Many years ago I was handed down an old Ben Pearson Cougar trad bow from my dad. Mind you, he had a compound and this trad bow but never got into archery much. He mainly deer hunted with his rifle. It’s been put up for many, many years now and recently I remembered having it and wanted to clean it up, practice and hopefully hunt with it this fall. I discovered that the bow had been stored all this time with the string on, and the string on backwards at that. It was very easy to remove the string and I compared the resting shape to others online and it doesn’t seem to be misshapen. I’ve been hunting with compounds for 15yr but I’m completely new to the trad world so I’m seeking advice on this thing. Is all hope lost of possibly hunting with this thing ever again due to the condition in which it was stored? Or if there aren’t any cracks/delamination could I try a new string and hope for the best? Thanks!
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Any hope?
- Thread starter MtnCodger
- Start date
The string being on it isn’t a problem, especially if it was on backwards. There was no stress on the limbs from the string that way. Also, I have bows that have been strung for 30 years and still scale the same weight as when they were built.
If it was laying flat one the belly of the limbs then the way it was stored shouldn’t be a problem either. If you mean “standing up” to be standing up in a corner on the bottom limb tip then it’s possible the bottom limb was twisted.
Don’t try to string it by hand. Buy a bow stringer and slowly string it up, check the limbs for twists and for any cracks etc. It wouldn’t hurt to check the string grooves for cracks before you string it either. If it all looks good go shoot it.
If it was laying flat one the belly of the limbs then the way it was stored shouldn’t be a problem either. If you mean “standing up” to be standing up in a corner on the bottom limb tip then it’s possible the bottom limb was twisted.
Don’t try to string it by hand. Buy a bow stringer and slowly string it up, check the limbs for twists and for any cracks etc. It wouldn’t hurt to check the string grooves for cracks before you string it either. If it all looks good go shoot it.
I would find someone who knows recurves to look at it. There may be a Trad club close to you. Several in GA.
www.tradbowga.com
Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia
We are the Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia, an organization set in the beautiful state of Georgia. We are a group of folks that believe the simple arc of a drawn bow is a beautiful thing. That to go to the woods with simple bows and arrows is one of life’s great pleasures. We tend to rate a...
www.tradbowga.com
Perfect! That’s great to know! Again, that’s why I asked here bc it seems like that was the best case scenario and I was thinking it was awful Yes it was laying flat on the limbs, on a rack parallel to the floor. I greatly appreciate the info and pointing me in the right direction.
I’ll definitely do that sooner than later. Thank you for the link.I would find someone who knows recurves to look at it. There may be a Trad club close to you. Several in GA.
Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia
We are the Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia, an organization set in the beautiful state of Georgia. We are a group of folks that believe the simple arc of a drawn bow is a beautiful thing. That to go to the woods with simple bows and arrows is one of life’s great pleasures. We tend to rate a...
That group actually meets only an hour or so from me! Awesome, thanks!I would find someone who knows recurves to look at it. There may be a Trad club close to you. Several in GA.
Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia
We are the Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia, an organization set in the beautiful state of Georgia. We are a group of folks that believe the simple arc of a drawn bow is a beautiful thing. That to go to the woods with simple bows and arrows is one of life’s great pleasures. We tend to rate a...
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Those cougars are tough bows. Get it restrung by a knowledgeable bowyer and enjoy shooting its. It’s a great bow to learn on. I’ve been using one for several years now, it’s older than me!
Sound like you got a good start. What poundage is it? Remember the most common mistake is starting with a bow too heavy.
Also we are trying to establish a standard around here. You're only allowed to kill one deer each bow. So once you've successfully with your dad's bow, hope over to the classified and look for your next bow!
Also we are trying to establish a standard around here. You're only allowed to kill one deer each bow. So once you've successfully with your dad's bow, hope over to the classified and look for your next bow!
Great to hear! Based on production years of the Cougar line (65-70) combined with the years of the logo used on the limb, this one is from 69-70. Putting it right at 20yr older than myself! I’m excited to begin work on it and try getting it usable again.
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I hope so! It’s 45#. Oh man, this the addiction support they warned me about in the welcome threads haha I’ve already been cruising the classifieds in case this BP Cougar is toast. Admittedly, that’s a good standard to establish in my opinion. Keep things fresh!Sound like you got a good start. What poundage is it? Remember the most common mistake is starting with a bow too heavy.
Also we are trying to establish a standard around here. You're only allowed to kill one deer each bow. So once you've successfully with your dad's bow, hope over to the classified and look for your next bow!
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In all seriousness. 45# is a great poundage for anything. But if this is your first traditional bow, it might be a little too heavy to learn on. I would suggest you get a learner bow around 30-35 and work your way to 45.
I’ve been reading some other threads about getting started and recommendations of brands and models to start with. I’ll check some of those out in 30-35# as you suggested and weigh the options. Thanks!
I started with a 55lb recurve. Yes a 45lb would have been better. I previously shot a 70lb compound so 55 did not seem like too much.
Give the 45lb a try and see how it feels.
Was the bow stored inside or in a shop subject to big temp swings, esp heat. If it was stored where it got hot repeatedly, there will be a risk of it delaminating. If it was kept in the house with stable temps, it may be good for long time.
For an inexpensive option for lighter weight bow or if you need to replace the cougar, look at the sammik sage or the black hunter recurves.
Killed my first trad deer with a cougar a few moons back.
For an inexpensive option for lighter weight bow or if you need to replace the cougar, look at the sammik sage or the black hunter recurves.
Killed my first trad deer with a cougar a few moons back.
That was actually going to be my next question. I wondered how the correlation between compound and trad would be. I currently shoot a 70# compound at 29.5” DL so I was curious if the 45# recurve would be overwhelming still.
It was stored in a finished basement most of the time and moved into an unfinished portion at some point recently. Exposure to occasional damp air would be more of a threat than heat down there. It rarely gets into the 70’s even in summer. I’m hoping all is well with it and I have a chance to take one myself this fall!
The Sage and Black Hunter recurves were probably the most recommended on the posts I studied. Those will definitely be the first I’ll look into if need be.
You draw length is typically shorter shooting trad. Not knowing if you bench press 500lbs or you are weak and old like me, only way to know is give it a try.
Also going to a Trad shoot you can usually try different bows.
Measure the old string for correct length of a new one. Also check your limb tips for how they are made. My guess is it would not handle fast flight strings. Consider a D97 or B55 string for it.
My 2 cents.
My 2 cents.