When The Compound Was Born…

[Patrick]

#5092

Don Thomas’ post in another thread got me to thinkin’:
For those who remember, what were your thoughts and/or reactions when you first heard of the invention of the compund AND/OR upon realizing it was going to take over the archery world?

No BS’ing allowed! I have my BS detector on, so I’ll recognize it right away! [Hopefully yours isn’t on]

[WICanner]

#37138

When my hunting buddy brought home his Bear Whitetail, I thought it was the noisiest contraption I had ever heard. The letoff wasn’t that much, it was heavy, and again, the noise. The other Bear compounds and Jennings compounds weren’t much better. I really couldn’t figure out what the big deal was. The old wooden Brownings had more appeal to me, but they were heavy too.

I honestly don’t think these things would have taken off so if it wasn’t for the letoff levels and the compactness of todays compound bows. Also, with most archery deer seasons taking place during the deer rut, that got more people into the woods, and that sold more compound bows.

[Konrad]

#37173

I shot traditional for my entire life and actually looked with distain on those who used the wheeled things.
I also was unable to hit with accuracy and consistency much beyond thirty yards with my bare bow. The archery club I attended had two targets with 80 yard ranges and various others well beyond 40.
About the age of 27 I bought my first compound bow. It was a Bear Kodiak Special. It was as long as my Kodiak Magnum and colored in the same motif. Within a short time I was hitting out to 50 yards with hunting accuracy and could actually score at the 80’s most of the time in competition.

After two weeks I knew this was the wave of the future.

That Bear was stolen and I bought a PSE (Precesion Shooting Equipment) wheeler. That purchase was VERY disappointing (terrible vibration, noise and lousy accuracy) and due to other life changes dropped out of the sport for almost 20 years.

I still have the Magnum but it was damaged in a move and when I started studying the sport again to re-enter, I was amazed at the engineering improvements since my last exposure. I began practicing with my wife’s Browning recurve but found age and nerve damage had caught up with me.

When the check book did come out, I bought a Bear Truth, single cam, parallel limbed, 60 pound draw with an 80% let off. The addition of sights and a stabilizer allows me to practice at 50 yards 98% of the time with shocking accuracy.

It’s nice to see them fly but it’s also nice to hit what I’m pointing at.

I will add that I will be getting“light” poundage Kodiak Hunter. Much as I like my Truth, I just love those green and wooden recurves.

[Stephen Graf]

#37657

I was but a wee bairn in those days. but I remember going to our county fair and seeing a booth with the bows in it. I got my nose above the counter and took a look. My eyes lit up!

I never had the chance to shoot a traditional bow as a kid. But When I could scrape enough cash together mowing lawns, and working the local farms, I bought a PSE and never looked back.

Only in my middle years did I take up the long bow. I took it up after I retired (at 39 😯 ) and had the time to really practice.

My observation is that the compound is emblematic of american society. Nobody has the time to become and stay proficient with a traditional bow because of the needs of daily life. With both adults working to pay the mortgage, and the kids in every kind of after school activity, it’s no wonder. Americans are drawn to shortcuts.

And it is only getting worse. Know how I know? The crossbow is now legal in 12 states and coming to my state of NC.

Sorry for sounding so pessimistic. But here is my answer : Less TV, more books, grow a garden, play with your kids instead of sending them to soccer.

[LimbLover]

#38022

Well I’m not old enough to remember that. All I remember was carrying my uncle’s Bear Whitetail Hunter around the backyard pretending I was Rambo.
😆

[Hiram]

#38076

Actually, it is a machine. Pulleys and cables.

[hawg]

#38152

grew up on recurves. bought my first (and only)compound in ’79. a jennings split-T. I remember telling my friends “why would anyone shoot the old stuff?” that lasted 5 years. I cannot believe I made that statement.:oops::oops::oops:

now of course I cannot imagine why anyone would NOT shoot the “old” stuff:wink:

[mswickard]

#38169

My first hunting weight bow was a Bear Polar II compound 50-60#. My dad bought me one and one for himself. This was back in 1976-77. I was like 14 or 15 yrs old. At that time I thought it was the cat’s meow. Used it until, I went to college and didn’t see the light until around 1987. However, I must admit that I always wanted a bow like Fred shot. Those RC were always way to cool.

Bought a Custom Chastain Wapiti TD RC. Been shooting the real stuff since then.

Mike

[George D. Stout]

#38348

I had a fling with the earlier compound things from the fall of 1976 to the spring of 1980. That was enough for me. The popularity made for some cheap recurves however, back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s 8^)))).

[SteveMcD]

#38462

What Hiram said, my friends and I looked upon it as a Machine. Not a Bow.

[Chris Shelton]

#40893

Yall are showing your ages:shock::lol::lol:

I’m with limb on this one, I am way to young

However, dads old compound was a bear polar or something like that. It was my first “bow” of a decent draw weight. It might as well have been a recurve, wooden limbs, metal riser, heavy as can be. Noisy and the let off although present was not very much. I hunted with it once, and then I got my first real bow. My 40# galaxy mars recurve!!!:D

[Bigbearclaw]

#42000

Was at a shoot with my Ernie Root recurve when I saw my first compound.Had no idea what it was so I asked the older gentleman who taught me to shoot bows.He told me it was a fad contraption that he hoped would go away,or it would ruin our sport.Kinda think he was right.

[Treetopflier]

#42109

Patrick — What kind of job do you have? It seems you must have a lot of time to sit and contemplate the archery world in order to come up with this unending (we hope!) supply of great questions for discussion. Thanks bigtime for your stimulating input to this stimulating website. 🙂 So far as what I thougth about the early arrow-shooting machines (I”m with SteveSr. there) … not much. And that hasn’t changed. ttf

[Mark Turton]

#44044

All bows are machines applying a mechanical advantage.

I don’t have an archery background, used to be a gadget junkie and compound was the only way I was going to go and it got me into bowhunting.

Then I rediscovered hunting as opposed to killing and a light went on, it has changed the way I approach many things in life looking to simplify work, home my future, neither am I so impatient or angry with the world.

Mark.

[Patrick]

#45455

Treetopflier wrote: Patrick — What kind of job do you have? It seems you must have a lot of time to sit and contemplate the archery world in order to come up with this unending (we hope!) supply of great questions for discussion. Thanks bigtime for your stimulating input to this stimulating website. 🙂

One of the biggest hurdles I have when it comes to shooting my bow is my tendency to overthink things. BUT, that same trait works well in some venues. 🙂

[Bert]

#45630

The compound is an amazing American invention from the 1960’s that simplifies some things-holding- and complicates the hell out of everything else. After starting out with a Bear 45# recurve and then a 70#+ Ben Pearson longbow(donated to Dr. Ed Ashby recently) last century, my interest turned towards contained explosion projectile weapons. A few years ago I discovered an old Bear Whitetail compound in the garage, neglected and dusty- and started my love affair with archery once again for the last time. It has adjustable weight limbs so you can vary the amount you pull and hold, weighs a ton, and it’s my remedial bow, essentially a ‘portable nautilus machine’. I removed the rest and shoot it instinctively off the shelf with no release or sights. I currently shoot a 50# 68″ longbow but occasionally the old Bear gets a workout- it’s always strung and ready to go at a moments notice. I just pray the cables never break!

[Bill Kissner]

#45661

The compound ads started showing up in magazines in the mid sixties. NFAA shoots dominated my area at the time. It was common to see 300 to 400 shooters at a tournament. The compounds were soooo ugly nobody would even buy one to try out. Actually the first one I laid eyes on was probably around 1970 or so. By then their looks had been refined and some companies were building some that were kinda tolerable looking. Wing came out with one that had recurved limbs that wasn’t too awful bad. It seems that ugly compounds don’t keep folks from buying them nowadays as they are all about the ugliest bows I have ever seen.

[Flesner06]

#46637

Unfortunatly I wasn’t far sighted enough to see the damage the wheel bow would do to hunting as I knew it. I tried one far a couple of years, back in the late 80’s.
There were two primary reasons I didn’t like it. It was not made for still hunting. That thing was like dragging around a handfull of tangled barb wire in the multi-floral jungles I was hunting, and it had no soul. Rarely did I want to practice with it, and I didn’t need to. Sight it in and it’s good for the next time.
Two seasons was enough fo rme. I went back to simpler, more romantic equipment. I’ll quit hunting before ever going back to wheels.

[Rogue]

#47074

I am not old enough to remember a time without compounds, yet my first bow was a herters 30# recurve. Wish I still had it. I spent some time in the compound world and got tired of people saying you cant shoot that without sights or why do you shoot such a heavy arrow.
Somewhere above my post someone spoke of compounds having no soul, I believe this to be true. While carrying a stick bow in the woods makes me feel like I belong.

Bill

[Charles Hoff]

#47789

As a kid I shot various recurves. My dad was a career Army officer and never had time for me or my two sisters. Around the early 70’s when I was in my Navy career I had a shipmate that shot a Remington Recurve. I have never bow hunted in my life. Next thing I knew I bought a PSE compound, Late 70’s. Didn’t do much hunting with it, since I was a self taught hunter was mostly hunting with a gun. As time marched on I moved from gun and dogs( South Carolina) to compounds. Though I have taken numerous turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, and doves with a compound,have never taken a whitetail with a trad bow. Went to Colorado with a friend elk hunting, he shot trad, me compound. My bow crapped out, I used his backup Bear grizzly, carried around the mountain for 4 days and never went back to compound. I have a Browning and a Mathews on the wall but I always go to my Jefferies.

Still haven’t gotten a whitetail with recurve, but I’m giving it the old “Submarine try”.

[USMC 82-86]

#58750

Charlie,

How is the weather in Cottageville? I grew up in Bamberg. Do you have a sister named Mary?

[Don Thomas]

#59002

I once listened to a talk by Tom Jennings–I believe it was at an Alaskan Bowhunters Association banquet–about the early history of the compound. As others have pointed out, it is in many ways a prime example of innovative American technology and entrepreneurship in action. The problem is that some issues were simply not meant to be addressed by technology. It’s rapid acceptance also foreshadowed the way technology spreads today (a la the iPhone etc.). By the time it comes out of the box, it’s too late to stop it. Don

[hoyt]

#59432

I remember the first one I saw was in Augusta, Ga. at an older gentleman’s personal archery range he had at his house. I think the bow was an Allen. They had not really hit the market yet.

Anyway when they did come out Ga. made them illegal..classified them as mechanical..for the first few yrs. When they did legalize them I was hunting one day in Ft. Stewart and while driving in my vehicle from one area to another MP pulled me over to tell me I was driving too fast and saw my Jennings Model T compound and proceeded to start writing me a ticket for having a strung bow in my vehicle. I finally convinced him it was legal and I didn’t know how to unstring it.

[Author]

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