I was lucky to win the bid on the PBS auction for a Big Horn recurve donated by Biggie Hoffman. He said he wasn't sure of the age or who made it. Is anyone out there a fan of Big Horns.....??? This bow is 64" 48# @ 30" and made for Tony Van Dort. Real nice shape, Biggie said he used the bow as back up on many of his hunts all over the place including Africa. Any info on Big Horns would be cool. There is a photo on the auction site, forum #2.... Many Thanks......ron w
Would this be the "Bighorn" Company from 1980s owned by G. Fred Asbell? Good shooting bows. Not the fastest, but consistent shooters and solid craftsmanship. ??
Dan in KS
I have one from the mid 90's. 60" 56@27. A great shooting bow. I also have a Silvertip and a Morrison that are the same draw weight and they all shoot within a few fps of each other.
Yes, the same Bighorn, but this is one from after G. Fred Asbell. Not sure who owned it after that.....I think there may have been a couple of guys. The bow has a great grip, is very smooth drawing. You don't seen many this light in poundage.
Ron,
That bow was made for me. The first bighorn recurve I hunted with was 62" Absel era (curved limb bed) in the mid '80s.
The bow you have now has made blood up in Northern Michigan during the early and late Whitetail seasons...last kill I nailed a fat forkhorn.
Man...brings back some good memories!
Send me a couple pics...I'll post them. Would love to see it again.
(http://i.imgur.com/DdWmnF4.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/QPvV4IN.jpg)
Wow that's neat.....I will get a photo to you. I plan to hunt it next fall in the Adirondacks. I just got today via UPS, will shoot very shortly. Biggie Hoffman took real good care of it.
Sad that no one continues these bow designs.
They were very solid bows.
I think King Cavalier took over from G. Fred Asbell than Ron Maulding and at the end one of the Nelson brothers , but I could be wrong.
I own two Bighorn Ramhunter longbows (both from after Fred sold the company). I then had a Ramhunterlongbow built for my son by Ron Nelson from Johnstown, CO (if memory serves me correctly). He sold bows on the auction site.
It was also a great shooting bow. I believe the Nelson brothers worked for Fred Asbell when he owned the company. Ron's brother (his name escapes me) passed away and I think Ron wound up selling the company to another owner, but they soon went out of business.
All that said, to say you should really like that bow. They were good shooters!
Mike
I think I was wrong above, when reffering to Ron Maulding.
Glenn Nelson was Fred's head bowyer for a period of time up until Fred later sold the company to King Cavalier (KOM) around '91-92 . Glenn's brother, Ron Nelson, also worked for Bighorn as a bowyer. The Nelson's left Bighorn at some point at or after the sale to KOM.I think they started Bowyers and Fletchers.
Glenn Nelson then went on to later build bows under the name North Star .I had two of them more or less Bighorns IMO.
Bighorns were made by KOM up until sometime around 2003 when Bud Boker purchased the bow making business. Ron Nelson worked for Bud as a bowyer up until Bud's death.
:archer2:
I shot a BigHorn for many years. Mine was built by Fred in fact I own three of them. In the day they were considered one of the top bows. Very Very smooth drawing bow. They shot extremely well they hit where you were looking. (hang onto the bow they are starting to become hard to find)
Bill
When I decided to order my first custom bow in the late 80s I looked at what all the high profile hunters were shooting in their archery mag articles. A large percentage of them were shooting Bighorns so I decided this bow was what I wanted.
Wonderful bow, I shot it well. I ended up with three sets of limbs for it, I started light and went heavy.
When I started making selfbows in 96 I knew I couldn't commit to them unless I got rid of my Bighorn so I sold it and all the limbs.
My selfbow journey has been rewarding, I never regretted selling my Bighorn but it was one mighty fine bow.
All good info......I was messing with it last night and I noticed something. Having hunted with my B riser Bear T/D most of this season this Bighorn feels a lot like it. Should make it easy to get familiar with.
Yes, the originals were shooters!
Saw a photo of Byron Ferguson with one, in the 80s!
Ron, the reason you have a family feeling between Bighorn and Bear is because Fred started to build his bows when Bear discontinued making the Super Kodiak, Asbell preferred bor at that time
Thanks Felix, that explains it.
My first custom bow was a big horn recurve. I bought it from King Cavalier the year G. Fred sold the company. Also my first deer was harvested with that bow.
Cedar shaft dipped in red with red feathers.
I'll never forget that day!!
I can still see the flight of that arrow.
I can hear that deer crash,I remember wondering what that sound was.
I can even remeber the smell of the broken shaft when I found it...
Joe
Bighorns are great bows. I have lots of them:^)
My first custom was an Asbell Bighorn. 66" 65lbs. I shot quite a few deer with that bow. I think it was built for me in 1984. One of my all time favorites.
Killed my first traditional deer with a bighorn when I was 19 yrs old, it started my love for traditional archery. I dont have it anymore it was severely broken as was I on a fall from a treestand the third year I owned it but I loved that bow and it shot excellent, I should get me another :D
Yup... my first custom bow was a 3 piece from Fred's Bighorn era - still have that bow though it's now too heavy for me, won't part with it.
Bought another from KOM but let that one go eventually.
Bought a longbow from Mr. Boker that imploded after a few days and unfortunately right before he passed away.
Tried ordering a one piece from Ron N. when he took on the company but that only ended in frustration.
Always hoped someone else would start building 'em again or that I could locate a nice lefty one piece... love those Bighorns!
It was cold but I had to take the old girl out for a test drive. I'm always amazed when I shoot an older bow on how well some of them perform. This bow is 25-30 years old maybe......and she shoots. Ran some carbons and some cedars thru it and I am impressed. Shoots a lot like my Bear Take down at the same poundage......maybe just a smidge quicker. I think we will be spending time together........ :thumbsup:
I have a curvedbed colorado that I took many whitetails and one elk with. That bow is an extention of my hand. At 65 lbs Its too much. I also have a set of 75 lb limbs for it that I never used. The riser cracked the second to the last year I shot it. I was lucky having talked to Jim Belcher who knew someone with the same riser and sold it to me. I should probably try it again. carefully!!
When I first got back into recurves and away from compounds back in about 1987 my first custom recurve was a Bighorn. I think this was the first year for the flat limb beds. I ordered in an 83 pound 62" take down and Fred's instinctive shooting book. Just about wore them both out!! I ordered a back up at 81 pounds and killed a pile of deer with those two bows with 2315's and heavy cedars from Kustom King.
Over the years I ordered in a total of eight Bighorns. Some from Fred and his guys, some from King Cavalier and my last couple from Bud Boker. About 2004 or so I had issues with the finish on one new bow and limbs delaminating on another and spent 3-4 months trying to get anything done. Then Bud passed away, the problems with Ron are well documented on several forums and out of pure frustration I sold all of my Bighorns and replaced them with Robertsons.
Of all the bows I have owned over the years, which has been more than a few, I think I shot those original Bighorns better than any of the others. May have been because I was slap eat up with traditional archery and shot a ton of arrows during that time period. But I do feel they were one of the most stable and forgiving bows that I have ever shot.
For you fans of Bighorns......should I stick with a Dacron string or can I use modern material? Do I need to pad the loops? :dunno:
Bighorns have pretty substantial limb tip overlays. If it were me, I'd go with a padded loop fast flite string.
BTW, if anyone has a 60-inch, 50# or less one-piece Bighorn, I'd be happy to buy it from you.
My earliest set of limbs were pretty fragile looking. The 2nd set I ordered mid-to late eighties were described as "bomb proof". That (to my knowledge) was still before FF material.
This one I have has tip overlays but they look like just wood, no glass or phenolic. Maybe I'll make a D-97 and pad the loops just to be safe.
My first custom bow was a Colorado bighorn 60" 60#@29" I shot it better than any of the other bows I have owned. It was made for me in 1986.
I sold it to buy another bow. Wish I would have kept it. You rarely ever see them for sale.
I have recently squired a 64" grand slam one piece which I really like only it's a bit heavy for me these days 65# @ 28" great shooting bows
Most of the ones I have seen are always heavy. That's why I decided I needed this one, right in my specs.
I had a 60" 63# take down Big Horn back in the early 80's. The thing kicked like a mule. When I talked to Fred at the Deer and Turkey Expo about it( he used to set up and sell there), he said, yep, that model does have some hand shock eh?
QuoteOriginally posted by ron w:
Most of the ones I have seen are always heavy. That's why I decided I needed this one, right in my specs.
That's why I always liked that bow. I could pick it up anytime and drive tacks with it. I always carried it with me on trips because I figured if I cut a finger or even broke one, I could still shoot it.
Great bow....I wish you the best of luck with it and as I said, if you ever want to get rid of it, I'll buy it back 8-)
QuoteOriginally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
QuoteOriginally posted by ron w:
Most of the ones I have seen are always heavy. That's why I decided I needed this one, right in my specs.
That's why I always liked that bow. I could pick it up anytime and drive tacks with it. I always carried it with me on trips because I figured if I cut a finger or even broke one, I could still shoot it.
Great bow....I wish you the best of luck with it and as I said, if you ever want to get rid of it, I'll buy it back 8-) [/b]
Thank you..... :thumbsup:
QuoteOriginally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
QuoteOriginally posted by ron w:
Most of the ones I have seen are always heavy. That's why I decided I needed this one, right in my specs.
That's why I always liked that bow. I could pick it up anytime and drive tacks with it. I always carried it with me on trips because I figured if I cut a finger or even broke one, I could still shoot it.
Great bow....I wish you the best of luck with it and as I said, if you ever want to get rid of it, I'll buy it back 8-) [/b]
I'll out bid you brother... :wavey:
:biglaugh: