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bear attitude (encounter) problem???

18K views 46 replies 21 participants last post by  Cjclemens 
#1 ·
I am shooting a 2014 bear attitude 70# with a 32 inch draw.. i bought the bow really knowing nothing about it except it could go to a 32 inch draw, decent speed, and i didnt have to spend a grand.
Now i have to tell you that i absolutely love this bow.. but the other day after about 200 shots my top limb left side cracked and split about two inches above the bolt.. right where it balances on riser...of course bear customer service immediately shipped one out and its been fine since... my question is has anyone else had this issue or was it just a fluke..??
 
#2 ·
Its not a fluke. I got mine because it can do 32" DL as well. I had the 70# model, but I had it turned down closer to 60# when I first got it. I put hundreds of shots through it with no problems at all. Closer to hunting season, I turned it all the way up to 70#. A few shot later and I had a cracked limb. Basically, the Encounter can do 32" DL OR full draw weight, but not both at the same time. I put 3 new sets of limbs on mine before I gave up and bought a Mathews MR8. I gave the Encounter to my dad (he has a 30" DL and shoots it at 60#). He hasn't had any issues since. It really frustrates me because I first got into archery with a Bear bow and I really wanted to shoot Bear bows again - not to mention that for the first few hundred shots, the bow was super accurate and quiet shooting. However, their ONLY long draw model isn't quite up to snuff. I really hope they get their act together soon and put out a legit long draw model in the near future.
 
#3 ·
Yeah unfortunately it seems to be a problem. The Encounter had the same issue for some people. The max DL and max poundage is just a little too much. The short ATA doesn't really help either. The Anarchy goes 31.5" and doesn't have the same problem from what I've heard. Also, have you had your DL checked? Not saying that you're not a 32" draw but there aren't that many people that actually are.
 
#6 ·
Just a quick follow up.... i contacted casey at bear customer service.. he said on the new 2014 attitude they were not aware of problems with limbs at the draw and poundage im shooting... if it happened again they would be glad to switch out my bow for another one that i liked... they got back with me in less than an hour.. i also talked to tech support/warranty and they basically said the same thing except that on their flared limb bows you have to use a press that only contacts the last two inches of the limb. I quess newer presses can do that because all the older ones ive seen have that roller wheel.. he said you also have to back out the limb bolts three complete turns before its pressed.. anything other than that is not good for the flared limbs and can cause serious limb problems.. anyway just wanted to give an update.. if nothing else kudos for both getting back with me in less than an hour..
 
#7 ·
They gave me the same story, when I contacted them about the Encounter last year. I don't see how the Attitude could be any different - it looks exactly like an Encounter, with a slightly different riser. All specs and measurements are the same. When I had my Encounter at full draw, it put one hell of a curve in the limbs. Its actually surprising that they last as long as they do before they start to de-laminate. I think its really cool that Bear is in touch with most all segments of the archery market and that they can provide an awesome bow like the Encounter at the entry level price. I just wish they would be honest and acknowledge that the Encounter/Attitude doesn't hold up at full draw length, set the draw stops at 30 or 31" (whichever it can handle), and stop trying to tease long draw shooters with a budget long draw bow. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, what I'd really like to see from Bear is a mid level bow, like the Motive or Domain, and stretch it out to 32" max DL. They might not sell a lot of em, but they'd sure make a lot of us long draw shooters happy. Who knows, they might even sell a few to non long-draw shooters, too.
 
#8 ·
I am absolutely with you on that... i bought the bear because it was the only bow with a 32 draw that was under $900...
If there was any mid level bow with 32 i would jump on it.. i wasnt looking for a 350 dollar bow, i was actually looking to spend 6 or 7 hundred... pse has the freak thats not too bad but by time you add in accessories your over 1200.. i was going to crank it back a little but now im just goona let it fly... bear has a mid level with a 31.5 inch draw...i might end up adding a slightly longer string loop and goin that way if i have another issue...
 
#9 ·
The only other mid range option that I ever found was the PSE Vendetta. It was priced at 699 for the bare bow, I think. Could have had it set up for right around $1k, depending on the accessories. Just my luck, PSE discontinued it before I had a chance to try one out. Why doesn't anyone build anything in adult sizes anymore?
 
#10 ·
Amen to that...i know theres not alot of market for us "big" guys out there, its kinda like being punished...haha... now i know what the little guys at the fair go through on the rides,,,,lol
 
#11 ·
That's great that Bear still has great service. I had a limb split at full draw on a Bear Whitetail II when I was a kid. My grandpa contacted Bear and they shipped me the new years model at no charge. The entire bow, not just limbs.
 
#12 ·
Bear archery customer service is bar none the finest in the buisness. Had a few issues along the way over the years and every time bear CS shines. I'm a happy and loyal customer, experiencing a few issues of my own with my agenda 6 but I'm in no way stressed about it because I know I'll be given the best of advice and help by the Bear Archery customer service. Hope you guys all have your issues sorted out in a timely manner
 
#14 ·
Another quick update.. I left my attitude at 70# and have shot at least a couple hundred arrows out of it in the last five days with no problem so far.. i called the shop that set my bow up when i bought it and asked about what kind of press they used and about backing out the limb bolts, the guy said he didnt know but would have someone call me back.....never called back....anyway... Casey at bear cust serv emailed me back just to make sure that i had gotten my bow fixed and that everything was now ok.... In closing I will say that Bear customer service gets a solid 10 out of 10 from me...truly impressive so far and hopefully i wont have another bad limb!!
 
#15 ·
I agree about Bear's customer service 100%. They are definitely on the ball, there. They sent new limbs to me, immediately, with no questions asked. The last time mine failed, I wanted the bow inspected, because I hadn't come to the realization that the issue was related to draw length. They had the bow repaired and back to me in little more than two weeks. Aside from being disappointed in the Encounter, I cant bash Bear because their customer service went out of their way to take care of it. That's certainly not something you'd expect a company to do for a $300 bow. I doubt they made much profit on mine, by the time they got done sending me limbs. I still just wish they'd build something special for us big guys. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
 
#16 ·
These limbs on the Encounter,Attitude and Authority cannot delaminate.
Because they are compression molded limbs.
They do not have any laminations,which is where a limb is made by glueing strips of material together
to make the limb layer by layer.
 
#18 ·
Anyone looking for a long draw bow for a decent price should check out the Anarchy HC's. They seem to be going for good prices right now, and go out to 31.5". Could probably get a solid 32 or maybe more with one if you tune it that way. They're good shooters too!
 
#19 ·
As much as I'd like to shoot a bear again, Im not sure I'd wanna totally max out one of their bows again. After my experience with the Encounter, I definitely won't be trying to fudge an extra 1/2" out of a bow that's already maxed out. What I really wanna see is a bow that's designed for longer draw lengths. Something with a really forgiving brace height, like close to 8"...but here I am daydreaming out loud again...
 
#22 ·
Even though I started this thread many months ago I thought I would update..I've been shooting my attitude , since earlier limb replacement, probably 100 to 200 shots a week with absolutely no issues. I was a little worried at first but I don't have anything but praise for this bow and bear archery!! I wouldn't hesitate if your a long draw archer or just interested in the bear attitude about buying one.
 
#24 ·
I just started shooting about a month ago... and I LOVE IT! I've got an Encounter #60/29 as well as an Authority #70/30... I've shot the Encounter at least 1500 times (rough estimate... 100 shots per day x 5 days x 3 weeks = 1500)... I havn't had one problem with mine (yet) but will be keeping an eye on things.

The Authority... I bought this brand new bow on Craigslist for $200 because it needed a string slider and rod and Bear replaced it no questions asked and free of charge... I absolutely love the Authority and will be handing the Encounter down to my son so we can shoot together. Thanks Bear
 
#28 ·
Well seen my old thread and thought since it had been a long time since my issue I would do an update. Still firing away. I have shot this bow to death figuring if it was goona mess up I would go ahead and make it happen but nope! Like an old straight 6.. still hammering away!!!
 
#31 ·
I'm not talking this up because I benefit from sales in anyway. I'm not sponsored or i dont own a pro shop. Now I will tell you that this is the best bow under $600. What makes that better is it costs only half that for a bear bow. This bow is super quiet, completely shock and vibration free, and depending on your draw length and poundage pretty speedy too. I can shoot a 480 grain arrow at 290 fps. For a three hundred dollar bow that makes me smile all the way to the bank!
 
#32 ·
I'm not talking this up because I benefit from sales in anyway. I'm not sponsored or i dont own a pro shop. Now I will tell you that this is the best bow under $600. What makes that better is it costs only half that for a bear bow. This bow is super quiet, completely shock and vibration free, and depending on your draw length and poundage pretty speedy too. I can shoot a 480 grain arrow at 290 fps. For a three hundred dollar bow that makes me smile all the way to the bank! I also cannot shoot at the same target v at shots v less than 40 cause I'm tired of breaking nocks and I got two Robin hoods, one still stuck hung up as a sorta trophy and the other fell apart but destroyed the back of the other arrow driving the other nock 6 inches in the arrow.
 
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