Friday, 06 November 2009
Early this spring I began shooting as many different bows as possible. I wanted to see if I was missing something in all the new bows on the market. After shooting the Elite GT500 my mind was made up and I started a new journey with a bow that was totally different than my Mathews. This blog is a follow up to my original review of the Elite GT500 that I did in March.
After shooting the GT500 on the 3D courses this spring and turkey hunting with it here is a breakdown of what I liked and what I would change.
Accuracy- The first day I shot this bow I was more accurate and consistent at 40 yards than with any other bow I have owned. My groups were tighter and my confidence was higher. I contribute this to the bow being a little longer than I was use to shooting in the past. This gave me more stability and that was reflected in my groups. Additionally, I believe the quality of the materials and workmanship on this bow added to the overall performance and accuracy.
The Grip- One of my favorite design features on the GT500 is the grip. I like a thin grip with a flat platform on the riser. This gives stability through the draw and at full draw. Bows that have a rounded wood grip or rounded riser seem to twist more in my hand as I come to full draw. Adjusting the grip back to its original position once at full draw can cause one to torque the riser.
Riser Shelf- If I had one complaint about the GT500 it would be with the riser shelf. I used two different styles of rests and both contacted the left side of the riser shelf which has a little lip. The GT500 and my Z28 paper tuned to the left of what the laser center shot tool showed. This caused the left fork of my rest to always contact the left lip on the riser and not sit flat on the riser shelf. I don't know the purpose for having a lip on the riser shelf of any bow and in my opinion would look just as good not to have one and have the shelf width increased about 3/8s of an inch.
Quality Parts- One of the main reasons the GT500 stood out to me was the quality parts that are used. The Barnesdale limbs, string, string stop, finish, and machining of the cams. I have had no issues with any of the parts on this bow and if I ever do Elite's warranty is one of the best in the industry.
Overall- This is a great bow for hunting and shooting 3D. I give it 9 out of 10 for the smooth draw, stability/balance, solid back wall, and its exceptional quality. I will be using it in the future primarily for spring 3D and turkey hunting. Next week I am going to start shooting paper with it at a new indoor range to work on my form and release. If you haven't shot this bow at a pro-shop I encourage you to do so. Compare it to other bows and you might walk away pleasantly surprised.
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