centaur vs griffin

[PAPA BEAR]

this is just my own personal opinion between the centaur and griffin bows.i just thought it would be interesting to hear some opinions from those that either own,have owned or have shot both brands.keep in mind my only experience with centaur is a carbon bow.
1. grip: while the griffin grip is very comfortable the centaur grip is custom fitted to YOUR hand.....centaur
2.smoothness at draw: this is a tough one,they are so close i just cannot call it either way.the griffins i have owned were 64" and the centaur i own is 62" so one would think the griffin would be smoother on the draw due to the difference in length.i wish i had a 64" centaur.this ones so close i cannot call it either way.
3. smoothness at shot: again very close between the two bows.i think though that at the end of the shot the griffin is slightly smoother.again i am comparing carbon/non carbon and a two inch longer bow in the griffin.
4. speed: while both bows are very fast due to the carbon in the centaur it is definately faster.griffin with a 550gr arrow at 60 pounds 30" draw was 198 fps all three shots.centaur at same poundage same arrow was 206fps two shots and one at 205fps.
5. shootability: this again is very close.its hard to compare the two based on the two inch length advantage of the griffins i have owned.that two inch advantage makes a difference and because of that i'd have to give griffin the nod.but:if the centaur was the same length it would be better imho.i'd like to shoot them side by side same length, poundage and same woods and cores.that would be a better comparison.overall if you are thinking about buying either one you will be satisfied with the performance.as far as the waitlist being a factor in comparing the two goes john mcCullough's wait is 24-30 months and jim neaves wait is right around a year.the big difference being john mcCullough makes bows as a hobby so he is under no real pressure to crank out bows.he builds one a week he told me.jim neaves builds bows for his livlihood therefore he builds constantly i am sure.either bow is an excellent choice and you just cant go wrong.
THIS IS SOLELY BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE WITH BOTH BOWS AND BOWS WERE NOT IDENTICAL IN LENGTH AND CORE MATERIALS,JUST MY OBSERVATIONS.            

[xtrema312]

I didn't shoot them at the same time and the griffin was 5# lighter, but here is what I think based on my memory of shooting two 60” bows with a 29 ½” draw.

1. Griffin
2. The draw is a draw.  Maybe the Griffin was smoother, but it was lighter so hard to judge.
3. On the shot I say Griffin. It was more stable and less jumpy in the hand, but a little lighter also.
4. Speed goes to the Centaur, but the Griffin looked real quick and was lighter draw. I had a hard time being consistent with the Centaur.  Sometimes I was real accurate and others I couldn't hit squat.  I didn't have that with the Griffin.  So speed without constant accuracy is no good to me.

[PAPA BEAR]

true true..dont mean squat if you cant hit what you want consistantly.

[snag]

I have a 64" 58#@28" Griffin and a 60" 55#@28" Centaur.  So I can't compare them because they are different lengths and poundage.....haha
Really it would be like comparing apples and oranges. The all wood Griffin feels different than the Chimera carbon backed Centaur. I like both. I would have to chrono them to say one is faster than the other though. That Griffin really throws an arrow! Wood vs carbon....? I can say the Centaur is the finest carbon backed bow I have shot. The grips are different too. The Centaur has that flat spot for the meaty part of your thumb to rest on and be referenced to. I love the way Jim's bow cradles an arrow and has it rest almost right on the top of your index finger. The grip on the Griffin allows for constancy and when you hold it you know the arrow is going to come off of the bow beautifully right where you look.
Two great bows!!!

[cacciatore]

Thanks for the comparisons guys.

[PAPA BEAR]

snag..i sure wish jim neaves made a 66" bow.that grip with a longer bow would be awesome.one can only pray for it to happen.i tossed out some hints to jim but i doubt he will make a longer bow.never know though eh.you have the griffin i am using in this comparison as you know.i actually am getting more consistant groups with my centaur now that i think about it.go figure,both great bows and bowyers.