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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

I had a couple DH/ Martin.
Two of em Hunters/2800.
90s era.
One was 45# and the othet 65#.
Had a 47# DH Superdiablo in rosewood.
Good looking bow, diff grip than 2800......shot ok.

Much much much prefer the Blackwidow standard grip.

Been shooting a few of em since 87.

Custom or factory, new or used......try some stuff out way before you buy.

Must say, I was pleased w my Hoyt Dorado riser running Tradtech limbs. Not the cheapest bow but IMHO a best bang for the buck kinda rig.

Might be as good, maybe better since riser 2" shorter....for me anyway, the Samick Discovery

FWIW 2 yrs ago I paid 400 bucks for a used BW HS.
91 so FF rated limbs and radiused riser.
Obsolete though ( no new limbs ).
And I had to refinish the riser ( metal, came out great ).

I knew what I wanted and took me 3 yrs to find one, had two B50 rated models before that.

The more you shoot.....the more picky youll proly get.

LOL

Been a friggin blast, buds and I ran an archery range at rhe club.....we dang near lived out there. Shot snd shot and shot.

Good times.

Families and jobs, people moved away, some clubs shut down. Times have changed and not for the better.

Bow, arrows, insect repellent.......was good enough for many years.

Most of the mass produced recurves seem to be designed for a 28" draw. If you have a 29" draw like me you might be disappointed. I have found them difficult to draw past 28" inches and often felt finger pinch. I would recommend going to an archery or primitive weapons rendezvous. I have found that there are usually several vendors that are plenty willing to let you try out their bows. You will probably find many custom and used bows of all types. I have several recurves but tend to use my longbows the most.

Black Widow for me.

Martin Jaguar is more accurate than I am; I like it

Depends on limb length (and other)
My old Hoyt Huntmaster was 58" bow and it hit the freakin wall at 29.
The replacement model sold by PSE (same model, Korean Import- also known as Samick SHB).....had 60" limbs.
Didn't hit the wall like the 58".

I also don't have fat fingers. I can draw 29 with a 58" bow and they are fine, no pinch, shoot well.
Since I can get by with a 58" and draw 28.5", I have no desire for a 60 or 62" bow.
Had em, just like shorter for hunting.

Have buds that draw less than me that like 62" for the smoothness. If its there I don't feel it. Not that a 62" has much difference than a 58".
Theyre both fine, one is just longer than I like. My 58's lay in back seat of my Jeep

I don’t have the luxury of splitting hairs , whether it’s 1” of length, give or take, or having multiple recurves that doesn’t suit my fancy. Good for you that you have that luxury! I’m native Choctaw, and I know my ancestors made their own bows and arrows, and were successful hunters. I am living proof that their crude, homemade bows and arrows worked. I feel that am VERY blessed that I do not have to make my own, whatever the draw length or arrow configuration

Riser length influences limb length.
If you go to the BW or other bowyer websites they have recommendations based on draw length.
Some folks like a shorter riser to get a longer limb.
To each his own.

BTW, if I did buy a new Blackwidow standard model today and set it up w a quiver and new arrows, it'd cost as much as the truck I drive.

Trade in your truck and buy it new; I will give you ride if I see you on the highway

Check out Big Jim’s bow company. He has his own line of customs but is a huge Bear dealer. He also carry’s a ton of used bows. He will be set up at the shoot in Harrodsburg, KY next weekend if you are close to it.

My beater 4x4 hauls deer out of the woods fine

Had a couple used BW metal riser models and a Groves, but kept shooting just one, so sold the extras

I hear ya - the simple days were great. I’m missing my old club that burned in the Redding Ca fire several years back around Whiskeytown.

Yeah man. Its more than being young.
Simpler times, big fun. Good people.
Actually talked about that yesterday w a bud Ive shot bows with since 84.

We all got degrees, got married and had kids.
Slaves to the grind.

Fell for the trap.

Shoulda just shot bows.

I fell for it too. Looking back at the pictures - so many fewer concerns. Archery brings people together in a healthy environment better than many other pursuits.

I’d happily run around that 3d range all weekend again with families in tow. Lots of good like skills learned out there.

^^ THIS ^^^

Blackwidow..... company started in '57.
Got my first one built in '87

A traditional bow is like shotgun. A good shot can make any of them work.

But some are easier to work.

Find a Trad shop or shoots and try some different ones.

Recurves saved me. I was getting bored with shooting a compound I needed something to rekindle my love of archery and stickbows did it

Ordered a new psa riser last night.

I hunted deer with a 45 lb recurve bow by Wing Archery Company. Short range but deadly and quiet.

Sherwood

I hunted with a recurve for several years. Really enjoyed it. Bought an inexpensive pearson 40 lb bow to practice and build muscle. Hunted with a 60 lb Howatt Hunter that I shot daily. Then bought a 50 lb Bob Lee TD. I thought the Howatt Hunter was a better bow than the Bob Lee. But I didn't need 60 for deer. I
I have shot a friends bows that had a Black Widow and a Bear Take Down.
The Bear Takedown is probably the best bow I have tried.

Trying out other bows is fun.
But only if they are tuned correctly.
Many are not and give false impressions.