i recently aquired ( a gift by a good friend ) an original Brackenbury Drifter by Jim Brackenbury. it is a beautiful bow with darm limbs and a lighter colored, checkerd grip riser. this is my first take down curve. 57#@30' and 66 inches. little heavier then i'm use to but shoots like a dream, very smooth. i plan to use it at 3d shoots this year. it is a beautifull, smooth bow, i'm very, very happy with it. was wondering about brace hieght and anything else you could tell me about this bow, its history and so on. will post pic's later.
I too bought an original Drifter several years ago, and mine has 2 sets of limbs (51# and 61#). It is signed to an individual, and I contacted Linda for the history but she couldn't remember much about that person now. I often wonder where all that bow has been.....
I have to brace mine pretty high, as much as 7-8 inches, for best arrow flight. I feel an obligation to fit it with Linda's custom flemish strings, which she still makes.
Hi Ken,
I have had several Brackenbury bows and they all shot well for me at 7 1/2 to 8". Great bows, wish I had my original shadow back. I have a Drifter on the rack right now. It's brace is 7 1/2". The drifter was Jims budget priced bow. And they shoot as well as most bows out there.
Rusty
Mine is almost 4 years old now and love it,made by Bill and probably using the same form design as the older ones (correct me Bill if I'm wrong).
Sweet spot at 7 5/8" brace height.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/udboss2/100_0159.jpg)
Serge
Yaa thats a great bow with some good MoJo.I had a 66 incher with 3 sets of limbs and it was a sweet shootin rig.I had mine at 7.5 inches or so.Only shoot B-50 on those older bracks.The riser is actionwood I do believe and the limbs are actionwood maple I think.i got a spare string thats brand new and made by Linda Brackenbury for that 66 inch bow of yours.Give me your address and I will send it to you for that classic bow.They really do shoot so nicely.Good luck with it
Steelhead,
thank you very much man!! will send ya a pm. also thanks to all the responses, i need all the help i can get. yes it is indeed a sweet shooter!
Ken, I had a Legend many moons ago, If I remember right it was 7 5/8, 64" smoothest bow I've ever shot . I got it right after Jim died , it was made by Gordon.
I have two of them made in the late 80s. I have the 64 inch, both are around 75#. Very dependable and you can kick them around pretty good in Alaska or out west with no problems. They hold their value well. I had another one (55#) I bought for $225 and sold for $475. I set my brace at 7 3/4. Mike
Yes, recommended brace from Brackenbury is 7 1/2-8".
Below is my Brack Drifter made by Jim, it is 68" and 61#'s at 28", 30 yard group:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/BobCo/000_0014-1.jpg)
I have one of the last ones Jim made. I am to old and weak too shoot it anymore :) but it has been an excellent bow. I took a state shoots with this bow, Took a hog in the hill country,Tex, running at seventeen steps. and had many a good time just hunting and shooting. My Drifter has left me with many fond memorys. I can think of a lot of good bows I've had but none better.
I bought a Drifter about 5 weeks ago on archery talk for $90. It is in excellent shape, has a few nicks on the limbs, but not many. Anyways, I contacted brackenbury bows about what brace height I should set it at, he said 7.5". They are a sweet shooting bow.
$90????? i bet ya jumped on that right quick???
Thanks for all the replys, i will do some more shotting this week with the correct brace height, would enjoy a few more pic's if ya have any, i will take a couple this weekend.
Congrats on your drifter Ken. A Drifter was my second bow. I shot it well too. Good Luck with your new bow.
Jim inscribed on my Drifter "The Drifter custom made for George A. Gomez". Anybody know of George A. Gomez? Not my prettiest or fastest bow, but my favorite....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/moose/moose1.jpg)
that would be me
QuoteOriginally posted by George Gomez:
that would be me
Now that is awesome.
He asks if anyone knows you and your first post is the reply... I love it.
Welcome to the Gang and perfect timing!
Had one of Jim's bows and it was too heavy for me, but I still shot it. the guy i got it from had to have it back. I really liked the feel and easy draw-might consider another as it was sweet in the hand
I had a Drifter made by nephew Gordon Porter, and two Quests from Bill. All have that same perfect grip and smooth feel when shot.
I took my Quest for a walk this evening after work. I let a 100yd shot fly at a huge groundhog and just fell short. Many a critter has fallen to my Bracks. :)
I have a Drifter Jim made for me in '84'. Original limbs were 65lbs. I had Wes Wallace make me a 51 lb. set a few years back. Wes can make them the same profile limb as Jim's. Its a smooth shooter. I've had some other high end bows but none I like any better. B/H on mine runs 7 5/8th in. Plan on handing it down to my son some day, but I'm not quite ready yet. Its my go to recurve for sure. Great bows.
Very cool, that was my first "custom" recurve. I believe it was 1989 when I ordered it from Jim. I think I paid around $330! I really wanted a Silvertip but they were $595 and that was big money.... :scared:
Hi George, I am so glad that you noticed my post. I sent you an email; I would love to know the story behind that bow. I borrowed and then bought it from Fletcher in Illinois in 2003, and now it resides in NC. It is still my go-to bow.
I have a legend that Jim made for me in 1987 58' @28 and 62" long still the smoothest I've ever shot and I recently acquired a 66"drifter with 2 sets of limbs 55'and 60' also made by Jim. Joe
QuoteOriginally posted by Jeff Holchin:
Jim inscribed on my Drifter "The Drifter custom made for George A. Gomez". Anybody know of George A. Gomez? Not my prettiest or fastest bow, but my favorite....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/moose/moose1.jpg)
that is a very cool picture Jeff...even with you in it ;)
Good one, Brock...
Ron, that was 10 long years ago. That NH moose was the first of many animals to fall to that Drifter. Wish I knew then, what I know now!
I had been thinking for years about writing a magazine article titled "The Drifter" to tell the parallel stories of how that bow and I have drifted along through the past several decades, until our paths converged. I know my story, how I have drifted from job to job, friend to friend, and state to state. But I had given up learning how that particular bow drifted from Jim's hands way back when to my hands now.
I missed George's phone call today but hope to talk tonight. It will be the highlight of a pretty crappy day. If I can get home before dark tonight, I will string up my old friend The Drifter and shoot some arrows - it will do both of us some good......
I had a nice talk with George and learned some background information my Drifter. He also provide a cool photo of himself with the Drifter back in 1988 in the Sierra Nevadas in CA. But I have forgotten how to post photos here?
I bought a drifter recently, 64" 60lb that says " the drifter made by Jim Brackenbury " is there any way to age these bows? It has no #'s on it except for the length and poundage.
I check this site out occasionally and when I saw this thread I got excited since Brackenbury's aren't talked about very much anywhere.
By the way, this is a great shooting bow. I have my brace height at 7-1/2". Great, great bow, don't see myself selling it....easily.
Eric
QuoteOriginally posted by Jeff D. Holchin:
Ron, that was 10 long years ago. That NH moose was the first of many animals to fall to that Drifter. Wish I knew then, what I know now!
I had been thinking for years about writing a magazine article titled "The Drifter" to tell the parallel stories of how that bow and I have drifted along through the past several decades, until our paths converged. I know my story, how I have drifted from job to job, friend to friend, and state to state. But I had given up learning how that particular bow drifted from Jim's hands way back when to my hands now.
I missed George's phone call today but hope to talk tonight. It will be the highlight of a pretty crappy day. If I can get home before dark tonight, I will string up my old friend The Drifter and shoot some arrows - it will do both of us some good......
Jeff..one thing I have learned is that the journey of my traditional bowhunting life has gave me many more memories in great detail than the few kills that accompanied those same hunts. The journey is worth reliving and remembering...often. Thanks for all you do...
QuoteOriginally posted by drifter2:
Mine is almost 4 years old now and love it,made by Bill and probably using the same form design as the older ones (correct me Bill if I'm wrong).
Sweet spot at 7 5/8" brace height.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/udboss2/100_0159.jpg)
Serge
I've seen Serge shoot this bow.
He is extremely accurate with it, and the bow is dead silent
:thumbsup: :archer:
F-Manny
This thread is a blast from the past... :)
On the riser on my Drifter is written "Custom built for George Kilpatrick by Jim Brackenbury"
It's 61# @ 29".