Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Is Older Compound Bow Safe to Shoot?

I have an older Xi bow that I bought in the early 1990s, and so I'd say it's about 25 years old. It has a machined aluminum riser and some sort of composite limbs.

Is an older bow like this relatively safe to shoot? I haven't archery hunted in many years, but I am thinking about getting it tuned up and restrung, and giving it a go this season. I'm just wondering whether the limbs deteriorate over time and could kaboom!

Thank you.

Xi built a good strong bow.
I would put a new string ànd harness on it and tune it up.
You may have to have them custom made but that's no big deal.

So long as it hadn't been stored in direct sunlight I would expect the limbs to be fine.

If machined riser, that'd be toward the end of their run. Probably has synth cables (not steel with swedges at ends).

Any bow tech worth his salt should be able to make you new string/harness.

FWIW I'm hunting with a recurve made in 1972.

Shoot it til it blows, then get another one.

I still remember the Xi Legend Magnums...........Myles Keller signature series. Actually as a pretty decent bow back in the day.

Newest compound I have is 91..... oldest about 79....

Nothing wrong with any of them.

I recently bought two late 70's compounds. Both have original cable sets and laminated limbs. They both shoot fine and I don't see any issue. A little common sense is in order too. Look them over for cable wear, and look the limbs over for any lifting of material, etc. Those old critters are pretty tough. I wouldn't give you a nickle for the new models since you can't shoot the damn things with your fingers...especially split finger hold. I'll take the oldies any day, just like my old recurves. Those plastics and glues took us to the moon, so I think they will hold up to shooting arrows.

Yes, check the string and cable if it has one, should be good to go, I still shoot a Mathews Black Max 2 I bought in 2006, that Dragster still shoots fine.

Thanks, everyone. I'll take it to a bow shop and see what they say. If it's worth rehabing, I'll go with a new string and harness. The old arrows will need to be re-fletched, too.

If taken care of over the years these bow will last forever

Some limbs just fail on their own.
Others get nuked by dry fire and or heat.........usually immediate. But it is possible they can survive and have the life span shortened, the failure down the road.

Best bet would be solid glass limbs over the old maple/glass laminate.

Have seen imperfections pop up years later, in solid glass limbs. Those of camo covering may have had them early on, went unseen.

Half rounds, the pivots of some older bows (most often on cast riser rigs).........they are glued on. They come off and pop and creak...........you can just glue them back on.

But bow limbs, even well taken care of........can fail down the road. Laminates more prone. Non laminates the failure areas often at axle holes, or where the fork is deepest in limb. Some right by the riser at highest stress point.

One thing I have also seen.............riser failure (cast risers). Stuff that wasn't jacked by techs cranking them in and out of bowpresses.

PSE was rather prone to that back in the first Centerflite days.

The old Hoyt Pro Hunter/Gamegetters were tanks riser wise......but limbs on them did fail. Most of the time the Pro Hunter (laminate). There's a reason they changed designs/materials, wasn't all just about speeds.

I think rigs of medium draw weight, that didn't get overdraws, should be pretty safe bets. Of course with risk, lack of repair parts..........one could leverage that for better pricing.

Most stuff that's good, but inexpensive, gets bought up rather fast..........for bowfishing (around here).

I don't like compound bows. I've seen someone with serious face injuries and loss of an eye from one breaking or the bowstring breaking and things flying around. I like a recurve or longbow. If the string breaks, you can change it in the field. Compound, hunt is over. With a recurve you aim as you draw. When you come to a full draw release the arrow, or let off the draw. You don't have to hold it. bow is much lighter and easier to carry around. I have a take down. With my recurve, I shoot much deeper into the target with aluminum arrows that I do with carbon. Don't know why, and also with heavier arrowheads.

I think it works like a 45-70, 444 or 30-30 for recurves, heavier bullets moving slower. Compound is like a 7mm mag, 270, or a faster lighter bullet, like a faster lighter arrow for deep penetration vs heavy and slow for the same results. Arrows may fly flater with a compound, but you are only talking maybe 10 yards better range?

People stringing recurves have been hurt pretty badly.
I blew an 82# PSE Mach 4 riser in half right at the shot, cables whapped my arm good, welts and some blood. Went to shop, swapped in a new riser, cables and string OK............was checking pins in a couple of hrs..........right on the money, no adjustment............to 60 yards.

Older compounds had double tear drops on their cables so one could swap a string afield, if it didn't blow.

FWIW they make small portable bow presses. Buddy blew a string off one side of a double tear drop cable.......65# Martin with the big Energy cams. We backed the limbs out and one guy muscled the bow while the other hooked up the string.

No press. Was not easy or fun. But we did it.

You can back off an Oneida to pop a string all the way off, and put another back on. No press needed.

Done it.

Newer stuff might be more of a pain.

Compound speed is nothing to sneeze at. The longer it takes your arrow to get there, the more chance of the critter moving. Speed also lessens the need for exact yardage. And speed is somewhat a measure of energy.

I shoot carbons in my recurves, paper tune shows perfect spine. But to get that I had to add weight to my inserts, which gives me higher FOC.

That and the durability...........I am sold on carbons in my recurves. The only problem is playing the spine game, finding what works. Carbon tune charts are crap, as is much of the ramblings on trad sites......how those folks get the crap they suggest, to fly worth a damn..........I dunno.

But yrs ago at Nationals I saw 4 ft gaps, 10 ft from the stake, saplings chewed up on either side of the gap.

Some people shoot absolute crap and think it superior because it's wood or whatever.

Not only do many have terrible arrow flight, they also can't hit crap.

Of course, many do that with wheels. Do think sighting systems and letoff to be a help to many though.

I like 'em myself.

BTW, I don't snap shoot my recurves.
Can shoot fast, if need be, but usually draw slow, hold a bit and then shoot.
Can hold a fair amount actually.
Since going 3 under and high anchor to use arrow as a sight, I hold my bow at full draw, even longer.
60# was a biatch, did it no problem.........but I woke up on the right side of the bed that day.

Genetics has me with bad shoulders....it's just a matter of time. I shot a LOT of heavy bows for way too long, amazing I can still shoot anything.

But I have backed off the amount of shooting (dang near nothing compared to the old days) and my poundage is less.

I shoot 65# with wheels and release, and 50# in a recurve.
Kinda like it

Those are my magic numbers also, but thinking about going 60/45 these days I dont do release though.

For me, I just cant shoot any kind of a cam on compounds. Has to be round reel or joints I didnt know existed scream bloody murder requiring more bourbon and ice.

honestly, it probably will shoot, but by the time you put money into it, you'd be better off buying a couple year old top shelf bow, it will be faster, more accurate, and much quieter. XI did make a dandy bow back in the day though. I know myles, and he still has a bunch of them.

Yes. I can draw and shoot a 2005 Hoyt Cam and a Half at 72#, and 65% letoff and it's comfy. The new hot rod bows at 60# about kill me. It's not the peak poundage, it's the draw cycle (for me). This new hot stuff just hurts.

It's hell to get old, I'm there

That's what I would do, hang the old one on the wall rather than pour money in it, and get something that's far better. Compounds have come a long way in the past 20 years.

i've wondered the same thing myself. i bought a bear whitetail compound in about 1980 and haven't pulled it back in 25 years. still looks fine to me but it has about 2 lbs let-off and my shoulder ain't going to take it.

Have a bow tech check it over, for wear, and bad pivots. If he suggests changing out a part, do it, don't chance it. Bows are built to the razor's edge of failure. (That is why dry-fires are dangerous).
As for it being game over if a compound string fails....that depends on you.
I had a compound cable start to part, I felt it go, and let off carefully. Had a bow tech restring it with new cable, with a modification. I had him add knocks for a standard bowstring inline. I can, (by design) compress the bow enough to swap out a frayed or broken bowstring in the field, with nothing more than some cordage and a stick. (It works, I've done it).
Age alone is not determining Factor, condition is.
I have been shooting the same Indian Stalker compound for 37 years.

Can't tell you anything about a compound but......

I'm still using the Ben Pearson "Rogue" recurve I acquired in 1974 or 75.

When I was 12 I spent 5 days in a hospital on my back, drugged because of a severe concussion from a direct hit on my eyeball from a blow up. I can tell you from experience ,It sucks. That being said, I use a 1998 model Hoyt and it is well maintained and I have no fears of it. If the bow is checked over and restrung and it should be fine.

If the bow is an XI Velocity, you may want to draw it a few times. They have the weirdest draw of any bow I ever drew back.........

Mine's about 23 years or so. I hope it's safe.

New string and thorough check by an archery pro shop is the route I'd take.

Shot a 1986 Golden Eagle this week, original cables.

Good topic

After looking at the prices of bows today I have been thinking of getting my old compound bow out storage and start shooting again. I it bought around 1988 but it has been stored away for 20 years. It was just a low price Proline 70 lb bow but it worked well and I won several shooting contests with it.

Belong the string and cables would the limbs be OK having been strung that long?