Does the draw of a new bow outweigh your current setup?
Archery elk hunting can be a rewarding challenge. Dedicating time for planning, plenty of shooting (which is never enough) and being familiar and confident with your gear will contribute to your odds of fulfilling that tag. Early 2020 I started planning my first elk hunt in 16 years. Knowing my future was going to involve western big game hunting and traveling, I decided to shift from a small southern bow brand to a larger name brand allowing me to have greater service coverage should I encounter a mechanical malfunction, regardless of location.
The two brands I narrowed my choice to was the Prime Black 3 and Mathews VXR 31.5. After dedicating time to research, speaking with other archers and shooting both bows on several occasions, I chose the Prime Black 3. The Black 3 was hands down the most stable bow I had ever shot. I really liked the draw cycle and the back wall was rock solid. I also preferred the 33” ATA of the Black 3 compared to the shorter 31.5” ATA of the VXR. Another great benefit to owning a Prime is the original owner receives a new string-set every two years for the life of the bow. That is money in the bank!!!
It is hard to beat the excitement of ordering a new bow. My perceived priorities led me to build my Prime 3 with 65# limbs. I have never owned a bow with greater than 65# limbs and did not see the need in going heavier. Living on the east coast, I spend the majority of my time hunting whitetail from an elevated position. I find it easier to draw a lower poundage bow from a seated position or layered up when cold and stiff. What I did not take into consideration was the versatility of 70# limbs while stalking out west in the warmer months with the ability to lower my draw weight when hunting whitetail later in the season.
Learn from others’ mistakes. I realized my pitfall months after receiving my Black 3. When the 2020 hunting season ended I began brainstorming my options. By that time, Prime had released the Nexus series and I was tempted to shift, but my Black 3 was less than a year old and I was not ready to make the jump. I was beginning to consider a limb swap, but at that time, I was quoted $400 for the process which was nearly half the price of the original purchase. So, I waited…
www.g5prime.com
November 15th of this year Prime disrupted my world. The release of the Inline series caught my attention and I was off to the nearest dealer to shoot a few arrows on the test range. I am happy to report I was VERY impressed with the Inline. My focus was on the Inline 3 and I do believe it is a big improvement over the Black 3. I like the grip improvement, the draw cycle is smooth as butter and again, the back wall is rock solid. The shift back to a single cam is nice while still providing the benefit of the dual-cam technology, and the dampening improvements on the Inline places the new series in competition with Mathews.
I walked away from my Inline shooting session with a decision to make. This boiled down to three options:
Purchase a new bow. If I sold my Black 3 as a bare bow, I would spend around $500 out of pocket for the Inline 3. This does not empty the bank account, but my Black 3 is less than 2 years old and I haven’t even had it long enough to receive another string set.
Revisit the limb swap.The limb swap project was recently quoted at $250. Not a bad price to obtain the increased poundage. However, I am able to squeak 67# out of my current limbs and there is no guarantee the 70# limb set will push past 71#, even though the Inline 3 was drawing 74”. I would also be gambling on the tuning process.
Leave the Black 3 as it is. If I stay with my current Black 3 setup, I am out $0 and my bow is reliable and shoots like a champ.
I have learned a few things I believe are worthy of sharing:
Every year, one of the many bow manufacturers are going to release something that will catch your eye and offer an improvement to your current setup, be it big or small.
When ordering that new “flagship’ bow, make sure you have answered ALL of your questions and build the bow around all of your needs. Keep in mind if you’re like me and are a “one bow” type of guy.
If you’re on the fence with your current set up, DO NOT shoot the newly released bows. The temptation is REAL!!!
I am not a sponsored shooter. Unless a company offers to send me a bow to shoot, hunt with and advertise, I will shoot what feels good and I am confident with. At this time, that bow happens to be Prime. I will say I am looking forward to the upcoming Archery Trade Association Show and The Great American Outdoor Show. Both should provide the opportunity to shoot most of the name brand flagship bows for 2022.
If you are planning to attend either of the shows and have any questions about LIMB-itless Outdoors, keep your eyes out for a guy in a custom Badlands Approach prosthetic!
Be LIMBITLESS. Get OUTDOORS.