# amf wing archery?



## fisher-of-men

*amf wing archery*

I just read an article about wing archery in the magazine "Traditional Bowhunter" Dec. Jan. 2006 issue. Says the man who started the company ended up getting out for a time. And AMF bought it up (same people who messed up Harley Davidson- I think) the rep went downhill if I read article right. But now that man and his son are back in control, things should get better. Article called "the history of Wing Archery"
 thats my 2 cents worth


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## Dale Weiss

*Wing Archery*

This company was started by Bob Lee. They are back in business. Wing bows are collectable, but the AMF bows are not worth what other Bob Lee bows are because of the quality and workmanship. Your bow was made sometime after 1969. Hope that helps in your search.


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## tbarefoot

Davisjl1 said:


> my girlfriend's grandmother just recently found a bow b/c she knows i am wanting to get into bow hunting and i am just wondering what the bow is. on one side is says amy wing archery and on the other it says Frank Ketchum Compound. its deffinately not a hunting bow b/c it is all white. is this bow worth trying to sell? if so about how much can i get for it?
> 
> Thanks
> Jacob



Hi Jacob;

I just saw this article tonight (3-27-2016). My first bow was a Wing Thunderbird in 1978, and it was indeed made by AMF Wing, not Bob Lee. The designer, Frank Ketchum was a member of Redding Straight Arrow Bowhunters in the 1960's and '70's, and a top shooter of the day.

As the history has been related to me by Matt Severtson (another Straight Arrow member who knew Frank), Ketchum designed the Thunderbird for Wing. But when Frank recommended they make the riser handle thicker due to the problems with potential breakage, AMF (as they did with many other sports and leisure companies they bought up and managed) did not listen to him. Thus, the Thunderbird had a reputation for breaking in half due to an sub-standard riser strength.

How do I know, you might ask? That Thunderbird that was my first bow that I mentioned broke right in half at the riser on me in the summer of 1979. It had less than 1000 shots on it and I was fortunate I was not seriously injured. I got the rest of the story from the older members of the Redding club after that happened (and I bought a Hoyt recurve Olympic bow). If you still have the bow, it is rare, but I STRONGLY ADVISE YOU DON'T SHOOT IT. The decision, of course is yours.

Thomas Barefoot


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## Unclegus

I remember the Wing well. I was a barebow shooter back in the seventies and lot of the barebow shooters shot the 58" wings. the risers were sure bad about breaking. Wanted one till I saw a few people get their bell rung with them.


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## TNMAN

I shot the 4 wheel Wing Presentation II most of 1978. Shot the 2 wheel Thunderbird for a week and sold it. Several of us met Pete Shepley at his Illinois factory Saturday morning, the day after Outdoor Nats/Aurora that same year, and he had a guy come in and build us new Lasers. Spray painted the Wing and gave it to my Daddy for a hunting bow that fall. Shot my first 550's with that Laser in 1979....good scores way back then.

OP, the bow is a nice wall hangar. Worth maybe $50. I wouldn't want to shoot it now, but would truly like to feel that young again.


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## flytru

I have just acquired a late 60s Presentation ll with 34 and 35# limbs
What a great old shooter. heard they were top in their day too


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## oldpro888

Had a 70" C2 slide lock recurve in the early 70s. Absolutely beautiful bow. Wish I still had.


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## ILOVE3D

tbarefoot said:


> Hi Jacob;
> 
> I just saw this article tonight (3-27-2016). My first bow was a Wing Thunderbird in 1978, and it was indeed made by AMF Wing, not Bob Lee. The designer, Frank Ketchum was a member of Redding Straight Arrow Bowhunters in the 1960's and '70's, and a top shooter of the day.
> 
> As the history has been related to me by Matt Severtson (another Straight Arrow member who knew Frank), Ketchum designed the Thunderbird for Wing. But when Frank recommended they make the riser handle thicker due to the problems with potential breakage, AMF (as they did with many other sports and leisure companies they bought up and managed) did not listen to him. Thus, the Thunderbird had a reputation for breaking in half due to an sub-standard riser strength.
> 
> How do I know, you might ask? That Thunderbird that was my first bow that I mentioned broke right in half at the riser on me in the summer of 1979. It had less than 1000 shots on it and I was fortunate I was not seriously injured. I got the rest of the story from the older members of the Redding club after that happened (and I bought a Hoyt recurve Olympic bow). If you still have the bow, it is rare, but I STRONGLY ADVISE YOU DON'T SHOOT IT. The decision, of course is yours.
> 
> Thomas Barefoot


Funny both you and UNCLEGUS had seen the same results of the wings breaking in half at the riser. I purchased a "Redwing Hunter 58" in 1970 and still have it as does a very good friend of mine who I still see on a regular basis. We shot on the same league at the local archery shop and both still have ours. Although we still take them out now and then they still work just fine. For me it was my first new recurve and has some sentimental value to me probably that's all. I also had another one by wing, a 62 or 64" model and I can't remember which but never had any trouble with it either. I traded it in the archery shop for my first compound, or part of one that is.


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## carlosii

Had a Wing recurve back in the late 50's early 60's. Great target bow that I should have never let get away. Mine was, as I recall, 35# and my younger brother had a 25#, both of them target bows.

Two more bows I wish I had kept.


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