'59 and '60 Kodiak Special help

[Holm-Made]

I'm looking at expanding my River Runner line of recurves to include a 64" bow.  I want to model it after the Kodiaks and Kodiak Specials from '59 and '60.  I was wondering if all the 64" Kodiaks from these years came from the same forms?  Do they all have the same profiles?  If not, which one shoots the best?  Do they all have the same length riser?  
Thanks in advance for helping me with my build.  Chad

[eidsvolling]

I really shouldn't be helping this, as I'm planning to relocate to Duluth in the medium term and thus end up within striking range of Brainerd, but here are a couple of helpful threads on this.          

   1960 Bear Bow Question??

   Bear Kodiak Specials 1955-1967 Identification Guide

And FWIW, I prefer the ever-so-slightly bulkier grip on my Kodiak De Luxe to the '59-style grip on my Paxton Talon Swift recurve. But I have also speculated that the relatively long riser on the De Luxe might diminish its shooting abilities somewhat.

[Holm-Made]

Thank you.  It looks to me like the 1960 has a touch more of a full working recurve.  The '59 looks to be more straight mid limb.  Any opinions on which one shot better?  I'm talking the 64" length here.

 How do they compare shooting wise to the 64" Kodiaks that came in the mid to late 60s and 70s?  These bows have more of a working recurve limb.  Chad

[eidsvolling]

I've never shot the 64" version in any model. IMHO, my '58 Kodiak (shorter riser, very narrow tips and less working recurve) shoots better than my De Luxe (substantially longer riser, even narrower tips and more working recurve). Note, however, that the De Luxe tips are all over the map in that first link I posted above.

FWIW, Dave Paxton put an even more pronounced working recurve on the Swift (modeled after the '59 Kodiak but not a duplicate), but he also made the limbs wider and used three core laminations.

There will undoubtedly be people along here in a while who have shot the 64" Kodiak and/or Kodiak Special.

[Blackhawk]

To me it seems the 59 KS is more common, but at any rate I find ALL the 59 Specials to be exceptional shooters.  

Selecting a 64" would be a good choice, but for me a 60" or 62" would be right up my alley.

[damascusdave]

Chad one big difference between the 1959 and the 1960 Kodiaks was the sharper recurve on the 1960 model, indicating they were built on a different form...I will bring my thread entitled BH Series 1960 Kodiaks back to the top so you can wade (pun intended) through it at your leisure...there is enough information there to leave you thoroughly confused...if you really get to feeling adventurous build a copy of the 64 inch Kodiak Deluxe with a butcher block i beam...you should be able to find a picture of mine by searching my username

DDave

[damascusdave]

Sorry Chad but that thread appears to have got away on us...however the picture I really wanted you to see is the one Wade Phillips often posts of 10 1960 Kodiaks which you will find in the link Charles included in his post...I have 4 of them including the Kodiak Deluxe and the common element is the limbs tapering to smallish tips...I shoot my 55 pound lefty at about 30 inches and a bit over 60 pounds...with a low stretch string it will shoot a 900+ grain arrow over 150 fps

DDave

[eidsvolling]

Originally posted by damascusdave:
Sorry Chad but that thread appears to have got away on us

DDave

The absolute best part about locating the allegedly lost thread? This quote on page 10 from its originator:

"The one thing I have overlooked is that I really ought to have titled this thread 'BH Series 1959/1960 Kodiak'...any discussion of one year often leads to a discussion of the other"

   BH Prefix 1960 Kodiaks  


   

[mangonboat]

Wade Phillips has repeatedly posted that the only reliable way to tell the difference between 1959 and 60 is the limb profile because of the new forms in 1960.
The woods, the glass, the coin, even length varied from bow to bow,sometimes wildly.That said, I recall reading somewhere, maybe a post from Wade, that, on balance, the 64" model was the best-shooting KS of that vintage.

[damascusdave]

Originally posted by eidsvolling:
 

Originally posted by damascusdave:
Sorry Chad but that thread appears to have got away on us

DDave

The absolute best part about locating the allegedly lost thread? This quote on page 10 from its originator:

"The one thing I have overlooked is that I really ought to have titled this thread 'BH Series 1959/1960 Kodiak'...any discussion of one year often leads to a discussion of the other"

   BH Prefix 1960 Kodiaks  


     [/b]

[damascusdave]

Brilliant deduction if I must say so

DDave