Why not a Prime??

Outwest · Jul 27, 2014

I think this will be my Bowtech's last year as my primary bow so I'm starting to look for a replacement (don't tell her until after september though

). I have been researching a few bows that have caught my eye this year, such as the Mathews Chill-X, Elite Energy 35, and the Prime Impact. I have known about prime but never really gave them a second thought until this year for some reason. After reading everything I could find about each and shooting them, (except the impact, I shot a defy b/c impact was out of stock) I really don't see a better alternative than the prime. The parallel cam system makes a lot of sense to me as far as cam lean goes. I watched the video of the prime riser picking up the SUV and the high speed video of the shot with the parallel cams. The bow shot tremendously, I liked it much better than the Chill-X and just a touch better than the Elite. They seem to have a great warrantee and will replace strings/cables for free every two years, and to top it all off it comes in Optifade open country!

SO my question is, why not shoot a prime? Seems like there aren't that many guys shooting them, at least here in my part of the world. Is there any real reason or is Prime just not well enough known yet? It seems like they have eliminated a lot of things that cause inaccuracy in a bow setup. Besides the slightly high price, am I missing the turd in the punch bowl here?

Mmcan · Jul 27, 2014

I have no info about why you should or should not shoot a Prime. I have never even seen one. And I generally don't like when someone derails the OP's question, but I fell compelled to offer you this,...

If you're thinking about a new bow, make the effort to shoot an Obsession Evolution. I tried several bows recently, including the Bowtech 360, Hoyt Faktor and Carbon model, and several Elites. And when I shot the Obsession, there was no question that I had to have one. Wrote the check that day for a 30" 70lb Gun Metal with black and gray strings/cables.

Once again, apologies for the redirect, but I just feel that strongly about how that bow shot.

Good luck either way you go.

tipsntails7 · Jul 27, 2014

The fit and finish on primes is amazing, and the are good shooing bows that's for sure. My issue is if you don't have a dealer near it's A pain In the ass to get parts. I've had to drive multiple time 8 hours round trip to get a few warranty parts. Also I do all my own bow work, string sets are much more expensive then normal bows. I bought my prime second hand so I don't get free threads and my strings never last over a year. Also depending I wha model you get the I glide tears up cables. So it also adds to cost of strings because I add serving to the cables. It's a little more difficult to fine tune the bows string as well. The yoke donuts need to be in a certain position and you have to use the yoke legs to twist then correctly, it makes adjusting the string length a pain at times. I can live with all that because it is a great shooting, easy tuning bow that's is second to none as far as craftmanship. Why I will not own another is because it does. It have yokes, I actually won't own another bow without yokes. When I originally got a prime in 2012 I was coming from a hoyt vector that I shot lights out. I had to change my grip entirely to get bareshafts to shoot with fletched on the prime. I could not tailor the bow to me I had to change to the bow. Now it's not a big deal but it was a pain that first year.

sodaksooner · Jul 27, 2014

I made the swich from Mathews this yr. Phenomenal shooter. Looks great and pretty good speed. Here's the alloy I'll be carrying this fall and a couple of arrows from 75 yards yesterday. I didn't think too bad for just gapping pins.

I did have to drive 3.5 hours to get it and if u get the dl wrong it'll cost u but the are my only concerns.

Forestryguy · Jul 27, 2014

Last year I was on the search for a new bow. I shot about everything that was out there. I was pretty much dead set on a Prime, then I went to an older gentleman around my girlfriends place that has been running a bow shop since recurves were the new thing. He has kept up with the times and is certified by a number of bow makers to work on them. He was a Prime dealer the year before and told me that he had all kinds of problems with them. His main complaint was that he was still seeing a pretty significant cam lean, when the whole idea behind the dual-cam was to eliminate that.

I was impressed with the toughness of the bow and the warranty on it. But, I ended up purchasing a Strouthers. I liked the feel and the draw cycle on it better than anything else that I had shot.

Zuludog · Jul 27, 2014

I have two Primes and a G5 before that. Briefly had a Strothers too. The defy and Alloy are both awesome bows. I've never had any issues with string or cable wear and no cam lean what so ever. I think the cam lean thing is eliminated with the Prime line and would really doubt anyone who said otherwise. I think there not as popular as the bigger brands because Mathews, Hoyt and the other big companies spend a lot on advertising and sponsorship and that is reflected in market share. Also they've been around longer and brand loyalty also plays a factor. I'd pick up an Alloy over the Impact and save 1/2 pound in weight, plus it's not as top heavy or just grab the Defy. I have a nice one in Optifade OC that I'm hanging onto as my back up bow this year and plan on hunting with my Alloy.

ltlacorn · Jul 27, 2014

Prime is a very good bow. I suggest shooting as many different bows as you can. What feels good to someone else doesn't mean that it will feel good to you. Proper set up is huge to whatever bow you get. IMO the Xpedition Xcentric is a nicer bow than the Obsession Evolution. I have shot both side by side and I liked the Xcentric better. The Xcentrics are hitting their IBO where the Evolutions are falling short. With that being said, I love my Strother Vital I got this year.

RockBridge · Jul 27, 2014

I bought a Prime Alloy in April to replace my aging Mathews Switchback XT. I've had a great experience with it. I had no budget limitations and show every bow from every major manufacturer I could get my hands on. All of Hoyt's top offerings. Elite. Matthews Monster, Chill, and Creed. I also shot the Impact, and the Defy. The Alloy felt similar to the other two but had more speed than the Defy, and was shorter ata than the Impact. I'm only 5'8" so the Impact was just too big for my hunting needs.

My accuracy immediately improved. I'm getting more speed out of it. I like that they have a service plan that comes with the bow and I can get new strings every 2 years for free.

I'm looking to buy a bow for 3d/Target stuff this winter and it's really hard to beyond the Prime Impact for that. I'm just too happy with my Alloy to look at a different brand.

Outwest · Jul 27, 2014

sodaksooner said:
I made the swich from Mathews this yr. Phenomenal shooter. Looks great and pretty good speed. Here's the alloy I'll be carrying this fall and a couple of arrows from 75 yards yesterday. I didn't think too bad for just gapping pins.

I did have to drive 3.5 hours to get it and if u get the dl wrong it'll cost u but the are my only concerns.

Nice rig man, I have to make a 1.5 hour drive to get to mine so its not as bad. Did you shoot the defy as well as the alloy? Can you compare the two? I shot the Defy but the alloy they had was left handed.

Thanks for all the replies guys, I have never actually seen a Strother, have heard good things but I won't buy a bow that I can't shoot first.

I am going back to the shop in a few weeks to see if they have the impact in yet or not.

RockBridge · Jul 27, 2014

Did you shoot the defy as well as the alloy? Can you compare the two? I shot the Defy but the alloy they had was left handed.

Your question wasnt directed to me but I shot them both so here's my input. The difference between the Defy and Alloy was very slight if at all discernible. I honestly went with the Alloy because it was a 2014 bow and not a couple years old tech.

Jtelarkin08 · Jul 27, 2014

I own a Energy 35.. It has a little cam lean but to be honest i dont care.. It bare shaft tunes perfect and it is by far the best shooting bow I have ever shot.. I have never shot a prime but i have heard that they shoot really well.. The foss kid shoots the crap out of sheep with one

Zuludog · Jul 28, 2014

I know its not directed to me either but I own both the Defy and the Alloy so here's my take on them. They both have the same cams and the smoothness, solid back wall and lack of vibration at the shot is the same or so slight of a difference that I don't notice. The Alloy holds nicer to me because of the slightly longer ATA but the Defy should be more forgiving with the larger brace height but I don't notice it. I like the idea of the rollers on the Alloy just in case there is any cable wear but the I-glide on the Defy hasn't shown any in 1.5 years. My Alloy is faster but I also have it with 70 lb limbs where my Defy has 60's. The finish on both is awesome and I'm hard pressed to say one is better than the other. I think I'm leaning towards favoring one then I shoot the other and can't make up my mind. lol You really can't go wrong with either, just pick what you prefer, shorter & larger brace height get the Defy, longer ATA and possibly more speed get the Alloy. I like them both.

Just to throw a wrench in your decision making process I had a Strothers Rush and it was an awesome bow, I'm only sure I traded it in because I was actually making money. lol It was fast, smooth and held well too and I wouldn't hesitate to get another. Good luck with your decision.

a3dhunter · Jul 28, 2014

Only downside is they are a bit on the heavy side, other than that nothing wrong with them. I enjoy shooting my Prime Impact.

sodaksooner · Jul 28, 2014

Thanks,

I did not shoot the defy....shorter ATA (and they didn't have any in stock). I shot my alloy against the E35, and by a slight margin picked the alloy. Just a tad less vib, and I mean just a tad, a bit more speed, and higher tech.

On the weight side, you can see by my pic, I am not all that concerned, but it doesn't feel heavy to me, and about the same weight(or less) than my z7X.

armyjoe · Jul 28, 2014

I own an Impact and Alloy. I shot Hoyt forever and still love Hoyt but the Prime just works perfect for me. Absolutely love them and they shoot better (for me) than my Hoyts. Prime really stepped it up over the past two years and I am very happy.

Mmcan · Jul 28, 2014

ltlacorn said:
Prime is a very good bow. I suggest shooting as many different bows as you can. What feels good to someone else doesn't mean that it will feel good to you. Proper set up is huge to whatever bow you get. IMO the Xpedition Xcentric is a nicer bow than the Obsession Evolution. I have shot both side by side and I liked the Xcentric better. The Xcentrics are hitting their IBO where the Evolutions are falling short. With that being said, I love my Strother Vital I got this year.

I shot the Xped alongside the Obsession. The draw cycle on the Obsession is what made the decision easy for me. Also, the Xped had a strange vibration that didn't go away w dampeners. The guy could not discern what it was from. It is an excellent bow for sure but I think that the OP is best served by shooting as many as he can side by side, if at all possible.

boom · Jul 28, 2014

I kinda like the non mainstream bows. I shot a prime after I ordered my e35 and really questioned my decision.

Great feeling bow. I couldn't find a Recluse bow. But it looked awesome on paper. It's a great time to be bow shopping these days.

Outwest · Jul 29, 2014

Jtelarkin08 said:
The foss kid shoots the crap out of sheep with one

No joke man, I saw that one of them (maybe Cam?) was shooting an insanity then made the switch to a prime. Maybe if I shoot a Prime I can kill giant rams on Carmen Island.... http://vimeo.com/56167974
Although looks like the dad didn't do too bad with his Bowtech....

I have pretty much narrowed it down to either the Prime Impact, Alloy, or Elite Energy 35. Now I just need to get the cash to drop on one. As far as string sets go, I found that sets for the prime are the same price as a set for my insanity? This was on Winners Choice website. Is something tacked on at the end for the extra string pieces or what? I know strings will be replaced every 2 years but I usually replace every year.

SeaRun1 · Oct 27, 2014

I have an Impact and a Defy. They both shoot very well. I really like the Impact and I shoot it better then the Defy. The Defy is much lighter so it's my normal hunting bow. Honestly I shoot both very well.

SR1

Tiger Rag · Nov 26, 2014

Love my prime, shoots like a dream. As mentioned, lots of great bows right now, and I shot a lot of them (including E35 and no cam Mathews), and I bought a prime instead, a used prime at that. Great bows!

Why not a Prime??

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