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II have been seriously thinking about getting a recurve bow. I've been looking at the bear grizzly. Because of my eyes I have been using a crossbow the last few years. In my opinion crossbows are boat anchors to carry. Any opinions on the bear grizzly?

Ive had a few of the older ones.
Liked the grip and looks.
Kinda slow, kinda noisy.. the latter discovered to be limb resonance and not string issue. Dampeners fixed that.

Maybe the new ones are better.

As with any bow, best try before you buy.
For me, grip ia a huge factor.
I cant stand the DH/ Martin 2800 grips.
Yet other people love em.... the 3 ive had all felt shocky.

Everybody likes something different. Find a shop w a variety of used rigs....may be hard to do. Can go to a trad shoot, bigger ones in summer have vendors. Lots of used stuff.

Nothing wrong with the Bear Grizzly. It was essentially the working man's bow in the Bear lineup. Many who are familiar with/own every model Bear say they like it best. I'd give that nod to the Super Kodiak but the Grizzly is my second. Its an excellent choice for a first recurve. Way lighter than a crossbow or even the lightest compound.

Thanks for the info!

New to traditional shooting?

Super K is my favorite then the kodiak hunter before I get to the grizzly. Mb

No, however it's been a while since I've used one.

I have tried Kodiak (40 and 50lb), Kodiak Magnum which is great from a tree stand and a Super Grizzly. The SG is 65lbs. I use it more to train with as I prefer the 55 lb KM for in the stand because of it is 52 inches and I can hit good at 20 yards. The SG is almost the same as the Grizzly. It shoots well and fast, kinda loud but that can be addressed easily enough. I would use a Grizzly without reservation if you like the grip. My next bow is either a Griszly or Cheyenne in 50.

All the newer models are FF rated.

Grizzly is single layer wood and Super Grizzly is double layer wood IIRC.

Im trying to decide on a Bear Mag A or an ILF.
Or a new Widow.

LOL

Mag A w shorts would be 56.....proly ideal for me in a tree.

I should call 3R and see if I can shoot one Sat

Try to get one of the old Super Grizzlies made in Grainling, MI. Years ago I bought one on ebay.com and imported it to Germany. I had to show up at the customs service to open the package. Man, was I proud to hold this bow in my hands finally. In the late 70s these bows were sold out immediatley after being imported by hundreds by a German archery dealer. The Black Bear, Bruin Bear and Grizzlies were getting dusty at the shelf. And were sold for 99 Deutsch Marks a piece.

I have some vintage bear recurves that need new homes 🏡.
P.M. Me if you want to deal.

The grizzly bows are my favorites they fit my hand the best. I have more than I need.. But I have a kodiack Hunter I would love to sell.

Bears are ok, expensive because they are made in the USA. Nothing too exciting in the performance department. Some of the vintage ones go for outrageous prices. If the brand name does not mean much to you then Lancaster Archery has a lot of options.

Try to find a used Howatt Hunter in about #45. They are quiet, fast and very stable. If you go with a used bow, make sure it hasn't been standing in a corner and suffered from limb twist. Twist can be removed if not too bad, but it's a PITA.

Wing Archery bows have always been good ones.Bob Lee was a wizard of bow design.

+1 ^

I shoot a Howatt Hunter - IMO it’s an awesome bow that shoots as if it were made yesterday. Martin bought Howatt so a Martin Hunter is much the same. Both love being shot right off the shelf on some trad bear hair. I’ve also got a Howatt Bandito that is a little shorter version of the same thing but stacks a slight bit at my draw length. That Hunter sure fires darts though & tuned with lighter splined arrows than I expected. Good luck!

I started traditional about 20 years ago with a cheap 45# Martin (can't recall the model) but it was new for about $130. It was pleasant to shoot but super slow. I then got a Martin Howatt Hunter 60# and it would chrono a carbon at 203fps which seemed smokin fast. I killed a couple deer with it but 60# was too much for me. Now I have a Rivers Edge Recurves (RER) RD 53# longbow and couldn't be much happier. Plenty of umph to pass through a deer, super smooth and quiet.

Good luck with your quest.

I've had a few Howatt Hunters - great bow. I'm partial to the vintage ones with Bubinga risers - this is an early '80s version my Dad hunted with back in the day. My grandson seems to think it fits him just right even though he can only draw it a couple of inches