Built on the premise of accuracy, Prime has become a recognized name in the compound bow ocean in recent years. Since addressing the issue of cam lean head-on in 2012 with the introduction of Parallel Cam Technology (more on this later), this manufacturer continues to gain legions of loyal followers. The company’s growth — becoming a shark in the ocean and not a fish — is a result of its dedication to building platforms loaded with purposeful technologies that make each model accurate, durable and highly functional.
Prime has expanded on its popular Logic line with the addition of the CT9, CT5 and CT3 models. The numeral following the “CT” in each model corresponds with the axle-to-axle length of the given rig; the longest of which is the 39-inch axle-to-axle CT9. While all models were engineered to be in-the-field killers, throngs of bowhunters are leaning on the CT3 to fill their freezers in the coming months.
A fan of Prime bows, I couldn’t wait to put my Logic CT3 through the paces and report on my findings.
If Looks Could Kill
My Logic CT3 arrived cloaked in Prime’s new Morel color option, and I immediately tipped my hat to its flat, no-shine finish. The 82X aluminum riser sports a direct-to-riser grip, which is thin, perfectly angled and melts into the palm-swell area. No scratches or dings were detected, and I was pleased to see Prime’s split-limbs and Compression Axle Technology had been added to the CT3. Commonly used in the motorcycle arena, Compression Axle Technology ensures a more stable, solid platform and reduces the chances of bearing slippage.
Setup
Attachment of accessories (QAD HDX drop-away rest, Spot Hogg Hogg Father sight and Bee Stinger MicroHex Counter Slide stabilizer) was flawless. There were no threading issues and all accessories snugged down with ease. The bow pressed easily, and peep fitting was a snap as was the installation of the rest’s timing cord. A fan of back-tension releases, I opted to remove the bow’s limb stops and replace them with cable stops. I appreciate the fact that Prime provides this option. Removal is a matter of using a 7/64 Allen wrench and then installing the rubber-padded cable stops between the bow’s Parallel Cams. The process takes only a few minutes.
Set at 70 pounds of draw weight and 29 inches of draw length, the 6.5-inch brace height CT3 draws with gentle ease and transition to let off which is not at all abrupt. Obvious detail has been placed on the balance of the bow. The Swerve integrated into the top- and bottom half of the riser adds an appreciated element of stiffness, and Centergy Technology, first introduced in 2017, ensures a center-balanced riser designed to shrink your wobble zone. As previously mentioned, the Center Grip feels great and pushing into the riser with my bow arm while pulling with my release arm pressed the bow into action. At the shot, the bow is mostly dead in the hand. I did detect a slight buzz, but nothing to get worked up about. The noise was nil, and after making a minor rest adjustment to address the slight left paper tear (move rest toward the riser for a right-handed shooter), perfect bullet holes were achieved. Remember to shoot each of your arrows through paper during the tuning process. Not all arrows are created equally; even arrows packaged in the same dozen or half-dozen can have variances and may need to be indexed. Don’t trust an arrow until you shoot it.
As for speed, the Logic CT3 set at the previously mentioned specs powered my 422-grain Easton Axis 5MM arrows at 287 fps. This speed, when married with the bow’s draw weight, produced 77.17 foot-pounds of kinetic energy.
On The Range
Moving to the range, I stretched the bow’s legs, shooting it at distances between 20 and 100 yards. In typical Prime fashion, the bow was an “X” buster. The bow’s balance, the further I moved from the target, became increasingly evident. Yes, the riser promotes balance but so do the wide, stable limb pockets. Reducing friction is the tunable, tried-and-true Flexis AR adjustable flexing roller guard. Regardless of how far I moved from the target, my arrows consistently found their mark. This bow sits like a well-trained Labrador retriever on the target, which builds shooting confidence. Shooting confidence leads to more shooting sessions, and more time behind the bow creates muscle memory that will take over when the moment of truth arrives.
Taking a deeper dive into the CT3’s accuracy, I placed the bow in a Spot-Hogg Hooter Shooter shooting machine and launched arrow after arrow in the fading light. To better view nock travel, Nockturnal Lighted Nocks were inserted. Zero nock travel, even out to the tested distance of 100 yards was detected. I credit this to the marriage of a stiff riser with Parallel Cam Technology — a technology that promises synchronization and torque reduction.
On The Hunt
This summer, I was able to get my Logic CT3 into the woods. Axis deer were on the menu, and while the buck I wanted never offered an ethical shot, a doe did, and the decision was made to bring home some backstraps. The bow, as it did on the range, performed. The doe was taken at a distance of 45 yards and her death sprint was less than 30. In addition to its in-the-field accuracy, the bow, at 6.56 pounds (with attached accessories and arrows in the quiver) carried well and was easily maneuverable while slipping through the woods.
On the final evening of the hunt, I dropped the bow from five feet onto concrete at the lodge. The bow landed right on its top cam and scarred it up pretty good. After putting an emery cloth to work to remove any nicks, I inspected the bow, loaded an arrow and delivered a perfect shot at a 60-yard target.
The Prime Logic CT3 met and surpassed my expectations, and it definitely gets my stamp of approval.