Parker Kodiak Review

Editors' review

The Parker Kodiak was designed to deliver lethal speed from a lightweight platform while offering accuracy. This platform gave the shooter this platform in a 30" ATA, 7.5" brace height, and 3.75 pounds of magic. This rig produces a very respectable 320 fps with the accuracy you would expect from a flagship bow. This mid-level bow will fit well in any archery situation.

Finish

This rig comes with a Next Vista film-dipped finish that provides a nice feel and a good look. Many have identified blemishes in the finish, along with some stretching with the film dipping in various areas of the bows. The finish on the limbs was deemed crisp and clear, but also showed some blemishes. The overall look of the finish is good, and the blemishes noted were more of a distraction than anything else.

Risers/Limb

This rig is built on a Parker's machined aluminum riser. This riser is actually a refined version normally seen on previous mid-level Parker bows. At the ends of the riser is a pair of Micro-Lite Limb Pockets. This pair of limb pockets provides a solid mount for the Kodiak's extreme parallel limb design. The limbs on this rig are one-piece limbs, and are mounted to transfer energy in the right places. This setup gives the shooter a solid 30" ATA and a very forgiving 7.5" brace height. This design offers a solid shooting platform while also the accuracy needed to meet any archery challenge.

Other Components

Beyond the limbs and the riser, this rig comes with an adjustable string suppressor, walnut finish grip, Stone Mountain string and cables, and an integrated wrist sling. The wrist slings is actually attached to the bow through a small hole in the riser and a setscrew (accessible from the front of the bow) secures the sling to the riser.

Eccentric System

This bow uses the same single-cam eccentric system from the 2012 Parker lineup and punches an arrow out at 320 fps. This single-cam system houses a rotating module system, making draw length adjustments very easy to accomplish. The rig comes with a pair of rotating modules - a short draw for 26" - 28" and a long draw for 29" - 31." After ensuring the proper module is in place, loosen the setscrews, set the module to the correct position, and re-tighten the screws. The draw length can be adjusted from 26" - 31" in half inch increments. Using the draw stop, the draw length can be further adjusted in 1/16" increments. The draw stop makes contact with the lower limb not only making fine-tuning of the draw length easy, but providing a solid back wall for the shooter. All cam adjustments can be performed without the need of a bow press.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

The draw cycle for this bow starts smooth and builds gradually to peak draw weight. As the bow reaches full draw, the draw cycle does stiffen a good bit, but then falls into a decent valley for up to 80 percent let-off. With a properly adjusted draw stop, when the shooter hits the back wall, this rig can be held solidly on the shot with no movement. The peak draw weights for this rig are 60# and 70#, with each having up to 10# of adjustment by using the limb bolts. Even with this adjustability, this rig still only has an effective weight range of 20# from 50# - 70#. Most bows in this archery segment do provide a little more range.When shooting this bow, the bottom of the rig tries to jump forward toward the target on the shot. The riser also has a tendency to twist counterclockwise in the hand as well. Even with these nuances, there is very little vibration and noise out of this bow.

Silencing Package

The Parker Kodiak does have some noise and vibration dampening qualities built into the design of the bow. The machined riser and the film dipped finish are just a couple. The bow also has an integrated carbon-rod string stop and a nylon cable guide for additional dampening. The shooter would be well advised to add a stabilizer to enhance the balance for this rig, and to reduce more of the residual vibration. String Leaches and limb dampeners should also be added.

Grip

This rig comes with a grip that has been standard on Parker bows in the past. This two-piece side plate walnut finished grip. With its sleek finish and smooth contours, this grip fits nicely into the hand. The side plates fit nicely into the machined recesses cut into the riser. This grip is formed and fitted so that it blends well into the riser without any big edges and harsh bumps between the grip and the riser.

Comparisons

Bow	Parker Kodiak	Diamond Infinite Edge
Version	2014	2015
Picture
Brace Height	7.5 "	7 "
AtA Length	30 "	31 "
Draw Length	26 " - 31 "	13 " - 30 "
Draw Weight	50 lbs - 70 lbs	5 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	320 fps	310 fps
Weight	3.75 lbs	3.1 lbs
Let-Off	80%	75%
Where to buy Best prices online	Not available now. Please check later.	$115 to $500 Compare prices
	compare more bows

The Parker Kodiak is similar in size and price to the Diamond Infinite Edge. Where the Parker is a hunting bow, the Diamond is typically marketed as an entry-level bow but is designed to grow with the shooter and can very possibly be the last bow the archer would need to purchase. The Diamond has an extra inch of ATA, but he Parker has an additional 1/2" of brace height, and both are very forgiving, accurate, and shootable.The Parker is only adjustable from 50# - 70#, while the Diamond can be adjusted from 5# - 70# draw weight. The Parker can be adjusted from 26" - 31" draw length, but the Diamond can go from a mere 13" all the way up to 30". The Diamond is also a smoother shooting rig with less vibration at the shot.If the shooter is looking to purchase this bow, they probably are either just getting started in archery or are on a budget. In either case, both of these bows are affordable. The Diamond is a newer bow, and is actually priced $50 less than the Parker. This is not to say the Parker is not a worthy rig, but something to consider.

Usage Scenarios

This bow was designed as a hunting bow, and fits the bill well. It should not be viewed in the same light as the high-end rigs on the market, but it should not be overlooked. This is a good bow for the shooter on a budget, and will certainly be well received in a tree stand. As a mid-level bow, it is better than an entry level bow and will work well in any archery scenario from the target range, 3D course, and the field chasing whitetail.

Value

This rig hit the market in 2013 with a very modest price tag of $399 in a bare bow package. Today, these bows can be found new and used with prices ranging from $250 - $499. This bow is a good bow for someone looking for a decent bow at an affordable price.

Summary

The Parker Kodiak was introduced as part of the 2013 lineup. With a 30" ATA and a 7.5" brace height, not only is this bow a good fit into any archery situation, it is smooth, forgiving and accurate. The solid one-piece machined riser, the extreme parallel limbs, and the single-cam setup produces a respectable 320 fps IBO. The bow looks good, feels good, and shoots good.This rig is priced at the lower end of the price range of compound bows, but this shouldn't be reason to overlook this bow. With an adjustable draw length of 26" - 31," this bow is in line with the normal expectations of bows, as well as the draw weight range of 50# - 70#. To achieve this, the bow must be ordered with either 60# or 70# peak weight limbs, which can be adjusted downward by approximately 10#. The Kodiak does have a tendency to torque in the hand at shot, but has very little vibration regardless. One archer even commented that he shot several rigs to include PSE, Hoyt, Bowtech, and Matthews yet chose the Kodiak over them all.