G5 Prime Logic CT5 Review

Editors' review

Prime has decided to expand their Logic series in 2019 with three longer versions of the popular 2018 model. The Logic CT5 is a 35-inch axle-to-axle model with a 6-inch brace height shooting an IBO speed rating of 340 feet per second. The CT5 is the fastest of the four Logic rigs, and has the best capability of being used as a do it all rig for 3D, hunting, and spot shooting. Prime is offering this bow in a huge variety of finish options from the Prime Custom Shop allowing shooters to choose exactly what they want. The parallel cam system is the cam putting Prime on the map, and for good reason. The let off is adjustable, the back wall is rock solid, and draw cycle is effortless. Perhaps the only downside of the cam system is that it is a draw length specific cam, which means shooters wanting to change draw lengths will need a bow press and a new cam in order to do so. A ton of engineering and thought went into the riser of the CT5 to give the bow one of the most sturdy and well thought out platforms on the market. The Prime warranty offers new strings for the original owner every other year for life, which is something not common in 2019, but appreciated by anyone hoping to keep their bow for a long time. The CT5 is going to be very appealing for hunters wanting a longer axle-to-axle bow, or a shooters interested in having one bow for shooting all year. The MSRP of $999 is an acceptable price for a 2019 flagship model with this much adjustment, although some shooters will have to save longer to afford the cost of the CT5. The experience of the CT5 is more impressive than the specifications, and those willing to give the bow a test shot will leave with a pleasant shooting experience.

Finish

The finishes on the 2019 Prime Logic CT5 are nothing short of stunning. They look amazing, and shooters have a massive amount of color combinations to choose from. The Prime Custom Shop gives shooters virtually unrestricted access to mix and riser and limb colors to give them a bow they design. With so many options it is not a surprise the ordering process through the custom shop may take a little longer than the usual time frame for ordering a new bow. Shooters wanting a more common color option may be fine settling with a CT5 off the bow rack. However, those not worried about waiting a little longer for a fully customized look will be thrilled with the results. Shooters may use the CT5 as a target bow, and the target colors available are sure to fit what they are looking for. Shooters wanting a straight up target bow can choose Deep REd, Emerald Satin, Malbec Satin, Glacier, and Purple Haze. These colors are more typical of target rigs, but the Tac Ops offerings will do well on a target bow as well. The Tac Ops colors includeBlack, Recon Grey, Ghost Green, Morely, and Tundra. For shooters wanting a camo pattern on their CT5 options include Optifade Open Country, Optifade Elevated II, Optifade Subapline, Realtree Edge, First Lite Fusion, and First Lite Cipher. The Prime Custom Shop will also mix and match any riser and limb combination of colors from the camo and Tac Ops choices. Very few companies offer this much variety, and even less of them will allow customers to pick any combination they choose.

Riser

The Prime camp has done a lot of research and development with the machining of their riser to give shooters the absolute best performance out of their risers. For starters, the riser is made out of 82X aluminum, which is a step above the other aluminum used in terms of strength and stability. The throat of the grip is also in the balance point of the bow making it a very stable feeling rig in hand with a balanced feel. Prime argues this balance point helps shooters get on target faster, and stay there longer without as much effort on aiming. This Centergy technology is not new to Prime models, but it is something they have been very up front about advertising, and something they feel is beneficial to shooters and their accuracy. Prime has used the parallel cam design, which is arguably the most pronounced characteristic of Prime bows in general. These cams require the need for a tuneable cable containment system, because there are no yokes to tune out left and right tears. The engineers ended up with the Flexis AR roller system to give shooters a great feeling draw cycle and some precision tuning capabilities. This cable system has rollers to help everything freely glide as shooters come to full draw. The cable arm flexes in and out as the bow is drawn as well to allow for shooters to fine tune their flex to the vane configuration they choose to shoot. It can also be adjusted similar to a limb bolt to help eliminate left or right tears on paper. Shooters will also notice the riser has a little bow in it near the limb pockets on the top and bottom as well. Prime calls this design the "Swerve." The function of the Swerve is similar to what other companies do with the caged riser design to add more strength and stability to the system overall. This design also sinks the cams with each other causing the best possible nock travel possible with the least amount of variation they could design. All these features integrated into the riser make down range accuracy better, which is the ultimate goal for any archery company. The overall weight is also a bit lower without having to add mass for the cage design. Prime weighs their bows straight out of the box, and with that being 4.5-pounds for the CT5 with a 35 inch axle-to-axle measurement is pretty good. This weight is similar to the advertised weights of other bows on the market, but it is important to keep in mind those advertised weights are bare bow weights, not out of the box weights. Prime also has the Sherpa mounting system integrated into the riser for an absolutely solid connection point between the bow's riser and any added accessories shooters can choose from. Quivers to example, now have a very sturdy connection point with the Sherpa system, which many like more than the traditional mounting systems.

Grip

The CT5 designed Prime grip goes to a flat back like so many other grips have gone based on feedback from Prime target archers. The grip is designed directly into the riser, and has a flattened edge of the hand side of the grip, which allows it to better fit into the correct shooting position. The Logic CT5 name is branded on the side of the grip, and has plating on the sides, which does not do anything in terms of grip shape or feel. Aside from a comfortable feeling grip, the engineers placed the throat of the grip in the absolute center of the bow, which shooters will feel right away when picking up the CT5. The perfect balanced rig before added accessories is a nice touch, and Prime argues it is the reason why shooters can get on target quickly and stay there with less effort.

Limbs

The CT5 limbs are split limbs to accommodate the parallel cam system, and have a wide and stable stance. The limbs also come with a factory installed limb dampener as well, which is not as common as it used to be. Prime has a ton of limb configurations as well, which is very much appreciated by customers. Shooters can get maximum draw weight configurations of 40, 50, 60, 65, 70, and even 80-pounds on the CT5 with each limb safely able to back down 10-pounds from its peak poundage. How amazing it is to have any limb configuration a company offers available on a do it all bow? Prime's commitment to offering a bow to fit the specifications of every shooter interested is an insight into their level of commitment to making their shooters happy. The limb pockets also function as expected holding the limbs in place with a zero tolerance. This keeps everything locked down to the riser and promotes a level of accuracy archers demand from their equipment.The limbs also work together with the Compression Axle Technology to keep the limbs and cams securely mated to each other. Prime advertises this technology as similar to that used in the motorcycle industry. The main goal of the compression axle is to keep the bearings from slipping during use. Anytime engineers can create a repeatable system within the design of the bow, it is going to lead to better accuracy.

Eccentric System

Prime bows were put on the radar of so many shooters because of the parallel cam system, which is still equipped on the Logic series of bows, and the CT5 discussed in this article. The cams are draw length specific, which may be their only downside. Shooters leaving the shop will be properly outfitted with a bow that fits them, but if that draw length needs to change, or if shooters go to sell their rigs, changing out the cams is more of a hassle and more expensive than changing around internal modules. The draw length range, much like the draw weight range, is large enough to accommodate most shooters with half-inch increments from 24.5-30-inches. In addition to the large draw length range, shooters can also choose a let-off range from 70-90% by moving the limb stop within the channel. The factory will install the peg at 85%, but those wanting to fine tune their holding weight will be able to do so very easily. The top cam is also slightly larger than the bottom cam in order to keep the nock from leaving its plane during the draw cycle.Each cam has two tracks, which ends up turning into one with a Prime design. As the bow is being drawn, the cam design eliminates any torque because the cables are pulling on both sides of the cam center. Other cams place torque on one side of the cam or the other, which means they naturally lean to one side. Evening this weight out to each side of the cam eliminates this torque, and ideally makes a better shooting system altogether.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

The CT5 is truly one of the most capable do everything bows on the market in 2019, and that should be appealing to many shooters interested in having one bow take them through an entire year of shooting. For many rigs that have the ability to do different types of shooting, there is typically a compromise in one shooting style, but that does not seem to be the case with the CT5. This thing flat out shoots, and makes zero compromises in doing so. The draw cycle is typical of other Prime bows with the parallel am system, and that is a good thing. The CT5 balances perfectly right out of the box, and although most shooters are not going to keep it that way, the balanced starting point makes it easier to place weight where shooters want it. The cams draw extremely smooth, feels great during the transitions of the draw cycle, and holds solid pulling against the limb stops. The valley can be adjusted to match how shooters want it to fell by adjusting the let-off peg if they choose to do so. After the shot, the arrow leaves the bow quickly and there is no residual noise or vibration. From a shooters standpoint, it is really tough to find anything wrong with how the CT5 shoots or performs.

Usage Scenarios

2019 bow lovers are in a great spot because more and more companies are designing do it all rigs. The CT5 is a bow that can handle any style of archery shooters put it through including indoor, 3D, and hunting without making any compromises. The CT5 has a longer, more stable axle-to-axle measurement of 35-inches, has relatively fast speeds rated up to 340 feet per second, is perfectly balanced out of the box with the Centergy technology, has tons of color and finish options to choose from, and is priced well for a flagship model under $1000. For shooters wanting one bow for the entire year, the CT5 is an outstanding option. For those wanting it as a 3D, spot, or hunting bow only, it is also a great option. Anyone wanting a longer platform should seriously consider this as their bow of choice for 2019.

Logic CT5 vs. Logic CT9

Bow	G5 Prime Logic CT5	G5 Prime Logic CT9
Version	2020	2020
Picture
Brace Height	6 "	7 "
AtA Length	35 "	39 "
Draw Length	24.5 " - 30 "	26.5 " - 32 "
Draw Weight	30 lbs - 80 lbs	30 lbs - 80 lbs
IBO Speed	340 fps	325 fps
Weight	4.5 lbs	4.7 lbs
Let-Off	70% - 90%	70% - 90%
Where to buy Best prices online	Not available now. Please check later.	Not available now. Please check later.
	compare more bows

These two bows have some crossover customers in the 3D and spot worlds. Shooters interested primarily in a hunting bow may lean more towards the 35-inch CT5 because it will be more maneuverable in hunting positions, especially ground blinds. However, those interested in a tournament bow will really have to look at each rig and see what is more important to them. The CT5 is faster, but the longer brace height and axle-to-axle measurement of the G5 Prime Logic CT9 may be more appealing to some shooters. Both bows are equipped with the same riser technology and cam systems, so the choice is going to come down to personal preference, and that is what makes buying a bow in 2019 so wonderful. Shooters get to choose what they value as most important, and there is something to fit their needs.

Summary

The CT5 is a great shooting bow, for a reasonable price tag considering the price of the competition. Prime also gives the original owners new strings every two years for as long as they own the bow, which is a great deal for anyone expecting to own their new bow for an extended period of time. The 35-inch frame allows the CT5 to be used for every style of shooting archers are involved in without compromising any particular area. 340 feet per second in this longer framed bow is a pretty good speed rating, and the ability to adjust the let-off is a great option for shooters as well. The cams being draw length specific is a bummer for anyone still growing, or interested in selling after a year. However, those planning to keep their rig for a while will not have much to worry about with switching cams. From a shooter's perspective, it is hard to find anything wrong with the CT5, and it is going to be an outstanding do it all bow for many people.