WITH PROBLEMS...but... Great For Some [Bear Magnum]

[@kramerammonsarchery]

What bow should we do next? Thanks for watching. It means a lot! 🙂

[@TRUSTLIFENOW]

I would love to see an review on the Robertson vision falcon if you can get your hand on it

[@jpvoxdawg]

I'd love to see a comparison of all the different homemade bows you have made on the channel. Maybe even 3 or 4 different archers trying them all and ranking their favourites.

[@donwaldroopoutdoors3665]

bear cheyenne

[@peterwilson1295]

War bow, for the people 😮

[@FruitJuice92]

Super kodiak, it was Fred Bear favourite bow, i have one, it's super smooth but i always though it was slow

[@azcoueshntr]

The bow you have was designed for a ‘Dacron’ or b55 string. Current bows are designed with D97 or fast flight in mind (faster speed). It was also designed for a 500 grain cedar arrow. Bear archery recommended brace height for that bow is 7”-8”. I have 2 Kodiak Magnums and they are as fast as my 62” Samick Sage and Martin hunter (I have a chronograph also). The Kodiak Magnum is not as stable for me but it wasn’t designed for that. It was designed for thick cover at about 12 yards. It does that just fine. Thanks for reviewing that, they are fun compact bows.

[@caseysmith544]

Can also use older style traditional non target aluminum arrows on the 1960's--1970's Bear Bows just fine as well as shown by my brother using 2119--2122 on his 45 pound Bear Grizzly a 1970/1972 bow based on how the medallion looks.

[@niksutherland4280]

Well said my brother. Perfect bow for cottontails

[@treatb09]

Nah. Set up right. These will hit pin point at 25-50 yards and carry more energy than an full size 80 lb long bow.

[@cfm6229]

I owned that exact bow back in the 70s . And I had a 29 inch draw so i loved that bow but when i went cross country to disneyland and my truck was stolen from the parking lot and i never saw that bow again! Wish i still had it ! but they dont make it anymore and if they did it wouldnt be the $100 i paid for mine.. i was able to hold a 240 target using xx75 arrows no problem with it. So hunting was good and i also used it to go fishing with solid glass arrow and bow reel.

[@mattbruns556]

I had one for years 45# @28 and it was my favorite bow fishing rig I’ve ever had. Maneuverability in a small boat was great and it comes with a screw in insert for a bow fishing rig

[@dmouse522]

Ditto! Had same bow for close to 50 years. Sold it. Always went where you looked. Really stacked when my form became more correct.

[@rtoguidver3651]

I bought my Bear Magnum in 1970 and it still works great.

[@summertowne2386]

The Kodiak Magnum brace height is supposed to be set for 7 to 8 inches. The 9.25 inch brace height is wrong for the bow.

[@gregoryblair9810]

In the 70's that was my first REAL bow. Exact one you show. 55# and exact same colors. And I shot off the shelf with fur. Left it to my nephew when I entered the Navy.

[@stevefowler1914]

1976 model, should be 7"-8" brace height. Mine is set up for 7 1/2" and shoots great. I can feel mine storing energy not only in the limbs but also in the riser when you draw it -- you can feel the riser flex -- making it a very efficient bow for its length.

[@patrickhenry236]

I have a couple, and love the grayling green. They are straight up hunting bows, and they work well for it.

[@donaldbuckner2935]

You make amazing and informative videos. Folks throw the word "stack" around way too much and don't understand it. You make it plain so folks can understand. Thank you and thank you for your enthusiasm that makes your videos entertaining.

[@ctandsonsoutdoors7180]

I have a mid 70's model that looks just like the one you have there. It was gifted to me by a family member that bought it brand new in the 70's, he used it a couple years, and it was up in his closet ever since. 45#@28". I've used it the past couple seasons saddle hunting in my Nw Florida pines. Its perfect for the way I hunt where most shots are under 15 yards in the thick stuff.

[@gregoryjewell5875]

I had that exact bow for a few years, back in the 80s. It was a 70s model. It shot great for me and a have a 30" DL. Alot of archery is personal preference, and learning the equipment that you have.

[@MO-vr1jg]

I think it’s a nice looking bow with that classic Fred Bear green color..

[@theabhorrentchef7226]

I’ve got the Bear Supermag 48” I love it. I was crawling through rabbit tunnels in the thickest nastiest stuff you’d ever want to see on Assateague Island, chasing Sitka deer. That little bow is the way to go for close quarters. Brace height of about 9”, maybe that’s the recommended height you saw instead of for the regular magnum.

[@CampfireKodiak]

Is it fast?

[@patriksaari2288]

Thank you Kramer for this channel! It means a lot to my when i try to get back to a hobby wich i let behind for years.🙏

[@geraldstrine7888]

Good video and info but you kind of missed the points in my mind . That bow was the design of the father of modern archery Fred Bear who is responseabke for the foundation of most of all our modern design improvments. The history of the man and his influence on that bow will always fetch top doller at auction setting next to your faster bow. Just hunting with a Fred Bear bow southes your soul in the woods when you hold it. The beautiful lines , colors, history are a thing hard to put a price on. Put that short bow in a tree stand or shooting kneeling on the ground and you will see a thing of beauty.

[@ri-jm5tn]

These were the bows everyone wanted when I was a kid. I still own/shoot 3 of them. About 7 3/4" brace height from the throat of the grip seems to be the sweet spot for me w/28" draw. I've taken a lot of deer and small game with my 40#@28".

[@charlesdudley5800]

I have 3 Supermag & 2 Magnums in my collection and they are perfect for me with my 26.5" draw length. Not the fastest but smooth and accurate. I run at a 8.5 brace height and one of your B55 Strings. If you ever want to test one let me know. I would def want the bow back of course.

[@jackscott2594]

Ha ! String slap hurts using a target bow in a club shoot I somehow buried the nock point in my wrist behind the wrist guard very messy, and I also at 5’9 have very long arms , have a thirty inch draw , the president and club manager measured me so many times to check when I started that it got embarrassing but I tried several different bows for hunting and found that the Samick sage have just enough extra that I could shoot it comfortably at 55 pounds at 45 and 50 it just felt short and uncomfortable but it’s nice that even after forty odd years of archery how simple you manage to explain these topics , never to young to learn new things!!

[@skeets6060]

I dont know I guess every generation has their views, but my old Kodiak Magnum has accounted for over 30 deer over the last 50 years. So it works for me, this is like saying the 30-30 is dead because of a new belch fire magnum is faster.

[@royfrasersparks7846]

Splendid video again. My son is working on a farm in Wisconsin and he is bringing me a 70's era Bear Super Grizzly when he returns to South Africa in November. Kindly gifted to me by an old hunting client from Texas. I am very excited about the bow - but I also really like the Bear Super Mag , which I will try and get hold of sometime. Yeah I am a short ass 28 inch draw. Thanks for this video and greetings from South Africa.

[@offthearrowshelf]

Great video and something I have experienced first hand with students A couple of years ago I spent a few hours with a couple of students when they were buying their first bows at a well known UK store Merlin Archery. One of the students is over 6 ft in height and has a 30 inch draw. When we were trying out different limbs we were amazed to see how different some bow weights were when we went past 28 inches, some had a steady increment others rocketed up when you went past 28 inch. All limbs were rated to 28lbs at 28 inch. Most added about 2 lbs per inches so would come in about 32lb however one came in at 37lbs at 30 inch Like you I like a steady incremental increase but have the advantage of having a near dead on 28 inch draw.

[@ricoaioa]

12:10 That is super interesting. I never stopped to think how much of a difference a inconsistent anchor point can make in draw weight near the bow draw limit.

[@DowntoFish207]

I have shot the kodiak magnum at 55# for a while now. It's what I started with in the traditional world. With a 29" draw, I will say it's great when I'm good, however it's real bad when I'm off. Great bow, just temperamental.

[@caseysmith544]

This is the model that Krammer did review only a 1960's model of the same bow.

[@CampfireKodiak]

I have that exact bow in 45# made in 1976. I agree with all your observations. I also have a 2023 model at 50# and it's a completely different bow. It's my favorite hunting bow. It's not as smooth and it stacks a bit more but it's much much faster. In fact it shoots as fast as my new Bear Super Kodiak 55#. I have also noticed it really likes arrows over 600 grains. The heavier arrow makes the short limbs work harder so it shoots heavy arrows faster than my other bows. Also the older Bear grips are more rounded than the newer ones which are flatter in the palm area. Older is more comfortable but newer shoots better. Maybe it resists torquing or something not sure. Also, you made the strings for both. Dacron and Spectra.

[@simonescaravati7218]

Hey Kramer! A little suggestion for the next videos: when you first tested the speed of this bow you mentioned that it was inconsistent in the speed (for the reasons you explained). So, I would suggest you to add the Standard Deviation in addition to avarage of the speed!! So you can give a Real number to the consistency of the shots! Cheers from Italy 🤌🏻

[@davidinghram2494]

I shot a doe with mine about 15 years ago. It`s a 45# pull. I also have a 1964 Dogleg. Both bows are still in mint condition.

[@Noone-rt6pw]

I always wanted a bow, arrows and and a black powder musket! 6 decades never got one yet! I did manage to brew beer even though I don’t drink!

[@sprk11]

here's another question, how much does arrow weight affect the speed of that bow. 180 aint all that bad. No not setting any speed records but still faster than a lot of budget bows that people are raving about. But again I go back to arrow weight. If I put a 550 to 650 grain hunting arrow thru the chronograph what speed and inpact forces will it produce? After all that bow was built with hunting in mind not the target course.

[@MarcoR34]

I loved my kodiak magnum, but I agree with the main goal is compactness, once I moved to longer amo bows I quickly moved on

[@mwp597]

The longer string seamed to make it more consistent as far as speed. It also sounded like there was less string slap on the limbs. Great review!

[@gunslingersymphony5015]

I've yet to be able to justify putting a chronograph in the budget, but I can say anecdotally that the speed difference between brace heights is significant enough to be noticeable without one. This has been true of every bow I've built or bought. This-and the fact that I don't want to use my expensive leather for a bracer-is why people don't usually shoot my bows, and I have a semipermanent string hickey on my arm.

[@Peepsightoutdoors]

Awesome video Kramer!! Going to be going for my whitetail with my bones soon and hopefully getting it all on video for you!

[@ryanschmidt3319]

So I have a this bow as well, and before watching the video I can say several things. It's a decent bow if you get it used and not for the price Bear is looking for. Mine is 45# at 28", and can kind go up to 30" draw but best not to. I got it (or my family got it) when I was a kid and for a kid it was really nice. There is not a lot of handshock, it isn't complicated, it's small enough to be used and able to accommodate growth, but I can see it not being great. It's comparable to my Top Archery take down bow (that Krammer as also reviewed) so not worth the original $600 price, but if you can find one for $150 or so I would still recommend it.

[@ryanschmidt3319]

So yeah, draw length is massively important for power. It's why medieval crossbows are only roughly as powerful as medieval longbows despite their massive (going over 1200 pounds!) draw weights. Generally what is important for bow power is: Drawlength -> Draw weight -> Material -> bow shape-> limb length -> limb weight (obviously if I remember correctly, I could very well be a little off) But each of these is ranked based on how important they each are for the efficiency of the bow. High draw length gives more time for the arrow to be accelerated, draw weight is about how much energy is being put into the bow itself, material determines how efficient the bow is at moving that energy from the potential into the actual, bow shape impacts both limb length and limb weight making them more complex categories as well as determining how the bow functions (a recurve bow will be faster than a non-recurve bow because of the shape for example), limb length and limb weight determine how much energy goes into the limbs themselves, limb length being more important because if the limb returns to neutral faster it imparts more energy for the bow.

[@howardb.728]

Nice work mate - always enjoy your enthusiastic dedication to exploring the edge cases - thank you for sharing your time and genius with us all.

[@michaellacy8510]

My favorite bow, that I shoot way more than any other, is a 35# Southwest Archery Spyder XL. Cost me about $150. If I lost it today, I would by another the same day.

[@charlesdavis9937]

I have an old Darton recurve bow, it's 45lbs @28" and left handed. I haven't shot it yet. I got to get my strength up.

[@michpatriot9097]

Had two different Supermag 48s a 40# and a 48# I draw 30" and I had to go up a bit in length..now shooting a 54" Shrew..im thinking of getting a Shrew scout their new design Long Bow that has a crazy curve..you should review a Shrew Scout!

[@SuperArdly]

I have a 46" turkish bow from AF Archery. It has a 31" draw length and shoots like a dream. If you want a short bow with high performance, go for asiatic design.

[@AlanDavison]

I have a 60's Kodiak Magnum (50# / 52") the brace height is much lower than you have yours strung. It shoots great with my short draw. It shoots better than my 80's Grizzly.

[@andrewmichael1354]

My Archery buddy has a 48" 50# Bear Magnum. He has just under 28" draw & he loves it. I have closer to 30" draw. I have a couple 50# bows that I can draw with no problem. But, when Bear says, "28" maximum draw" they mean 28" maximum draw. If I wanted to draw his bow to my 30" anchor point, I would have to add a hydraulic jack to my shot cycle... I could probably use it for snap shooting though. When I snap shoot I tend to draw shorter.

[@OneWheelLess]

I was pleasantly surprised, I picked up an American Archery Super Nitro and it can handle long draw lengths no problem. It’s pretty quiet and reasonably quick. It’s what that Kodiak magnum should have been. Also, the Shakespeare bows are good shooters and can handle my 30” draw length

[@Normjohanson]

Love the Samik sage it’s my new favorite actual beater bow

[@aaronsanborn4291]

I've had my Bear Recurve since I was 7, I'm 47 now and I'll put it up against anything going today

[@theknifeman7097]

Have my gramps super Kodiak magnum, mine is the regular magnum.

[@donaldlemens9673]

Just started recently watching your videos and am really enjoying and impressed by your knowledge, please this kind of content coming. Wish you could test a Tomahawk bow, i have a Dimond series Desert Fox 64" 50# for years but unable to shoot due to shoulder problems and just recently bought the Tomahawk Kisska 64" 30# drawing 27 inches with a 360 grain arrow is 140 fps I'm adjusting to the trajectory lol but very happy to be shooting again. This bow feels the same as my Desert Fox but it's not as nice and dont believe the Kisska to be built by the same bower that did the Tomahawks of years ago in fact the Kisska is the only model one piece they sell anymore, they come from 3 Rivers archery

[@joepozzini530]

My friend has an old Ben Pearson Varsity in 50#@28". Original string. Shoots great, would like to see how it compares. Thanks.

[@tomboese367]

Thank you so much for this video. I have the exact same bow, it was a gift to me sometime around 1986ish. I'm a recreational shooter, and aging. This bow costs me nothing to shoot. However, I've always strived for marksmanship, whether bow or rifle... that said; should I spend the money on something else???

[@davidguelette7036]

I use early 60s Kodiaks.I have an old Magnum which was designed for easy carry .

[@cliffynelson5017]

Excellent Video... Very informative...THANK YOU!!!

[@judylucas7596]

Read the book Ishi written about the last "wild American Indian " Fred Bear is mentioned in it and has pictures of him with the author (Saxton Pope ) and Ishi which wasn't his actual name because his people believed it was bad luck to introduce himself.

[@donwaldroopoutdoors3665]

the recommendation in brace height is 7-8 inches , i have the same bow from the 70’s its 48 @28 im 27 , my best brace is 7-5/8 it shoots a 545 grain arrow at 157-160 fps , its my new bow to kill deer this year

[@donwaldroopoutdoors3665]

speed doesnt kill accuracy and stealth do , we can not out speed an alert deers reaction

[@kanyinak]

That's plenty of speed for a hunting bow and a hunting weight arrow.

[@mikeorick6898]

Some Manchu style bows with a 10in brace drawn to 32in (22in power stroke) will add 14lbs per inch in the middle but only 2lbs per inch at the end (from 23-32). The long forward angled siyahs acting like cams. Drawn to 36in (still no stacking) even better. 80@32 with a 1,230g arrow will do 190fps.

[@denniscleveland669]

I believe, those were made near the bicentennial of the USA. The common stain colors for that period were, red, white blue and that green.

[@ourmthomeongamblercreek7291]

I hunt with a 55# Bear Supermag 48. Great bows for thick brush

[@myshoggoth13]

My draw length used to be 28", so when I bought my super magnum I thought it would be perfect. After trying to draw to the corner of my mouth I found out that it was closer to 31". Changed my form a bit and it is a great bow.

[@theguyinmaine]

Shakespeare Kaibab X27, beautiful bow. Bought one new as a teen, saw it on the wall and had to have it, Zebra wood model. Bought one used a few years ago. Just had to have one again. Would love to see what you think.

[@stevenhorden1113]

Bear magnum stacked up to quick for me. I bought a bear super grizzly which 58" long. Back then you buy a magnum or grizzly for 50 to 60 dollars.

[@m14hh5]

I think the string you got with that bow might be a touch short. My understanding is that it should be between 7-8 inches for that bow. I like my bear bow but I don't think they are particularly fast. For hunting I think it is more important to have a quiet bow anyways.

[@peteweeks205]

I'd love to see a review of the super Kodiak. Heard some good things about its speed and smooth draw.

[@chriskell8479]

I have this bow. I strongly suggest a D loop and release.

[@jtilton5]

Seems like Bear is playing catch-up with those Asiatic bows on the market.

[@gunterlangesschwein.kieran1784]

I never had any wrist slap until i had an nock fail at full 29.5" draw on my 35# Samick sage, not much fun and i couldn't shoot for nearly two months. The arrow and string hit my wrist causing much immediate swelling and a rather large multi coloured bruise (i don't usually bruise easily) . I now wear an arm guard.

[@frankiebob7345]

KU-49183 Kodiak Magnum 52" 1966 to 1977. K series after 1070 Raised medallion after 1972. Grayling Michigan manufacture pre 1978 Date of manufacture by this information 1972 to1977 Brace height from the original manual 7- 8" I don't think you can compare a 47 year old short hunting bow without reinforced tips and Dacron string made for very heavy arrows with a modern bow for speed, stability, or draw length capability. Bet it has killed half a million Deer and Pigs out of blinds. I have KU70101

[@treatb09]

I have that exact bow magnum. I dont set it up anywhere like him. These bows will destroy themselves. So the string needs a specific twist and length. Ive shot with a guy with a 80 lb long bow. My magnum smoked his bow with a short draw. If i actually draw it full. Its hot... Watch his string resonate. Mine are quiet as air. You just hear the arrow fly. Dont listen to him.

[@Lost_Hwasal]

Bows that have that brown force draw curve also store more energy, which usually translates to more speed. The energy stored by the bow is the area under the force draw curve (this is very simple calculus/physics). With the same efficiency, a bow with more area under its force draw curve is going to launch arrows faster. I wish you stated your test arrows weight. You also have an older bear, they dont make them like they used to. Modern bears are american made but garbage unfortunately, prone to breakage. I wouldn't recommend anyone buy one, especially when bearpaw makes bows in the same price range and there are some custom bowyers (like yourself or great plains) that make bows in similar price ranges. To get the full gambit you should do a higher end custom bow, like a black widow or maybe even a super recurve.

[@denniscleveland669]

I loved the look of those bows, but my draw length would hit the stacking and I couldn’t anchor properly.

[@justinskinner7483]

give me a video that does a deep dive into making glass bow forms please !!!

[@Noone-rt6pw]

So, if making an emergency survival bow in the woods, would you want to whittle down to heart wood, or keep the sap wood?

[@darrinrebagliati5365]

Whrn shooting my Black Hunter, I have my arrows marked to stop me at 29in draw. Seems to have better accuracy and gives me a steady stopping point before it stacks on me. I'm just a little guy at 6ft tall with reach for a guy 6'4". But I like the shorter bow for stalking rabbits and grouse. Would love a 48" strung bow w a 32" draw, but haven't bought an Asiatic bow yet: researching w Armin as to which one I want.

[@ZephrusPrime]

I'm at 31" draw so many of these short bows are just a no-go.

[@FBOConcrete]

I like old pre 72 bear bows. Basically all iv ever shot. Besides my dad's home made bows. Killed my first bear with a 50# magnum. I own a 60# super mag aswell that's a fun little bow, but way slow for the poundage it is. It is interesting though that in the old catalogs they advertise that there is no max draw length. And I do think that the brace height is sapost to be 7"-8"

[@Hokossz]

if you want a good shortbow look into horsebows

[@jamescooper2618]

The vintage K-mag is a great bow, it just doesnt fit everyone. That bow was never 600 dollars and you can get them used today for around 300 or less.

[@stagesmith]

Really meant for shooting down from Tree stands. If you had a left handed version you could shoot it mongol style with a thumb ring

[@dwaynecupp1370]

It’s pretty, but after your review doesn’t seem to be all they are made out to be. I’ll stick to my black Hunter inspected!!! Lol

[@denniscleveland669]

Review a Browning Nomad Stalker, from the same era. I have one in 38# @ 28”. It doesn’t have the fishing/stabilizer insert. 52”AMO

[@kanyinak]

Be nice to know the total arrow weight for your speed testing. 180+/- fps is pretty fast for most bows. 200+ fps is about as quick as you could hope for without sinking serious $ in to your set up.

[@Muskrat78]

I owned 14 kmags one time. They are a nice lil bow but sadly I got out of the bear collecting

[@Greg-l8r]

And yeah, it wants several string silencers!

[@philiph554]

Great video, thx. Have you reviewed the Howatt Hunter…for us long armed bow hunters.

[@karenmurray3098]

some intresting stuff kramer bear archery was for a long time "the" bow to have i think the koreans have close the gap and make some very fine products

[@tolt1776]

I have this bow in 60# and it's NOT SLOW. It's fast asf with 700 grain arrows. No drop to 30 yards....mine is only a year old though 😅😅

[@1980JPA]

What's the that carved out cut on the limb, where you referred to when saying that you could see the limb lamination construction? I've seen you do it before but can't find any reference to it in any other vids on KZbin.

[@brocluno01]

Good review - good episode.

[@davida.4933]

The way to shoot this bow is with the Star Method and a tungsten stabilizer..

[@jimpatterson1190]

Do the Bearpaw Hopi please. I think it's both short and fast

[@luger9857]

I shot this bow a few times and thought it was really smooth and not nearly as much stacking as expected for my 32" draw i feel like 180ish is pretty average as far as arrow speed

[@richdavenport7751]

I have a 1967 k mag shoots smooth

[@stillbill1878]

I’d be interested to know about your background. Mother was an Ammons from Tennessee. Not a real traditional name. Been shooting traditional for most of my 68 years. Started with a Kodiak Magnum in 1971.

[@tolt1776]

9" brace is the problem try it at 7 lol

[@alainfara3404]

You mentioned that you shot a bow that gave you 220 feet per second, what bow was it?

[@ammonholloway2302]

So do you think you could beat this bow with your own short bow design of equal or shorter length?

[@xaviermartinez774]

Have you seen the white wolf archery bows? They have some nice Penobscot stuff. they are beautiful but i wonder if they are worth price performance wise

[@kentwilliams3326]

I could be wrong, but it seemed that the lower brace height string was quieter.

[@davyboone1794]

That bow is almost 50 years old and stacks likea stockman in a Walmart warehouse.

[@joedaniels4646]

Are there cheaper Short Magnum style bows out there or are they all $400 - $600 ????

[@여단-i8e]

I suggest you review storm2 of falco archery. 54" hybrid longbow. and 61" falco Myth recommend too

[@Bhartrampf]

Thanks for this, I always wanted one, but I have a 30" draw and yeah, I normally shoot stacked bows unless like your saying, I change my form. Now I know why I get flyers also. I would like to try a bow with a softer full draw, what do you suggest?

[@tolt1776]

Just change your knock.

[@ReichenbachEsq]

Try it again with a new string & an 8” brace height.