The Early Contributors

The Early Contributors Fred Bear was probably the greatest known bowhunter ever. He pioneered the sport, and founded target shooting in Michigan and the rest of the United States. Art Young taught Bear to make bows, arrows and handmade Irish linen bow strings. During the Great Depression Bear and Charles Piper saved $600 and started Bear Products Company. They sold silk-screen banners and flyers for Chrystler, but on the side he sold handmade bows to the growing number of archers and bowhunters.

Eventually his archery sales were able to support him alone. At this point Bear Archery was born, which still produces quality bowhunting and archery equipment. During his lifetime of pursuing his dream, bowhunting, he became known as The Gentlemen Woodsman. Saxon Pope and Arthur Young were two of the worlds foremost known hunters.

They founded the Pope & Young Club, which is still used today, back in the early 1900's. Their film Alaskan Adventures inspired Fred Bear to begin bowhunting.Arthur Young learned his skills from an old Indian named Ishi. People say that this Indian was the very last primitive Indian, who came out of hiding in 1911.

Bow Companies and Designs In 1931 Earl Hoyt Sr. formed a partnership with his son Earl Hoyt Jr. to begin Hoyt Archery.They began making wooden arrows and ran their first ad in the old Ye Sullivan Archery in Corvallis, Oregon.

They engineered using plastics in bows, the first overdraw, dynamic balance, equal length bow limbs, and the first semi pistol grip. They designed the deflex-reflex principle, which all bows use. Hoyt engineered the first stabilizer that introduced a new dimension in accuracy, they also produced the first adjustable arrow rest. In 1972 they developed a bow limb take-down system that accurately aligned the limbs and the riser.They called it the Pro Medalist T/D (take-down), and two were in the 1972 Olympics, both won gold medals.

During the next four Olympics Hoyt won gold, silver, and bronze medals. They also won more medals in FITA and NAA competitions than other company. When Easton Aluminum bought the company in 1983 these changes came about: -an interior socket channel for adjusting the alignment of limbs -a vertically adjustable arrow support member to further aid in tuning the bow - synthetic foam core limbs -the first working recurve limb -radiused sight windows for better broadhead clearance -the AIM cable/string system -compound speed changer system Hoyt, having been a leader of innovation and modern production methods, has been at the forefront as an archery equipment manufacturer. The old Hoyt policy of quality first, supersending productivity, has become the pledge of the new Hoyt USA.

(1998 Hoyt Catalog/www.hoyt-usa.com) PSE (Precision Shooting Equipment) was founded by Pete Shipley, who produced a new release aid and began selling it in 1970.He later produced plastic vanes to replace feathers for longer life and more durability. When he invented his first compound bow he introduced it at an Indiana tournament, and one week later he received orders for 200 more just like it. The orders would not stop coming in, and PSE was born.

PSE is the only company of the first five companies that got liscensened under the Allen Patent still producing bows. In 1982 PSE moved from Mohomet, Illinois to Tucson, Arizona. Pioneering machined risers of solid aluminum and the four staged forging process to create strong, lightweight bows.With new designs like the Lightning One Cam, the Maxis HL eccentric on the Mach-Series and others. PSE also the RS Line of sights which are very popular with hunters and target shooters alike. Mathews Inc.

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probably the most innovative design in all of archery! Matt McPhearson pioneered the single cam design, and now everyone has one. The new perimeter weighted MaxCam is probably the best eccentric ever patented. Presently Mathews' bows are on top of the market.Whether it is the new MQ1, BlackMax , UltraMax or the Original Z-Max, or FeatherMax. Mathews is outselling every other company with fast bows with a smooth and quiet feel. Mathews has only been around for a few years, but has been coming out with hot new bows ever since they begun, here are some of them: The new Mathews MQ1 has been said to be the most accurate bow ever made, and with the new perimeter weighted Straightline MaxCam, which has the straightest nock point travel ever, it is no wonder.

As Mathews says, The Straightline MaxCam has the silken responsiveness of a fine fly rod, from the moment you draw, to the instant the arrow leaves the string, you feel one sensation-smooooooooooooth. In fact it is so smooth that it is hard to believe how fast it launches the arrow. Without a doubt 'This is the most advanced cam in the world.' With all this it is no wonder that Mathews' motto is Test Fire a Mathews, it will blow your mind.

Mathews Z-Max is The bow that broke the two cam speed barrier, as Mathews says. This is going to be a classic. Equipped with the Original MaxCam and a truly supreme riser and limbs, that it is no wonder it fires arrows up to the speed of 320 fps (IBO). This bow will be a best-seller for a long time.

The Mathews FeatherMax is fast, lightweight and compact, all these things are combined to produce my favorite bow. Mathews took the old FeathLight with the Pro-Cam and stuck it with the new MaxCam. This bow is smooth, fast with high let-off (80%) that does not strain your muscles. It has the traditional feel as Mathews calls it, but this is a long way from Fred Bear and his longbows.

The new MaxCam rockets arrows up to 310 fps (IBO). Mathews says this has the speed without the kick. Arrows Easton originated the aluminum arrow industry and set the standards for other companies.Their original XX75 arrow was and still is probably the most popular aluminum arrow.

Easton engineered a new arrow alloy, XX78, which gave you more speed, strength, and straightness for a price less than carbon arrows. ACC and A/C/E shafts are something to wonder about. ACC stands for aluminum/carbon/carbon, which means one aluminum wrap and two carbon wraps for speed and strength never seen. The A/C/E is probably the fastest arrow ever made, but at $275 a dozen, we won't discuss that. The summary of Easton is it is the most known and used arrow on the market, and with Beman under it umbrella, there isn't going to be a lot of competition.Carbon Tech is a new all carbon shaft, it is claimed to be the fastest stuff on earth, here's why: 348,000 pure carbon threads are bonded together to form the arrow, and has a degree of straightness ranging from +/- .

00275 to .00485. The only problem I can see with this shaft is the outserts that go on the tiny diametered shaft, which are sometimes known to slip off in a target, and prevent full penetration on game. Sights Pin Sights , were probably and still are the most frequent used of all sights.

They began as a match taped to the front of the riser on an old long bow. These sights are usually set in a mount bracket that screws into the bow riser. Pins generally consist of one of these two things: brass pins are tough, that is why some people look to them for accuracy, but you cannot see the in low light as well as the light absorbing fiber optic pins.Usually set in a clear plastic casing to enhance the absorbing power, but sometime they can be threaded around the casing for even more light absorbing power. They are arranged in the bracket in order to aim.

You look through the peep at the appropriate pin. Adjustable Pin Sights are most common through out the Olympics and target shooting. It consists of a single pin that is adjustable for windage and yardage, and is most commonly called a target sight. It is a little comparable to the adjustable scope sight I have brought (visuals).

Out of all the other sights and such, my favorite would have to be the pin sight. it is the most simple and easy to use sight you can buy, although you may get the pins mixed up and shoot wrong. Well I hope in reading this you have learned a little about my favorite pass-time, BOWHUNTING.