I have a question about browning recurve bows. Who made them?and were they good shooting bows?Im thinking of buying a used one on e bay.I like the design and looks of these bows and the price seems very reasonable thank you.

I've owned a couple and they were good shooters. Plenty of speed for that era. I believe Browning had their own factory, although I've seen a few that looked like Bob Lee (Wing) designs.

A Browning Safari II, you can't go wrong with one of these...........Archer

browning I believe built them, and they are worth the price.found one a few weeks ago at a yard sale for $5, what a great deal!

I've got a Browning Explorer 2 that I picked up used. While I'm not crazy about the high gloss finish, or the green glass on the back, it is definately a solid bow for it's age. Also fairly smooth draw for a 56" bow.

I have only owned the "Fire Drake", and the "Wasp" - both take down recurves, and I loved them both.

Browning had their own factory and Harry Drake (World Record Flight Shooter at the time) was their designer as I remember.

DJ

yep they made their own and DJ is right Harry was one of their designers and a good one..

Rick, you ever want to part with a Drake or Wasp let me know.. Randy

Randy,

I parted with both years ago, and have regretted ever since.

I actually gave them away to first time trad folks, so I guess in retrospect I don't regret it at all.

There's a TD wasp on ED-Bay right now. Also a few other vintage Brownings. That 57 pound Explorer II has me thinking...

I own 1 Browning bow,and I'm sold on their quality & performance.

I own a Fury II and have shot others. IMO they are well made, smooth-drawing and have good speed.

FF

Nice, well made, vintage bows. I've owned several.

Rick, good on ya!!! I had a Drake that Harry customized for me and stupid me sold it a few years back, been trying to track it down. Have a couple others and like the design and the way they shoot. Wish they'd build stick bows again they made some nice ones.

I have a twin to the bow in Forest Archer's photo above, the Browning Safari, a deacon from my Church gave it to me many years ago, I think its a great bow. If I remember correctly he said he gave $26.00 for it new and had taken many deer with it, I have taken two with it myself. This was the bow that got me hooked on trad archery and has cost me a bundle of money since. It retired my compound, got me into bow building, and caused me to have probably 15 or more bows now.

Have owned 5 different Brownings. All were great bows.

I've got a Browning Cobra,it's only 50" long and is a pretty nice looking bow.My dad bought it new and he can't shoot anymore so I kind of "inhereted it".

I killed a few deer using the Browning Nomad, a fine hunting bow. I gave that bow away years ago to young beginner. I now own a Browning Cobra which I'm having refinished and plan on using it strictly for Turkey hunting. Good solid bows, good shooters.

My first post here.

Were there three models of the Browning Cobra;

Cobra, Cobra I and Cobra II?

What years were they produced and what was the difference between the models?

Thanks!

I have a few...plus 2 more on amother rack. I think they're great shooting bows

Oak..the Cobra I is 50" and the II is a 58" bow

I just acquired a 37# 66" Apollo. No time to shoot it yet, but I used to have a 50# Apollo and it was no slouch.

Is there not just a "Cobra" from 1969 and prior to the "Cobra I" ; from the early '70's?

Oak....I do believe there is a cobra....i have a cobra 1 and 2...but i do recall seeing someone having just a cobra.....i need one.

I read this on another site..just copied it..

"I believe the cobra was made in 1969. They also made a Cobra I in 1970-75"

The fellow also stated his "cobra" was a 50"er.

here ya go..1968..

Thanks groundhog! Good information.

Doesn't look like the Safari was out yet, at that time.

Gordon Composites made bows and Browning purchased their bow making business in the early 1960s [from memory, may be off a little]. Gordon continued to make bows for Browning for a period after the sale.

Gordon Royal Bows

I purschsed a Safari II not so long ago at 43# for my son. I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised by both the great looks and the performance.

I really like the look of Browning bows. I got an explorer I cheap on eBay, $34 including shipping. I'm gonna use it as my turkey blind bow because its 54" tip to tip, 50" when strung and its pulling about 48#@28" Even with that short bow at my draw length its nice and smooth and shoots great. Beautiful wood on it as well.

A Browning Safari I is a GREAT little bow.

I just got a one-piece browning wasp 56 inch from the mid-seventys looks like new very nice shooter an very quiet. good speed also It,s a keeper. Very nice finish on the brownings. made the last a life time.

I collect the brownings...If anyone has one collecting dust in very good to excellent shape..shoot me a pm ..thanks!

They were made in Mogan, Utah, by Browning. I own both a 54" Browning Safari I, and just bought a late 60's Browning Cobra I, 50". Also....the Cobra I was introduced in the mid 60's, not 1969.

Back in the 60's, Browning was headquatered in St. Louis Mo., not sure if they made bows there or not. TLM

im a longbow user but hunt with a explorer 1 out of a tree it shoots great

I have several, great bows!

I have a 50" cobra, but the string is gone, what length string should I use and what is the brace height for that bow? Thanks for your help.

MT, I made a 46" 14-strand B50 for my 56# Cobra I...shoots real nice at 8 1/8" BH

mt you need a 46" or 47" string,brace ht 7 1/4"-8"

Get a flemish-twist string 47" long and twist to about 8" brace to start.

browning backpacker

I just picked up a 62" Explorer II in very good condition. I was really surprised that it has 4 thin lams of maple. Don't ever recall seeing that many lams in a recurve limb before. I made a new B-50 string for it and changed the rest. It shoots very well and I was quite accurate with it from the start. My first Browning and a nice one at that.

Browning Cobra II. Den

mikieg, that isn't true. Wilson Brothers had their HF and HT series takedowns before Browning came out with the Backpacker. The HF and HT were metal risers of the same design as the present MA and SA styles. People can say anything 8^). Also, the forward riser was used by several other companies in the mid 50's....not takedown bows though.

I like "Baby Bow" my 42# nomad stalker. It's a fun bow if you like "em really short.

I have a Nomad Stalker 1 that I like a lot. When I modified the grip on my Necedah I used the NS1 as a pattern(OK, starting point). -Joe

mikieg, Habu's owner used to work for Black Widow...Ken Beck's company as I believe. At any rate Habu is a modern bow company and wasn't around in the 60's or 70's. Black Widow made the first takedowns with belly mounted limbs in the late 1960's...but they were metal risers. Browning may have had the first wooden model...early to mid 70's, or it could have been the SABO Pac King, about the same time. Still, just about anything made nowadays is a copy of something.

This one was shipped to me on the 11th, should be here this week. 50", 44#, Browning Cobra.

I gave a Wasp to a lady friend of mine earlier this year...she loved it so much that I had to compete with the Browning for her attention :(

42# 50" smooth to shoot

I sold a Browning years ago and regretted it...but found through a member here or on TradGang (cant remember) a beautiful Browning Cobra II. Would still like to get both an Explorer II and a Backpacker as well. Hell, maybe the Nomad II and Safari as well.

keep em sharp,

ron herman

Ron, there is a 54" Backpacker on Ebay now.

The LH model? That is only one I have seen....

I found a nice Cobra II...still would like a Backpacker II, Explorer II, and maybe Nomad Stalker II

keep em sharp,

ron herman

Just received a Safari II. Haven't shot it or taken pictures either.

was Firedrake made by Harry Drake...and how does it compare to Backpacker?

I had both an Explorer and a Wasp and like Rick Barbee, I gave them to new trad. shooters who could not afford new bows. I shot both of them for years and took my first deer with the Wasp. Real nice bows. (nut)

I've got a safari II any info on age value and what not would be greatly apprecieted. It is in good condition and says 6c1165.

Please put some pictures of your Safari II on here. Hard to give any info without pictures.

1966 for the Safari II if accurate serial number. IT was one of the top of the line recurves of that day. I have a near mint 1966 and it is a sweet bow... great bows.

Brownings were made at Brown Field in Chula Vista Ca.

here are a few pics of my safari2

nice bow...and good weight...dont find many that heavy from that era.

Sweet!

I picked up an old Browning Rover a little while ago for $60 from a local bow shop. I like the way it shoots 35@28 so I gave it to my better half so she had her own bow. She loves it and it shoots very well in her hands

the one I posted used to belong to Kelly P....great bow and phenomenal condition.

It is a 1966 bow and 41# at 28.

keep em sharp,

ron herman

First recurve I ever owned was a Browning Nomad Stalker. It was a great bow. Wish I still had it.

All nice bows thanks for the info guys.

I've owned a number of Browning bows and still have a few. Here's a mid seventies Folding Hunter. It was never shot by the original owner or me so I can't comment on how well it shoots.

Q: How can you get a bow and not try it out, seriously? I wouln't be able to not try it out, lol! Is that the same as a Backpacker?

How purdy

Get an explorer 2 I use to love mine. I also Had a 1969 cobra real short bow but shot great If your draw was under 28" I think old browning Bows were high quality.

Q: How can you get a bow and not try it out, seriously? I wouln't be able to not try it out, lol! Is that the same as a Backpacker?

I have quite a few bows and the Folding Hunter is just one of many I have never shot. Not the same as a Backpacker which come to think of it, I've never shot either.

Cobra is my favorite! That company had one heck of a good finish, and shooting bow!

OK.

I have posted this pic several times before. This is the first bow I ever refinished. A 50# Cobra and it came out nice. The old Browning bows were tough to be in performance and pure beauty.

I've owned a bunch of short bows and the Cobra seemed to just shoot the best for me.

My Cobra 1...excellent bow! Smooth draw yet fast! 1971...51#

Another pic...

And my 1964 Nomad,made before there was a 1 or 2...52# draw...very smooth as well. Browning's are an excellent value in bows...

Ooops...wrong pic...here's the Nomad.

Love that Cobra I with the phenolic in the riser.

I have a few, Wasp 56" 41# Safari 54" 45# Explorer 2 62" 40# Olympian 68" 43# The Olympian has a twisted limb, unshootable, any pointers on straightening it ?

Twist it back the opposite direction. Simple fix Randy. You can run hot tap water over the area where the twist is to ease movement. Twist it opposite until the string settles in center, then run cold tap water on it and dry it off, then let strung for a week to build the memory.

Well, I strung it about 6 months ago. It was so bad that it was twisted strung, so I forced it the opposite direction and tied it. Just now took it down, and believe it or not, twist is gone ! Just put a rest and nock point on it. First few shots were scary, but it is hanging in there. I will always just a stringer on this bow, its long length, and small tips make it prone to twist. I would say some lug head must have stood it up in a corner. Boy, is it sweet ! 43# in a target style recurve is impressive!

Browning produced some of the nicer-looking bows back in the 1960's and 1970's. They were known for their high-gloss finishes.

It's hard to beat a Browning for sheer beauty! Mine is a 1973 Explorer II 45@28. This bow not only looks nice but shoots very well.

Bernie

An early Explorer - 1962, the first year of Browning Archery bows. More info on other recent threads. If you search Browning you will find much more discussion posted recently about these great bows.

Shorthair, great to see you have my old Safari II, one of the fastest bows I've shot and the Rosewood is gorgeous.

Alli have now for Brownings is a 42# Apollo.

OMG Bernie. That's awesome! What a beauty. I have 69 Cobra that I love but it's a bit short for my draw. Still an awesome shooter.

OMG Bernie. That's awesome! What a beauty. I have 69 Cobra that I love but it's a bit short for my draw. Still an awesome shooter.

I love the Brownings, have 3 myself, and just sold two. They are a quality bow, equal to the Bears in my opinion.

I think they have held up better than Bears of the same age, I have 4 that are like new

Pdiddly,I have that identical bow. Cobra I 50"-- 51# black glass, back and belly, but it is too heavy for me now. >>>---> Ken

Nice to see this old thread brought back to the top...in the almost three years since I posted that picture of the Cobra (which I still have) I have acquired a bunch more Brownings. They're great bows and easy on the eyes to boot. I'll post a few pics.

I have a 54inch browning nomad with the wood wedges in the tips,Does not say 1 or 2 just nomad.Sweet shooting bow. 4e 2357 serial number .Anybody know the year it was made.Would never part with this bow, and i bought it from a friend who quit archery.25 dollars.

1964

thank you Pdidly

No prob...I have one...nice bows.

i have owned three. I kept a mint Cobra and in fact it was the first bow I ever purchased. I chose my "handle" on this site based on this bow. Funny that the Wasp always gets an honorable mention. I recall that bow being the inexpensive entry level bow to hunting offered by Browning. Let me say that I regret selling mine. Man, that bow is sweet. Where I looked is where the arrow went. But, I traded it for a Dwyer Original along with some bows I purchased at $33 each, so its all good. I still have a Browning Target bow, and feel that these bows are all quality sticks.

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