Question about Kodiak Mag just bought

[mzag]

Recently I bought a 1971 Kodiak Mag. It looks really nice and I like the short length. I have been mainly been shooting Black Widow PSA and PCH and a Great Plains SR Swift before I got the mag. When I shot the mag I was disappointed. It does not have the "pop" I was used to from the other bows I have been shooting. I was also surprised by the hand shock from the mag. My question is this. Is this simply the way the bow is or is there something I am probably doing wrong with the bow? The bow is pretty much the same draw weight as the other bows and I am using the same arrows. If it matters, I have a short draw length---25 inches, so stack is not an issue.

[Big Bird]

I have 13 kodiak mags never had hand shock.try twisting up the string to get that brace hight up.all of mine are at 8 to 8 1/4.see if that helps.

[Javi]

Brace height would be my first guess... assuming you have the correct string material..

[oldbohntr]

I agree higher brace height is usually necessary on shorter bows.  Will admit to being relatively ignorant of later Widows, but a huge fan of earlier Wilson Bros bows.  Also, at one point I had similar bows in every year Bear made Magnums, and my considered opinion is that the performance generally declined over the years.   No disrespect to anyone who loves them, but my opinion is that few-if any- Bear magnums will perform with a Widow....regardless of the year or model of the Magnum or the Widow.  Not to say that you can't reduce the shock, nor enjoy the bow. Sometimes ya just like one enough to use it, no matter what!  And, they'll all shoot well enough, if the archer does his job!

[Larry m]

If I read your post correctly you are shooting newer designed bows perhaps with fastflight or a newer string material. I am assuming your KM is with Dacron which would have a different feel upon release. This is just part of the equation and then I have to ask if your shafts are of the proper spine and weight? Sounds it but sometimes adding some shaft weight makes a big difference. With a 25" draw are you really getting the performance from the the bow as designed? The older bows shoot very nice with a feel of their own when matched up with the right arrow. Don't give up in dispare, change it up a bit and see what you come up with. Sometime's a bit of change makes a big difference!

[mzag]

Thanks for your help. I am going to experiment with  the arrow weight. According to Stu Miller calculator it takes a lower spined arrow than the Widows of same poind pull. Maybe I have to work with that more. I am also not sure I have the right string since this is the one it came from when I bought it at auction. I have the brace height at 8 1/2 but I notice the loop at the top is so long that the two sides of the loop lay outside the groove at the tip of the bow. I wonder if the string is correct, or I have to make the loop a little smaller. (I checked the limbs and they appear straigt so I don't think that is a problem.)
I really want to get this bow going well because I love the feel of it in my hand (so far--before I shoots). Thanks again for help.

[oldbohntr]

Not quite sure I understand your description about the size of the top loop but it sounds like it's wrong for your bow.  Many years ago, I bought a really nice heavy weight Wing Tbird and it came with a string in decent condition, nocking point in the right place, etc..... obviously the guy had used it on the bow. I saw that the upper loop was way too big for the nock, but I couldn't resist shooting a couple of shots before twisting up a new string.  Well, the FIRST SHOT that top loop came out of the groove(on recovery) and the bow unstrung! No damage, thank goodness, but that string went right in the trash.  

Every old bow I take in gets a new string, for several reasons, but one is that the loops will be the right size for that bow.