Little Jon Bowstrings and String Making Equipment not only has everything for the string maker, but also a reputation for making excellent strings as well. This review will take a look at a set of custom strings and cables from Little Jon and how well they hold up over a thousand shots later.
Test Setup
The test bow for this review is a 2007 Elite Synergy set at 27″ and shot between 48 and 60 lbs. This bow uses a binary cam system with a string length of 56 1/4″ and cables at 37 7/8.” Little Jon’s sent a set of hot pink and black, BCY 452X strings served with Halo for the testing.
Initial Impressions of Little Jon Bowstrings
Each set of Little Jon’s bowstrings comes with the strings/cables along with some serving string and matching d-loop material (not pictured) which was pink in this case. I thought the matching d-loop material was a nice touch and an easy way to get the bow setup quickly. The packaging was cleanly done with all the pertinent information hand printed on the card.
Straight out of the package the strings measured dead on to their stated lengths. All of the the serving looked well done and tightly packed. After running my fingers along all of the lengths of stings and serving, I could find no inconsistencies and everything looked excellent.
Of course the first thing that anyone would notice about these strings is that they really “pop” with the bright pink and black. The pink is extremely vibrant and I could find no smudging, mixing of colors or any imperfections at all.
Installation and Setup
After double checking the new strings for the correct lengths, I removed the old (and arguably ugly!) strings and installed the new set. I had no issues with the installation and all the loops fit perfectly and everything lined up well. It was obvious that the new strings really added to the look of the bow and completed that entire package. Topping off the setup was a hot pink d-loop from the supplied material.
Once the strings were in place I set the bow to exactly 50 lbs. and headed outside to my range. After 20 or so shots to settle things in, I measured the ATA and brace height at 33 1/4″ and 7 1/4″. A few tweaks to the cables and string later and I had the bow at perfect manufacturer’s specs at 33 5/16″ and 7 1/16″ ATA and brace respectively. Once again I shot the bow a dozen or so times to make sure the twists had settled in to their final positions.
Next was the peep installation. Since this was bow is my wife’s, I slipped the peep into place and had her pull the bow back to set the peep into the proper position. Unfortunately at her peep height, I couldn’t split the colors perfectly and have the peep rotated properly, so I had to move one pink and one black strand to get things centered just right.
Performance over Time
The first order of business with the setup complete was to get the sight set roughly into position. Once again I had my wife help with this since it is her bow. Next I took over and eye-balled the center shot and rest height then shot the bow through paper. Amazingly enough, it took only a couple of tweaks to get the bow shooting bullet holes. After I was satisfied I had my wife shoot it through paper to ensure that everything was good to go.
Usually at this point a new set of strings will have settled in a little and the peep may require a small adjustment. In this case the peep was still dead center and required no further manipulation; which I certainly didn’t complain about!
Next I cranked the bow up to 60 lbs. even and shot several dozen arrows through the bow. Using the chronograph I found that the new strings were netting about 3 fps faster than the older ones. While not a huge amount, every little gain adds up and I was pleased with the result. After my fun with the bow I set it back down at 48 lbs. which is where my wife wanted it for indoor 3D leagues.
Fast forward a couple of months later, along with well over one thousand shots through the strings and it was time to check the specifications again. During this whole time the bow has been in the car in sub-zero weather, shot inside, outside, in the rain/snow and mostly for indoor 3D.
This entire time the peep has not budged the tiniest amount. After measuring the ATA and brace height again I could not detect any change greater than 1/32″, if that i,n either measurement. There is zero serving separation anywhere on the bow and everything looks nearly as good as new, minus some very minor fraying that is to be expected after as much use as this bow has seen.
Final Thoughts
There are two things that struck me with the Little Jon Bowstrings: the stunning looks and stability of the strings. I attribute the looks to the excellent craftsmanship and care that went into making theses strings. At Little Jon’s they may be more famous for the string making jigs that they sell, which were used to make these strings. They obviously work well since these strings have literally not budged since installation.
According to the website, LittleJonArchery.com, the current prices for various string/cable combinations are as follows:
$60 for a single cam sets
$65 for single cam roller guard string sets
$70 for binary cam string sets
$75 for dual and hybrid string sets ($5 additional for floating yokes)
$90 for shoot through sets
Clear Serving $10 extra
Strings can be ordered in either BCY 452X or Trophy materials with Halo serving as the standard, in any color that BCY offers. There is also a one year warranty included. After my experience with these strings I can recommend them with confidence.
One of these days when I get adventurous enough, I’ll be seriously looking at getting the Little Jon String Jig and Serving Winder, but that’s for another day!
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m just new to archery, out of nowhere my dad gave me a Mission Craze bow and I think they look quite the same, are they? I’m still learning, thanks for the tips!
Jane, are you asking if the Mission Craze is similar to the bow in this string review? If so, they have some similarities but are quite different bows overall. The Craze is a great bow in its own right!
Is one of the cables upside down in your picture? Seems like there should be a long segment of serving near each cam for a binary cam bow.