Back in the early '90s, I went to the Vancouver, WA Chapter RMEF annual banquet and entered a silent auction for a custom 63# 28" Jim brackenberry takedown. I 'won', and for $275.00, was awarded a certificate for the bow, yet to be made of course, since it was 'custom'. The one on display was a bit different than the one I was to receive. Mine is vine-green, glass laminated limbs, and quite attractive. It shoots like a charm. Several months later when I went to visit Jim to pick up the bow, I was met with a smile, jovial attitude, and skilled bowyer. The bow was beautiful, and I thought I 'stole' it for the price. Several months after that, I learned that this gifted man lost his life while fishing on the Deschutes River, and that I probably had possession of one of his last handmade bows. Does anyone have one of his bows, and if so, how do you like it?

Love mine. 64" 61#s @28"s, I draw 27"s. Mine is the "Drifter" model.

My father in law has one that is really nice. It shoots great, nice and smooth. I can't remember what the poundage is on it but its around 60#. The grip is a little different for my taste, but it is a great well built bow.

There is quite a following of Brack shooters in Oregon and Washington, but many of us have had to settle for bows by Wes Wallace which are just as good...mayber better...but without the hands on mojo from Jim.

I've looked for an original for years, but it seems the vast majority of his bows for sale were 60# and over.

At the last Western States Rendezvous in Oregon, there was a shoot involving original Bracks and was certainly fun to see all those bows together.

If I ever get back out to Oregon I'd try to make it to a Western States rendevous and bring mine. That would be pretty cool. I'll keep an eye out for this event.

TrapperKayak,

The WSR is a rotating event between Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California and is held over Memorial Day weekend. The 2015 event will be in California and Oregon is due for the one in 2016.

Bring your bow and maybe they will have a similar event.

I have a drifter 55 at 28 it's hard to chose between it and my silvertip made by Paul. Wonderful bow

I bought a legend around 1987 or so and liked it so much I called JIm and ordered a shadow. I figured it would shoot the same as the legend and be more camo for hunting. They both came in at 73 lbs give or take half pound. One thing that impressed me with JIm was he personally wrote you a letter after you ordered to make sure he had the order right. Then wrote you just before the bow was done to let you know the exact finish date. Usually 5 or 6 weeks. Jim always said there's no excuse for taking more than 6 weeks and no excuse for over charging. He hired Wes when he got too busy for just himself and always said he'd hire more if needed. Of course those were different times. I necer met him till a PBS banquet we were both at. He seemed to be one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet. Something I never could figure out was , his bows were just a touch slower than my widows and Shaffers but they hit higher than the others after you passed 25 yards. Even at 60 or 70 yards they seemed to shoot a lot flatter. That made me start to wonder if speed and cast are two very different things. After owning a Brack I never shot my other bows, at all. Till all my bow burned in a house fire. Insurance back then didn't cover "overpriced" bows. Btw his top bows sold for 425 back then.

I rented and shot one back in the early 90's... it had a very smooth draw at 55# and was beautiful. However... the gun/archery shop owner was trying to sell it for $50 less than a new one cost.... and it was a rental bow at that... left strung all the time. I passed... only due to the high price. The craftsmanship was superb.

I didn't buy any more Bracks cause he was gone by then.

One year ago I bought an original, I think, Drifter from RMSG ( Jim's signature is on the bow ). It is a 60#, 64" hard hitting son of a gun. I noticed after shooting it for the first time how this bow seems to "load up" as soon as the draw begins. It is fun to shoot, it does wear me out after about four hours of shooting though. Light in the hand, not as light as some other bows but not heavy, well balanced. The grip fits my hand as though it were made for it. I really do enjoy it. The drifter is not a fancy looking bow, but that fits my personality, and the matte finish is perfect for hunting. Eric

Just a heads-up: Someone might be able to get some of Jim's handiwork from beyond the grave, as it were. When I visited Bill Howland (runs Brackenberry now) in Spokane this fall, he had a whole drawer full of old risers,and I think some of them were even made by Jim. Bill was a great guy to talk with, and even though he has his own ideas about how a riser should be made, you might talk him into connecting you to something Jim once made. Can't hurt to ask...

I have an original Brackenbury Legend signed by Jim. It has 3 sets of limbs: 1)#66@28" 66" long, 2)#59@28" 66" long, and 3)#41@28 64" long. Incredibly smooth shooting,good looking bow. The 66" length makes the heavier sets feel a good 5-7 pounds lighter than they are. The bow is currently on loan to a friend who is getting started in traditional bow hunting. He draws 30" so he is pulling the light limbs to #46. I figured it was a perfect setup to cut his teeth on. Light draw and super stable at 64"

I have an original brown Drifter. 66" long with 3 sets of limbs. The first set is 60lbs@31", the second set is 61lbs@30"and the third set is 53lbs@30". I bought the bow in 1986.

I now shoot a longbow and plan to sell the Brackenbury. It's a great shooter, quiet, smooth to draw @66", and quick.

My DRIFTER bought in 1980 from Jim was my first custom recurve. 2 sets of limbs which are now too heavy for me. Just had Wes make me a set of 45# which are great. Will never part with it.

Bought one used, liked it, but yhe guy I got the Drifted from begged me to sell it back to him as I had orders. Wish I still had it

Thanks you all for your posts. Those are some nice tales and all positive, save for the end of GLF's post. I feel for you friend, that is an awful thing to have happen. Sorry about losing your bows and whatever else you lost. That house fire I'm sure was very distressful. Everyone seems to love their Brack bows. My bow is also very smooth, and the 64" has alot to do with the ease of draw at 63#. I will actually be taking it out this afternoon for a short hunt behind the house. Last three days of late bow here in central NY. The snow is 8" fresh, and still falling. There should be some less-wary deer looking for feed in the latter part of the day as it has been cold this year. Blackhawk, thanks for the info on the WSR. I really need to make one of those. Pasquinel, you sure you want to sell that??? You guys with those bows with multiple sets of limbs, you really have a good thing there. Wish I had ordered a couple more sets back then. But I like mine - at least I have one so I'm happy.

If I got it right, the Jim Brackenbury Bow display from the Western States Traditional Rendezvous should show up. Unfortunately, the photo was taken late in the weekend after many of the bows were claimed by their owners. You might be able to see a tag on each bow with specifics and approximate date of manufacture as close as Wes could pin it down.

Traditional Archers of Oregon will again host the event in 2016 and if a repeat of this display is on your bucket list, we could certainly entertain that idea.

As for owning an original Jim Brackenbury Bow, I have some good news - one will be available at the Traditional Archers of Oregon Annual Banquet, 24 Jan, 2015 in Silverton, Oregon, at live auction. The donor requested that all proceeds be used to fund the Black Rose Traditional Archers Kids Bow Program started by Wes as noted in the link on the auction announcement. The information can be found at http://www.taoregon.com/jbb auction.html if my link goes missing.

We here in Oregon all appreciate the kind words about a really great traditional archer.

Rich

Darmah SS, thanks for the info. I would love to make it out there for WSR since I have drifted away from bowhunting some and want to reconnect with it and the folks involved. I have already got a two week trip scheduled near that time so it might have to be put off - ouch. I live across the country now, but my wife would love it if I booked a flight to Oregon - she loves it there too. Just not the best timing. I must have a pretty special weapon though (its a Shadow btw) if there is this level of interest in Brack bows. I will post a pic of it soon. I'd love to see some of the ones other shooters have - so I will keep this possibility open or check for future shows -thanks.

Yup! Got one!

Barry at Lefties-r-us sold me an original Drifter back in the spring of this year. I told a friend that they no longer build quivers to fit the belly of the bow. So, he gave me an original Brackenbury quiver.

I really enjoy shooting it. It's one of the finest bows I own.

I think there are still some quiver options that will work. I like that feature, one of the reasons I selected a Wes Wallace many years ago. Still have that one, but Jim was already gone at that time. Have had people glance at it though and ask me if I liked my Brack.

I had one of the last bows jim built, legend 66# 66"LH brown glass. Great bow but I had to quit shooting heavy bows twelve years ago after back surgery so it hung on the wall. Then one day I thought Jim didn't build this for an ornament, so I sold it here on the leatherwall. One of the nicer recurves made in my opinion. Carl

I have a Legend I would like to sell 58# 66". I shot 3 bucks with it in one weekend 2 whitetails and an antelope. It is a great shooting bow but I didn't like the long length , I tried a 60" and couldn't get to full draw.

Did Jim B. ever make a one-piece recurve? If so, does anyone out there in Archery Land have a photo they could post?

I've got a Drifter. I bought it used from a buddy of mine who got me into traditional after 25 or so years of compounds. After I got it, I started reading about Jim as he was already gone. The reading introduced me to Larry Fischer. Funny how a bad day can go away just by shooting this bow. I've not owned another bow so I don't have anything to compare. If I do ever get to buy another, it will be a Wes Wallace.

I have a Drifter I bought here in the classifieds, but it is not an original. Not many LH 66" originals pop up for sale !

I have a Drifter I bought here in the classifieds, but it is not an original. Not many LH 66" originals pop up for sale !

I had one of the last ones Jim built. A LH Legend with 2 sets of limbs 62". That is one of the bows I sold and would like to find.

My dad and i each have a drifter from 1990 or so. Think we paid 250.00 or 275.00 each for them. I have 55lb at 66inch and another set of limbs at 62 inch. I have killed a lot of nice animals with it. Always think i need a new recurve but i really like that brakenburry. And they are special in my mind.

I have a Legend I bought out of a Pawn shop last year, paid in the high two digits for it. its was like stealing.

GOLDENTROUT_one

Good question (one piece recurves)?

I asked Wes if they ever built any one piece bows and he related that they built a few just before Jim past.

The only one he knew the where-abouts of is owned by Dave Doran (Archery Past).

Merry Christmas Rich

p.s. Was looking through some old photos the other day and found a shot of Jim's Blacktail buck while it was on display at the St. Charles/P&Y Museum in Seattle. Not sure of the exact numbers but ~145!! Nice Buck. A friend that was walking down "my road" after a morning hunt recounted the story in Traditional Bowhunter shortly after Jim past.

Have a 1990 Brack Legend,my first custom bow.Also two of Wes's Mentors.

I had a Legend that was made the spring of Jim's death. In 1999 someone stole it out of my pickup. If anyone runs across a gray one with the name "Dave Mininger" on it.. I'd like to here from them. Dave

I bought a brand new Drifter in 1986 for $200. 64" 62# @ 28" Hunted with it for 20 years.

Nice shot! Miss those blacktail bucks (and the sheds) - they are special animals. Oregon, what is the design on your limbs? Do you still have it, and can you post a close-up? That bow looks very nice.

TrapperKayak...the old Drifter had dark brown glass on the limbs, so I painted over it years ago. I removed the paint and put snakes skins on the back of the limbs after I bought my new Blacktail. I still have the bow, never get rid of it.

I tend to just buy a bow and it becomes a part of me! :)

The sheds on the ground are my rattlin antlers.

A bull elk I killed with the Drifter in 2002.

Remember Jim's brochure and the Gray Shadow he was holding? I wanted one bad back then but it didn't fit into the budget with two young children.

Twenty five years later I had current owner Bill Howland build me a Quest that looks just like the old original Gray Shadow. I got it in "old man weight" of 45#. I should be able to shoot this bow 'til the day I die.

My first Brack was a 65# Drifter made by Gordon Porter. My second one was a 50# Quest Hunter from Bill. It's too bad when the bows you shot in your 20's can't be shot in your 50's without serious consequences.

There is just something about the shape and how smooth the limbs blend into the riser. And the grip! I never felt a grip that was so perfect. Brackenbury owners know what I mean.

Although I never had an original I am pretty happy with my new one. It's the bow I always wanted.

Yup have one. 64" #65 Legend. Proven moose killer.

I purchased an original back in the spring. It's a Drifter 61#@28. Bought it from the second owner whom has it about 20yrs. Its a beautiful bow, shoots well. Trouble is... Second owner used thinner or something to remove original owners name and initials on limbs. The rest of the writing on bow is intact. "The drifter". Made especially for ????? By Jim Brackenbury. Now I'm sure it could be "repaired", but what to have put in its place?? Wasn't made for me, so I feel that is not the right choice.... So what to do?? (I'd Like it to stay as original as possible) Any ideas?? Thank you in advance! Wallbldr

Here is a picture of the Jim Brackenberry Legend that I just got from my father in law. It is 64" and 61 @ 28".

Jim's first attempt at bamboo longbow he started for me and then passed away and Wes finished

this is my Brackenbury legend 66 inch at 64 pounds really love this Bow!

I have an Old Timer, 68" 56#@29".

I had a "Grey shadow" model, but that bow was made by Gordon D. Porter. He made that bow for me and was simple beautiful...64" 70lbs @ 30". The bow shot like a dream and really you don`t feel the 70 pounds on your arm. ZERO hand shock, ZERO Stack and pure beauty. Some years ago A tremendous bad economical situation comes to home and I had to sold it with all my archery equipment. I´ll try to save some money to buy a Wes Wallace recurve. Happy New Year for all of you guys. All the God´s blesses for you and your families.!!!

Never shot one of his bows but his wife Linda makes my bowstrings .

Never shot one of his bows but his wife Linda makes my bowstrings .

Here is the thread I started in December about the Brackenbury bows. I stuck this on so I could shoot vanes. Wet weather in SW WA was the main reason.

I have a Legend signed by Jim. The flemish string about 25 years old and still ok. I have waxed it very often. The bow is very beautiful, looks like new. #62 and getting a bit heavy...

Mine is still with the original string too. It's fine as far as I can tell. Waxed too. They are handsome bows and shoot very smoth. Mine's 63# @ 29", 64".

I have an original Legend, ordered from Jim in 1992 at the Wheeling PBS Gathering.

I have a Legend ordered from Jim at the 1992 PBS Gathering at Wheeling, WV. 60",60# & 62#, and original bow quiver. Will sell complete set and leather take down bow case for $650.00 plus shipping. Jim Lindner Athens, Ohio [email protected].

ive 3...58"..65@27"......66" 66#@29" and 62" 72#@28".....all shoot hard and straight...and quiet

drifter legend and quest......

The first custom I ever bought I bought from him for somewhere around 180.00. He was a very nice guy, he loved long recurves. I had no idea what I was doing and called him probably around the first week in December and explained I was buying myself a Christmas present from my future wife. Well he told how the bows were made to order and he could never get it to me on time. It was all my fault but he kept apologizing and telling me how bad he felt, well sure enough 2 or 3 days before Christmas I received a box from Him with my bow

Bullelk and barebow, got pics to show? Would love to see them. Greg, honorable man wasn't he? When I picked mine up he talked for over an hour about building 'em and taking care of 'em.

went by his old shop today ,here is a picture of the old shop where the Brackenbury bows were born.

I have one of Wes' Partner recurves that I bought in the early 90s. Has two sets of limbs, 49 and 54#, all at 62". I've killed a truck load of deer with that little recurve and everything else I own would go before I would part with it.

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