I have a 1964 Kodiak with one hole on the back side of the riser.From what i have read it is a factory hole for press line up.Have you seen this on some kodiaks?

Is it missing the Bear coin?

How about a picture.

I have never seen a factory hole in one? I had two 64's Both did not have any holes. I still got the one.

4t5 the coin is not missing .The hole is on the back side of the riser ,and would serve no other purpose.A guy a while back had one for sale on ebay that was the same.He explained that it was a press line up hole, and had seen others like it.The hole he showed was in the same place.I guess you could say i am going by hear say,and that can be misleading. .That is why i posted this thread.

I'd like to see a photo of what you're describing, but its not a press hole. In 1964 most of us old farts didnt hesitate to put a drill or screw into our bows for an arrow holder, etc. When Bear and others started offering a multi-purpose "stabilizer" bushing in the front of the riser, I retro-fitted my bows with bushings because it was the best mount for a bowfishing reel.

It just came to me now that it could have had a wrist strap installed with that one hole.That would be the only other other explanation.Keep em flying.

I have seen that hole on several bows and never realized that it could be factory. The ones I'm referring to are about the size of a toothpick or smaller. A couple of months ago I read a thread where someone was claiming that it was caused by a pin in the press that kept the lams from sliding during pressing. I would think that if that were the case, all bows from certain years would have the hole.

I'm more inclined to believe that a clicker or arrow holder being attached is the real reason for the hole.

Without seeing where it actually is located it's difficult to even guess.

So the theory is that the hole was used to align the components of the bow in the form during glue up?

Makes you wonder if that's the case, why there weren't any overlays in that area to cover it. Or at the very least it seems it could have been placed in a an area that would later be covered by the grip.

in my mind i do not think bear archery would send a new bow out like that.

I can not get pics to come up.The reason i posted this. There is a guy interested in this bow ,and i want to be honest to him with all aspects of the bow.Save us both a lot of head aches.Brad has seen the holes several times, so maybe there is something to it.Maybe we will never know for sure unless some one who worked for Bear back then would chime in with the true facts. Good shooting.

I'm not sure what you're talking about. Need a pic.

I've handled hundreds of Bear bows over my time in the sport and I can't recall what you're describing. Not dismissing it because maybe most were clearly taken out with finishing, but I never saw one. Can you post a photo? I know the photo issue is rearing it's head lately.

George i have been breaking my butt all morning trying to get pics up. Kodiak ,i can not get the darn pics to come up.Sorry for the trouble.George a have also handled many Kodiaks over the years, and this is the first one i have owned that is like this with the hole.Brad Lehmann quote "I have seen that hole on several bows"so he has ,but we have not???????????????????????.Still makes me wonder.Not pretty, but hurts the performance of the bow in no way.Stress lines are an on going controversy also.I do not think any one wants them on there bows, but many of us have them, and we still shoot the bows that have them..Oh well, maybe we should just move on.Do not want to get any one in an uproar.Good shooting.

I cant say for certain and sure useualy any holes were done by owners......anyway i really doubt thats a factory Hole !!!

If its lower on the back side of the riser, just below the grip, wrist strap mounting point is probably a good bet. I just bought a bow with one of those, in fact. The other alternative was a wrapped and laced attachment.

Can you tell if there are threads in the hole? I would think an alignment hole would be slick. I really can't imagine a manufacturer leaving a hole showing. Does it have some finish down in it? Seems like a hole that was added after the finish was applied should have no finish in it, except for possible remnants. Is it a hole or a dent/dimple?

I've not been able to post any photos either, get the internal error notice. Maybe try again later. I reduced mine to 500 pixels so I know it's not the size and they are all jpeg. They may be working on the system.

We'll, I'm no expert by any means, but back in 63-66 I worked part time in Bourquin's Archery in Mt. Ephriam NJ, who were at the time one of Bears top stocking dealers and I must have unpacked hundreds of new Bear bows and I don't ever remember seeing any holes other than the bushed holes for stabilizers on some models. But I don't know for sure one way or the other. I'm thinkin someone most likely drilled it.

Hip

If the hole is back side(away from shooter) and just below the shelf then it is for a Nelson arrow holder.

No, the hole is 2 inches from the apex of the bottom limb.I would bet it was for a wrist strap.

Bear had factory leather topped arrow quivers which had a bushing where you describe your riser hole. However, they were around earlier than 1964, and could be seen on many of the 1950's, '61's and '62 bows. Had one on a '62 K Mag and '61 Kodiak, but saw other Bear quivers with different mounting systems without holes by 1964.

Look for two small holes next to the hole you describe, and if they are there, may be an earlier Bear bow quiver was mounted there.

The site is taking photos now.

I will have to try and remember the last bow that I saw it in. It might be a 61 Kodiak Mag that I refinished. It hasn't been very long ago and I haven't worked on many Bears lately. I filled the hole with super glue several times until it was level.

I just remembered the bow and got it down off of the rack. It was the 63 Kodiak Special. The hole is at the bottom of the riser overlay about 3/8" above the point where the glass fades in to the wood. It is about six or seven inches below the shelf and probably six inches below the valley of the grip. I think that it is too low even for a wrist loop. It is just about the diameter of a round toothpick, no threads that I can recall in the hole. It is so small that you couldn't get much of a screw in it. When I saw it I had that thought that "there's that silly hole again.

Seems if that was an alignment hole for while the bow was in the press, it could have been done in such a way that it would have been removed when the final shaping of that area of the bow was done,

Not factory.Nelson.

I don't think the factory would have drilled into the glass overlay. The whole idea about a hole for alignment is a bit far fetched to me. I just can't think of a good reason to put a hole that small in that location. But as was said in prior posts, the guys in those days drilled on bows for several reasons.

I remember that ebay listing. It sounds to me that was just his way of explaining a drill hole! I have never seen a factory drill hole in a 1964.

I remember that ebay listing. It sounds to me that was just his way of explaining a drill hole! I have never seen a factory drill hole in a 1964.

So in my mind that settles it.The hole on my 64 Kodiak is not a factory hole. Thanks for all the info.Keep em flying.

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