Just left three rivers archery and checked out the new green koduiak magnum. What a pretty bow. They only have one more left in a righty. @45 lbs

They outdid themselves in the ugly department this time. The first green ones were bad enough!

I think the old 70's Green Bear bows with the white decorative caps and glossy finish are sexy! I'm on Big Jim's list for a new green one.

Those are awesome!!! Putting my order in for a msw Kodiak and a green k mag!

I bought a used one 50# and dont know what I was thinking. I am a Hill style bow addict. I guess I just liked the look of it. They are nice looking bows.

I think it's beautiful! I saw what they look like on their website. I would love to have one in 55lbs. Seeing the one on the website is about as far as I will get to having one though. lol

I think the k- mag fans approve. I am a fan. Hard to beat the performance of that design

They are very sharp in my opinion. We have on RH available in 45#'s...but for $170 less, we have a bunch of Kmags in bubbinga...Oh, and free shipping on all orders totalling $50 or more this weekend

thanks, bigjim

I think they look pretty nice.

I'm sure they'll sell well for them.

Another vote here for some of the worst looking bows ever made...great design though...I will just stick with my 1962 KMag, and maybe try to add another in left hand

DDave

I like the looks of them too. Very sharp. I'd like a 50#er.

Greenie's Rock! Especially when they have snakeskin on the back! Glad to see Bear paying homage to it's taditional customers last several years. Regards

My buddy got one, awesome bow !

I like it and think it looks damn good. The riser wood is darker than the old and I love that glass/overlay combo and color.

I love the looks of it. Hopefully they will offer a similar combination in the Super K!

It's not the best looking K. Mag ever made, but it's far from ugly.

I want to find the 2011 green takedown bear has. Cannot find a used one anywhere. Anyone have one they want too sell

The riser wood on the new one is green Futurewood.... Just a lot darker than the 70's models.

If anyone wants a K-Mag, they should buy a '62, '64 or '65.

I'd also promote the '61 because they have THE nicest tips Bear ever built, but the glass was crap that year.

The curved stripe '64 is one of the nicest Bears ever IMO.

These new ones don't hold a candle.

Wow, I was just checking some other things on eBay and came across an original greenie for buy it now of 450 bucks...someone is gonna get a great deal...if there are actually 3 of them included

DDave

I do like the way that Bear is using bows with EXP serial numbers for the their advertising pictures...it would be very interesting to see what they do with those bows...I would suggest auctioning them for a worthy cause might be a great idea

DDave

I like it and I have a '76 greenie that I enjoy looking at and shooting.

The one pictured above doesn't look anything like the old "greenie" and I also like the looks of this new one.......Couple more Bear haters on this thread; same one's who said the company was toast several years ago. Must be difficult being wrong most of the time.

There was nothing wrong with the glass on the 61 Kodiak magnums. Bear used Gordon Glass just like most of the other bowyers.

There are a lot of good K.M's, depending on how you like the riser cuts/finishes. There are a few I don't care for due to palm swell, but they all basically shoot the same. I like the 68 through 72 models for the grip area. You really have to look to find bad ones.

Well you can say there was nothing wrong with the 'glass' George, maybe it was the woods fault, or the glues...but nearly every single 61 had severe issues with stress cracking in the glass and almost all of them are star stamped.

Ghost, the star stamp was for a refinished bow from the factory, or one that was used by a Bear Rep. Here is more information: " 1961 brought several changes. The riser was lengthened and the limbs shortened. This design held for 1961 and 1962, producing a very nice shooting bow. African rosewood (bubinga) was introduced along with "Grayling Green" fiberglass which is a deep avocado green. Bear had serious trouble with the riser wood causing cracks in the glass, presumably due to the wood not being seasoned properly. Many of these bows were returned to the factory, refinished for free and stamped with a star. These generally have no serial number as they were no longer covered under warranty. I do know that it is very difficult to find a 1961 in original (unrefinished) condition in excellent or better condition in the African rosewood configuration. The coins in these bows were aluminum early on, and 1961was the first year the Kodiak was offered in only one length, 60"."

That particular paragraph was for the Kodiak, not the KM...but it still applies.

They ended up painting the limbs green on a lot of the returned bows, I've also read that many of them already had stress before they even left the factory.

It's too bad because as I said, the '61s had the nicest tips they ever did.

Ghost, I wouldn't be afraid to shoot them. If they stayed together that long, chances are good they will be okay. The 62 is nice, but I preferred the green glass and nice overlays of the 61 also.

I definitely think the 61s are shootable.

It's interesting that certain years have less stress than others. It's rare to see any significant stress on a 62 or 64. Some of the later 60s bows had more of it on average IMO, Especially the '67. I've owned and shot maybe 25 KMs from the 1961-70 era these are just the generalities of my experiences.

The 1964 is my favorite. Just a stunning bow, great wood combos and overall craftsmanship.

"Couple more Bear haters on this thread; same one's who said the company was toast several years ago. Must be difficult being wrong most of the time."

They are entertaining... I like to click on any thread with Bear in the title just to see what they can come up with that is contrary to all of the good comments people are making about Bear bows and the Bear factory now. I feel confident that you could make a post explaining how Bear archery was giving away a free four wheeler with every bow purchased and they would be complaining.... "Yeah but it is just a Kawaski, not a Polaris" :-)

Ok, a long box arrived today from Georgia (Thanks again Big Jim!); Hot off the form, just made this month. 45# of sexy green wood and fiberglass!!! No, she isn't quite as pretty as the eatly 70's versions of the green futurewood, but its not fair to expect them to be an exact reproduction. First off, the new one has a soft satin finish, and not a high glossy one that many of us admire so on the classic Bears. Still, its very a pretty bow, and perhaps a bit better suited for hunting for those who are concerned about reflections / sun glare. Limbs are more narrow on the new one, and the tips are more pointed than on the older green KM's, much like a Red Wing Hunter. This one wears a Fast Flight string and the grip feels a bit thicker. Finish is very good, not perfect, but in all fairness I have owned quite a few vintage Bear bows that had minor imperfections as well. Bear has a great Warranty and reputation for fixing any issue that may arise. I did shoot a few arrows through her today under the warm Maine sun and well... SWEET! No stacking and I draw 29" or so, depending on the weather. Shot right where I looked. I am very happy with this new Kodiak Magnum and with the prompt service I always get from Big Jim. The only thing I may do after tuning it, is to put about 7 or 8 coats of True-Oil or Poly on it, as I do miss that shine!

And I almost forgot the other side. :)

I can't say that I am a big fan of the "thick grips" on many of their bows lately. Held a "Super Grizzly" at Bass Pro not too long ago and I wouldn't want it. The first thing I would do is take the sander to it to grind it down. Personal taste though I guess. I also felt the way the grip was made it put the shelf too far away from my hand (too high).

Good looking bow. Glad to see they are coming with the quiver bushings already installed.

Quiver bushings should be optional! Is there a reason they can 't center the coin in the riser?

OOH....I like that.

What are they going for? I've been thinking of picking up a used 45 pounder, but with the prices being asked for them, I might as well go ahead and get a new one.

Nalajr

Nalajr, they are $479. I have one 45lb available.

Or

For $319 and free shipping this weekend, you can get one of 2014 models I just picked up on Wednesday...bubinga and black glass.

thanks, bigjim

shafted, how about a pic of the limb tips? thanks.

SB; Pertaining to the Bear coin not being dead center, it appears to be intentional, as my 2013 48" Supermag coin is in the same location as on the new KM, and a late model Grizzly 55# (pictured here), notice the coin location (I no longer have this Grizz, sold it a few years back, but should have kept it!). Anyhow, to be honest, I never noticed they were offset until I saw your post this morning.

I'll try to post more pictures (tips, grip, etc.) later.

Ok, pictures done! Left to right; 1970 KM, early Green KM in middle, 2014 KM on right. No, the earlier KM's didn't have quiver bushings, but starting in 71, most if not all had stabilizer bushings on the front.

Jeffer; I apologize for not clarifying more about the grip being "thicker". It does feel slightly thicker to me, but it is in the depth of the grip and not the width (which as you can see in the picture, is slimmer than the older models). It feels good and points well, and is about the same size, just shaped different.

As I previously stated, as this new KM doesn't have the bright high gloss finish of the older ones. I don't think Bear was trying to create a 100% replica of any given year with the new Green KM, but trying to pay tribute to the early 70's Green KM's and include desirable qualitys, such as thinner limbs, better tips, low glare finish, fast flight string and no stabilizer bushings. I like it.

No, I don't work for Bear or have any stock in the company either. Just trying to be objective, which is difficult when I have a thing for Kodiak Magnums, vintage and modern. I like my ladies short, sweet, lean and strong!

"Quiver bushings should be optional! Is there a reason they can 't center the coin in the riser?"

YAY!!!!......Another Bear whiner.

If I remember correctly (please advise me if I'm off a year or two), my older blue stripe KM (in the middle), is a 1974.

If I remember correctly (please advise me if I'm off a year or two), my older blue stripe KM (in the middle), is a 1974. I have it's twin in 52#.

"the coin isn't centered"

SB, don't you constantly complain about the price of Bear products? maybe they should have more options so they have to walk each bow through the chain and spend more man hours on each.

I personally don't like the more option thing as that means more inventory for dealers. I already never have "exactly" what some want. What's the big deal about bushings anyway. They have had one or another for ever. At least you aren't going to get these used with a bunch of previous owner holes in them.

BigjIm

You used to could get any factory option...or NOT! Now they all have stupid bushings in them that look like hell. The quivers that fit them also look like hell, and are heavy and unwieldy. You want holes in a bow...put them in yourself. You couldn't GIVE me any of this crap they're turning out now. This isn't even remotely the company it used to be. I have near 200 Grayling Bears ... so I'm FAR from a "Bear hater". They are allI I shoot and hunt with since the fiftys. This Florida crap dosn't hold a candle to the Grayling products...and is WAY overpriced as mentioned. Wouldn't bother me if this "new" company went out of business.

Love inserts in all my bows, even had Jim put kwikee inserts in one of my Bear TD risers.

The "new" company is doing a great job IMO. All of the Grayling bows I have owned had stress cracks so bad I cringed when I shot them. Had two break on me.

There's a saying about opinions......

I think they should lose the inserts. Plenty of guys don't like them, including me.

SB, I'll give you that you are a dedicated Bear Archery guy but you're also wrong. Way wrong. The stuff coming out of Gainesville is the rival of anything that came out of Grayling. So you can't special order items. Remember when you could order any car you wanted with any options you wanted? Things like that are in the past. Time to get over it.

I've owned around 100 Grayling bows. Owned about 20 Gainesville bows. Sure there are some QA problems that comes with growing pains but the quality is there. The designs are proven, the finish is as good as anything from Grayling and customer service is very good. Plus they listen to bowhunters and are making bows we want to see.

As far as nitpicking on the quiver bushings - I have yet to see a late model green stripes that doesn't have several of them. Wasn't a problem then and isn't a problem now.

"Wouldn't bother me if this (new) company went out of business"......really? You want a company to fail and people to lose their livelihood because you don't like quiver bushings? You need professional help.....and maybe a time machine

I personally like the new Bears a lot more than the old Bears, as shooters any way. I have heard numerous complaints over the years about the square, blocky limb tips on the bears, and then the huge, oversized tips on the newer ones. I hated them myself and have seen numerous bows where the owners have replaced or reworked the tips. I think they are doing a great job on the limbs and tips on the bows in the last couple of years. They are smaller, blended into the limbs instead of looking like an afterthought and are a lot more aesthetically pleasing. A look at the above photo shows the difference in workmanship. The older Bears have a following due mostly to the nostalgia but the newer ones have a following due to performance. The limbs coming out for the new takedowns will hold their own with most any of the custom bows out there. I have numerous sets of both older limbs and new ones for the takedowns. The older ones with their big limb tips, dacron strings and stressed glass are dogs when compared to the newer ones with their smaller tips and fast flite strings. One thing that I can get with the new Bears that I can't with the older ones, besides bushings, is a warranty and outstanding customer service.

time machine..... that's funny.

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