G5 Prime Shift Review

Editors' review

The 2012 G5 Prime Shift has a ton of technology packed into it and the company itself is making strides. G5 has some very custom features. The riser is composed of a new material for 2012 that weighs less and is more sturdy. Bow torque has been virtually eliminated with the innovations that G5 has put into this bow creating a fluent and balanced draw. All and all the Shift is a very comfortable shooting bow, but it hasn't been blessed with overwhelming speed.

Finish

The Shift has had no problems with its finish and it's solid. It should last a long time and seems enduring. G5 uses Durafuse Finish on their bows and comes in an option of Realtree AP, Optifade Forest, Optifade Open, and Jet Black. There must be a favorite within these options for everyone.

Riser/Limbs

The 2012 Shift improved its' riser from last year in composition. The aluminum is now forged 7000 series which is stronger and weighs less than last year's Shift and competitors 6061 aluminum risers. The axle to axle is 30.25" and 4" shorter than the Centroid. The machining is good looking a little contemporary. The string stopper is connected to the bottom of the riser and is aluminum. It is adjustable in length. The C2 crossweft design limbs on this bow are flexible and reduce stress. The shorter limbs go past parallel. Limb pockets connect them to the riser. With all of the innovative designs on this bow the limbs and pockets are not nearly as creative as some of the other aspects.

Grip

The 2 piece side plates on this bow are molded and somewhat bulky. The plates seem to stick out some, but at full draw they feel fine. It is thinner at the top. G5 uses the Shield Grip and says that it is weather and odor proof. If you're hunting in the late season it won't be real warm on your hand. This grip does assist in the balancing of the bow and how great it is.

Roller Guard

The Shift is equipped with the Ti-Glide flexible cable guard system which is another innovative feature. The titanium spring rod cable guard system is flexible and lets the cables be pulled toward the arrow during the draw. Side load is greatly reduced on the cam with this system and by a claimed 25% lean reduction. The combination of the Ti-Glide and Parallel Cam technologies have essentially eliminated cam lean on this bow during the draw cycle.

Eccentric System

The Shift's double cam system entitled "Parallel Cam" is revolutionary. It reduces left and right nock travel. The Parallel Cam system works with the string hooking up to a harness. The harness connects both sides from each cam and eliminates pull from the same side like on a binary cam from the same side which creates cam lean. This system also reduces archer induced bow torque and limb breakdown. It is a cam specific bow and requires a separate cam for each draw length. The Shift is available in 26" to 30" draw lengths with .5" increments. The IBO speed is 332 fps and while it has ok speed it is not real fast compared to many other bows on the market at this time. It is available in 50, 60, and 70lb. draw weights. It also has 80% let off.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

The draw is by far the absolute best feature on this bow. This is where the most technology has been focused. It is accurate and the shootablility is amazing. The draw is extremely smooth through the entire cycle. It is also very smooth during the let down. The Elite line of bows have been compared, by many, to the draw cycle of the Prime and Centroid by G5. The back wall is rock solid with just enough room to creep in the valley to not catch you off guard. There is only a small amount of recoil and it is fairly steady at the shot. It is exceptionally well balanced, but a stabilizer would probably make it even better. There is a little noise at the shot, but no vibration which may be partially credited to the new 7000 series forged aluminum riser.

Silencing Package

The Shift could use some slight improvements with silencing. It does come equipped with a string stopper and bow jax connected to the inside of the limbs, however, the string does not have any string suppressers on it. The fully adjustable string stopper is aluminum and easy to experiment with if you're trying to reduce the noise.

Comparisons

Bow	G5 Prime Shift	G5 Prime Centroid
Version	2013	2012
Picture
Brace Height	7 "	7 "
AtA Length	30 "	34.25 "
Draw Length	26 " - 30 "	27 " - 31 "
Draw Weight	40 lbs - 70 lbs	40 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	332 fps	332 fps
Weight	3.7 lbs	4.0 lbs
Let-Off	80%	80%
Where to buy Best prices online	Not available now. Please check later.	$329.99 to $449.95 Compare prices
	compare more bows

When compared to the 2011 model the 2012 Shift is .27 lbs. lighter in total weight and has a stronger riser. It is real similar to G5's other bow, the G5 Prime Centroid. It is 4" shorter axle to axle than the Centroid which makes it much more compact for hunting purposes. The Shift is .3 lbs. lighter, but has an identical IBO along with almost all other aspects between these two bows. Neither model is inexpensive at all with MSRP prices of $999.

Perfect Usage

This bow is ample enough to be used in most aspects of archery. Hunting would be the most fitting application however. 3D shooting would be fun with the Shift for recreation or competition. It may be lacking for a strictly "competition" bow.

Summary

The draw cycle on the G5 Prime Shift is awesome due to all of the ground breaking technology that has been concentrated on this part of the bow. The back wall is super solid. It is a very comfortable and easy bow to shoot. It lacks top speed, but it is plenty fast enough to harvest nearly any big game. The most unique features are the Parallel Cam and the Ti-Glide flex cable guard which in turn create the best aspects of the bow. While it's a great quality bow, the price tag might not appeal to those customers looking for best value for money.