New Centaur and Review

[Will Cocke 2]

With all the hype you see about centaurs these days I decided I needed to try one.  As if it were fate a spot popped up in the powwow;  someone wanted to sell their spot with no wait.   I have tried more one piece longbows than I care to admit.  Only to find out that they were not for me most were slow, to light mass weight, had noticable hand shock and the grips were TERRIBLE.  So needless to say I had serious doubts.  I gave Jim a call to discuss what I was looking for in a bow. He told me about DARK MATTER.  I was looking for a heavier than average one piece this could be it. The more I began to talk to Jim the more I realized what a truly great guy he was.  He answered all my questions as well as took time "A lot of it" to go over every aspect of my bow with me.  People like Jim are few and far between.  

    Well it was settled.  We had it worked out.  58" Triple carbon Dark matter with XLT lam with a standard grip, slightly deeper finger grooves than normal.    Well on paper we had it settled anyway.  I got to thinking with some of the quality woods he has (some of the best quality exotics I have ever seen) I wanted to dress it up, but still wanted to extra mass weight.  

    Jims phone rings again.LOL    I ask is there anything we can do to have extra mass weight and good looks. He said how about we do a Dark Matter with Bocote scales.  I said sounds like a plan best of both worlds. Only problem I had now was going to be skins; which one that is Timbers or Cottonmouths.  I have a set of each that are hand picked out of all the ones I have traded and sold.  

    A couple days  went by and I get a text from Jim  
   
Later on I got another one
   
Man did I ever start getting exited now One of my favorite woods and some of the best grain I had ever seen Bocote wise.
   
A few more days went by and more pics.
   

   

[Will Cocke 2]

I start gathering shafts and points to do some bare shaft testing and such when it comes.

 

 

 

About a week and a half after the process began I get this  and It Is SHIPPING OUT Today!!!!
 

3 days left until the make or break time. LOL

[Big Ed]

WOW!!!   :eek:

[Will Cocke 2]

Double post

[Will Cocke 2]

Well it arrives. I unwrap it as fast as I can.  First impressions Pleasantly suprised at the mass weight, wrap my hand around the grip.  Personally best fitting grip I have ever felt to date.  The extra mass is all in the riser so it balances and feels unbelievabe.  Time to shoot it.

Bow: 58" Dark Matter Bocote scales XLT Lam Triple carbon

Weight: 57@28 I draw 28

Arrow: 75/95 Gold tip 250 gr point 29.5" long

Brace Height 7"

Time to shoot it. First draw very smooth feels like 53lb bow.  First release of the arrow NO hand shock Dead silent And dead center bullseye.  From the first arrow the grip was best ever and hit exactly where I looked.

   

   

   

   

   

[Will Cocke 2]

Well It has been a month now and I am more impressed everyday with this bow.

57@28 I draw 28
Gold tip 75/95 footed Total weight 585gr. It has a cast of an arrow that will rival the fastest recurves i own and with a slightly over 10gpp arrow I am getting arrow speed of 188 fps  

Grip: best I have felt to date

Draw: feels 3-4 lbs lighter than bows of the same weight super smooth

Hand shock: NONE

Performance: One of the best I have ever shot

Noise:  Dead Silent


Jim is one of the best in the business, and builds the best one piece longbow that money can buy IMO.  Thanks for a great Product.  

DID I MENTION SKINS!!!  I need your help guys which ones Cottonmouths or Timbers.  That is if I can turn it loose long enough to get it skinned.

[Longbow917]

Very nice looking bow, absolutely love the bocote!  Dark Cottonmouths would look phenomenal.  Here is my son's maddog with cottonmouths over brown glass.  I love the dark look it gives!  

[4dogs]

Very nice. I have two of Jim's bows and agree with everything you say about him and the bow.  

[Longbow917]

Will- I am curious about the noise with the Centaur.  I had a Shrew CH carbon and couldn't get past that certain noise that comes with carbon, just a different sound.  I know I was probably just hyper sensitive to it, but it did bother me.  Notice anything like that with the centaur?

[South MS Bowhunter]

Will,

Great review, glad you like it as I was worried that with your high standards you might be disappointed, shouldn't have knowing Centaurs and that Jim would do his best to please.

On the skins if you're going directly over the black carbon the Cotton Mouths would look best if you go with Timbers you may want to tint the back of the carbon first a lighter color to bring out the brown tones in the pattern other wise it will be a gray with a little highlights like these Copperheads.  

 

This was my intent and came out great, but if you want  the more natural colors to show have it painted first before applying.

[S.C. Hunter]

Nice looking bow. Looks like you found your bow. We all have a bow that we really like it sounds like most did not fit you and now you have one. Good speed, quiet, smooth, no hand shock, Nice combo enjoy. I have been lucky I guess I have found too many that I like which can be a issue because you have to choose. My Robertson primal styk is a very good shooting bow also. Smooth, quiet, hand shock is not noticeable to me and fast. Mine is 66" 56#@28" but I pull it to 29.5" with a 624 grain arrow I am getting 179 fps avg which is pretty good for a 66" bow and just over 10gpp.

[Will Cocke 2]

John,  Thanks for the heads up in the powwow !!!!   Ha I was a little worried as well!!    I do tend to be rather harsh when evaluating bows.   I have a set of copperheads also stowed away for a rainy day.   Whichever ones I dont use on this one will be on my next one  BW Ebony Chimera.  I have been thinking cottonmouths on Bocote and timbers on it.

[Dirtybird]

Wow!!!  Now I want one. Beautiful bow Will.

[Over&Under]

Originally posted by Big Ed:
WOW!!!    :eek:  

Ill say!...sexy lookin centaur!

[South MS Bowhunter]

And Will that  is a great speed for 10 GPP arrow at a 28” pull!  Blacky report had the Carbon Elite at 194 fps mechanical and 190  with fingers and that was with 9 GPP arrows.

[Jwilliam]

Beautiful looking Centaur !!! Love the grain in that Bocote        I also spent alot of time on the phone with Jim. It became obvious to me that Jim Neaves really cares about his customers. He wanted to know exactly what I was looking for in my bow. When my Triple Carbon arrived in December it was everything I expected and more !!!


Bill

[Lamey]

NICE!!!

[ermont]

The speeds I've chrono'ed from the several Centaurs I've owed show that this is typical of what you can expect. Jim's bows are extremely fast and efficient. I'm not sure how he does it but it's a great design.

[Yellow Dog]

Sweet bow! Love the Dark Matter I Beam. I've found the Triple Carbon to be the smoothest of Jim's bows, feel four or five pounds less than they really are.

[riverrat 2]

DANG! that is a nice,nice Centaur buddy. John Langley's Copperheads look great. I bet Canebrakes or Cottonmouth skins would look nice as well. Jim is a great guy,and always finds a way to raise the bar on himself it seems. Congrats on a World Class Longbow. rat'