Just wanted to share with ya'll that I ordered my first custom bow while at Compton. A Kestrel from Mike at Wild Horse Creek. Bow will be 58" 52@28. Myrtle veneers over Red Elm cores, Myrtle and Wenge riser, Beavertail over locator grip. The Kestrel is a mild R/D longbow that does not string to a D.
Prior to heading to Compton, I had done alot of research here in PowWow on Mike and his bows and was hearing alot of great things. Shooting his bows (ALOT!) and talking with Mike and Suzie last weekend only confirmed everything I had been hearing. Great people making Great bows!
So now the three to four month wait begins.
WHC owners, please chime in with your thoughts (AND PICS!!!).
Thanks,
Andrew
Shot 1 in Kansas a few weeks ago,it shot great.Congrats on a good decision.
Mike lives near me,(by Kansas standards.. ;) ) and I went over and bought one of his Hawk bows a couple weeks ago. 44#,bamboo core with flatsawn elm on the back and quarter sawn elm for the belly.
He is an amazing Craftsman and his bows shoot and look great!
I have a few of his bows and they are all great nows cant go wrong with mike
Ive shot mikes bows, very nice and especialy like the kestrel.
Mike makes some fine bows. Two in my corral.
I had mine make me a 60" kestrel with maple cores and Osage. Veners and cocobolo in the riser with the beaver tail grip, it is 56# @ 28". The best longbow I've ever shot, my one and only longbow love! Great choice sir 8-)
Mine is a 54# @ 28" 60" Kestrel, Cocobolo and Osage riser, limbs are honey locust core with Cerejiera Crotch veneers. The osage has darkened nicely since these pictures were taken. Also found a used Hawk that is very nice too. Even bought the wife a Mariah recurve earlier this month at the Topeka, Ks shoot. Can't go wrong with a WHC!
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc452/ghermon/100_2386.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc452/ghermon/100_2387-Copy.jpg)
Good choice Pokerdaddy, A fine bow.
Is it white horse creek or wild horse creek?
In any case I like the way his bows look, they look as if I would enjoy shooting them.
Hope you show us pictures when yours is made.
Thanks Charlie. Two of my pet peeves are typos and poor grammar (to instead of too), even more so when they are my own errors!
Good tough bows and a great guy in Mike.
Mike
QuoteOriginally posted by Cyclic-Rivers:
Is it white horse creek or wild horse creek?
In any case I like the way his bows look, they look as if I would enjoy shooting them.
Hope you show us pictures when yours is made.
It's Wild Horse Creek.
And it is a real creek in Jefferson County,tho a bit dry this year,it's the next one west of Buck Creek.. :)
Mike builds an awesome bow. He was at our rendezvous yesterday and I know he sold 3 more for sure with another guy on the fence. I would not hesitate to get one from him if I was looking for another.
I have several of his bows including a rare 2pc. His bows are works of functional art and shoot awesome. His Kestrel is the R/D and the Hawk is less so. He holds a shoot every spring at his place for WHCBow shooters. Someone always walks away with a new bow he puts up for the winner. My brother won it this year.
I met Mike at the Kansas shoot and saw his bows. They sure do look great. He offered to let me shoot the one of my choice, but I got so busy that I never got around to it. I am also on the fence................ May have to get one of my own!
WoodsyDave
I finally got off that same fence Dave and I am glad I did... :)
Just got a call from Mike this evening. Only six weeks after ordering he was able to put a string on her today! Roughly two more weeks to finish and she'll be making the move to Michigan. Super excited to see my first custom bow!
You won't be disappointed!
Yep, a light,smooth and fast bow...well made by a heck of a nice guy.
Mike is ok, I mean he is super nice, but every time he comes by to go fishing, I never get the invite? Probably says more about me than him!
LF
Can anyone tell me how to get in touch Mike,I've googled it and nothing coming back?
Nice one, Leftyfred, I'll remember that. By the way, Pokerdaddy's Kestrel has some of that special myrtle I had you send me as limb veneers...pretty stuff.
--Mike
cbCrow - I sent you a PM.
--Horsey
It's here! My first custom: a Wild Horse Creek Kestrel by Mike Dunnaway. 58" 53@28. Myrtle and wenge riser, myrtle limbs over red elm cores. Black micarta, myrtle and wenge tips. Brown beavertail grip. Mike also includes a custom arrow footed with the riser woods, and I also had Mike send some knife handle scales made from the riser wood.
I just got her tonight, but I've already put about 100 arrows through her. So far she's liking 29" GT 35/55's with 225 up front, and 30" 2117's with 175 up front. I haven't yet moved the nock point from where Mike had it and I took the brace height to 7.5" and started getting to know her.
At first glance the grip may look different than most other longbow locator grips...because it is! I'll be honest, for the first few minutes I was contemplating having Mike reshape the grip, but after spending a little time with her I'm really liking it. It is just simply different from my other locators, but still gets me to a comfortable, repeatable place.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/amzlongbow/078.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/amzlongbow/077.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/amzlongbow/070.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/amzlongbow/071.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/amzlongbow/073.jpg)
Looks sweet! Good luck with her! :thumbsup:
Looking good, especially the veneers. Have fun and congrats.
Sweet lookin bow man, I love mine and wouldn't trade it for the world. You made a great choice, enjoy!!!
Great looking bow. I know you will enjoy it.
Nice looking rig! I love mine as well. I'm only about 20 minutes from him and he is on the way to one of my new prospective hunting spots. That may not be good for my wallet. :banghead:
I shot my Hawk at the Sunflower Games last month and got a gold medal in the 3D competition with it.
Go Team Wildhorse Creek..! :)
Mike makes great bows! Looks like you have a great one.
I have one of the rare t/d longbows that has taken a lot of animals and will never be for sale. Good luck with yours!
Thats a Beauty!! Congrats!! :clapper:
GREAT choice of woods. If I had a "style" that would be it. How you liking the short longbow compared to all the longer ones you've been shooting lately?
Good looking bow P.D. rat'
Mike, Glad you like your new Kestral! I met you at Mike's Booth at Compton's when you where ordering that bow.
I was pretty sure you would like it! I love mine.
Kevin
This bow is a beautiful, deadly work of art. Unfortunately, between the time I ordered it and now I've fallen in love with 66" mild R/D longbows, and I just can't seem to get used to shorter bows again. I'm listing this one for sale in the classifieds, hoping she goes to a good home.
Mike and his bows are top shelf, but I'm just not a 58" shooter at this time. I'll definitely try out his Vision and Hawk models next time I see him.
Andrew, Saw that you are getting a longer bow when I was in there today. I ordered another 58" Kestrel. Got to see a couple of my buddies bows while I was there. So, I snapped some pics and will rub it in that I got to hold them first. HAHA
Mike is an upstanding dude. Except when he roped me into some manual labor while I was there. LOL :laughing:
That's a real purty bow, with nice lines, and the grip looks great, too. Hope she's a real shooter for you!
thats a beautiful bow, congrats