wall like later bows as you could draw and draw and draw. Like someone said it was pretty hard on your left arm and it was pretty necessary to have a bow guard on your arm to keep from having string rash. I had measured my buck and didn't think he would make Pope and Young. After 12 years, I finally took my mount to an official scorer and missed the minimum by a half inch. 145 gross and 124 1/2 net. I've seen people trying to sell them for $60 to 65, but i doubt if they sell.
Just inheritated a bear polar ltd. hasn't been used in probably 20 years. The old man gave it to me because I was discussing that I was looking at getting a compound. I love the bow, the look the feel is awesome. But I know nothing about the bow like how to adjust anything or what I need to be looking for to maintain it. Any suggestions would help me a lot.
That's my first bow. Killed my first deer with it. This thread might last as long as the bows have! It's already 8 years old!!!! wow
I have a Bear magnum I bought on order from Archery Warehouse back in 1980. It was a 30% let off 6 wheel bow. I'd spray painted it camo, and now wish I hadn't. Probably could take the paint off though.
Wow!!! Some of you guys on here are really old... :)
That was my first bow one Christmas morning. Wish I still had it, but I wore it out shooting.
The weight is adjustable by rotating the small idler pulley that is attached to the riser bracket. You can just lift the cable off the idler pulley (keep track of which cable it was because you will put it back on when finished). Loosen the allen bolt and move the pulley to a different setting which are denoted by an indented "click" that you can feel, and by some lines that you match up with from the idler pulley to the metal bracket.
You can adjust the draw length by making the cable "tail" that comes out of the big wheel and attaches to the string longer or shorter. But if you don't have any experience with bows I would recommend taking it to a shop to do this, as you may goof up the eccentric wheel timing.
Good luck and have fun.
EDIT: Your bow may have a built-in draw length adjustment, if it was one of the later models. If one side of the large eccentric wheel has three slots where the pigtail end of the cable can be put, you can just move the cable to a different slot. Forgot to add, that you will need a bow press to change draw length, but the draw weight is easily adjusted after you take the cable off both of the idler pulleys.
Another Polar LTD resurfaces. I picked mine up at a thrift store. Ultimately going to rig it for fishing once I get up to speed. For now, waiting on a rest for it so I can start trying not to put holes in the side of the garage.
I'm really looking forward to shooting it. It doesn't look quite as pretty as my first Bear recurve but, compared to the newer compounds, it's down right sexy.
My first bow too. I worked a good part of one summer to pay for that new bow. Ordered mine shortly after they came out. I shot a pretty good pile of deer including my first with that old 6-wheeler. Mine got a new paint job too. It was just too shiny as it came from the factory. I really wish it had the original finish. It now has a home on the bow rack where I can look at it and remember some of the days spent carrying it through the woods.
My first bow also back in the mid to late 1970s. Bought it at Kmart for like $56. Never killed a deer with it but I never really seriously hunted with it. I did hit a buck with it. I dragged a line of Buck Stop scent to an opening in the woods with a great big oak in the middle of it. Climbed the oak and stood on a limb. Miraculously, a yearling 6 pointer followed that scent drag right to the edge of that opening! Instead of coming out, though, he skirted the edge just in the woods. I picked an opening, drew, and released as his vitals appeared. The string slapped my arm hard but the arrow still hit but high about half way back and then just flopped down along the side of the buck as he ran off. I got literally a couple inches of penetration, probably into the top of the ribs just below the backstraps. It must have been held in the deer just by the hide. Followed a scant, then disappearing blood trail for a little ways. No luck.
The next fall I was sitting on another limb. Drew back and shot a practice shot after my hunt. The bottom limb hit the branch I was sitting on and the bow came unraveled. I said "that's it!" I went and bought a new bow (not easy for a poor college student). PSE Pulsar which I finally killed my first deer with.
wow just found my owners manual for the bear polar LTD bought it new 1977 my first compound,but you know it doesn't say how to change the draw length, I was thinking the eccentric wheels had little channels in them but that may have been the bear grizzly ,it does take a 39in string and a 75 1/2 in cable.strange it doesn't say anything about draw length other then that it comes in long and short draw lengths,found the cod tag $127.83,of course back then pretty much all your arrows came 31 inches and as far as I know there was no such thing as an overdraw!!
I can not find cables for the polar LTD, does anyone know where I can find it. If not, anyone's thoughts on making it a recurve?
My Bear Polar II in 1977. I'd had it for two years then- bought in Dec 1975 if memory serves.
WSSHOSH An older bowshop probably still has cables and swedges. It would Not make a good recurve.
I made a set of cables for one a few years ago. I got the material from Lancaster Archery Supply. Bulk cable and swedges. Call them, probably not listed on their web site.
Huh..... I'd thought the bows would be white.......
My buddy had a polar ltd.I had a Jennings split t .man we was ready.old school still gets it done.
I can remember going to a bow demonstration that bear was holding at a JC Penney in Charlotte. I had never even held a bow before. The guy calls me up to be his demo person. He tells me to draw it back which was pretty stout. He never warned me that when I started to let down that that bowstring was going to pull try to excellerate like a son of a gun. I thought my brother was going to split his side laughing as his skinny little brother was up there making a fool of himself. Its amazing that Penneys was even selling archery equipment.
I need to know which cable goes on which pulley to adjust the weight of this bow...I just "inherited" a bear polar 2....I want to shoot it but am unsure which cable goes where.....If someone could email me or even call and give me a pic of the instructions that would be great!!!!
[email protected] OR 8149328054! Thanks for any and all help....
In the early 80s, at the deer camp my uncles used to own in central WV ,I saw my uncle Dave shut up a young guy bragging up his " new and far better shooting bow than Dave's old polar Ltd."they put a 100 dollar bill on 3 hay bale high target 70 yards out.DAVE was a smooth,badass shot! He center punched that 100 easily ,your up son,he says to the bragger. The guy didn't just miss he shot ,he was 10 yards short.bring me that 100 while your looking for your arrow ,Dave said....lol
I bought mine at Kmart back in the late 70s. Got a dozen 2117 Gamegetters, the olive green ones that would turn shiny on the end after shooting for awhile. Bought a six pack of Satellite broadheads with the flimsy blades and went and hunted like a gun hunter and never shot anything. LOL.
My first bow --was a Christmas morning present in 1978. I was 15. Bear broadheads on fiberglass shafts. No sight. Came from a store called LaBelles in Albuquerque. I miss those days and would go back in a minute.
