Jim Brackenbury

[northener]

How about Ron Fox or Norm Johnson, did they at one time work with jim?

[WhitetailHtr]

New into trad archery in 1987.  Didn't know much about custom bows.  Saw an ad, and had  Jim make me a 3-piece Drifter.

60# @ 28-3/4", 62" length.  Taken a lot of game with this bow.  My only regret is that I didn't keep the weight a bit lower, and maybe a bit shorter in length.

After 25 years, it shows some wear and battle scars, but is still a shooter, and I love the way it looks.  I think that the Brackenbury design has influenced the style of many of today's custom bows.  In fact, at first glance there are some that pretty much look identical.

I didn't know Jim, but I understand that he was a super guy.

[wapitirod]

Originally posted by WhitetailHtr:
New into trad archery in 1987.  Didn't know much about custom bows.  Saw an ad, and had  Jim make me a 3-piece Drifter.

60# @ 28-3/4", 62" length.  Taken a lot of game with this bow.  My only regret is that I didn't keep the weight a bit lower, and maybe a bit shorter in length.

After 25 years, it shows some wear and battle scars, but is still a shooter, and I love the way it looks.  I think that the Brackenbury design has influenced the style of many of today's custom bows.  In fact, at first glance there are some that pretty much look identical.

I didn't know Jim, but I understand that he was a super guy.

Wes can build you a lighter set of limbs for it that will match the riser perfectly.

[snag]

Norm Johnson never worked for or with Jim. They were friends and as I heard it they would talk about bows like friends do.

[Tree Killer]

Originally posted by snag:
He was starting to build wood driftboats. He made a maiden voyage down the John Day River with two of them during high water in the winter.  

It was the John Day River, but over the 4th of July weekend. They announced that Jim was missing and presumed dead at the North American Longbow Safari in Brownsville, Oregon. It was 1991 - 92?

My first traditional bow was a Brackenbury Drifter I bought brand new for $200 in 1986. Hunted with that bow for 20 years until I retired it after buying a new Blacktail from Norm.

Killed quite a few Blacktail deer, elk, and a few wild turkeys with my Drifter. I loaned it to a friend who just got into stickbows and is waiting for his new Blacktail to be built. Mike hunted elk with it last fall.

I met Jim several times. Once while hunting rutting Blacktails not too far from where we lived. Another time I had a truckload of Yew billets that were too "twisted" to haul down to John Strunk for selfbows, so I took the logs down to Jim's place and ended up BSing half the day with him.

Here's the first deer I killed with my Drifter in 1988.

 

I killed this bull with my Drifter on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

 

[DaveT1963]

I still have my very first longbow - a Brackenbury Oldtimer ..... wouldn't trade it for anything.  64# @ 28 inches and it still cast an arrow with authority... shot it two days ago.  That bow has been on a ton of elk, bear, deer hunts.... far too many memories to ever part with it.... I hope to pass it along to my grandson when I infect him with the trad bug.... had him playing with a kid longbow this summer at 2 1/2 :-)

[DaveT1963]

[Paul/KS]

Went down and looked at the inscription on my riser but it does not have a date on it. It does say who it was made for as well as Jim's signiture. One nice detail that I think is cool is that the limbs have the owners initials on them as well as the specs.
The man was a fine builder and Craftsman.  

[Mike Schlegel]

Purchased a Drifter from Jim in 1986. Many great memories! Poundage (64) is a little too much for me now but do not want to let it go. My oldest grandson has been eying it.

Jim spent a night at my house in April the year he died. We did some stomp shooting and lots of bowhunting talk. Most definitely one to the good guys in our sport!!

[Ydanny]

TTT for a great post honoring a great bow builder.

[elkken]

I got interested in his bows watching Larry D Jones videos, at one time that's what Larry hunted with, he is also from Oregon. I bought a 66" Legend 60# er ... It was a real shooter with great cast. I eventually sold it when 60#'s became too much for me to pull. A few of my hunting buddies still have a few of Jim's bows. His wife still makes bow string I believe, I used to get them from her occasionally.

[Big Ed]

I bought my first custom from Jim and he was top notch! I do know that a fellow named Gordon Owen built some bows for Jim's wife for a year or so. I still have my first bow from Jim it is a 66" Legend and I had Gordon make me a 64" Shadow which I regretfully sold.
Ed

[stiknstringer]

I bought my first ever new trad bow from Jim in the early 80's, a legend 60# thought it was too light so ordered some 75# limbs. By the time the heavier limbs got to me, I was hooked forever on the longbow so I sold it. It was a beautiful bow, like many others here I wish I never let it go.

[thump]

I also bought my first custom bow from Jim, ordered it in 1988.I sold that bow around twelve years ago and still check  the classifieds to see if it pops up.

[Pat B.]

I bought a Legend in the mid '80's from Jim.  As I recall it was about 70@28.  A few years later I sold it to,a good friend on mine, Glenn Parker who kept it in his collection until his untimely death..

[Bill Kissner]

I purchased two bows from Jim before he passed. Sold one of them and wish I had it back. I had Jim build a second set of limbs for the one I still have and he finished them just a few weeks before his untimely death. Although I have not hunted with the bow for several years, I have taken both deer and elk with it.

[ottertails]

I had a Shadow I bought from Jim in 88 .....64"  61#s @28 .  I had always shot longbows and still do, but I wish I hadn't sold it.  Talking with Jim he was very helpful on what I was looking for..... I remember him being a right to the point no nonsense type of guy.   I was saddened to learn of his death in TBM a few years later.