G5 Prime Review by Edward Gramza IV

Bow hunters and target shooters have a lot of different options on the market today when looking to purchase a new bow.  Shopping for the new rig can get a little overwhelming as you might not know where to start.  With an increasing number of manufacturers and models, a shooter can be confident that they will find a bow that will work for them in whatever price range they are looking for.

G5 Outdoors is a newcomer to the compound bow market.  They have been known for their line of archery accessories including broadheads, sights, rests, and quivers.  In 2009, G5 introduced the Quest brand of bows for the shooter that wanted a high quality bow for a reasonable price.  In October of 2010, G5 turned the compound bow market upside down with their introduction of the Prime line of bows featuring their proprietary Parallel Cam technology.  This new design is G5’s way to improve accuracy of the Prime line of bows by significantly reducing cam lean that affects the single and double cam bows currently on the market.

The Prime line of bows currently encompasses five bows with three that have come out in 2013.  I recently purchased the Prime Defy which is a brand new design this year that features a new cam design and very forgiving to shoot.  The Defy has a short 31” axel to axel measurement and a brace height of 7.25”.  Even though the bow has a shorter ATA, it still seems to have the balance of a longer bow.  The Defy is rated at an IBO speed of 330fps which is actually the slowest bow G5 makes in the hunting versions of the Prime bows.  My setup is a 70# draw weight at a 30” covered in Gore Optifade Open Country Camo.

The Parallel Cam design is thought to be the single biggest innovation in the bow market in the last decade.  This design splits the cable to run on two tracks and actually giving the bows four cams.  By doing this, the Parallel Cam design prevents the cams from leaning to one side when the bow is at full-draw.  When an arrow is released, the string and cams now follow a straight line and don’t have to torque back into position.  This in theory will lead to more accurate and consistent arrow placement.  Another innovation on the Defy is the I-Glide Flex cable guard.  When the bow is drawn back, the cable guard flexes inwards again helping to prevent cam lean.  After shooting the Defy, I can say that this technology has improved my shooting accuracy as well as my confidence to make the shot when it counts.

The entire line of Prime bows features an incredibly strong aluminum riser.  The strength of the riser can be seen on the G5 website.  For the 2013 models of Primes, they come with redesigned extra wide limbs and 8190 BCY strings.  These strings are extremely strong and reliable and are similar in quality to some of the best aftermarket strings out there.  A benefit that Prime provides its customers is a lifetime free replacement of strings and cables every two years to the original owner.  This is unheard of with other bow manufacturers.

My initial impressions of the Prime Defy were that is was heavy for its size, but well balanced.  The draw cycle is smooth and the back wall is solid.  If you have to let down after being at full-draw, it is a rather aggressive let down and may take you by surprise.  Upon the release of the arrow, the bow is dead in the hand and quite.  With the shorter axel to axel and my 30” draw length, I feel that the bow balances as well as bows with longer measurements.  My Carbon Express Maxima Hunter arrows have a lot of zip and an extremely flat trajectory.  The first four pins on my sight range from 20yds to 50yds and are all touching each other.  This shows the speed the bow is slinging arrows down range.

I have outfitted my bow with an Archer Xtreme Carbon Carnivore 7 pin sight, a Fuse Ultra Rest made by QAD, and a Bee Stinger 8” Sport Hunter stabilizer.  I also put on a few G5 accessories which include a set of Speed Studs, a Meta Peep, and a 6 arrow Mag-Loc Halo quiver in Optifade Open Country.  With this setup, I consider this to be an extremely high performance bow that will allow me to hunt everything from whitetail in Wisconsin to elk in Wyoming.

One downside to the line of Prime bows is that there are no modules to change for adjusting draw length.  This means that the shop has to either order you a bow that fits your length or they have to swap out cams with G5.  This just means that a customer may have to wait to get their new bow.  However, once you have your new Prime, you can rest assured that you will have the best warranty in the industry which they call the Prime Shield Service Program.  Each bow comes with a limited lifetime warranty on the limbs, cams, riser, and the cable guard system.  Customers also get the lifetime string and cable replacement program that allows you to get replacements every two years.  If you have a problem with your Prime at anytime, G5 will send out warranty parts within 48 hours with free priority shipping.  Every Prime is cycled 100 times before it is sent out to dealers to make sure the strings are stretched and settled prior to sale.  And lastly customers will get a free tune-up from their local dealer within 6 months of purchase.

The G5 Outdoors Prime line of bows is one of the newest lines of high performance bows on the market.  They compete head to head versus some of the big names in pro-line of bows currently in pro shops.  Prime has some technological advantages that other manufacturers don’t have, along with their warranty program.  With the number of bows in the Prime line, hunters and target shooters should be able to find a bow that matches their needs.  Head into your local Prime dealer and see how bow technology has advanced over the years to one of the most accurate bows you will ever shoot.

G5 Outdoors       www.g5prime.com          866-456-8836