A few years ago I got a bow for free from a friend. It's a Golden Eagle and I know they aren't made anymore. The problem I have is that it has a bad cam (tiny chip missing out of it) and I know it's junk at this point. I'm brand spanking new to bows and wouldn't mind getting into them. Is there any hope of getting it up and running? Any help is greatly appreciated.

First off does it fit you, if not then get rid of it, if so then there may be some hope...

Beats the hell out of me. I've never messed around with bows before. It's not the end of the world if it won't work out, I was just hoping that I could maybe get into the bow game with it. What should I do to figure out if it's worth the effort?

Have any friends that can recommend a local shop? Take it in and have it checked out & fitted. I wouldn't put too much cashola' into it.

You could pick up a used bow off Craigslist for peanuts that probably won't need anything. Hell, I've seen some very reasonably priced bows listed with everything included after the hunting season.

Killed lots of deer with Golden Eagle bows(had 2 prior to switching to Mathews way back)Had an Evolution and a 3D Formula that I had set at 80lbs it was a thumper

Go to ArcheryTalk.com and check their classifieds, tons of archery stuff for sale on there and you might find what you need without shelling out a lot of cash.

Not bad advice, but you have to know what you're looking for. I haven't had any Golden Eagle cams in two years, casualty of cleaning up the shop. If you've got a local shop with honest, knowledgable guys, that'd be your best bet.

It's hard to find parts for those bows. You're best bet is knowing what kind of bow you have, and what kind of cam it uses (most makers name their cams). You must have strong google-fu. If you can put a name on the cam you're looking for, you might just luck out. Hell, maybe a machine shop will know how to fix it.

I got into bowhunting a few years ago out of the blue. It was practically an impulse buy with fairly little knowledge, but I got a good entry level used setup for $200 on ebay. I shot it a few thousand times and then I got another, better bow, used and naked for $200 (ebay again). I couldn't get it to shoot, but Cabela's tuned it for free and made all the difference. Just saying, it doesn't have to be all that pricey to get started if you don't get that other bow running.

The challenge of bowhunting and muzzleloading has been so much more rewarding for me than centerfires, that I haven't bought a rifle tag since I started.

Thanks for the tips guys. This project doesn't have a lot of priority, but I thought I might as well get the wheels spinning on it. I'll try to figure out just what the hell I have and get some recommendations on local bow shops.