Hi Blacksmith,
Sorry to hear that you have had limited experience with the ELB and yew i did not realise this ,but dont despair ,keep trying and one day ,you may be able to to make a 160lb self yew that will shoot a 101 gram arrow 300yds plus,btw if you could make it to a FARAS shoot when you are next in England, they would be pleased to see you,the only trouble is they concentrate much more on accuracy than distance ,which you might find a bit boring ,also there are some expert bow makers who i am sure could advise you on any problems you might have. Hope to see you soon.