Cool to see this thread dug up, I love helping with Java Man PR! LOL!
Brian- sent you a reply to your original PM, most of what I said there is here also:
I have never been so 'one' with a bow as I have with this little Elkheart of mine. You know I've owned a bunch of hot bows, and this bow for me ticks more boxes than anything else I have owned. IMHO it is the perfect hunting bow. I really believe the 2pc with Bow-bolt recipe is the secret sauce to what is a great design. I opted for a 1/2 phenolic, 1/2 bocote riser with the Bow-bolt and the mass weight is just spot on. Going all phenolic would surely be just as good perhaps a couple ounces heavier if desired. The mass of the steel Bow-bolt along with the phenolic means this little bow is neither too heavy nor too light. It has a heft to it that does not seem to match with its short length and slender dimensions, and you can feel that all the weight is right in the palm of your hand, literally. I have shot my highest 3D scores yet with this bow, which is crazy because I usually am a better shot with much longer bows. IMHO it peforms like a bow 6" longer easily simply because of the combination of design elements- forward handle, hybrid limb profile, mass weight. I'm no Robin Hood by any means, probably average at best for the most part, but this bow recently has helped me pull of some shots that have blown my mind. One was at the last tournament at my club I went to. I got called out to shoot from the master stake on what was already a long downhill shot on a 3D deer. At the master stake it turned into what had to be a 50 yd shot easy, probably more. I laughed and told the group of guys they were crazy, but that I would try it anyway to get them to stop teasing me. I had been shooting well up to that point and had already shot my highest score to date with the Java. I lined up, put my utter trust in the bow and let her rip. I'll be damned if I didn't nail that deer double lunged textbook from that long distance. Pure moment of Zen. The fellas cheered and several let out whoops and guffaws. I just grinned and shook my head. I was on a roll from that point and did some other great shots that day including a perfect 10 on a running bear target we have that is setup to 'run' through heavy cover along a creek. That one blew me away too.
I credit the design and Gregg's artistry, but mainly I credit my absolute trust in this bow achieved as a result of those things. To me that's a very personal thing, so I can't promise you the same results, but I think with how well the combination performs that the odds are very very good. The other guys seem to have a similar experience which is also promising.
Again, it is without a doubt my favorite bow that I have ever had. I have sold a lot of bows I said I would not sell, but this one hands down will stay. That's saying a lot considering I am a huge fan of bows like Centaurs, Stewarts and Habus to name a few.
Every bow design gives up a little of one thing in order to gain another. Longer for stability at the expense of being handy in the woods, faster at the expense of being quieter, lighter at the expense of being stable. For example, my other current 'favorite' bow- my 62" Habu triple carbon, is a veritable shooting machine, it boggles me how consistent it is, HOWEVER, like so many other bows the trade off is that it is pretty heavy for a 3pc...not too heavy to carry in the field, but definitely becoming wearisome after an all day hike, and not nearly so pleasant to stalk with as the Java Man.
Other shorties like my Stewart Lil Slammer are so featherlight that they lack the inherent stability of a bow like the Java and require far more discipline to shoot beyond anything over 20 yds.
My Elkheart, 'as configured' is without a doubt good out 35 yds, or more as I illustrated. 0-25 where I do most of my shooting it is simply outstanding.
You did not say if you were going 1 or 2pc, that I think will have some influence on the longer distance accuracy, like I said the steel and phenolic really help anchor the bow and stabilize to make it behave like a longer one.
Also, I cannot stress enough how much of an improvement Gregg has made over the Shrew CH's he was building under Ron. The 2012 Classic Hunter I had for a time simply is not the same as my Elkheart. The Elkheart is notably faster, smoother, and quieter.
I have taken the Elkheart hunting twice in the last week or so and it is simply a joy to carry and have as a hunting weapon. The 56" length makes it so handy in the thick hammocks here in FL and the balance and mass give me the confidence to take most any shot that is presented, within reason based on the conditions.
Gregg will deliver. He is just a great guy and working with him on the St. Jude bow was an utter pleasure and we still text with each other from time to time. He went way above and beyond doing such things as letting me pick the specific veneer sheet right down to which portions of the sheet I wanted reserved for the bow's back and which for the belly. He sent me progress pics during the whole build and I have a little album showing roughed out to finished.
There are few bowyers who provide this kind of service. Jim Neaves at Centaur is similar, as are the Windauers at Schafer, and there are others too. Just reinforcing that you are making a great choice.
Topic: 2014 St. Jude's Java Man Elkheart (umm, pic heavy) (Read 1819 times)
