Can someone with some knowledge of G. Fred and his period of making the Big Horn Bows give some history?
Bows Descriptions
Years he ran the company
pretty much anything you have on the subject!
Thanks guys,
Matt
You may want to bring this up in the collector forums.
Hey Matt,
I posted a similar thread in the Trad History forum, but got no response. I do know G. Fred started Bighorn in 1977 and sold it in 1991. I was trying to get some info, because I traded for a Bighorn 15th Anniversary T/D that has G. Fred Asbell's name on it.
If I figure correctly, a 15th Anniversary bow would have been made in 1992, after he sold the company, so I don't know what the deal is with my bow?
Chris
Chris, very interesting there... Hmm..
I don't know much about the company, and there isn't much out there on the Web on the Asbell days of Big Horn.
Matt, pm sent. Give me a shout when you can.
Shick
Here is a 1981 model. (http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/scotthpics/IMG_0353.jpg) First bow I had made for me.
Matt, enjoyed our conversation. Good luck with the td. Scott, always good to see the older one piece bighorns. Fine looking bow. Happy belated birthday, mine was the 28th.
Shick
glass76... now that's what a hunting bow should look like. Classy bow for sure.
I have a similar vintage 64" model that wasn't the fastest on the block, but danged if it kill about everything I ever pointed it at.
I agree wholeheartedly !!! I had several of these bows.. A couple of the curved bed TD's, a one piece or two and a flat bed TD. The curved bed TD's and the one piece were my favorites. Man, I killed a lot of game with those bows. And darned if I didn't let them all get away. Just as well I suppose, I couldn't draw them now as they were all heavy weights. I hurt my elbow once and borrowed a friends pansy weight set of limbs for a spell, they were 60 @ 28. Most of mine were either 70 or 75 at 28 and I drew 30". Killed game animals quite well..
Asbell owned Bighorn Bowhunting Co from l977 to '83 with a partner, Denny Behn. Fred bought Denny out and owned it by himself until '91. At that time the top-of-the-line Bighorn sold for $395.00.
Are they a hot collectible? Not really...but still a good bow.
As for Fred's partner Denny Behn, he loved the short recurve (around 52"). Is it any wonder that Steve Gorr's 52" Cascade bows have that Denny Behn influence?
The first year bighorn was in business,the one piece bows sold for $120.I ordered this 54" bow the second year and the price had gone up to $180.I'm told they made very few of the 54" ones but I don't know how many that was.The bows had a gloss finish those years.
The year after I got the one piece,they introduced the takedown and the new,dull,textured finish.I got one of those in 56" length and the price was $225.
Denny Behn has been sculpting game head mannikins for the largest taxidermy supply company for quite a few years now.Quite the talented guy.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/jbrandenburg/Bighorn023.jpg)
Just because GFred's name is on the bow doesn't mean he owned the company at the time he signed it.
JimB
That is cool looking bow, love the lines on that one!
JimB Thats one fine looking bow,would love to find one like it.
Bought a one-piece Bighorn LB. Beaut! KNow nothing about it other than it shoots as well as any other straight grip Hill/style bows I own. Round Bighorn sticker on the top belly. Is this the same Bighorn?
A friend of mine from Wyoming made a very popular Hill style longbow before Fred got his company going and called them Bighorns.
His name is Ron Maulding.
Fred's bows were more of a mild RD bow and typically a little shorter than Ron's.
I had one of those longbows and wish I still did although I hadn't figured out how to shoot it which is why I sold it. It was a nice longbow though.
Thanks Charlie. That's it exactly. Real good shooter too & I used it much of this season.
Those Bighorn recurves are sure nice. They remind me of two brands I own: Pittsley Predator and Rose Oak Super Wildcat.
I'm going to break down and get one of the Bighorns though. A fellow here has offered a very good deal on a lefty but it is 62" and I prefer 58 or 60".
I've gotta old beater BigHorn. It's a 2000 model. Let me see if I can find a pic....
(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/joekeithspics/Archery/bows/Big%20Horn/015.jpg)
She's a real good shooter. I've been shootin' her a lot more lately instead of just leavin' her hang on the wall and admirin' her.
How many bows have ya seen with gold leaf on it?
(http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss116/joekeithspics/Archery/bows/Big%20Horn/016.jpg)
I just wish the owner of the company would step up and make it happen, or find someone who would and sell it to him. There's lot's of fine BigHorns out there and the company deserves a "real" owner, that cares.
I have owned numerous Bighorns over the years. I think I have ordered eight custom Bighorns, and bought a couple used. The first ones I bought back in 1989 came as a package with a Bighorn bow quiver and a take down case for $450.00. My first two had 76 and 73 pound limbs. Bighorn was a bit irritating to deal with as when you ordered the bow they said delivery was running 6 months or so... bows came in in about 12 months. But I loved the bows, shot them well and killed tons of game with them. I ordered several different Bighorns over the next ten years or so. They went through a spell for awhile where they were affiliated with King of the Mountain, and you couldn't even get anyone to answer the phone. Most of the bowyers working there left during that period of time. Then in the late 90's or so the company was purchased by Buddy Boker. A heck of a nice guy who bent over backwards to make you happy with your bow and dealings with him. I talked with him at a P.B.S. Banquet and a couple other events and he loved the company and wanted to put it back on top. He bought all of the old Bighorn forms and even rehired some of the older personnel. Sadly, he died while on an elk hunt. After a couple of years, one of the original bowyers, Ron Nelson, bought the company from Buddy's family and started making bows again. Things went well for a year or so, then into the toilet. Myself and several of my friends who all shot Bighorns got rid of them and moved on to other bows. You could order a bow at that time and pay for it in full, wait for a year or more to receive it and when ever you called to check on it you would hear that it was being sprayed then or there was some family emergency that put him behind. At the same time you could go on the auction site and see brand new ones that he was building and listing over there. Didn't sit well with a lot of people.
They are, and have always been excellent bows. I hope someone gets a hold of the situation and turns the company around.
This is about the best photo I have of my old Bighorn. What a shooter!! When I ordered that bow I got a letter from Fred asking if I was sure I wanted a bow that heavy...73# at my draw.
Pretty thoughtful guy.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/coyoterailfence.jpg)
I don't know what happened to Bighorn bows, but I do know that one of the biggest mistakes I ever made was to sell my take down Bighorn. Right up there with selling a bamboo laminated longbow made by John Schulz.
I still remember being amazed at how smooth they were compared to the recurve I had been using.
I'm saving my pennies for a Black Widow take down. It's just as smooth as the Bighorns I've shot, and boy are they pretty!
Jim B,I really love your one piece.
Too bad that such a historical brand has gone to such a end.
They are always been at the top for their period. I still consider my 1999 and 2000 tds as some of the best I own.
Great bows , first recurve I bought when I switched back in 1989 .
Worst thing that ever happened to Bighorn bow company was when King Cavalier of King of the mountain took them over.
Hope someone who wants to run a bow company takes them over . Great bows !!!!!
I never had any of the Custom Bighorns, but had a couple of the Colorado Bighorns. Same curved-bed limbs on a different riser. I always have considered Bighorns to be a true hunting model bow. No fancy woods, colored glass and smooth shooting. I liked them a lot.
JimB's one-piecer is an eye catcher. That's a beautiful bow to own, I must say.
It was my first recurve, back in the early 90's.
An 1980's Bighorn one-piece is my dream bow, I have a newer one right now but, would really like a older one.Any one have one they want to get rid of?
The early Bighorns are really nice bows! I ordered a 64" bow back in April, 1983 from Bighorn. This was my first custom bow. I used it for years, then didn't feel comfortable with the weight of it, so last year I sent it to The Bow Hospital (a sponsor here) and Whip took some poundage off and refinished it. I think this was one of the last bows Joe worked on before selling the company to John Rafferty. The bow came back absolutely perfect. It now pulls 49# @ 28" and is a work of art. This one piece can't be improved on in my opinion.
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Bernie,
How much wait did you have taken off? I have a set of 75# limbs I would like to get reduced.
Thanks,
Doug
DTD - approximately 7 to 8 pounds...
Now I have a very useable bow again!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
I know there is one bower looking into trying to get in on it. He has some impressive bows of his own
Let us hope,it is a shame that such a great Company had this kind of end.
If you send a bow in to be refinished or have the poundage reduced, can you have the limbs refitted for FF strings? I am not trying to hi- jack the thread because i have been looking for a 1980's Bighorn for several years and was wondering about having it made FF worthy. Thank you.
Duncan, generally I wouldn't recommend it, and didn't do it for customers when I had the business. Reinforcing the tip overlays might do the trick on some, but my personal opinion is that if a bow was not originally built for fast flight you are best to stick with the dacron strings. Why take a chance on a great old bow for a few more feet per second?
The Bighorns were not built to be speed demons anyway - they were smooth shooting bows that hit what you pointed them at.
My first custom ordered bow was a Colorado Bighorn, and like many others here, sold it in a moment of weakness and stupidity. It is the one bow that I would buy back in a heartbeat if I ever found it. I'd also love to have a great one piece like Bernie's - that was a sweet one!
Whip,
Thank you very much for your reply.