Found a Browning Nomad recurve bow today!!!

[Tripplebeards]

I remember I did a post here looking to trade for a recurve bowl after I restored my dad’s last April and posted some pictures of it here…

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...ve-or-long-bow


I walked into the local church store where things are donated and resold here in town today. Always have fun walking in there to see if I can find a deal or something cool old and vintage besides my normal looking for pewter.

To my surprise there was a Browning Nomad recurve at the front counter for $35!!! no cracks in the limbs whatsoever, and the wood looks pristine. It’s 54 pounds and 54 inches. I bet it’s gonna be a beast to pull back.Lol. My dad’s I restored is 47 or 48 pounds which I’m used to pulling so I’m sure 54 is easily done even with a recurve. I used to shoot 78 pounds with my compounds back in the day along with a 50% let off so I’m sure I’ll be up to the task! I did some googling, and from what I’ve read the first number of the serial number is when it was produced. They made them from 66 to 75 from what I can find so mine must be a 1974 production. Can’t wait… can’t wait. I’ll have to get a stick on arrow rest ordered up for it from Amazon since I use the last one on my dad’s bow a few months back. There are no cracks in the fiberglass or the tips. A couple little light superficial scratches on the limbs. I’ll have to put some glass or varnish over. Maybe I can just polish them out who knows.

What do you think???

[Electrod47]

Those things were a work of Art...my fav was a 60lber back in the day.

[HWooldridge]

I have a 35 lb in the same model. They are smooth shooting and durable - mine is one of the first ones they made and still going strong.

[Tripplebeards]

I started going through some of their old vintage online catalogs. Boy, I sure would like to get one of those cool looking multi laminate ones. I went through their old catalogs and it doesn’t even show them listed from 73 through 75 for some reason but when I googled it, some people said they were made through 75. That explains why I have the number four starting on my serial number I would assume?

[cwtebay]

What an incredible find!!! Congratulations and I look forward to hearing about your exploits!!!

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[Rockingkj]

Great find! Nice the church ladies were not archers otherwise you wouldn’t have snagged that bargain.

[rcslotcar]

Great price,, looks really nice. I got to dig out my old stick.

[Bazoo]

Congratulations, thats a nice score. I'd love to find a nice one myself. I had a Bear Bear Cub #35 when I was a young adult. I loved messing with it. If I had one now, I'd practice multiple times a week if not daily.

[MrWolf]

Think you did real good. Congrats

[skeettx]

Sweet, well done

[pertnear]

Did you haggle 'em down from $35? LOL

What a find & what a bargain!! Tripplebeards, you win the "Lucky Guy" award today!!

[Tripplebeards]

Did you haggle 'em down from $35? LOL

What a find & what a bargain!! Tripplebeards, you win the "Lucky Guy" award today!!

Normally I do but I didn’t even try when I saw that price.lol. I figured it was probably worth a couple hundred bucks so I knew it was a good deal. I just gave it a quick look over to make sure there weren’t any cracks in the limbs and headed right to the cash register. I always get a kick out of it when I’m over there because as soon as I pick something up normally three or more people walk up and and stare at whatever in my hands and usually say something like…oh man! that’s a good deal!… when did been sitting there the whole time. At least over there no one takes stuff out of your cart if you walk away. View of the thrift stores when I shop out of town you walk away from your cart and it gets taken out of it. lol. I was over there right before Christmas last time having fun looking for stuff to buy to throw in the toys for toys for tots bin. Bought a tickle me Elmo electric doll…remember those??? It looked like new ans still worked. I pod a $1 for it. I pressed the button when it was on the shelf to see if it worked . Started talking of course, and asking to be tickled.lol. Four people come literally running down the aisle to ask me if I was buying it when it was in my hand and followed me to the register to make sure I bought it . It was 1992 at Walmart all over again. Ha ha! I think so many people that shop there are used to spending $.50 to $2 on something that as soon as it’s five bucks or more it doesn’t get bought. Luckily I was in the right place at the right time yesterday! When I cashier it out yesterday, it was sitting next to the cash register in a barrel within a couple of feet to begin with. The lady at the cash register said oh my neighbor builds, bow and arrows for a living man. He sure would like that. lol. Good thing she didn’t get a break and make a phone call previously.


The place I bought it from I have “tried” to haggle in the past. They don’t budge a penny on their stuff.

I have scored three or four compounds for $10 to $20 bucks in the last year at different thrift stores but the store I picked this one up at always seems to price certain items a lot higher than others for some reason. It’s like they get an idea in their head and ask the world for some items there. I think they have a new person in the last year and a half or so that must go online and Google stuff instead of just throwing everything out in the shelf for a couple bucks like they used to do.


The only archery related stuff in the store I could find was a vintage tree bark camo arm guard that was a camo pattern i remember from around 1980. No arrows or quiver to be found. I would assume from the condition of the bow it wasn’t shot much so it didn’t surprise me not to see anything with it.

I have to say it does amaze me to see used compound bows all over the place usually for 10 to 20 bucks but when you run into an old recurve, I’ve seen the “asking” price alot higher and “skyrocket” on those. Even with cracked and split limbs. I just like shooting them, but it’s almost impossible to find them these days unless you’re searching on the Internet.

Here’s a cool old link you can click on the catalogs from the years. It doesn’t even show what they were available in 1974. I would assume mine is from 74 because it has a four at the beginning of the serial number? From the price list it also looks like I did OK because they were $15 more at the time! lol

http://www.vintagearchery.org/browning.html

Looks like they were last cataloged in 1972.


I pulled up the ad for each year to look at them. I had a pair of quick quiver style quiver claws just like that there were my dads. I gave them to a needy kid along with a couple of complete archery set ups back 30 years ago. Wish I would’ve kept them now with my dad’s bow. I’ll have to look for another set or two.

[waksupi]

I don't worry about longitudinal cracks on laminated bows. They aren't going to let go. The thing I look for are twisted limbs. If not too bad, I have heated and straightened those.

I was followed a few weeks ago in a local thrift shop. I found a brand new wok for $10. It would have been $60 new. Since I do a lot of stir fry, it was a big improvement over my old one.

[Tripplebeards]

Yeah, the old Ben Pearson bow that my mom bought for my dad back in 65’ has cracks in it. it has ever since I can remember back in the early 70s I still shoot it to this day and don’t sweat it. I always stop into the thrift stores looking for pewter and end with some good “unexpected” treasures.

[Mk42gunner]

Funny (not really) how little a quality used bow goes for these days. It doesn't seem to matter if it is a recurve or a compound either.

Robert

[Tripplebeards]

I’ve noticed if you’re out looking for them, you’re gonna pay an arm and a leg. When I run into them by chance, and not looking, I find them for a heckuva buy. I can remember back in the 80s in the 90s if I bought a compound bow and wanted to upgrade a few years later they weren’t worth a tank of gas in my vehicle outright. Some guys seem to sell them for good money, but I never could. Reminds me of trailer homes you’d pay an arm and a leg for them new and used they were worth the price of scrap.

[Johnch]

Nice find
A slightly longer than spec string will lower the draw weight
I don't remember what length the Bear recurve has on it
But I think it is 1 inch longer than what the original was and it dropped the draw weight at least 10 lb

John

[Tripplebeards]

Nice find
A slightly longer than spec string will lower the draw weight
I don't remember what length the Bear recurve has on it
But I think it is 1 inch longer than what the original was and it dropped the draw weight at least 10 lb

John

Sweet thanks for the tip! I don’t mind having fun and shooting that thing at that poundage since I used to shoot almost 80 pounds. I haven’t shot bow arrows for years and had fun in the backyard last year and finally got used the 47 pound recurve snap shooting. It would be nice to be able to hold it back for a few seconds and aim to aim but I don’t think that’s gonna happen.lol. I literally have to give it a good yank to get it all the way back to my 32 inch draw length before I snap shoot it. The 47 pounder said it was set up for 28 inch draw length of I remember right with the other recurve so I’m sure by the time I got it all the way back I was really pulling some poundage! I can say it sure is easier pulling back a compound with a let off and holding it there until the sun goes down versus a recurve that keeps building up poundage the further back i pull it. I’ll definitely have to get a longer string and try it. Just would like to have fun at lighter poundage to pull it back and be able to hold it back and aim like I do with compound bows. It seems like there’s a lot of used old vintage bows in that 30 to 35 pound range and now I know why. It’s because it’s very easily held back. I would assume versus once you get up to the to 50 plus pound versions like I have when at full draw. I’ll have to look for a 25/30 pound target bow next time around.

[Hogtamer]

They shot good in 1970!

[Tripplebeards]

How long of a string can I get away with to decrease the pull poundage even more for practicing?