# Bear Tigercat?



## Hollowpoint (Jul 10, 2003)

Says, Bear glass powered Tigercat on the outside of the top limb.
#7N7505, 62", 37#'s.
What is the string length for it? It doesnt have one.
Inside of bottom limb says, Us Pat's..2,423,765
2,613,660 and
2,665,678.
then there is an underscore, and below it it says "Canada 1953".
Anyone know what this thing is worth, or when it was made?
A friend gave it to me, and I am curious as hell. 
Thanks, Hollowpoint.


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## imissed (May 27, 2004)

Hollow, try a 58" dacron B-50 string. As far as its worth, can't tell you. All depends on the shape. Check on ebay and compare them to your bow. There are several Tcats on there right now. Brad


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## hs6181 (Dec 14, 2003)

during the 60's the serial #s started with the year of manufacture so your bow should have been made in 1967. Like imissed says, ebay is a good place to check on what you might get for it. Depends on the type of wood and condition, I've seen them go for anywhere between $40 and $150 for some with really beautiful wood. An old bear ad that I have list the brace height at 7 to 8 inchs when strung.


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## hs6181 (Dec 14, 2003)

Check out these two tigercats.

I believe this first one is a 1968 model

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20839&item=3697031736&rd=1 


I believe this one is a 1969 model

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20839&item=3697031701&rd=1 

You can see the difference that the draw weight and type of wood makes in the price. That first one really looks nice.

Hope this helps.


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## hs6181 (Dec 14, 2003)

One more tigercat, 1967.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20839&item=3697584297


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## Hollowpoint (Jul 10, 2003)

Thanks for the info.
It looks exactly like the 1967 one, except the wood is nicer looking on mine. 
Does anyone know the correct string length for it????
Thanks, Hollowpoint.


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## Hollowpoint (Jul 10, 2003)

I put a 57" string on it, and the brace is 9&1/2" to throat of grip, does this sound right?
If it is 37#'s at 28", then how much weight am I drawing at 30.5"?
It shoots good at 20, I was happy for my first time ever shooting a recurve...I could get to like this. 
Thanks for info, Hollowpoint.


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## don s (Mar 7, 2003)

the tiger cats were made from 64 to 78. dating with serial numbers is only accurate from 65 to 69. serial numbers starting with k began in 70. before 65 serial numbers started over every month. dating with a catalog is almost impossible because pictures ran for a few years. heres a link i've posted before that will help.
don

http://www.stickbow.com/FEATURES/COLLECTING/beararchery/index.CFM


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## hs6181 (Dec 14, 2003)

sounds like your strings a little short. I'd go with imissed and start with 58" or just a 1/2 to 1 inch longer so you can twist it down if needed. I've never checked it myself with a scale but the general idea is most bows gain about 3 to 4 pounds per inch in draw length but that can always change, type of bow, length of bow, other variables. So using that idea I'd guess you'd get about 45 pounds at around 30.5". Glad to hear your having fun with it, nothing beats a stick an string.


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## Hollowpoint (Jul 10, 2003)

Thanks. 
Will a longer string increase the weight (like a compound), or decrease it?
Is 45#'s even enough for a deer at 20yds?
I have shot Bare bow compound forever, but recurves...I am kinda clueless. 
Thanks for your help, Hollowpoint.


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## hs6181 (Dec 14, 2003)

the longer string will lower the draw weight of your bow but when I made the guess about your draw weight, I was thinking of the bow having the right length string. with a shorter string like you have, you would have been drawing more weight. I do believe 45 pounds is enough to take deer in my area, the deer down south are not as large as you find up north. I have had a complete pass thru with 50#s and bear razorheads. If your hunting 300#+ animals you might want to ask someone who has hunted animals that size, so far the largest deer Ive taken here has been about 230#s. We are having alot of changes in the hunting regs this year in bama so I dont know about right now but up till now 40#s has been the legal minimum draw weight for hunting deer, check your state laws before you hunt.


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## don s (Mar 7, 2003)

a well made bow will gain about 2 to 3 lbs. per inch of draw. if the bow draws smoothly gaining the 2 to 3 lbs. then during the last couple inches it increases more than that, say 5 lbs. per inch for example. that is stacking. increasing your string length or shortening string length will not change draw weight. if a bow says 37#@28", then thats the poundage at that length. the only way your going to change the weight of a bow is to shorten the limbs or to back it. when you change string length you change brace height. a lower brace will give the bow better cast but will be noisier and arrow flight will be affected. a higher brace height will have shorter cast and again noise and arrow flight come into play. you twist and untwist your string until you find the sweet spot for brace height where you get a quiet bow and great arrow flight. 
don


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## Hollowpoint (Jul 10, 2003)

*Don*

Very good info, thank you! 
I am just asuming it is 37#'s at 28"...seems to be the standard. All it says is 37#'s...no mention of length.
It does shoot quite well with the 57" string, however I have nothing to compare it to, so I will try a longer one and see what happens.
I have been shooting my 410gr carbons out of it, and they fly well off the shelf, although I think I could probably go with a lighter shaft...spine on them is .337, and they are 31" long.
I am really loving shooting this bow. 
Thanks for all the info guys.
Oh, one other thing....should I un-string it every day, or can you leave them strung up???


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## hs6181 (Dec 14, 2003)

It has always been my understanding that a shorter string will cause the limbs to be drawn farther back at any given draw length which would increase the draw weight. With the 57 inch string, when you draw your 28" because of the shorter string you would be drawing the limbs back farther, say as far as they would be drawn for a 29" draw length because of the short string, the draw weight would go up some at your draw length. So shorting the string on a recurve or longbow is the same as increasing your draw length. The limbs are pulled farther back at brace height increasing the starting weight and through out your draw. If the string were way to short you could overdraw the bow and crack the limbs or riser. It may take more than an inch in length to cause much of a change, that Im not sure about, the twisting for brace height wouldnt cause much difference in string length so you wouldnt get any change in weight.
Thats the way it was explained in a story I read in one of those bow and arrow magazines I read a few years ago and it seemed to make sense to me but I am no certified expert on anything 

I always unstring my bow after shooting, Ive heard at times you dont have to and was told that when I started but I have a nice looking javalina hanging on my wall that was strung for over a year, when drawn the last time it split through the handle right along the rest and aint good for nothing but looking at anymore.


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## don s (Mar 7, 2003)

hs6181, i stand corrected. i dug out my tbb vol.1 and checked out your info. this is from the book.
"within a reasonable range, lower string, or brace height yields faster arrows. picture two identical bows strung 7" high drawing 50#@28". lower the string on one to 4". at 28" of draw, this bows weight will drop to about 47.5#. the 4" bow will out shoot the 7" bow by a couple feet per second. it does so because a low strung bow stores more energy. there are disadvantages of lower strung bows.if not identically spined,arrows tend to spray right and left as the arrow struggles to paradox around the riser. and low strings slap the wrist. each archer will find a personal string height which balances performance and comfort. 
don


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## hs6181 (Dec 14, 2003)

Hey Don, I wasnt trying to correct you, sounds like you really know what your talking about, I was just bouncing idea's off you trying to see if I had read and remembered things right 

Thats what I like most about AT, I've learned alot from the folks here and found out I was about half right on my thoughts, which is better than I expected


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## don s (Mar 7, 2003)

hs6181, it wasn't taken that way. i learn something new every day too.
don


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