Who uses the oldest equipment?

[steve863]

It seems to me that bowhunters way more than gun hunters are obsessed with having the latest and greatest equipment available.  Many bowhunters even go as far as getting a new bow every year.  I for one have used the same gun for 25 years and have no intentions of replacing it.  I have never considered myself much of a bowhunter and honestly haven't hunted with a bow for a number of years now.  For some unknown and bizarre reason I am getting an itch to give bowhunting another try again this year.  I will be pulling out my vintage 1990 Bear bow with aluminum arrows and giving it a go.  I would be curious to know who else might hunt with such antiquated equipment??  Knowing the gearheads bowhunters tend to be I doubt there are many, but it would be interesting to know who hunts with the oldest bow here?? Pictures would be a plus.  I may snap a couple of photos of mine and post them in the coming days. 

[burmjohn]

I'm only on my 2nd bow in 16 years of bowhunting.  I can't see getting a new bow every year, these things are expensive.  I expect my current bow to last me a while.  I have never bought a rifle either, I was handed a 35 as my first hunting rifle from my uncle, then he gave me his 30-06 4 years ago.  The only thing I'd like to do is upgrade the scope some day, but for now and the woods I hunt, there really are no far shots that would warrant a better scope. Although it would be nice to see a little more light and have a bigger view

[crappyice]

I'm the hand-me-down king of gear...The bow I use I bought used 4 years ago from a guy who was hunting with it for 10 years.  Still using the same aluminum arrows that came with the used package.  In addition I use an old belgium browning shotgun (not a collector due to wear and years of abuse prior to my acquiring it) for birds and deer that was passed down through the family. Next year could be a new bow purchase since I'm tired of the ridicule!!! Peer pressure sucks at any age!

[Doc]

Would you believe that I don't even know what year my current bow is? Whenever the Mathews MQ32 came out, that would be the year. I'm real bad when it comes to remembering that sort of thing. It's not really all that old, but by some guys standards it may be ancient. (early 2000s's or late 1990's????). My release is the same age. My quiver goes back way before that. Arm guard is nearly prehistoric.

I have aluminum arrows still in use that date back to the 70's (more arrows than 10 guys could go through in a lifetime) and bows 9recurves and compounds) that run from the years 1965 up until I bought the Mathews (seems as though the bow count was 11 last time I checked.

I just all of a sudden stopped buying stuff and became an official cheapskate. As soon as I slowed up on the buying and realized that all that old stuff killed deer just as dead as my newer stuff, I had a real serious heart to heart talk with my wallet and we agreed that the only expenditures would be to replace broken equipment from that point on. Since I have the equipment and where-with-all to do a lot of my own repairs on bows and arrows, I seem to be able to keep it all serviceable almost indefinitely.

Doc

[Geno C]

3 rd bow in 16 years here... i have to admit i do like the latest and greatest equipment but i do not get a new bow often..

[steve863]

Doc, nice to hear that you have some oldies from the 70's, but lets count only the ones that people regularly still hunt with.

[20ftupatree]

I just replaced the bow only bow I've had EVER this year with a "new" old bow. I have a Bear whitetail hunter, that bow is well over 5o inches long, OLD though. This year I got a hand me down pearson renegade II

[steve863]

I just replaced the bow only bow I've had EVER this year with a "new" old bow. I have a Bear whitetail hunter, that bow is well over 5o inches long, OLD though. This year I got a hand me down pearson renegade II

Wow, I remember the Bear Whitetail.  That is even older than mine.  Looks like you might have won the prize for the oldest bow if you didn't get the "new" old bow! 

[Buckstopshere]

I have an "old" Bowtech I use now...about 5 years old. And I thought it was getting old...some guys seem to change bows like they do hats. The old equipment I use is the bones, muscles and tendons...and that little bit of gray matter between my ears...now that's getting real old! This will be my 40th year buying a NYS Archery license. I didn't save that one. But I have all the rest, I think. Remember how cool the stamps were? Real art. It is a shame they are just plastic now.

Not to capture the thread, but who has the oldest NYS bow stamp?

[Doc]

Doc, nice to hear that you have some oldies from the 70's, but lets count only the ones that people regularly still hunt with.

Well, they're all still maintained, occasionally shot, and perfectly serviceable, and capable of being used for hunting, but it's still the Mathews that comes off the wall, simply because I just like it. ....... And I still can't remember how old it is....lol. But it's not too new anymore.

Doc

[Doewhacker]

Well I'm out, I just got new bow this year. My other bow was new in @1997, but my Dad's is from around the early 90's. I need to get a pic of that thing up so we can laugh at his handy work, but he has killed more deer than you can shake a stick at with it. His only other bow was from the 70's and he killed a pile with that too.

I have had the same release since @1997, its starting to release slowly and I will have to replace it soon and I just made the switch to carbon this year, I held off cause I'm cheap and resistent to change. ;D

[SplitG2]

I still use my Buckmaster(jennings) G2 bow from 1995.  IBO back then was 310 pretty fast for the time. 

[biggamefish]

  I have a soverign mace I bought from a garage sale for 30 dollars.  This bow was made before the wheel and pully days.  I shoot alumin arrows through it with fingers imagine that no release.  Ha Ha

[fasteddie]

My 1st new bow was an Oneida Golden Eagle Evolution that I bought in 1994 when I started bowhunting . A few years ago my son convinced my wife that I needed a new bow and she and my mother in law put $600 towards a Parker Phoenix EZ Draw . Last year I won a Ben Pearson TX-4 bow in a raffle on another site . The Tx-4 set me back $30 ! The $30 excludes the accessories .

[SteveB]

My main bow is only 3 years old - DAS recurve.

[ballbusta]

I am still shooting a Matthews Z- max 1997 aluminum arrows. I planned on buying a new bow the past couple of years but it never seems to workout. The Z max shoots as good as the day I  got it . Upgraded the sight and rest and string of course

[adk3006]

I hunt with a Reflex that is about 10 years old.  I use aluminum arrows.  It is ancient but does the job.  Bows seem like computers to me, you buy a new one (for a high price) and all is great then within a few years it is outdated and basically worth nothing.  For rifle I hunt with a pre-64 model 70 that was made in 1952........this does the job too.

[ANTLERS]

Im using a Hoyt legacy,gotta be almost 20 years old now.Restring it every few years and im using aluminum arrows.Its like an old worn out bath robe,you know you need a new one,But this ones to confortable to throw out.I consistently kill deer and bear every year,why spend a grand on a new bow.

[steve863]

Bows seem like computers to me, you buy a new one (for a high price) and all is great then within a few years it is outdated and basically worth nothing.

That is a real good comparison!  It's amazing, as soon as you buy a new computer or bow there's a newer and more advanced model that comes out, so in general you can never have the latest or greatest.  Guns are a whole different ballgame.  How much have deer rifles changed over the years?  Not much.  Bolt action guns like the Remington 700, Winchester Mdl 70, Mausers, Weatherby's, Rugers have been around a LONG time virtually unchanged.  Yeah, maybe you can get fiberglass stocked models, shorter or longer barrels and stuff like that, but in general they changed very little. They hold their values a heck of a lot better also.  You can actually sell an old gun for considerably MORE than you paid for it originally. 

[Doewhacker]

Here is the old mans bow

[Doewhacker]

and another

[Doewhacker]

It is a circa 90-92 Hoyt Eclipse, note the pin with black tape on it holding it place. Thats right he tunes his bow with black tape, the sight bracket was made by his buddy Bob 27 years ago at the machine shop. If you look close you also see the springy rest from many moons ago. His buddy gave him a newer bow and he refuses to use it. :  My brother and I make fun of him every year and gets us back by shooting deer and having us drag them out..haha

[steve863]

Wow Doe, that definitely looks like an early 90's bow, thanks for the pictures!  I love that pin setup too! Looks like someone took a hand drill and drilled holes into a piece of metal to put the pins thru!  I got to get some pics of my bow which is also from the stone age compared to these high tech bows of today.

[steve863]

I knew it had to be home made!  Hey, whatever works for him.  I just love it when guys can drop more deer with this old stuff than others who spend a fortune on equipment, but have ZERO hunting skills!

[Doewhacker]

It ain't gotta be fancy but it does have to work.

He was complaining this year about having trouble finding the Wasp Broad heads he has used forever..they stopped making them but luckily the bow shop he goes to stock piled them back in the early 90's when he bought the bow. haha

His other bow he used from the 70's till this one and only put it down because the limbs were giving up.

Haha.. I just was looking at first picture, look at the rainbow of different arrows and fletches..makes me wonder what the hell he did with the dozen I gave him this spring.