Just received a NFC X Ray SJ703 Wednesday 4-22 which I ordered on 4-5. Very impressed with the product and quick delivery from WA to NC with everything going on. I was very glad to give NFC another chance after a not so great experience about 2 years ago. Whatever Aleks and his team is doing I say keep up the good work. Glad to buy quality products made in the USA which is getting more difficult to find unfortunately.

Now on to the blank! This bad boy is incredibly light only 1.45 oz. on my cheapo digital scale. Haven’t gotten the chance to do all measurements and CCS but I will hopefully soon. It feels quite powerful for it’s weight. I think this is the One I have been looking for kayak fishing the sounds of NC for redfish and speckled trout and I think it will do great as an all purpose bass rod as well. Now I need to think of components to keep the build as light as possible. Anybody else picked up this blank and what is your thoughts on it?

Haven't had experience with that specific blank, but looks very interesting. A "ML" blank rated for 1/4oz to 3/4oz but only weighs 1.45oz? That sounds like a light but powerful blank. I have two XRay MB736 rated for 1/4oz to 3/4oz waiting to be built as well(waiting for parts to come in) Considering that the 703 and 736 have the same lure rating and one is rated as a "6" power and the other "3" power, It confuses me more about their power rating more than anything. The MB736 I have are around 2.2oz

Please update us once you get the CCS and build it up. I'd be interested in knowing if it can cast 3/4oz. If so, it might be a better option than the heavier blanks rated up to 3/4 oz.

I recently built a Rainshadow Revelation 6'10" ML XF using Fuji Titanium Guides in the KR system. Came out incredibly balanced and light. I used alconite SS guides on the stripper and reduction system to save a bit of money, but used titanium SiC guides for runners and tiptop. The Revelation blank was 1.5oz and the build came out to 3.2oz, with the balance point at the foregrip using a 6.2oz reel. With line, and lure, the whole setup weighs less than 10 oz.

I have had a great customer service with NFC. I ordered for the first time after calling to make sure they had the blank in stock, got a faulty blank, emailed them on Saturday, and they sent out a new blank within a couple days. Shout out to Ashlynn for the service.

Yup, expecting my Delta Hybrids in the next few weeks, NFC was attentive and quick to answer any and all questions, including taking some measurements on the blank for me. Great group.

David, please post those CCS numbers for the SJ 703 X ray when you do them. I am very interested in that blank. I've been wanting to build a new spinning rod to replace a rod I sold to my tournament partner. I was just about to pull the trigger on a Carbon 4 blank from Rod Geeks, but the availability factor right now has that on hold. I've built 2 rods on the MB 736 X ray blanks that Paul mentioned above and I absolutely love them, they just weren't offering the kind of SJ blank I was looking for, until now. The 703 sounds perfect for what I would be planning to use the rod for.

I really like the pictures they have on the web site depicting the blank with various weights attached to the tip. Judging by the photographs it's got some serious back bone with maybe a little softer trip? Would you categorize it as such?

Anyhow, can't wait to hear what you have to say about the measurements you're going to take.

Paul Park Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Haven't had experience with that specific blank,
> but looks very interesting. A "ML" blank rated
> for 1/4oz to 3/4oz but only weighs 1.45oz? That
> sounds like a light but powerful blank. I have
> two XRay MB736 rated for 1/4oz to 3/4oz waiting to
> be built as well(waiting for parts to come in)
> Considering that the 703 and 736 have the same
> lure rating and one is rated as a "6" power and
> the other "3" power, It confuses me more about
> their power rating more than anything. The MB736
> I have are around 2.2oz
>
> Please update us once you get the CCS and build it
> up. I'd be interested in knowing if it can cast
> 3/4oz. If so, it might be a better option than
> the heavier blanks rated up to 3/4 oz.
>
> I recently built a Rainshadow Revelation 6'10" ML
> XF using Fuji Titanium Guides in the KR system.
> Came out incredibly balanced and light. I used
> alconite SS guides on the stripper and reduction
> system to save a bit of money, but used titanium
> SiC guides for runners and tiptop. The Revelation
> blank was 1.5oz and the build came out to 3.2oz,
> with the balance point at the foregrip using a
> 6.2oz reel. With line, and lure, the whole setup
> weighs less than 10 oz.
>
> I have had a great customer service with NFC. I
> ordered for the first time after calling to make
> sure they had the blank in stock, got a faulty
> blank, emailed them on Saturday, and they sent out
> a new blank within a couple days. Shout out to
> Ashlynn for the service.



Hey Paul,

I don’t have a X Ray 736 like yours to compare but my guess is even with the same lure range the 736 is going to be stronger somewhat through the mid but especially the butt. I will certainly let you know how the SJ703 handles after built. Thanks for the info too on your Revelation build.

David Baylor Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> David, please post those CCS numbers for the SJ
> 703 X ray when you do them. I am very interested
> in that blank. I've been wanting to build a new
> spinning rod to replace a rod I sold to my
> tournament partner. I was just about to pull the
> trigger on a Carbon 4 blank from Rod Geeks, but
> the availability factor right now has that on
> hold. I've built 2 rods on the MB 736 X ray blanks
> that Paul mentioned above and I absolutely love
> them, they just weren't offering the kind of SJ
> blank I was looking for, until now. The 703 sounds
> perfect for what I would be planning to use the
> rod for.
>
> I really like the pictures they have on the web
> site depicting the blank with various weights
> attached to the tip. Judging by the photographs
> it's got some serious back bone with maybe a
> little softer trip? Would you categorize it as
> such?
>
> Anyhow, can't wait to hear what you have to say
> about the measurements you're going to take.

Hey David,

I will certainly post my CCS numbers after I do it. Flexed it some the other night to me it feels like the tip is initially stiff then flexes into the mid section then to serious backbone power. I think the tip should work a jig very well but have some flex in the mid to keep soft mouth fish like speckled trout pinned up but still have the power for strong hook sets with plastics rigged weedless.

I just put the finish on one of these last night! I built it into a spinning rod for walleye jig fishing. Split grip. CRB LZR Guides. I went 20-12-10-6 then 6-6-5-5-5-5 running guides. Rod feels very light for how much back bone it has. Tip is light and and has a nice transition into a good back bone. I think 3/4 oz might be a little too heavy at least for jigging. I would rate it more 3/16–1/2 oz at least for this application. Cant wait to get it on the water! 2 weeks till opener here

Well my initial thoughts on how much power it has was a little off. I was thinking the power was at least 500 grams. Maybe I was too timid test flexing it at first. I did the CCS measurements on it and this is what I calculated. My system of bracing the butt on a shelf maybe not 100% accurate but it is still very good for comparing rods and blanks that I personally have.

X Ray 703 83.5 in L .5 in or 12.7mm butt 1.45 oz 440 grams of power or ERN a little over 16 AA 69

Here is a copy of a post I made 3 years ago on here

“Over the weekend I CCS measured some rod blanks that I have to build and also a factory rod.Here is the data.

Liberty P703 8-14lb Intrinsic power 285 grams Action angle 65
Seeker SP703 IP 240g AA 69
Inshore blem blank 10-17lb trim to 6'9"IP 630 AA 73
Inshore blem 10-20lb trim to 7'1" IP 1040g AA 70
High mod blem 7''9" IP 840g AA 65

Here is a rod that I have used for a long time that I need to replace the cork and fix the loose spinning seat.

Falcon 6'6" open hook special 8-12lb IP 415 AA 65 “


So I am still impressed with the SJ 703 with it’s weight to power ratio. For comparison the Liberty P703 the blank is 1.6oz 285G power and I had no issue bringing a redfish that was a solid 30” to the kayak but that was in no cover.I also think the tip of the SJ703 will certainly work a jig and fluke type plastics much better while provide better hook sets with plastics rigged weedless.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2020 10:32AM by David Miller.

David, thank you very much for taking the time to test, and for posting your results. I have to say your numbers are surprising and a little disheartening. Surprising because of the lure weight ratings and type of action it is listed at on NFCs web site, and disheartening in that I was hoping the the numbers would have been higher.

Based on some of the rods I've tested with similar lure weight ratings and named actions, I was expecting to hear an IP number of 600g or better, and an AA around 75 or higher. At least that's the kind of numbers I've gotten on some of the similarly rated rods I have tested.

For comparison, and this is based on their named actions, every blank I have tested that had a named action of extra fast, had an AA of 73 or higher. Of the three rods that I have where the blank had a named action of moderate fast, the AA was 67 - 69. It seems that just as with manufacturers names powers, their named actions are just as misleading.

Once again David, thank you for taking the time to test and post you're results. I appreciate it.

So I have a X Ray 732 blank that I received almost 2 years ago that came to me with a blemish near the tip, I just haven’t had the chance to build it out but I need to. These CCS numbers and measurements are interesting to compare the 2.

SJ 732 86.5 inches in length .55 or 14mm butt 1.95 oz 460 grams of power AA about 74

If I braced it like I cut 3 inches off to match the length of the 703 it loses power to 428g and slows it down just a little bit.

Using a cheap caliper I measured every 8 inches from the button on both blanks starting at 83.5 inches to compare the taper.

Measurements in mm

SJ 703 13 12 10 8.5 7.5 6 5 4 3 2.5 tip 1.9

SJ 723 13 12 10 8 7 5 4 3.5 2.9 2.1 tip 1.7

Their butt measurements are very close until 32 inches out from the butt if both were the same length.The 732 has a lighter power tip but has plenty of power down low especially if left at the longer length. Both are .5 inches shorter than it’s nominal length. Once one adds a tip top and butt grip and cap the length should be very close to the right length.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2020 11:04AM by David Miller.

Yeah David I was hoping for the SJ 703 to have about 500g of power but that did sound to good to be true with a blank at this weight. It seems it has very similar numbers to a Pac Bay Quickline
QLP 843 44.0g weight 0.600 butt
4.5
438g power
AA 72

The XRay with the smaller diameter butt, special resin and construction should be more durable I would think.

[northforkcomposites.com]

Their deflection shown with 24oz or about 680g is misleading at least when compared to CCS when the blank starts level or parallel to the floor . If you turn the pic at an angle you can see the rod is being flexed more the 1/3 it’s length. I still like their deflection pics vs none at all. I just wish that more manufacturers would post CCS measurements on their blanks.

David, agreed, because they have the blank at an angle, those deflection pictures are very misleading. But like you said they give at least some sort of idea. Like you said, the picture with 24 oz hanging from the tip clearly shows the blank is over loaded if you doing a CCS test.

Interesting that you mentioned a Pac Bay Quickline blank. I have a rod built on a QLSJ 782, I just did a CCS IP test on it and I came up with 534g. If memory serves me correctly, its advertised IP was 522g. So my number is very close to the advertised number. The AA I came up with is close to what I remember the advertised number to be also. I came up with an AA of 76. The advertised number, if memory serves, was 78.

The X ray blanks are the most sensitive blank I have ever used. If the SJ703 had numbers like that, I would jump on it in a heart beat.

Looks like we will have to wait for a SJ704 or SJ 705 to come out before we get one with a power around 520g. I still think the SJ 703 will still be a great and very sensitive rod to use for the typical slightly under slot size redfish but still handle upper slot size with no issue. The initially stiffer tip feels like it should work a 1/8 to 3/8 jig that I usually use along with a 3 to 4 inch plastic very well. I will use my St Croix Avid Inshore 8-17 bait-casting I built if I know there over slot 30”+ reds especially in heavy cover areas. That rod has a very fast flexible tip transitioning quickly to a strong mid to an even stronger butt 630g power and I even trimmed down that blank to 6’9”. I like rods 6’6” to at most 7’1” to use from a kayak.

I think the MB 736 X-ray is close to what you are looking for then. I have seen that with a rating of 547 grams. I have not tested mine.

Shoot, with my most recent order, I will almost have all of the X ray blanks. Just missing the 7109.

I guess I better brush up the the CC systems and get some stuff set up to measure at some point.

What's the max lure rating for the SJ 736-1 X-Ray? I know NFC website states 1oz, but I've heard from people it has a soft tip. Anyone have power rating test done on this blank?

Dean, I did CCS tests on one of the rods I built on the MB 736 X ray. I came up with an IP of 793, and an AA of 75.

David Miller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just received a NFC X Ray SJ703 Wednesday 4-22
> which I ordered on 4-5. Very impressed with the
> product and quick delivery from WA to NC with
> everything going on. I was very glad to give NFC
> another chance after a not so great experience
> about 2 years ago. Whatever Aleks and his team is
> doing I say keep up the good work. Glad to buy
> quality products made in the USA which is getting
> more difficult to find unfortunately.
>
> Now on to the blank! This bad boy is incredibly
> light only 1.45 oz. on my cheapo digital scale.
> Haven’t gotten the chance to do all measurements
> and CCS but I will hopefully soon. It feels quite
> powerful for it’s weight. I think this is the
> One I have been looking for kayak fishing the
> sounds of NC for redfish and speckled trout and I
> think it will do great as an all purpose bass rod
> as well. Now I need to think of components to keep
> the build as light as possible. Anybody else
> picked up this blank and what is your thoughts on
> it?

Mr. Miller,

I too bought the X-Ray SJ-703 blank from NFC and was wondering if you and I have the same blank? Curious if yours has the same label taped to the butt of the blank? Mine has a pink label with the number 6406 taped to the butt of the blank. The rod label says LMX X-Ray SJ-703.

Only reason I'm asking is the weight of my blank on my two digital scales was 1.98 oz & 2.00 oz which seems a little portly VS yours at 1.45 oz. Is more than a half ounce difference in weight of the same blank reasonable? When I ordered the blank, I didn't think it would weigh the 1.3 oz listed on NFC site, but would've been very happy with 1.45 oz.

TIA

Hey Robert,

Yeah mine had a label that I think was the same as yours that I already thrown away, also with the SJ 703 label in the bag. What is the length of your blank? If it is 83.5 inches like mine I would agree that is a big variance. Is the butt diameter right at 1/2 inch?

The NFC SKU for the SJ703 X-RAY is 06406. So the SKU is correct, but the varience in weight is much too great for it to be the correct blank. I think you got a mislabeled blank, contact NFC and let them know.
Norm