# Old Jennings Compound Questions



## ddanders (Oct 9, 2016)

It turns out that the cracks on the limbs are only in the finish. They come right out with a little light sanding, so that is good. I am still very curious about the history of this thing, though.


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## Pete53 (Dec 5, 2011)

that`s a Jennings W handle I owned one it was a great shooting bow, around 1970- 1972 it may have been made


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## ddanders (Oct 9, 2016)

Pete53 said:


> that`s a Jennings W handle I owned one it was a great shooting bow, around 1970- 1972 it may have been made


Thank you! I really appreciate the info. It does shoot great....very smooth. The low let off is taking a bit to get used to, but it also seems to help me with getting a cleaner release (finger shooter). It has some light rust on some of the steel fittings and the paint on the handle is chipped up a bit and so I am thinking about restoring it. I don't know, but it seems advanced for its age....the brace height appears to be lower than other bows of that era and the handle is cut a lot further past center than I have seen on other bows made well past when this one was. 

Thank you!


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## kballer1 (Aug 31, 2010)

Tiller should be 1/8 more on top than on bottom & the low let off may be that the bow is not balanced correctly. Does that bow use S-Hooks on the string? Looks like it.


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## Pete53 (Dec 5, 2011)

model I,S and W handles when new had a 20-25 % letoff ,but later on jennings made some 50 % letoff wheels for these bows, i still own my jennings target bow" white limbs- blue riser" S handle with 20 % letoff.


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## ddanders (Oct 9, 2016)

Thanks, for the great info guys. I really appreciate it! 

Kballer, I have reset the tiller as you noted, which is also outlined in the manual, which I have. The cams are timed and are in sink. Yes, it has S hooks. 

Pete, Thank you again for the information. That is very helpful....This one definitely lets off at about 20%.


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## mikegallo (Nov 14, 2008)

Jennings "I" handle, oldie and a goodie. Laminated maple limbs, aircraft cables. . wouldn't shoot it a bunch!


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## B.T. Splinterz (Aug 31, 2016)

that is a fossil in compound terms no doubt


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## huteson2us2 (Jun 22, 2005)

Jennings was the very best of the compound bows at that time. I didn't switch to a compound until about 1975. My first compound was a Bear Polar LTD that was so bad that it drove me back to a recurve for a year. My first good compound was also a 4 wheel Jenning's compound (35% let off). I have been shooting compounds since.


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## ddanders (Oct 9, 2016)

Thanks huteson2! Its a pretty amazing bow for its age IMO. Its shoots very well and has some features not seen on a lot of other bows for years....like the wood grip on a metal riser, the way the riser is cut way past center, the adjustable rest...even the shape of the riser looks like it was before its time, etc.


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## ahunter55 (Aug 17, 2009)

Model W, mid 70s. I had a shop/lanes then & sold a TON of them. Most popular of the Jennings in my area of N.W. Ill. back then. I killed a few with them..


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## ddanders (Oct 9, 2016)

Very cool!! Thank you!


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## reddogge (Jul 21, 2009)

I bought two wood handled Jennings in 1973 directly from Jennings. I thought they were the first compounds Jennings sold. Would the W handles be later?


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## kballer1 (Aug 31, 2010)

Yes the metal was after the all wood handles


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## bfisher (Nov 30, 2002)

That's a model W for sure from about 1974-75. Model I was a wooden riser (laminated) and my first compound bow from 1973. S model, commonly called SHandle was just that; an all metal riser with the grip shaped like an S and no wooden grip or side plates. All the metal risers were cast aluminum or magnesium at the time. Limbs were wood core laminated with fiberglass. Wheels (cams came later) were polycarbonate (4 of them) and steel cables and dacron string. Note the one thing missing in comparison to more modern bows? No cable rod/slide mechanism, therefore no cam lean/limb twist.


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