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Picked up a Bear Kodiak Magnum last year....1971 vintage...45# at 28".

I am 6' 4" and got me some gorilla arms.... I draw 32 inches with the compound.

Could I legitimately shoot this thing or should I just hang it on the wall...I have room

I wouldn't hesitate to shoot an older bow like that, however...

My Dad had a Bear Grizzly back in the day that stacked badly at 28" of draw and it's a 58" bow. The Kodiak Magnum is quite a bit shorter at 52" so I'd expect it to be a real struggle to shoot well at your draw length. Your draw will likely shorten some from the compound but will still be 30" plus and I don't think that bow was intended to be drawn that far. I'd at least give it a try (once ... )

(Imho) age does not matter, condition does. I have been shooting the same Indian Stalker compound bow for the last 38 years. I have others, but for a light bow hunt, it's my choice.

Well I took the plunge, just got off the phone with Ron LaClair, he has a wood arrow builder friend that sent me some arrows of differing weights and spines, the arrow that flew best in my long bow weighs 673 grains, it chronoed 160 fps, Ron recommended the big 200 grain Ace glue on broadhead for my setup, if I can get that axe through a deer they should be in a real bad way, going to try hard to get next to one this year.

If you draw a true 32 inches its only a matter of time until that 52" bow blows up in your face. I have a buddy that destroyed 2 58" recurves with a 31" draw. One Bear and one Wing (mine). You would be better off with a 62 or 64" bow in the low 40s.

I would have to agree. You can add some margin of safety by using really heavy arrows ,but I would save that one for blinds when I learned to short stroke it when needed.

Been using this one since I made it in 1996 from an Osage fence post.
62"--- reduced it down to 51# @27" a few years ago



Also shoot a bamboo backed maple bow a buddy built for me back in 1998
It's 66" long and 51# at 28"
they both work well if I do what I'm supposed to do

Very cool rudyc! The first bows I made were all wood of Yew and Osage - I still have a Yew bow I need to work the weight down so I can shoot it again and have been getting the itch to build another one.

No Sheet, good job Rudy, Congrats!

I have been hunting with traditional gear for over thirty years and still really enjoy the challenge.I shoot a JD Berry and McBroom Longbows.Having trouble posting photos from my photo library on my computer.Good luck to all this season.

Cool bows Rudy. I've got a couple Osage bows I've made as well. Chasing that ring can be tedious but the end result feels so good when completed.

I shot a couple 2" 3 shot groups at 20 yards the other day, and about three inches at 25 yards, this longbow deal is coming around, I think I am cheating though, three under and gun barreling the damn arrow is the ONLY way I can get there.

That's not cheating gunner. Lots of people gap shoot.

10-4 bbassi, Thanks!, I had heard of gap shooting but certainly didn't know I was doing it.

I found out last evening shooting a longbow at dusk is a totally different animal than say with a compound and lit pins, I completely missed the block target at 25 yards, glad to know that now and NOT on a wounded deer tracking job.

Finally got it done with the recurve! Anybody else having any luck with trad gear so far this year?

Nice Buck jds44, congrats, no, I haven't took my longbow to the woods yet, it's black powder season over in Ar. now, want to hunt my longbow late over any remaining acorns and between that and bedding areas, I have a damn tight pocket picked out in some thick young pines. North wind will be best, but, East or West will work too.

My max shot in that thicket will be 18 yards with 8 to 15 being most likely, how far was the shot on the buck? Did you get full penetration?

Thank you!

The shot was 20 yards. I did not get full penetration. I was in a stand and he was broadside downhill from me, which meant a high entry point to get the angle to the vitals right. I hit a couple of inches higher than I was aiming, broke a rib going in and nicked the bottom of the spine. That slowed penetration, but the broadhead still made it through the vitals to the far side of the chest cavity and did it's job.

Nice buck! satisfying, isn't it?

Thank you! Yes, to say it was satisfying to get it done with trad bow is an understatement. I've killed much bigger deer and taken them with a compound bow, iron sighted revolver, scoped single shot pistol, iron sighted rifle, scoped rifle, muzzleloader, and now recurve. Besides the first one 33 years ago, I don't think I've been more satisfied with any of them.

That's a nice one !

Congrats.

Heading out this weekend, 55# Blackwidow HS .