Finally managed to get a Liberty. However, due to the longer wait for 80 pound limbs, I opted for a 70 pound model, and ordered the heavier limbs separately.
I got the bow “rough” set-up last night. Loop, tru-peep, NAP 3000 arrow rest, short sorbotek stabilizer, and cosmic-lite sight. I shot it about a dozen times last night.
My observations:
1) Machining this year is superb. Very refined. Cam/Idler, limbs, riser, everything is top notch.
2) Camo looks nice. Did notice a minor dipping issue upon close inspection. Kind of a “swirl” in one place. No biggie AFAIC.
3) New pockets are excellent. Axle is “tight”..no slop whatsoever..
4) Balance as others have noted is very,very good. I prefer a little bit of top heaviness, so I’ll add a bit more weight up front. Bow “points” very well. I’ve been trying to think of comparison but there is none that I can recall. It feels very much like a finely tuned gran prix racer vs. say a 60’s muscle-car
5) Got a fast one according to the Birth Cert. 294 FPS IBO. 29” draw. Actual draw measured just a hair over 29 1/8” AMO. Peak is 71 pounds. Will zip one through the chrono soon
6) OK the Freedom-Cam: Again, I’ve been trying to find a comparison, and I can’t really come up with one. At first I was like "this is smooth..but 10 pounds is an exaggeration" Then I picked up my 61 pound ExVFT my 71pound 2002 PAT SC, and my 72 pound MagnaTec C.5, and started to draw them all to compare. It may be a very slight exaggeration, but not much: the 71 pound Liberty is not noticeably harder to draw than the 61 pound ExVFT as far as I can tell. It hits peak real quick and lets off almost as quick, however the transitions are EXTREMELY smooth; no bumps or dumps at all..front end or back end. Perhaps a good comparison would be the MArtin Z-cam? Close.It’s not quite as easy as the Mathews concentric cam on the Icon, but definitely easier/smoother than the Mathews SL & HP cams, or the C.5 from Hoyt. Valley is very good at least for me. Not too wide, even at 80% and not too short at 65% (which I set it for). Of course w/ the draw stop the wall is rock solid.
7) New Vibrablocks & hush kit are cool. More flexible/soft than previous versions.
8) The shot: If this isn't the best feeling bow at the shot I've owned, it's in second place. Incredible. Recoil is extremely low. With Limbs savers it very well may be the lowest recoil bow I've owned as I'm comparing it to bows I've owned that HAD limbsavers installed. Won’t know for sure until I test it w/ limbsavers. No vibe at all w/ the stock stuff & my sorbotek, shooting 388 grain 3-49's. I don’t see any reason for someone to need limbsavers as the new VBs work great, but I’ll still do a comparison later to satisfy my own curiosity.
9) Quietest bow I've had since my Ben Pearson Diamond-back. I shot it outside on my deck where there is an echo off the siding and every bow sounds kinda loud there. But the Liberty had just a barely audible "shnick" . Incredible. These new silencers WORK!
10) Super wide sight window is way cool.. something I’ve missed since I stopped shooting HCA machined risers in 1996. Love the wide field of view.
11) Grip is actually a bit thinner at the throat than the 2003's...just a bit..but still comfy...not really higher wristed by much if at all..just seems a bit more.... ergonomic..sculpted nicer perhaps...
12) BowTech is using a new string material from Brownell this year called either ST-1 or TS-1 (I’ve heard both terms used) that is supposed to be a bit faster than 8125. My string and servings definitely look different color and material-wise.
I shot it a bit more this morning before I went to work to get it rough sighted in. Initial impression is that it will be an arrow wrecker. I zipped off the vane and cracked the nock on one of my 3-49’s on the 3rd shot @ 25 yards.
I can’t really nitpick anything as of yet. I’ve got to put more arrows through it. I will say to make sure your sight and rest has plenty of side-to- side adjustment; that wider window requires it. The NAP3000 & cosmic worked just fine but I could see where some less expensive rests/sights (and even some more expensive ones) may not have enough adjustment.
Very impressed.
