tomatoshooter
Well-known member
I bought a Viking B2506 about a month ago because the local store had a sale, buy a cue and get half off a low deflection shaft. I got the Predator 314 shaft because that was what they had in stock that fit the Viking QR joint.
The cue has no wrap and has transparent blue stain that fades to transparent gray in the "wrap" area. The stain looks wonderful and complements the wood very well. The blue pearl and silver rings at the butt and the shaft look really nice, too. I like the the Viking QR joint, it's basically a 5/16"x18 screw with no threads at the end to serve as a pilot. The the pilot fits perfectly into the shaft insert, if it was any tighter it would bind. As soon as I got home I put the V-Pro (solid maple) shaft on and immediately had a break and run on a rack of 8-Ball. I shot VERY accurately with this shaft. I liked the original (and somewhat tall) Le Pro tip.
Okay, time to try out the 314 and see what the low deflection thing is about. I had only been really working on developing the sidespin part of my game for about two months when I bought the shaft, it seemed like the perfect time to make the switch. It is nice and using purely front hand English and hitting above center on the ball at medium speed, I get about 1/2 a chalk cube deflection shooting from the head string to the foot rail (the ball is curving back into the line of aim a bit at this point). Swerve and semi-masse shots seemed to work better, at least with my limited technique. The shaft comes with a Predator Victory medium layered tip, 1/2" diameter. This tip seemed to have less margin for error on miscues than I am used to, and apparently need, and would leave marks on the cue ball. The threaded insert does not fit nearly as tightly as the stock Viking shaft, I would label this joint as "compatible" but not a true Viking QR. On the other hand, it will fit a cue with a 5/16"x18 pin if the pin is on the shorter side. I could also feel the seam between the laminations in spots and it was like little pieces of chalk occasionally imbedded themselves in fissures in the finish. A little work with a burnishing pad seems to have mitigated this problem. Overall, this was my first low deflection shaft and I was amazed at how I could spin the ball and still sink the object balls but, ultimately, I never had the accuracy I needed on those center ball cinch shots. I could play position much more aggressively, somewhat mitigating the issue but I never had a day when the balls all split the pocket dead center. I don't know if it's my technique, the 314, or this individual shaft, but this shaft was never going to be the ultimate shaft for me.
Now, on to the Siege 12.25. This shaft ruined my life! I wanted to go out and shoot a few games and drink a couple of beers and chit chat, unfortunately no one could knock me off the table. I was trapped, a prisoner of this shaft's witchcraft-like accuracy! Do NOT buy this shaft if you want to sit down ever again! Your feet will ache, your arm will be sore, you will be thirsty, and when you collapse from exhaustion you will dream of balls rolling into holes dead center. I now have similar deflection to the 314, which I found easy to accommodate and, my God, it's like I can think the balls into the pockets. I don't know if the extra stiffness is the difference but this thing is probably illegal in California. The surface glides so easily through my hand, I almost don't feel it moving. So far I like the stock Kamui black soft tip. It generally seems a little more tolerant of sloppy cueing and the marks are easier to clean off the cue ball than the Predator. The I'm not sure if the extra stiffness of the shaft or smaller diameter of the tip is a factor in my miscues but I do seem to put the cue ball in the air a little more and there are not always chalk marks from the tip contacting the cloth. If your cueing technique is better than mine, and it probably is, this shouldn't be an issue for you. I've seen some people claim that they can get much more action with a carbon shaft, I haven't noticed that I can do things that weren't possible with other shafts, but I got all the things I need from this shaft, superior accuracy and low deflection.
Aesthetically, this shaft could improve. The shaft transitions from the taper to a cylindrical section near the joint and the transition is abrupt with a slight ridge. the joint face is a plastic insert that doesn't have chamfered edges, not does it perfectly match the diameter of the butt and the carbon portion of the shaft, it's not a big deal but it's something you notice if your hand slides across it. It doesn't affect the performance but it detracts from something that I could otherwise not find fault with. I'm sure the methods required to manufacture this shaft make this somewhat of a necessity but I think they could still do a better job with this one area.
I don't really have a whole lot to compare these shafts to but this has been my experience and I hope this information helps you make the right decision. I don't want to be one of those guys that tries to buy a game instead of working at it but it's nice knowing that your equipment will make the best of your ability. To those who say "It's the Indian, not the arrow", bullshit, it's the arrow. With the 314, I never surprised myself with the shots I made, with the Siege, I'm surprised when I miss. I definitely spent more than I intended but I know that my cue can do whatever I tell it to do, it's up to me to give it the proper instruction.
The cue has no wrap and has transparent blue stain that fades to transparent gray in the "wrap" area. The stain looks wonderful and complements the wood very well. The blue pearl and silver rings at the butt and the shaft look really nice, too. I like the the Viking QR joint, it's basically a 5/16"x18 screw with no threads at the end to serve as a pilot. The the pilot fits perfectly into the shaft insert, if it was any tighter it would bind. As soon as I got home I put the V-Pro (solid maple) shaft on and immediately had a break and run on a rack of 8-Ball. I shot VERY accurately with this shaft. I liked the original (and somewhat tall) Le Pro tip.
Okay, time to try out the 314 and see what the low deflection thing is about. I had only been really working on developing the sidespin part of my game for about two months when I bought the shaft, it seemed like the perfect time to make the switch. It is nice and using purely front hand English and hitting above center on the ball at medium speed, I get about 1/2 a chalk cube deflection shooting from the head string to the foot rail (the ball is curving back into the line of aim a bit at this point). Swerve and semi-masse shots seemed to work better, at least with my limited technique. The shaft comes with a Predator Victory medium layered tip, 1/2" diameter. This tip seemed to have less margin for error on miscues than I am used to, and apparently need, and would leave marks on the cue ball. The threaded insert does not fit nearly as tightly as the stock Viking shaft, I would label this joint as "compatible" but not a true Viking QR. On the other hand, it will fit a cue with a 5/16"x18 pin if the pin is on the shorter side. I could also feel the seam between the laminations in spots and it was like little pieces of chalk occasionally imbedded themselves in fissures in the finish. A little work with a burnishing pad seems to have mitigated this problem. Overall, this was my first low deflection shaft and I was amazed at how I could spin the ball and still sink the object balls but, ultimately, I never had the accuracy I needed on those center ball cinch shots. I could play position much more aggressively, somewhat mitigating the issue but I never had a day when the balls all split the pocket dead center. I don't know if it's my technique, the 314, or this individual shaft, but this shaft was never going to be the ultimate shaft for me.
Now, on to the Siege 12.25. This shaft ruined my life! I wanted to go out and shoot a few games and drink a couple of beers and chit chat, unfortunately no one could knock me off the table. I was trapped, a prisoner of this shaft's witchcraft-like accuracy! Do NOT buy this shaft if you want to sit down ever again! Your feet will ache, your arm will be sore, you will be thirsty, and when you collapse from exhaustion you will dream of balls rolling into holes dead center. I now have similar deflection to the 314, which I found easy to accommodate and, my God, it's like I can think the balls into the pockets. I don't know if the extra stiffness is the difference but this thing is probably illegal in California. The surface glides so easily through my hand, I almost don't feel it moving. So far I like the stock Kamui black soft tip. It generally seems a little more tolerant of sloppy cueing and the marks are easier to clean off the cue ball than the Predator. The I'm not sure if the extra stiffness of the shaft or smaller diameter of the tip is a factor in my miscues but I do seem to put the cue ball in the air a little more and there are not always chalk marks from the tip contacting the cloth. If your cueing technique is better than mine, and it probably is, this shouldn't be an issue for you. I've seen some people claim that they can get much more action with a carbon shaft, I haven't noticed that I can do things that weren't possible with other shafts, but I got all the things I need from this shaft, superior accuracy and low deflection.
Aesthetically, this shaft could improve. The shaft transitions from the taper to a cylindrical section near the joint and the transition is abrupt with a slight ridge. the joint face is a plastic insert that doesn't have chamfered edges, not does it perfectly match the diameter of the butt and the carbon portion of the shaft, it's not a big deal but it's something you notice if your hand slides across it. It doesn't affect the performance but it detracts from something that I could otherwise not find fault with. I'm sure the methods required to manufacture this shaft make this somewhat of a necessity but I think they could still do a better job with this one area.
I don't really have a whole lot to compare these shafts to but this has been my experience and I hope this information helps you make the right decision. I don't want to be one of those guys that tries to buy a game instead of working at it but it's nice knowing that your equipment will make the best of your ability. To those who say "It's the Indian, not the arrow", bullshit, it's the arrow. With the 314, I never surprised myself with the shots I made, with the Siege, I'm surprised when I miss. I definitely spent more than I intended but I know that my cue can do whatever I tell it to do, it's up to me to give it the proper instruction.