Shakespeare Wonderbow Cascade X-29

Shakespeare Catalog May 1969

Shakespeare Cascade X29

by Larry Vienneau

  

Like all Shakespeare Hunting “X” bows, The Cascade was named after a National Forest area. The former Cascade National Forest was established by the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon on March 2, 1907, it is now part of the North Cascades National Park Complex in Washington State. Rich in bio-diversity, it has been a favorite hunting region and has yielded a wealth of data about human activity spanning the last 9,600 years.

Cascade X29 1969 – 1972

•  50” AMO
•  2 ½ wide limbs
• Pistol grip Riser, Resin/ wood composite
• Draw weights - 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 lbs.
• Originally it had a 45" string. 
• Chronograph Avg. 174.6 feet per second
• Brace height is rather high at 9 inches
• 4 1/2 inch shooting window
• Wood and white glass tip overlays

         The Cascade was nicknamed BLACK BEAUTY and was marketed as the "Broad Bow.”  In the late 1960s, there was a trend toward ever-shorter hunting bows. Shakespeare was pushing the envelope of technology. It introduced the Cascade which was one of the shortest bows of the era The Cascade was one the only two bows ever made with 2 1/2" limbs, the other 2 1/2 wide limbed bow was the 52" Root Hunt Master. The theory was the wide limb requires a thinner limb and would allow for better weight distribution and result in a smoother draw. A 1969 Shakespeare Ad claimed it could “handle 25% more stress and deliver 33% more speed than other short bows.” Its riser is a tournament pistol grip made with “Jet Age” Phenolic laminate Black Formica impregnated with phenolic thermosetting resins.  English translation: the riser material is made by combining resins and wood particles which were compressed under high pressure and temperature into dense, uniform material which resembles Ebony. This was one of the first composite resin risers. I have read that there were problems with the riser cracking in the first productions but they worked out the technical issues.

a beautiful Cascade thanks to Jim Luby

Some people are reluctant to try a short bow because they worry about “stacking”. A limb should increase tension at about 2-3 pounds per inch steadily to be considered smooth. If a limb produces peak weight too fast it is referred to as stacking. A bow that “stacks” may draw smoothly at 27- 28 inches, but the tension dramatically increases over 28”. A short bow stacking results quickly because the limbs reach their peak quicker at a short draw length.

My 45# Cascade Wonderbow

I have a beautiful #47 Cascade which has no noticeable stacking at all. My draw is 27 ½ inches. I attempted to extend my draw to 30+” by pulling the string past my ear. I did feel some mild stacking at about 31 inches. I think the Cascade design has effectively diminished the stacking problem. The bow also has very little hand shock. Some short bows also have problems with string pinch. This has to do with the steep angle created by a short bow. I did not experience excessive string pinch. This bow is very fast; I shot it with my Bear 45# Kodiak Super Magnum and it seemed to deliver the arrows quicker. I also shot the Cascade with my other Shakespeare bows and it was sending arrows through the target while the other bows were not showing as much penetration. I tested its speed and it shoots at nearly 175 FPS. I also tested all of my forty-five vintage bows by shooting three 300 rounds at 20 yards from each bow. The Cascade tied my Pecos X23 as the most accurate shooter. Pecos shot more "X bulls-eyes" so it finished first. Cascade has everything you need from a hunting bow to, a compact design with speed and accuracy!! I think the 1969 Shakespeare Ad wasn’t advertising hype, the bow does handle the strain of short limbs very well and it does push arrows at higher velocity. If your draw length is 29 inches I think this bow will be very comfortable for you to shoot. Tuning the bow is tricky. It has a high brace height of 8 1/2 - 9 inches and can be loud until you find your sweet spot. Mine is set at 8 3/4 inches.  I also suggest strung silencers to dampen the sound.  I think this will soon be my new favorite tree stand or blind bow!

"NEWS / NEW PRODUCT" Archery World May 1969 pp. 79 & 80

a screenshot of a Cascade Ad

Shakespeare Model X22 and THE CUSTER X22

Shakespeare Catalog May 1969

The Custer X22 Wonderbow

by Larry Vienneau

   

Naming a bow “Custer” is quite ironic, especially when you consider how the bow factored into General Custer's demise.  The “X” Wonderbows are named after National forests or well know hunting regions.  The bow is actually named after Custer National Forest in Montana and South Dakota, a huge 1,188,133 acres forest and grassland area part of the greater Yellowstone area, one of the largest intact temperate ecosystems left on the planet.

X-22: 1962-65

• AMO 60"
• 25-50 lbs
• sight window 5 1/2 inch
• limb width 1 1/4
• glass: white woven belly(1962 & 63), white or brown parallel back (1964 & 65)
• brace height 6 1/2 from back of bow
• riser: Cherrywood
• rest: vertical feather with calf skin arrow strike 

The Custer X22: 1966-1971

• 62” AMO
• 20,25,30,35,40,45, and 50 lbs.
• Sight window 5 1/2 inch
• Limb width 1 ¼ inch
• Brace height 7 ½ 
• Pistol grip riser
• Riser: Cherry (1966-68), or Imbuya wood (1969-1971)
• Glass in various colors: dark brown and white Glass
• Arrow speed:12 shot average,410 grain arrow-168.63 FPS

The Shakespeare X22 has not always been "The Custer"  From 1959-1960 Shakespeare introduced the Model 100 through Model 600 series of recurves. These were beautifully crafted laminated wood and fiberglass. They had leather-wrapped grips, and if right-handed, had the name of RH-100, 200, 300, etc. If left-handed, they of course were LH-100 and so on. In 1961, the leather grip was dropped, and so was the RH 100.LH100. After 1962 Shakespeare dropped “Model” designations which were replaced with the ”X“ models and the bows took on a more sleek design, showing the Ernie Root influence. From 1963-65 the Model X22 was a slender 60-inch target / hunting bow with white, or brown fiberglass. 35 lb - 50 lb  5 1/2 inch sight window. brace height 7 1/2 and 1 1/2 inch wide limbs. I own two white glass Model x22 from 1963. The X-22 is a very smooth shooter and an excellent target bow. One of my bows has a woven fiberglass belly and parallel fiberglass back, a very unusual use of fiberglass while the other has parallel glass,  In 1965 Shakespeare began naming their hunting bows after famous hunting areas. "The Necedah" X26 was introduced and the X22 was re-introduced as "The Custer" X22 in 1966.
 

My 1962 X-22

My 1962 50# Model X-22

X22 with White and Brown glass

X22

my 1967 44# Custer X22 lefty

My 1966 45# Custer X-22

Shakespeare Archery created a series of bows designed for the novice archer which included The Manitou x20, the Tioga x21, The Custer x 22, and the Yukon x24 models
They were designed to be target/field bows; durable, sturdy, inexpensive, yet accurate. They were created with the young archer in mind and intended to “take the strenuous beating of beginners” in school or camp environments. They were also produced for bowhunting and were referred to as “real shooters”. Many of these bows were also part of archery sets that included bows quivers, glove targets, and arrows. The 1966-68 Custer Bow had beautiful Cherrywood Risers which is a tough wood and its color will vary from a light honey color to deep dark mustard brown and sometimes these varied colors can be found in a single riser. The Later Custer had exotic Imbuya wood which could be as dark as rosewood.

 dark wood riser with white glass

an excellent example of a two-toned Custer x22 Cherry riser

One would think that these novice bows would be plentiful however they are not. The Custer appears occasionally on auction sites and is rarely in pristine condition. It isn’t surprising that these bows are often seriously dinged and scuffed when you consider youngsters were using them. The Custer was a target/field bow and was produced as a hunting bow. The ones in higher poundage seem to be in better shape. My bows are 45# and the riser is a rich dark variety of Maple; I refinished one and used a Maple stain to bring out the mottled textures of the grain. The Custer riser style is likely an Ernie Root design.
The Custer is actually an uncommon bow, hard to find in good shape and nearly impossible to find in pristine condition. If you are lucky enough to find a Custer expect to do a little work on it. Mine was in excellent condition but there were some scrapes and discolorations in the riser and the lower limb had some scratches. Like the entire Shakespeare archery line, this bow is a fantastic shooter. At 62” it can stack for those with a long (31 or higher) draw length. For me, it is a very smooth draw and it zings an arrow! It is a very handsome bow, and as the old timers said “It is a real shooter!”

as usual, if anyone has additional information please comment.

© Copyright, Larry Vienneau Jr.

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