What was your first bow?
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: Don T. Lewis
30-Nov-22
And your fondest archery memory of long ago.
From: Charlie Rehor
30-Nov-22
What’s yours and then I’ll tell you mine.
From: JusPassin
30-Nov-22
Bear Grizzly, 1966.
From: huntr4477
30-Nov-22
Ben Pearson Bronco 35lb. I killed my first two deer with it. Then I bought a 50 lb. Bear Kodiak Magnum. I wish I still had them both!
From: Don T. Lewis
30-Nov-22
My first hunting bow Charlie was a round wheel 50# Browning Deluxe Nomad. I shot instinctive. With a 3 finger glove and a flipper II rest with a plunger. I was shooting Easton 2018 Arrows with 4” vanes and a razor back 5 broad head. Shot my first deer a mature doe with that set up Back in 1984. Hunted with it for 2 more years then made the switch to recurve. It’s been a good journey.
From: Meat Grinder
30-Nov-22
Bear Red Fox. Kid's fiberglass bow. I flung a lot of 49 cent wood arrows--the kind with the crimped-on steel tip--out of that bow back in the early 70's. Rarely hit anything other than the ground...lol. Great memories.
From: wyobullshooter
30-Nov-22
My first bow was also a kid’s fiberglass recurve that I used to terrorized the local golf course prairie dog population with. My first true hunting bow was a Jennings T-Star Express that I bought in 1985.
From: Teeton
30-Nov-22
My dad bought me my first bow when I was 7. I still have it. It's a blue/green in color and I think a bear. I still can picture the first rabbit I killed with it like it was yesterday. That was about 1972. Guessing it's about a 10/15 Ibs pull. That bow started my bow/bowhunting passion. Ed
From: BoggsBowhunts
30-Nov-22
Mathew’s Genesis when I was probably 4 or 5? I remember shooting with my dad and when he would get done shooting I would always shoot a group at 5-10 yards with that little bow before he grabbed his arrows out of the target.
Fondest memory was 10 years later, when I was 15. Arrowed a 153” buck sitting about 200 yards away from my dad. I immediately sprinted to about 75 yards of his stand and started blowing my grunt call like a trumpet (thought this would spoil any deer, lol) and started waving to him like a mad man. He climbed down and ran up to me as I told him I had just shot a giant and watched him fall in the field. That was my first bow buck and it was nice to share that night with the fella that bought me that Mathew’s genesis all them years before
From: Rgiesey
30-Nov-22
Got a 1960s bear cub 26#. Won the flint canusa games instinctive. Bought a bear grizzly in 1975 and got a doe on October 1.
From: timex
30-Nov-22
A browning accelerator hunted with it a few years then got an Oneida areoforce I think it was. Killed deer with both.
From: t-roy
30-Nov-22
A left handed Browning Deluxe Nomad ll, that I bought at a Walmart in Woodward, Oklahoma. Easton Gamegetters 2117 arrows. I Robin Hooded an arrow on my 4th shot out of that bow. Took me 5 years before I did it again. Razorback 5’s
From: Charlie Rehor
30-Nov-22
Excellent, we had similar starts. For me it was a Bear, Whitetail Hunter, tab and 2219 aluminum arrows. First dead deer was 1982. it was a forkeed horn while leaning against a big oak near the entrance to a corn field. Dream come true. I Remember it like it was yesterday.
PS: Those Razorback 5’s were incredible. Never understood why they went away.
From: cnelk
30-Nov-22
40lb Bear Super Grizzly back in 1977. Killed my first deer with it in 1978.
Still have it
From: jdbbowhunter
30-Nov-22
Bear Black Bear compound 1980 . Shot my first deer first season one day after school. 6pt, dressed 165lbs, still have horns. Was hooked, switched to trad after about 13years with compound. Shot fingers with no sights.
From: Whocares
30-Nov-22
Some model of a Bear fiberglass recurve in 1963. Had wooden arrows with my very own painted crest. We thought that was a big deal! Shot a doe my first time out hunting that Fall. Want to say I used Bear razors but don't remember for sure. Also got a doe with it the next Fall and don't think I used it again.
From: Old School
30-Nov-22
Old wood Browning compound - I believe it was called a Bushmaster or something similar. Kwikee Quiver and XX75’s tipped with either Thunderheads or Rocky Mountain Razors.
From: Groundhunter
30-Nov-22
Indian long bow. Mac archery arrows and rosebleed 3 blade heads-, than razor heads.
From: Ben
30-Nov-22
My first real bow was a 46# Pearson Renegade. Good shooting little bow.
From: Bou'bound
30-Nov-22
Hoyt pro hunter 1985. 65-80#
From: Glunt@work
30-Nov-22
Pearson Superjet recurve. Maybe 35-40# all fiberglass and had a suicide Kwikee Kwiver. Drove myself across the state when I was 16 and somehow managed to kill a Pronghorn after dozens of failed stalks.
From: midwest
30-Nov-22
Jennings Forked Lightning, 2117 Gamegetters, and I believe Wasp Cam-Lok broadheads....1983.
From: deerhunter72
30-Nov-22
First bow was a PSE Precision Edge bought in 1988. I had an Eliminator pendulum sight. Always shot Easton Gamegetters with 125 grain Thunderheads. Always used a HotShot thumb release left hanging on the string. I still have it and I bet it would still kill deer.
From: fastflight
30-Nov-22
I might have had kids bows earlier but, first real bow was a PSE Phaser, gamegetters, fingers, thunderheads.
From: Cobie33
30-Nov-22
Browning Deluxe Camo Bushmaster, 1986 model, Berger Button with stick on rest, Kwikee Kwiver, 2016 XX75s, Satellite Camo Hunter Broadheads, Cobra 5 pin sight and stabilizer shooting a tab. Still have it, love the laminated wood riser.
From: Highlife
30-Nov-22
Ken same here got mine at the custom archery shop.
From: Slate
30-Nov-22
Golden Eagle
From: Slate
30-Nov-22
From: Old School
30-Nov-22
Cobie - that’s the bow I had. Green and grey laminated wood riser. We had almost the same setup.
From: KSflatlander
30-Nov-22
Bear long bow around 8 years old. Then a kids bear compound. I don’t know the models. First hunting bow was Jennings Unicam.
From: Treeline
30-Nov-22
First bow was a cedar limb that my mom cut for me and a cotton twine string...
Fondest archery memory was when I shot an 8-point whitetail with a hickory bow that my grandaddy made for me in 1984... But have been blessed with an absolutely amazing number of awesome archery memories since then...
From: scentman
30-Nov-22
First bow that meant anything was a 1982 Brown Bear, figured I could extend my hunting seasons... never looked back!
From: pav
30-Nov-22
First bow was a fiberglass recurve and wooden target arrows. First hunting bow was a Bear Whitetail Hunter. Used Easton Gamegetter 2117 arrows and Wasp broadheads. Shot my first deer ever with that bow in 1981....at age nineteen. Absolutely ruined me for gun hunting big game! No regrets!!!
From: bowhunt
30-Nov-22
A Hoyt Magnatec was my first bow. My buddy and I bought bows in November, and shot probably 5 days a week until the following August when deer and elk season opened.
My first year bowhunting I put a stalk on a couple bucks and shot one of them at 45 yards.
It was incredible!
Something about it just felt right the very first night I shot that bow at the shop. Bowhunting has been a huge part of my life since I got that bow at Archers Afield in Tigard Oregon over 20 years ago.
From: ILbowhntr
30-Nov-22
First, Bear Whitetail.
From: TonyBear
30-Nov-22
Browning or a Shakespeare recurve. First compound was a Bear Brown Bear killed and recovered my first deer with it. Shot my first buck with a Howatt recurve almost 10 years later.
From: scentman
30-Nov-22
TonyBear, how long did the Brown Bears limbs last for you? I believe I got 2 seasons with mine. lol!
From: Lawdy
30-Nov-22
Lemon wood longbow, 1952. My father and my friends fathers figured bows were better than BB guns at keeping us farm kids out of trouble. If they only knew..
From: Zbone
30-Nov-22
25# solid fiberglass Ben Pearson Jet kids bow, then around 13 or 14 graduated to a 62", 45# Ben Pearson Cougar... Bought it at the local Western Auto with my grass mowing moneys...
From: BC
30-Nov-22
I had an Alpine Rebel. Not sure if Alpine Archery is around anymore.
From: rattling_junkie
30-Nov-22
A Champion bow from Winnipeg, MB. I shot a couple deer with it. Now my nephew has it but it is scary to shoot. I shot a fawn with it my first year after hunting everyday when the season opened in August until I got it on September 28. Those days I didn't have any mentors, and just learned through trial and error.
From: Buffalo1
30-Nov-22
Shakespear fiberglass recursive with 3 matching fiberglass arrows/with fp's- 1958
From: BOHNTR
30-Nov-22
It was a lemonwood recurve my dad ordered from Herter’s.
From: tm
30-Nov-22
From a chokecherry limb and twine string to a fiberglass recurve with wood arrows and swayed bullet tips to a Ben Pearson recurve and 2018s with Thunderheads. Lots of fun and memories.
From: wv_bowhunter
30-Nov-22
Alpine Colt youth bow
From: Bigdog 21
30-Nov-22
Self bow my uncle built for me and wood arrows age 6
From: PushCoArcher
30-Nov-22
Martin lynx
From: TonyBear
30-Nov-22
Herters Farbenglass were the first exotic arrows I shot besides cedar, then on to aluminum2018 and carbons in 2000-haven't gone back to aluminum on my compound..
From: badbull
30-Nov-22
My first real hunting bow was a fiberglass long bow, 1956, 65 lbs. Harder for me to pull than an 80 lb. compound. I was never able to kill any big game with it. One of my fondest memories was my first buck (a spike) killed years later with a different bow (dropped on the spot). It felt like I had just done the impossible. Kind of felt like a religious experience to boot. More bows since then that I can remember.
From: ahawkeye
30-Nov-22
Can't remember, it was a hand me down from my brother. Never killed a damn thing with it. But I did fall in love with deer hunting while using it. Learning the woods, the sounds and the occasional deer sighting. I can remember the sound of a squirrel breaking into a nut, gnawing on the shell until he got his prize. My 12 year old self was convinced it was a buck rubbing a tree! Good times with dad! Can't wait till my next adventure with him!
From: drycreek
30-Nov-22
My first bow was a cedar limb whittled out by my dad with a haystring. Arrows were made from switchcane. I was under ten years old. My second one was a hickory bow with arrows from Western Auto, then a Shakespeare fiberglass from KMart, arrows too.
My first serious bow was a Bear Whitetail II , aluminum Autumn Orange arrows. I was in tall cotton ! Killed my first three deer with it, brass sight pins and all !
From: Bowaddict
30-Nov-22
Darton SL50 and gamegetter arrows.
From: TREESTANDWOLF
01-Dec-22
Onieda Screaming Eagle.
From: LKH
01-Dec-22
Bear Panda 1959
From: Shug
01-Dec-22
A Darton recurve…
From: DanaC
01-Dec-22
A Jennings compound, one of those monsters with metal brackets and round wheels. Might have been the 'Sidekick' model, memory fuzzy. In '81 I moved up to a Browning Safari compound. Then an Explorer. Or was that the other way around? Both had wood risers, if you can remember those ;-)
From: 8point
01-Dec-22
Ben Pearson fiberglass long bow
From: Ogoki
01-Dec-22
Christmas 1965, I was 10 yrs old. Thought I would die if I didn't get a bow. Left so many hints to Mom and Dad. Got my bow for Christmas. 30 lb Ben Pearson fiberglass recurve. Killed a few rabbits with it ,but missed more than I got . Still have that bow at 67 yrs old. That sparked my love of bow hunting . Where did the years go ?
From: BULELK1
01-Dec-22
I made 2 of then in Wood Shop back in High School and still use 1 of them.
Good luck, Robb
From: Jim McNamara
01-Dec-22
Bear Blacktail Hunter with razorback 5 blades. Never killed anything. Not a good whitetail hunter. Then I discovered guns! Jim
From: DanaC
01-Dec-22
Jim I still have a few of those Razorback 5's in my kit. Killed my first deer with one back in '81.
From: Screwball
01-Dec-22
An old bear fiberglass 45 pound draw, stuck a nice big red oak with that, was a little rattled. Then a PSE Pacer, 50#, 2016 game getters, tipped with bear broadheads. 3 finger shooting glove.
From: x-man
01-Dec-22
Bear Polar LTD. Never was good enough with it to shoot a deer. Bought a Hoyt Mystic Rebel mid 90's and took lessens from a a guy who engineered at Hoyt. Learned everything he knew and took it from there.
From: rooster
01-Dec-22
My first was a hand me down fiberglass recurve that my brother gave me. Me first "real" bow was a 25 pound Ben Pearson Mustang. I shot a lot of tournament archery with recurve bows, my last a 50 lb Bear Kodiak Magnum which I still have. My first compound was a Jennings Super T. My first deer was killed with a Jennings Aerostar(?) I believe.
From: Bowbender
01-Dec-22
Bear Kodiak Hunter. Bought it in 1979. Friend of mine stopped by one day and said we're going bowhunting this year. Thought what the hell is bowhunting... little did I know.
From: goyt
01-Dec-22
A 1967 40# Staghorn recurve made in Merril, WI. Got me started.
From: tobywon
01-Dec-22
Browning Deluxe Camo Bushmaster was my first bow. I purchased it through the mail from Cabelas around 1986 or so. First deer with that bow was a big doe in 1988, Easton Gamegetter arrows (I believe 2016's) and a Thunderhead.
From: GUTPILEPA
01-Dec-22
40# Bear Grizzly at 12yrs old
From: elkmtngear
01-Dec-22
Started out at 4 or 5 years old, with a fiberglass recurve. Moved up to a Ben Pearson laminated recurve, when I was about 10.
Bought a Jennings TII Hunter, with Paper Route money, back in about 1974. Killed my first buck with it, in 1977.
From: APauls
01-Dec-22
A Champion I won in an essay contest. That contest turned me into a bowhunter, and I will be forever thankful.
From: SoDakSooner
01-Dec-22
Learned to shoot with an old browning recurve in the 70's. Still have it and killed a little 8 point with it about 10 years ago. 1st hunting bow was a 50lb Jennings Lightning. Barebow with a tab. Got it in '80. Think it was 82 or 83 before I shot a doe with it. Still have it, Good bowfishing bow.
From: Will
01-Dec-22
Browning Coyote. It was awesome in my eyes.
From: Brotsky
01-Dec-22
Jennings Arrowstar II, killed my first deer with it in 1988.
From: bigswivle
01-Dec-22
Dads hand me down Oneida eagle!!!!(probably 1993-4) No one knew how to work on that thing!!!
From: RT
01-Dec-22
From: 12yards
01-Dec-22
Mine was a little kid's Bear fiberglass red recurve. Used to shoot it on the wrong side of the shelf pulling it back with my thumb and index finger. LOL. My first real bow was a Bear Polar LTD bought at Kmart for $53 in 1976ish. The olive green Gamegetter arrows 2117s with red and white 5" feathers. The ones where the finish would rub off after shooting for awhile. First broadheads were Satelites.
From: stealthycat
01-Dec-22
PSE Precision Edge
From: KY EyeBow
01-Dec-22
Bear Little Bear recurve. No telling how many hay bales i killed with that thing back in the 70's. First kill was with a PSE Jet Flite Express circa 1987!
From: bowhunter24
01-Dec-22
Martin warthog in 1982 with razorback 5's wasn't until 1985 I got my 1st deer been hooked ever since!
From: samman
01-Dec-22
Bear Grizzly 45lb recurve. Still have it. My dad bought it at a garage sale for $8 about 1980 or so. Originally for bowfishing. Shot a lot of carp with it, then got my first deer with it using the Kolpin 4 blade heads in 1984. Still have the bent arrow in the quiver on the wall. Prior to that I used the classic fiberglass bows you shot in gym class at school.
From: BowSniper
01-Dec-22
Bear Whitetail Hunter... around 1980
From: Toonces
01-Dec-22
Stemmler Archery.
Don't remember the model, it was a birthday gift when I was a kid.
The factory was a couple of miles from where I grew up.
From: WhattheFOC
01-Dec-22
PSE Polaris
The bow didn’t have a cutout riser. So I shot off the riser using a flipper rest. Needless to say there were issues when I introduced broadheads to my aluminum arrows with plastic vanes. They planed so bad that on my first ever bowhunt, I missed a deer by 6 feet - twice!. Turns out I couldn’t hit a round bale at 20 yards!! Of course I had never practiced with bh because I didn’t have a suitable target. ‘You mean fp and bh don’t hit the same spot? Really?’ Young and dumb for sure. That first hunt was a write-off. Upgraded the bow and killed my first buck a year later. I was hooked. It was hard to find good advice back in the day … and no internet to fall back on.
Had to learn the hard way.
Get off my lawn. WTF
From: RD
01-Dec-22
45# Paul Bunyon Custom recurve all fiberglass 1960. In 1965 I bought my first laminated Bear Kodiak magnum. Shoot my first deer in 1967 with a Bear Kodiak.
From: Potro
01-Dec-22
PSE Fire Flite
From: Jaquomo
01-Dec-22
Bought a 30# fiberglass with money saved from my paper route in about 1964. In '66 I traded a western belt buckle supposedly owned by Annie Oakley's little brother for a maple recurve. Next was a 66" Wing target bow I used to kill my first deer, followed by a Bear Kodiak Magnum that stacked real bad. Traded that for a Black Widow, and on and on and on.
From: WI Shedhead
01-Dec-22
Martin m7 lynx. I was 12 and my dad bought it so I could “grow into it”. He put longer limb bolts in it and the three fingered draw length anchor was the back of my ear. 2216 gamegetters with razor back 4 or 5s. I practiced on a foam target until the green wore off the front 1/3 of my arrows to a shiny silver. 38#. First two deer I ever shot at were pass through quick recovery’s with that thing. My how things have changed
From: Fran
01-Dec-22
If your going way back mine was an alder branch with a piece of string come to think of it that’s what my first hockey stick was made of. We used what we had growing up in Maine n the early 60’s. lol.
From: mattandersen
01-Dec-22
My first bow I could hunt with was a Browning Bridger II. Prior to that a 10lb kid compound and a 25lb bear sundowner I still have, I shot a lot with that! I'll give the 25lb bow to my boy to shoot in a few years. He is almost 4 now.
From: fuzzy
01-Dec-22
Browning Nomad 55# recurve
From: goelk
01-Dec-22
my first Bow was a Ramco recurves They were made in the late 70's by Lyle Haas&Don Collier and Jim Pickering in Rangely CO. I was on a Archery team in Jr College in Rangely and they sponsor us and we got to make our on bows . i have two recurves one for hunting the other target. Also got to make a Ramco 4 wheels compound . Jim was really fun to be around with and Don too.
From: goelk
01-Dec-22
my first Bow was a Ramco recurves They were made in the late 70's by Lyle Haas&Don Collier and Jim Pickering in Rangely CO. I was on a Archery team in Jr College in Rangely and they sponsor us and we got to make our on bows . i have two recurves one for hunting the other target. Also got to make a Ramco 4 wheels compound . Jim was really fun to be around with and Don too.
From: Michael
01-Dec-22
1987 Martin Lynx Easton gamegetter 2117 arrows. Razor back broadheads.
From: PushCoArcher
01-Dec-22
Michael we had almost identical setups except I was using Thunderheads.
From: firstblood
01-Dec-22
Indian archery Stalker 55# compound mid 70s The "string" was a plastic coated cable. Bought at a Dahlkempers dept. store. Missed a few deer with it...lol
From: Live2Hunt
01-Dec-22
First bow I bought was a shakespeare fiberglass bow bought with paper route money. Hunted one time with it at 12 years old. Had the crapiest broadheads I had ever seen. Plastic ferrules, tin blades. Then stole my older brothers old recurve and some bear razorheads. Went on from there to other recurves, PSE sizzler compounds, Jennings, Astro, Hoyt, now back to recurves. Been a good road.
From: ROUGHCOUNTRY
01-Dec-22
50# Browning Cobra with a stick-on plastic rest and it was a wooden compound. It was outfitted with mis-matched aluminum arrows and varied broad heads:)
From: BOWNUT
01-Dec-22
67 Bear Grizzly. I still have it.
From: greg simon
01-Dec-22
Martin Tiger, around 1985. I used to get one or two arrows at a time as birthday or Christmas gifts. Easton GameGetters. Never had more than two matching arrows, field points or broadheads. I would crawl around for hours looking for a lost arrow, usually bent when I did find one!
From: Shaft
01-Dec-22
Bear Whitetail Hunter
From: Corax_latrans
01-Dec-22
First Bow Ever: red, fiberglass Bear recurve
First Hunting Bow that I could get my hands on: Martin Lynx with speed cams, #55 with DL set about an inch too long for me.
First Bow that was what I really wanted: Howatt Hunter #55@28”.
Still shoots just fine.
Took my first Archery deer with that; slipping through some lodgepoles when a fork Mulie stood up to get a better look at me from 28 yards. He never even flinched ’til the arrow hit him.
From: Bowfinatic
01-Dec-22
Reflex - grade school graduation present
From: kota-man
01-Dec-22
Herters 32 lb Recurve got brand new in about 1975. I still have it…
From: kentuckbowhnter
01-Dec-22
Barnett sidewinder. Then a High Country Sniper...
From: steve
01-Dec-22
Bear grizzly, 1973 Christmas present from the wife!
From: hdaman
01-Dec-22
Bear whitetail hunter. Lots of fond memories without actually killing anything. Sure wish I had a bowhunting mentor back then.
From: sundowner
01-Dec-22
A Ben Pearson lemonwood longbow with 4 Port Orford cedar arrows, with feathers. It was a blister pack kit with a paper target and a leather finger tab, and a little hip tube quiver. A 1958 Christmas gift from my dad. $12.95 He later bought me one broadhead that fit on a tapered wooden shaft. Shot that bow 10,000 times. Never killed anything but my dad's hat, which he tossed up in the air thinking I couldn't hit it.
From: ahunter76
01-Dec-22
My 1st REAL bow was a 45# 64" Eddings Cadet recurveI bought in 1956 for $45. I worked at a miniature golf course for .50 cents per hour & the sport shop owner let me buy it with $5 down & whatever I could afford per week. He even let me take it home. I joined the local club that year too. I missed 4 Deer in Illinois 1st ever Deer season in 1957 & in 1958, 1st shot at 35 yds , on the ground arrowed my 1st Deer & Biggame with it It hangs in my bowhunting sons home now..
From: Twinetickler
01-Dec-22
Browning Micro Midas was my first compound. Killed the neighbors prize Lady Amherst pheasant that wondered into our yard with it in 1990ish, I was proud as a peacock! First big game kill was a nice muley buck with a Hoyt Rebel XT in1995ish.
From: PECO2
01-Dec-22
When I was a young lad in the early 70's I got a fiberglass recurve bow. I had no idea how to shoot it, just pinch an arrow between my thumb and index finger and send it. Never killed anything but time with it. Fast forward to 2008, I am living in Leadville Colorado, living the dream having been retired out of the military for 8 years. I wanted to start hunting again. I bought a Diamond Black Ice, loved it and killed my first big game animal with it, a muley buck. I'm still shooting that same bow, loving it as much as the day I bought it. When I kill with it, I think of the thousands of dollars I have saved by not replacing it. I also have a number of vintage and a few newer recurves I shoot. I've killed plenty of rabbits and a muley buck with a recurve so far.
From: yeager
01-Dec-22
My first was a 1966 52” Herter’s Perfection recurve that I bought from a friend for $5.00 in 1970 when I was in high school. I still have that bow along with 11 of the 12 Micro-Flite #7 arrows tipped with the old Bear Razorheads.
From: Twinetickler
02-Dec-22
Peco those Black Ice are shooters. Brother in law had one that I shot a few times nice bows!
