Parker Ambusher Review
from $89
Pros
- Affordable
- Good speed and accuracy
- Easily adjustable
Cons
- Some vibration/noise
- Only comes in one color scheme
- Is an older bow and can only be found online
Video
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Editors' review
The Parker Ambusher is a hunting bow but can easily fit on the 3D course as well. It has a 28" ATA, 27" - 30" draw length range, two max limb weight options of 60# or 70#, 7 1/2" brace height, and a respectable 320 fps. This lightweight bow offers shootability, accuracy, and a lethal package for any hunter at a reasonable price. This rig was part of the 2010 Parker lineup, but can still be found online. It is a mid-level bow, that is smooth to draw, easy to hold, and will perform.
Finish
The finish for this rig is a film-dipped NG-1 Vista camouflage.Risers/Limb
The things that make this bow maneuverable are the near-parallel limbs and the short riser. These features offer the shooter a compact 28" ATA platform as the riser is CNC machined aluminum and a mere 19" long. The design positions the limb pocket pivot points in front of the grip, increasing the power. Although a compact design, this rig maintains the looks, feel, and strength of a typical riser. The riser on this bow is Parker's Ultra-Lite design capped with patented Micro-Lite vented limb pockets. The limb pockets are non-pivoting. They are constructed of a very strong light-weight material and machined to reduce unnecessary materials to reduce weight. The limb bolts allow for easy draw weight adjustment up to approximately 10# below the peak weight of the limbs. The limbs are straight and are 12.75" long solid-piece Gordon Power Tuff material specifically designed to withstand the stresses of archery. These limbs are CNC machined, and each set is matched based on deflection values after the finishing process. This causes the limbs to act as similar as possible to produce the optimum results at the shot. The limbs can be found in 50# - 60# and 60# - 70# sets.Other Components
Out of the box, this bow comes with the basics; single-piece Gordon Power Tuff limbs, riser, single cam system. Besides this, the rig comes with a carbon-rod string suppressor, roller guide cable guard, and Stone Mountain Dakota string/cable.Eccentric System
This bow has a single-cam system that was designed not only for speed, but for easy adjustments as well. The machined cam and idler wheel are perfectly matched and ride on stainless steel axles and sealed pressed bearings for added smoothness. The draw length adjustments range from 27" - 30" but require the shooter to change the modules. The draw length modules come in whole-inch sizes and can be changed without a bow press. The draw length can be fine-tuned by moving the sliding draw stop. Where most companies tell you not to adjust the draw stop at full draw, the Ambusher is one of the few bows where fine-tuning to be done at full draw is encouraged. Once the draw length is set, the 80% let-off makes it easy to hold on target.Draw Cycle/Shootability
The draw for this bow builds gradually from the start of the draw, all the way to let-off. Once the shooter transitions to let-off, the rig is easy to hold and will not feel like it is tearing you apart. This is a very smooth draw. The grip sits very well in the shooters hand making for a solid, comfortable shot. The adjustability of the draw length, and the max limb weights make this a very shootable bow. The draw length is adjusted by swapping out the cam modules, which is easy to do, but not as simple as rotating modules. With a respectable back wall, good let-off, and a design that will produce results time after time, this is a very good bow to have in your arsenal.The bow is not as quiet as other bows as it does have some vibration and noise at the shot. There is also a noticeable kick when shot. This can reduce quite a bit with the addition of a quality stabilizer.Silencing Package
The Parker Ambusher does not come with many bells and whistles. The rig does come with a string suppressor and roller guard cable guide out of the box. The film-dipped, machined riser and limbs help some with noise reduction, but other than that, there is no noise reduction equipment. This rig requires additional noise reduction gear to be added.Grip
The grip on this rig is a sleek two-piece glass-filled nylon contoured grip designed to create a neutral hand position to reduce torque. It has a beautiful walnut wood grain appearance. This synthetic material has a smooth surface that fits very nicely in the shooters hand. This material also resists cracking much better than wood and will retain its feel and looks longer.Comparisons
| Bow | Parker Ambusher | Martin Prowler |
| Version | 2011 | 2013 |
| Picture |  |  |
| Brace Height | 7.5 " | 7 " |
| AtA Length | 28 " | 30 " |
| Draw Length | 27 " - 30 " | 24.5 " - 30.5 " |
| Draw Weight | 50 lbs - 70 lbs | 35 lbs - 70 lbs |
| IBO Speed | 320 fps | 320 fps |
| Weight | 3.4 lbs | 3.4 lbs |
| Let-Off | 80% | 80% |
| Where to buy Best prices online | ||
| compare more bows | ||
The Parker Ambusher is very similar to the Martin Prowler. The Martin gives an additional 2" ATA, an additional limb set with a peak weight of 50#, three more inches of draw length adjustability, and more color options. Both have limb pockets situated forward of the grip for extra power and offer a 320 fps IBO rating, and both are smooth and accurate.The Prowler is adjustable in half-inch increments where the Ambusher is adjustable in whole-inch increments. Both are fine-tuned using the draw stop. The Ambusher does allow the shooter to adjust the draw stop at full draw. The Prowler is part of Martins 2014 lineup and runs about $400 for a bare bow, while the Ambusher can only be found online today. The Ambusher is a good hunting bow, and is very good for a beginner.