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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: GraniteStater on January 08, 2020, 02:33:21 PM

Title: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 08, 2020, 02:33:21 PM: I recently put a deposit down to order myself a Great Northern Fireball. I'm curious to see pictures of different Great Northern wood combinations and models. I'd also like to hear what you like about your bow.

:archer2:
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Trenton G. on January 08, 2020, 09:08:34 PM: I've got a Great Northern Ghost and love it! I prefer a longbow grip over a recurve grip, and this bow provides that, along with the speed of being a recurve. It is very light weight, which worried me at first about handshock, but there is nothing at all when shot.
The wood combos are Osage limbs with a cocobolo riser. I'll try and get a picture up.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 08, 2020, 09:20:17 PM: That sounds like a cool combination. Hopefully you can get some pics up. I've ordered a fireball, but have heard nothing but good things about their recurves.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Mike Burch on January 08, 2020, 09:26:35 PM: I don’t have any pics, but you made a great decision. I’ve owned the Fireball, critter gitter, and super ghost. All have been great shooting bows. Well behaved and very quiet shooters. Fit and finish are among the best. Very simple/classy bows. I love them.

Mike
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Steelhead on January 08, 2020, 09:43:29 PM: I have had quite a few GN.Never the Fireball though.

I like the coco bolo riser and Osage.I think If I got a longbow I would go with Osage and a bamboo core.For looks in the limbs I think the Osage is more handsome than the Hickory,red elm or bamboo.If you choose clear glass.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 08, 2020, 10:24:22 PM: Great feedback guys, I appreciate the input. I'm excited but have to be patient, I think I'm looking at receiving the bow sometime in June.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Steelhead on January 09, 2020, 12:10:32 AM: I would think about the Jacknife T.D.Thats a slick system.

This might look nice.If your Irish or like green?Green riser,green glass,green leather grip and the G.N quiver in green to finish it off.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 09, 2020, 06:50:57 AM: That might be too much green for me! :goldtooth:
I asked Bob about a darker brown for the riser and he said he had a new piece of Shedua that he would be cutting into soon. He said it looked darker than usual. I'm leaning toward a darker brown riser, then doing clear glass with a veneer that is a few shades lighter for a nice contrast. And I think bamboo core as well.

In time as the build approaches I think he is sending me pictures of some different materials. Bob has been super helpful in answering my questions.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Steelhead on January 09, 2020, 11:53:41 AM: The darker Shedua sounds nice.

He has offered pecan veneers in the past.I have only seen them on GN bows.They look very nice and unique and have a lighter background color.But with nice dark speckling that would compliment the dark shedua.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 09, 2020, 01:22:01 PM: That sounds nice, I'm looking forward to seeing what my options are when it comes time. I may ask him about exotic veneers, not sure how much he works with them.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Steelhead on January 09, 2020, 04:59:12 PM: He does not work much at all with exotic veneers in the past that I am aware of.I have only seen him work with the pecan veneers personally.Not sure if he is still doing them.They were nice and I liked that you don't see anyone else using them.So their unique and interesting.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 09, 2020, 06:01:59 PM: Nice, I like veneers that have character. I'm sure he'll have something that I'll love.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: longrifle on January 11, 2020, 09:46:08 PM: Had a fireball with bamboo lams and shedua riser with the jack knife. It was 62” long and was soooo smooth in the draw. Felt like several pounds lighter than it was. I did not like the jack knife at all, the knuckle of the hinge was always giving me trouble, I would not get it if you have not shot one with it.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 12, 2020, 10:02:53 AM: Longrifle thank you for the input! I didn't order the jackknife system because I mostly hunt in state. And your thoughts are reassuring regarding smoothness of draw and lighter poundage feel. My shoulders aren't the best and my intention with this bow is to get a bit longer bow (I have been a short bow guy for years) and make sure it qualifies for legal hunting weight. The plan is to make my shoulder last as long as I can doing what I love and this bow is ordered with that in mind.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Tradcat on January 12, 2020, 09:19:44 PM: I’ve either owned or shot the Bushbow, Lil Creep and Fireball. Of those three models, I prefer the Bushbow. Sure would love to try the Critter Gitter though. Favorite colors are cocobolo, black locust, and or, Osage
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 13, 2020, 06:55:57 AM: The bushbow is a great bow. Trying a bushbow out is what got me interested in ordering from Great Northern. It had good mass weight, was clearly well built and felt 5-7 lbs lighter than its weight. The reason I went with the Fireball was being more comfortable personally with a R/D longbow and trusting in Great Northerns craftsmanship and design. (Also research and getting feedback from tradgang).
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Cromm on January 14, 2020, 06:24:12 PM: Hi, I have owned a Fireball, Ghost, little Creep and an Critter Gitter Special. All with the Jack knife handle. Loved them all but couldn't get on with the grip of the Fireball which is a shame as it was a beautiful bow. I would love to own a Bushbow bit haven't gotten around to ordering one yet. Thanks for your time.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Trenton G. on January 14, 2020, 07:43:23 PM: Here's the picture I promised. Hopefully it works. Cocobolo action wood riser and Osage limbs. I wish I had gotten a picture outside in natural light. It looks much better.
Nice and big so you can really see it well :biglaugh:
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Chain2 on January 14, 2020, 08:10:19 PM: I had a Bushbow. I killed an elk with it. I should have never sold it. I wish I could find it to buy back. It was a jackknife take down. Not one of my brighter moments. Great Bows. Great Company. Thanks Guys.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 15, 2020, 08:11:41 AM: Thanks for sharing the pic! That has a great look, they have such a great classic look to them.

Sorry to hear Chain, you never know if another one may become available. I know that feeling though, I let go of a Thunderchild I never should have.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Chain2 on January 15, 2020, 08:18:59 AM: I asked here and other places for it. It was Osage. Why would an individual sell a bow he shot well and killed an elk with? I’ll never fix anything that isn’t broke again.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Cromm on January 15, 2020, 04:42:07 PM
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Cromm on January 15, 2020, 04:43:22 PM: [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Cromm on January 15, 2020, 04:45:22 PM: [ You are not allowed to view attachments ] [ You are not allowed to view attachments ] [ You are not allowed to view attachments ] [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 15, 2020, 06:35:22 PM: Very nice Cromm! That looks like a Fireball, is that correct? Also nice veneers, not sure what they are but very sharp.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Cromm on January 15, 2020, 06:40:25 PM: [ You are not allowed to view attachments ] [ You are not allowed to view attachments ] [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Cromm on January 15, 2020, 06:41:36 PM: Yes it's a Fireball and I will look up the woods, it was a beautiful bow.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 16, 2020, 04:51:55 PM: Nice, I've never seen a Fireball from those angles. I really like the overall design. The veneer reminds of waterfall bubinga. But I'm not really good with woods.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Cromm on January 16, 2020, 06:05:26 PM: [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Xander on January 18, 2020, 12:41:41 AM: Just picked up this 1992 Critter Gitter, 64", 51#@27". Rare that it does not have a shelf cut. All osage and clear glass.

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Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 18, 2020, 09:16:13 AM: Very nice Xandar! The shelf not being cut makes that a unique bow. How does not having a shelf effect your arrow choice? I've never owned a bow with no shelf (except a poorly made self bow I made out of a green oak on my property).
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Xander on January 18, 2020, 11:39:44 AM: Quote from: GraniteStater on January 18, 2020, 09:16:13 AM
Very nice Xandar! The shelf not being cut makes that a unique bow. How does not having a shelf effect your arrow choice? I've never owned a bow with no shelf (except a poorly made self bow I made out of a green oak on my property).

First of all, I like modern arrows, so I shoot carbon fiber. I have not had a chance to shoot this bow yet, but I dont expect things to be bad.

I have a 29" draw and this bow with 51#@27" I should be pulling somewhere around 55#-57#, so standard choice for carbons would likely be a 400 spine left full length. But, now that I need the arrow to bend around the bow, a little softer arrow would help, so 500 spine it is. I could add tip weight to 400 spine, but I think that would be too much.

This bow has a tiny little wood wedge for a shelf, and is also ambidextrous with having it and a leather strike plate on both sides. So, I will likely need a glove for my bow hand as well.

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Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 19, 2020, 06:20:32 PM: I love that it's ambidextrous. The weaker arrow makes sense to flex a bit more around the bow. A glove sounds like a good idea.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Xander on January 19, 2020, 10:11:22 PM: I got to shoot this bow a little today at a friends house after picking up a new string. I shot everything from 340 spine to 600. The 500 with 125gr points and full length did well. First couple shots were without a bow hand glove and it smarts! Grabbed a cotton gardening glove from his garage and it was better. Until I took the glove off and had a bit of feather embedded pretty good into my finger, through the glove! Leather glove, it will be.

But the 500 spine worked very well and allowed me to focus on my form and aim than anything. Have new gold tip blem shafts in 500 spine, got some field points, just need to order feathers and build them!

The string we put on this bow is X99, no silencers. The bow is rather quiet without puff balls and shoot rather quick. No hand shock and is a pleasure to shoot! The original leather strike plate was dried out and started splitting, eventually falling off quickly. Had some fuzzy side velcro I stuck on there and called it good.

So far, loving this bow!
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: Cromm on January 20, 2020, 06:52:11 PM: Xander have you used bindings on the front of the fletchings? Make a big difference with the arrows . I shoot English Longbows and selfbows without shelves without any cutting of the bow hand. Cheers.
Title: Re: Great Northern bow owners
Post by: GraniteStater on January 21, 2020, 06:59:28 AM: Great suggestion on the bindings. Glad your having fun with the bow Xandar.