Bow Review 2007 - Pearson Z-34 By Jason Balazs
Aug 9, 2007 - 10:12:13 AM
All of the 2007 model bows in this series of Bow Reviews are set up with the same arrow rest, shooting the same arrow, through the same chronograph at the same distance.
The arrow rest is the Quicktune 800's from New Archery Products. These rests proved to set up quickly and painlessly.
For setting the bows up, I used an R.S. Bowvise and levels along with the Easy Eye Center Laser. I have mentioned this before; I would be lost with out the R. S. Bowvise and laser from easy eye.
For the arrow, I am shooting a 365.5-grain, Vforce HV500 carbon arrow from Victory Archery cut to 28" on my Apple Archery arrow cut-off saw. All of the bows in the review are set at 70lbs with a 29" draw.
I was able to ensure that all of the bows were set to the exact measurements and poundage by using my Apple Super Pro Bow press outfitted with the new Bow Tuning/Drawing tool. This thing is awesome because it allows you to measure and set the draw length on every bow. Along with the Bow tuning/Drawing tool, I will be using the new Parallel Limb bow adapter for the bow press. This minimizes potential damage to expensive bows, while saving valuable setup time. RISER AND GRIP:
The riser on the Z-34 is Machined aluminum and has nine cutouts for overall reduction in the bows mass weight. It is outfitted with an ergonomically designed one-piece wood grip. The entire bow is camouflaged in Realtree's APG HD by utilizing the Tarjac Fluid Imaging Technology. This provides a very clear pattern and is more durable under extreme weather conditions. LIMBS AND CAMS:
The Z-34 is outfitted with Barnsdale Laminated Limbs, one of the most popular limbs in the archery industry today. The Z-34 is a single cam bow set up with the Z-7 Cam. This cam has half-inch increments to suit anyone's draw along with 75% let-off. Another thing about the Z-4 is something called ETI or Energy Transfer Insert Technology. This is a new innovation from Pearson that solves the single biggest issue facing bow builders today. It not only transfers more limb-tip energy into the shot, it also reinforces the weakest point on the bow. All Pearson bows are equipped with Stone Mountain Bow strings, STS (Shock Thermal Suppressor), and Bowjax for noise and vibration dampening.
Testing:
The first test I conducted was the grip test. I drew the Z-34 10 times and would always grip the bow a little different each time. This way, I was not just utilizing my grip in the testing. The results I was looking for were if there was any torque on the bowstring or cams. TheZ-34'sgrip proved to be very universal. There was no torque of the bow with each change of grip and the grip felt comfortable and complete in my hand. The grips contour does not allow your hand to slide or be way off center.
Next, I wanted to test the draw of the bow at 70 lbs, so like all the others I drew the bow 10 times. For a 70-pound bow the Z-34 felt as if I was only pulling back around 60 pounds or so. The draw cycle was smooth with a solid wall at the end of the 29" draw.
For testing the speed I shot through my Chronograph from Competition electronics 10 times. The average speed of all ten shots was 293fps. There was hardly any hand shock with each arrow release and the noise was almost non-existent. I am sure that this is a direct reflection of the new parallel limb design and the accompaniment of the Bowjax and the STS suppression system. Conclusion:
It has been at least 10 years since I had shot a Ben Pearson bow. They have really come a long way in that little amount of time with the line-up of archery equipment that they have to offer for the public. The Z-34 is an all around great bow for any shooter. It is light, short, and easy to shoot and would definitely make a great big game or 3-D bow for the beginner or experienced archer. I am excited to see how they are going to top such a great thing in the upcoming years. For this year, they have done an outstanding job with their line up.
