Thanks guys! My scale says the bow is about 19.5oz in mass although it did soak up a lot of wipe on poly like nothing I've ever seen.
Well after all my talking I thought I should put up or shut up with a bow before I start school. I started the bow at home and thought I'd bring it to Marshall to finish up even thought it might be a risky move. If this bow broke I know I'd never hear the end of it!
Got her tillered out and got a few shots in myself before Guy (BuckeyeGuy) took some shots at the pigeons. After that quite a few guys gathered around to try it which was my intention although not to the extent that happened! Luckily the bow held up and with a decent amount of set. Like I keep saying, I think it's important to look at what a wood can do and for me it was certainly fun to check poplar off the list of bow woods to try. As far as availability goes, poplar is right there with red oak and probably with better grain so it could be added to the list as a beginner wood (although I'm not sure how forgiving it is). Anyways, I hope I was able to change a few minds, even if you're not all running to the homedepot after seeing this.
Thanks again everyone and to everyone who got a chance to shoot the bow! It all means a lot to me.