It's just...a little crush... - Review of the JX3 Hybrid Saddle

[Nutterbuster]

I was just curious because I have shot deer before walking out of the woods with my Molle II straps attached to my climber and it made me shoot the gun weird.


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Here you go. John asked me to put this up

Like a camo ballerina!

 

[ImThere]

Here you go. John asked me to put this up

That video dont help with my confidence. Me at 5’7” and hunting 20-25’ the bottom cam and limb would be under the seat. I hope it works out for me better than it looks.

At second look bending at the waist should keep the bow away from me.

Thanks for sharing.


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[Autumnrider]

No I was wondering how the straps affected shooting. Do you wear them while in the tree? It seem restrictive


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Straps are removed while using gun and/or bow

 

[Cajunyankee]

Here you go. John asked me to put this up

That thing looks so comfortable. I love the idea of having a saddle bag on my side to drop a grunt tube and range finder into for quick access.

 

[Autumnrider]

Here you go. John asked me to put this up

All these moves that John demonstrates is as easy as it looks. While in all of these shooting positions, the Hybrids fork supports most of the weight and pressure on the legs and feet so you can stay in a needed position longer.
Staying in a needed position is what helped me get my early season 8 pt with bow.
That fork was a major piece keeping me at 2:30 position for I guess 20 to 25 min before the shot was made.

 

[Autumnrider]

That video dont help with my confidence. Me at 5’7” and hunting 20-25’ the bottom cam and limb would be under the seat. I hope it works out for me better than it looks.

At second look bending at the waist should keep the bow away from me.

Thanks for sharing.


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Just slide/rotate the bridge and that will keep you from having to do much if any bend of the waist. Keeps your body in perfect shooting form.
I can shoot straight down when i slide/rotate the bridge.

 

[Autumnrider]

Ok back to the saddle it’s self. Do you rotate through the carabiner and are sitting at an angle for shots or do you stand up to take the shot? This is with the bow?


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Rotate through biner.
Note......
While trying to rotate, push off tree enough the fork will clear from tree and once rotated, settle fork back into tree.

 

[Autumnrider]

Rotate through biner.
Note......
While trying to rotate, push off tree enough the fork will clear from tree and once rotated, settle fork back into tree.

Practice with rotating seat and slipping around the tree by moving fork 2 to 4 inches as you move and before long this will become 2nd nature. Really easy to accomplish.

 

[blatallic]

Love that video, I can't wait to get my hands on one and try it out.

 

[ImThere]

Is the JX3 really 10 lbs? heck with sticks about 17 lb?

 

[Nutterbuster]

Is the JX3 really 10 lbs? heck with sticks about 17 lb?

Yup. Definitely heavy. I'm as big an ultralite freak as any, but I was very impressed after playing with @kyler1945's. You have to keep in mind it doubles as a frame pack, which offsets the weight. Ole buddy Kyle packed one of my deer out on it. Can't do that with a kestrel. And it's ridiculously comfortable.

 

[ImThere]

Yup. Definitely heavy. I'm as big an ultralite freak as any, but I was very impressed after playing with @kyler1945's. You have to keep in mind it doubles as a frame pack, which offsets the weight. Ole buddy Kyle packed one of my deer out on it. Can't do that with a kestrel. And it's ridiculously comfortable.

I understand but I don't use a pack often, with CWD here we have to take our deer out whole. Some of the pluses of the JX3 don't help me as much as some others. For instance those that get to pack out a deer or cold enough to carry multiple layers in a pack.
The old Guido's was ridiculously comfortable I cant wait to try a new more comfortable JX3

 

[Nutterbuster]

I understand but I don't use a pack often, with CWD here we have to take our deer out whole. Some of the pluses of the JX3 don't help me as much as some others. For instance those that get to pack out a deer or cold enough to carry multiple layers in a pack.
The old Guido's was ridiculously comfortable I cant wait to try a new more comfortable JX3

Yeah, CWD officially made its way to parts of bama this year. Curious to see how that plays out.

I don't use a frame pack a lot either. But I liked the JX3 enough to consider it.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

If you carry a pack, platform and winter clothes, camera equipment etc... get a hybrid. And if you want all day comfort get a hybrid. It is very easy to sit still in. I have to move every half hour in my other saddles.
Late season I use the hybrid, it blocks the wind at your back.
Early season, short sits and presets.... the lighter saddles win. Places where I do not carry much stuff and do not need a pack the mantis wins.

 

[kyler1945]

Is the JX3 really 10 lbs? heck with sticks about 17 lb?

It's really 10lbs. And I've addressed the weight as compared to minimal saddles on several occasions and from several perspectives.

For my style of hunting, it works rather well. I walk really long distances, oftentimes scouting most of the day, to set up for evening sit. I think I've made 3 sits on public land less than 1 mile from where I park my truck or bike. If I kill a deer, I have very little desire to leave and come back. If I'm filming, I currently have a cheapo 20.00 allen kid size backpack with the film gear in it. That's it, everything else straps on the hybrid. I'm very close to not needing even that little tiny pack. So for me, the weight difference versus the Kestrel is about 3lbs. Because if I'm using the kestrel, I'm toting in my MR Popup to carry my gear and potential kill. Honestly, I have a difficult time choosing between the two. I have a couple of spots that dictate one or the other, but both function well.

If I'm not packing deer out (I do hunt close on occasion, and some flat open ground, but it's rare), Much of the advantage of the hybrid goes away. However, It's significantly more comfortable than minimal saddles. And it is slightly easier to maneuver and shoot out of than the web. But the disadvantage of the weight disappears when your close - It doesn't really matter.

Another big advantage to me with the hybrid is a platform becomes purely a luxury. You have hardly any weight on your feet unless you stand/lean to shoot. I'm personally comfortable on ring of steps even in kestrel but some guys require more comfort of a platform. That goes away with the hybrid-along with the weight - which is what this post is about.

Fact of the matter is, the weight difference, when taken into context of many hunting scenarios, is negligible or irrelevant. There are some that it makes less sense than other options. But I'm finding those fewer and farther between the more I consider it and spend time hunting with the hybrid.

 

[Vtbow]

It's really 10lbs. And I've addressed the weight as compared to minimal saddles on several occasions and from several perspectives.

For my style of hunting, it works rather well. I walk really long distances, oftentimes scouting most of the day, to set up for evening sit. I think I've made 3 sits on public land less than 1 mile from where I park my truck or bike. If I kill a deer, I have very little desire to leave and come back. If I'm filming, I currently have a cheapo 20.00 allen kid size backpack with the film gear in it. That's it, everything else straps on the hybrid. I'm very close to not needing even that little tiny pack. So for me, the weight difference versus the Kestrel is about 3lbs. Because if I'm using the kestrel, I'm toting in my MR Popup to carry my gear and potential kill. Honestly, I have a difficult time choosing between the two. I have a couple of spots that dictate one or the other, but both function well.

If I'm not packing deer out (I do hunt close on occasion, and some flat open ground, but it's rare), Much of the advantage of the hybrid goes away. However, It's significantly more comfortable than minimal saddles. And it is slightly easier to maneuver and shoot out of than the web. But the disadvantage of the weight disappears when your close - It doesn't really matter.

Another big advantage to me with the hybrid is a platform becomes purely a luxury. You have hardly any weight on your feet unless you stand/lean to shoot. I'm personally comfortable on ring of steps even in kestrel but some guys require more comfort of a platform. That goes away with the hybrid-along with the weight - which is what this post is about.

Fact of the matter is, the weight difference, when taken into context of many hunting scenarios, is negligible or irrelevant. There are some that it makes less sense than other options. But I'm finding those fewer and farther between the more I consider it and spend time hunting with the hybrid.

I"ve started to find even a lot of the same things hunting out of the Web, and this thread is the main reason I've been giving the web such an honest try. like the looks of the hybrid and the style so the web was the perfect place for me to start. For the second half of the season I exclusively hunted from the web.... and the biggest advantage is it's soooo comfortable I dont fidget...and I wasnt cold, so I didnt fidget, or need to move around to increase circulation to my feet. These are all big wins for me! And I honestly didnt think I was going to love it the first couple times out....

 

[Ontariofarmer]

If you carry a pack, platform and winter clothes, camera equipment etc... get a hybrid. And if you want all day comfort get a hybrid. It is very easy to sit still in. I have to move every half hour in my other saddles.
Late season I use the hybrid, it blocks the wind at your back.
For turkey hunting use the tree in front of you for cover... or sit on the ground and it makes a nice chair... Put your decoys in the pack portion in a mesh bag. I always used my guidos for turkey hunting. It will now be my hybrid that i use.
Early season, short sits and presets.... the lighter saddles win. Places where I do not carry much stuff and do not need a pack the mantis wins.

One disadvantage to the hybrid... I have to take it off my back to unpack it before I climb the tree.

 

[Vtbow]

If you carry a pack, platform and winter clothes, camera equipment etc... get a hybrid. And if you want all day comfort get a hybrid. It is very easy to sit still in. I have to move every half hour in my other saddles.
Late season I use the hybrid, it blocks the wind at your back.
For turkey hunting use the tree in front of you for cover... or sit on the ground and it makes a nice chair... Put your decoys in the pack portion in a mesh bag. I always used my guidos for turkey hunting. It will now be my hybrid that i use.
Early season, short sits and presets.... the lighter saddles win. Places where I do not carry much stuff and do not need a pack the mantis wins.

One disadvantage to the hybrid... I have to take it off my back to unpack it before I climb the tree.

you just sit in the quidos on the ground to turkey hunt? I never even thought of that....wiht that ghost blind runner(the short one)that could be keller!

 

[kyler1945]

One disadvantage to the hybrid... I have to take it off my back to unpack it before I climb the tree.

I have gotten to the point where I don't have to take off the hybrid unless I'm layering up. I'm pretty sure I can accomplish that in the tree too, but still working out the way to lash layers to it that I can undo and get in front of me in the tree. Getting close. But it can be done. One of my favorite things is just wlaking up to a tree and climbing. It took a while to get dialed in. For now, when it's cold and I have to layer, I get dressed and ready to climb a couple hundred yards from tree.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

you just sit in the quidos on the ground to turkey hunt? I never even thought of that....wiht that ghost blind runner(the short one)that could be keller!

I never used a blind before... I just sat behind a tree with my guidos attached to the tree at ground level. A large tree works well for cover with decoys in front of you. That said I ordered a ghost blind... then I have more options as to where to set up... I do not need a large tree.

When attached to the tree I sit inches from the ground and push back to stand and shoot keeping most of my body behind the tree. I have shot several turkeys at 10 yards or less while sitting behind the tree.