G5 Prime Rize Review

Editors' review

G5 has done a great job with outfitting the entire Prime line with technologies that work well and specifications that are within the ranges shooters like to see. The Prime Rival is not the type of bow that will be on the cover of a magazine because it is the fastest, or lightest, or outfitted with tons of brand new bells and whistles. However, it will be on notice because it does everything well, is designed to tune perfectly, and simply works. The Prime Rize shoots an acceptable 335 feet per second combined with a 6.75" brace height, which will not turn heads for how smoking fast it is, but is an acceptable speed for any style of shooting. The beloved PCXL cam system offers a nice feeling draw cycle, and the parallel tracks and cable harness eliminate all cam lean on the system hopefully leading to an easier tune and a more repeatable shot. The cams are draw length specific, which means they will be true to specs, but shooters may not be able to walk out of the shop with a bow in hand because their draw length specific cam may need to be ordered from the factory. The newly designed 82X riser is the stiffest alloy aluminum riser Prime has ever used, and their 7000 series aluminum risers in the past are on YouTube holding vehicles in the air. The four separate finish options all look great on the bow as well. The Rize may be considered a bit heavy, tipping the scales are 4.3-pounds, but it is a sturdy platform. Finally, the Prime Shield Warranty Program is a really great manufacturers warranty that in addition to everything else will replace the strings and cables every two years.

Finish

G5 finish is dipped to make the Prime bows look great. The Rize offers four unique finish options. The all black Rize is a clean looking rig with gray cams and limb pockets and white limb decals displaying the Prime logo. The Optifade Elevated II pattern was initially designed as a whitetail pattern and should blend in very well with anyone treestand hunting. The Optifade design is more specific toward western style hunting and is a combination of a variety of brown tones. Realtree Xtra is the fourth finish option offered on the Prime Rize. The camo options have black cams and limb pockets, but still feature the Prime limb logo in white graphics. Each of the four choices are well applied and make the bow look extremely sharp.

Riser

Prime aluminum risers were already on the radar for being strong when G5 chose to utilize the strength of a forged 7000 series aluminum several years ago. Although some argue the ability for the older 7000 series bows to hold a Jeep SUV off the ground was simply a marketing trick, the fact remains a strong riser creates a repeatable shot. The newly designed aluminum alloy 82X riser is the strongest design yet as advertised by G5. In combination with the parallel cam design, which eliminates cam lean and helps reduce riser torque, the less stress placed on the riser, ideally the more shootable the rig will become. The Rize is a bit shorter in axel-to-axel than the previous 2015 35-inch Rival measuring a total of 33-inches, which some shooters wanting a more compact hunting bow will enjoy. The riser cutouts maintain the same characteristic look and feel of past Prime models as well. Despite the 83X claimed superior strength, Prime was not able to reduce much weight from the 2015 Rival. Although the Rize is two inches shorter in axel-to-axel measurement, the weight difference between last years longer model and the 2016 Rize is only 0.05-pounds.The 82X riser is equipped with the Flexis AR cable guard technology. This guard is an adjustable roller guard system, which can be used to change the distance the cables are away from the arrow for proper clearance. This roller guard also includes a dampener to help reduce the vibration caused from the moving slide. In addition to this, the Rize riser also features Sherpa enabled accessory mounts for those wanting to mount accessories to like a GoPro camera.

Grip

Grip preference may be one of the most defining factors shooters consider when choosing a new bow. If the grip is not comfortable, shooters will struggle to maintain the same hand placement shot after shot, which will impact accuracy in a negative way. Prime realizes shooters have different personal preferences, and offers two options, each with a different size and overall feel. Those shooters wanting a meatier grip will appreciate the rubber molded Ultra Fit grip. This rubber grip is a nice feeling grip with a bit more girth for shooters with larger hands or used to a more substantial feel. This can be entirely removed for those shooters wanting a slimmer feel. The second grip option is shooting off the integrated riser grip and adding the ghost Grip Side Plates. This is a minimalistic grip option with a slim feel. For warmth in general cold weather hunting, shooters may appreciate the rubber Ultra Fit a bit more. Each choice features the block letter Prime logo in white lettering.

Limbs

The Prime Rize features one-piece solid limb construction as the energy holder for the bows power. The limbs are fairly substantial in size, and give the shooter an additional sense of strength. They also offer five separate limb configurations including maximum draw weight of 40, 50, 60, 65, and 70-pounds. The draw weight range offered means just about anyone on the market looking for a new high end bow should be able to shoot a comfortable draw weight. The 65-pound maximum limbs are another great addition since many shooters find their favorite peak weight to be the 65-pound mark. This option allows shooters to max out their limbs, and still be at the comfortable weight.

Eccentric System

The popular Prime cams remain unchanged for the 2016 Rize. The PCXL parallel cam system is a draw length specific offering with available draw lengths produced in half-inch increments ranging from 26 to 30-inches. The performance of draw length specific cams is generally speaking a little higher than module based systems because they tend to be a little lighter. However, the PCXL cams have two separate parallel string tracks, which make them a heavy cam to start. The performance of the system is acceptable as well with an IBO speed of 335 feet per second combined with an almost 7-inch brace height and 85% let-off. The parallel cam system is pretty unique in the business, but is designed on a pretty solid idea. When a cam is drawn, there is always a bit of cam lean within the system. Some prefer the lean to be there at rest, and others prefer it to be there at full draw. The PCXL cam takes care of that issue because there are two string tracks instead on all the pressure being on one. This means the weight is equally distributed on both sides of the cam. There is a string yoke splitter located just past each cam, which brings the two cam strings into the singular string.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

The PCXL cams are a great pulling system from start to finish. The majority of the draw weight stacks up rather quickly before leveling out for a bit and gradually dumping into the back wall. The first 7 or 8 inches maintain the peak draw weight before it starts to drop off a bit into the let-off and solid back wall. The let-off is pretty substantial with some shooters claiming up to 85%. The limb draw stops give the back wall an absolute solid, no give feel, which is exactly what many shooters are interested in. The valley is very generous also, and creeping is not an issue even if shooters choose to relax a bit on the back end while holding on target. While holding on target, the pin float is very minimal. Shooters will also be able to hold on target for a rather long time with the low holding weight offered on the PCXL cams. After the shot, the longer riser seems to do a great job absorbing vibration because almost nothing is felt in regards to vibration through the grip. The bow is fairly quiet as well. All in all, the Rize shoots really nicely. Some shooter may worry about the bare bow weight while looking at the specifications on paper, but while holding on target, the 4.3-pounds bare bow is balanced and never feels like too much weight.

Usage Scenarios

The Rize is a hunting bow at heart. Although the bow may be used as a 3D foam shooter as well, most shooters interested in the Rize have hunting in mind. Those wanting to stand on the line and shoot indoor paper may not want a bow with only a 33-inch axel-to-axel measurement, but it could be used for that if a shooter wanted to use the Rize for everything.

Prime Rize vs. Prime Rival

Bow	G5 Prime Rize	G5 Prime Rival
Version	2017	2016
Picture
Brace Height	"	"
AtA Length	"	"
Draw Length	"	"
Draw Weight	lbs	lbs
IBO Speed	fps	fps
Weight	lbs	lbs
Let-Off
Where to buy Best prices online	Not available now. Please check later.	Not available now. Please check later.
	compare more bows

When it comes to G5 Prime Rize and G5 Prime Rival these two bows are relatively close in specifications, and basically appear to the same type of shooter. For the most part, the deciding factor will more than likely be the string angle caused by the axel-to-axel measurement. Those really wanting a great way to mount a camera on their bow may lean towards the G5 Prime Rize, but for the most part these two models are extremely similar.

Prime Shield Warranty Program

The Prime Shield Warranty Program is a wonderful incentive offered to those making a new Prime bow purchase. Like many other companies, the limited lifetime warranty protects the limbs, cams, cable guard system, and 82X Riser. Any warranty parts needed will be shipped priority mail free of charge on G5's behalf within 48 hours, not leaving the shooter stranded without a bow for a long period of time. In addition to this, Prime offers replacement strings and cables for life, which can be updated once every two calendar years. Although there are a lot of shooters that trade out for new bows more often than every two years, those keeping their rigs for an extended period of time will benefit from new threads for life. All Prime bows also go through a 100 shot cycle test prior to being sent to the dealer. That means the strings and cables have gotten a chance to properly settle and the new bow will be ready to go straight from the shop. The Prime Shield Warranty also includes a free Prime dealer tune-up from their local dealer within 6-months of the purchase date. To say this is a great warranty is an understatement. If nothing else, free strings and cables update every two years is a definite money saver for those keeping their bows for a long time.

Summary

The Prime Rize is a really great hunting bow that meets the specification demands hunters have for new rigs in 2016. Nothing the Rize does is Earth shattering or ground breaking, but it does everything very well. The Rize draws great, is easy to tune, shoots well, and has a phenomenal warranty that will help shooters save money every two years by replacing the strings and cables. Those on the market for a new hunting bow should give the Rize a shot!