Prime’s Form is an all-new hybrid aluminum/carbon riser compound that promises precision accuracy.
by Jace Bauserman
Lou Grace and his two sons founded G5 Outdoors in 2000. During G5’s tenure, the manufacturer has been responsible for some of the finest broadheads—fixed blade and mechanical—the archery industry had put out.
In 2010, G5 expanded its empire with the launch of Prime Archery. Built on the principles of sound engineering and a desire to provide bowhunters and target archers with remarkable compound bows, Prime took off.
The brand is well-respected today. Prime Archery has put out some remarkable compound bows bubbling with top-end technologies. For the past several years, Prime’s MO has been to launch a trio of flagships, all bearing the same name. The difference in each of the bows is the axle-to-axle length. For instance, in 2024, Prime lifted the veil on the RVX series, which included 32, 34, and 36-inch axle-to-axle bows.
Prime knows every bowhunter/archer is different. Some prefer a shorter, more compact compound, while others desire models with more distance between the axle pins. Prime aims to please, which is another reason for the brand’s respectable following.
For 2025, Prime stepped outside the norm, which is always good. The compound bow maker launched a pair of aluminum (RVX+32 and RVX+34) and a pair of hybrid (30 and 34) models. The hybrid models seem to be stealing the show.
Dubbed the Form and Form 30, Prime’s latest compound wonders feature aluminum and carbon risers. Two pairs of carbon rods connect the upper, middle, and lower aluminum pieces, making up what Prime calls Advanced Structures Technology (AST).
The bow that arrived on my doorstep was the Form, a 34-inch axle-to-axle compound with a 4.1-pound weight rating. One of the lightest 34-inch axle-to-axle bows ever produced, Prime engineers note that the aluminum/carbon hybrid riser increases stiffness by 47.5 percent while decreasing overall weight by nearly half a pound.
Prime Form First Impressions
The bow’s look is unique, but the riser is unmistakably Prime — long and straight with aluminum flare-outs that meld into sturdy limb pockets with wide, thick split limbs on the top and bottom. Limb dampeners sit between both split limbs, and the string stop is in direct line with the stabilizer mounting hole
The Core Cam System ensures maximum efficiency at every draw length by utilizing draw-length-specific mods in 1/2-inch increments between 26.5 and 30.5 inches. The strings and cables look sturdy and fit perfectly into the cams’ grooves.
Like most modern-day bow makers, Prime has made accessory mounting a breeze. The IMS in the back of the riser accepts clamp-style rests like QAD’s MX2 and others. The riser’s front is unique. Rather than adding a small Picatinny rail as other bow builders have, Prime recessed a pair of grooves in the riser that allows pic-mount sights to grab and lockdown. Prime also created an easy attachment point for the Sherpalite One and Two-Piece Quivers. Accessory mounting is essential, and these new technologies ensure infinite rest, sight, and quiver lockdown while reducing overall bow weight.
The bow is sleek and stylish. The grip is two pieces—half on the front of the riser and half on the back. The back of the grip is gridded to ensure consistent, repeatable hand placement and a positive grip.
Form Bow Build
Some bows fall together, and the Form was one of them. After measuring and confirming the bow’s specs, which were spot on, I used a digital bow scale to check the draw weight. Draw weight was over 70 pounds, so I loosened the top and bottom limb bolts a hair. The pockets aren’t sloppy but turn easily without popping and creating chatter. I appreciate that.
The bow pressed easily, and thanks to the two-color string and strand separator, insertion of G5’s Meta Pro Peep was easy. QAD’s MX2 rest attached quickly, and I served the rest cord into the down cable. The timing was perfect, with the top cam hitting less than 1/16″ before the bottom cam. I’ve set up many Prime bows over the years, and I prefer if the top cam contacts the bow’s outer cable just a tick before the bottom.
After attaching Spot-Hogg’s Boonie Triple Stack PM and Bee Stinger’s MicroHex Hunting 8-inch stabilizer, I added my D-loop, set my center shot, and ran the rest slightly downhill.
Prime Form On The Range
No, I don’t paper-tune first. I never have and never will. My reasoning is two-fold. First, I want to get a feel for the bow. I want to see how the grip welcomes my hand and how it shoots. I also want to give the bow some shoot-in time. As good as modern-day strings and cables are, there is always a bit of stretch. The final paper-tune process is much easier if I can get my tune close while spending time on the range.
My tune was close. I did detect a little nock high travel, but it was miniature, and my first three-shot group was stacked inside the 2-inch diameter white dot of Morrell’s Big High Roller. Though I didn’t love the grip, it grew on me. The more I shot the bow, the less thick the grip felt. Accuracy was not a problem. Prime prides itself on building hyper-accurate bows, and the Form delivers accuracy in spades. Over three hours and over 100 Easton 5.0 381.5 grain arrows, I found the 10- and 12-ring on every 3-D target in my range. Shots were taken with 100-grain field points and SEVR’s Ti 4-Blade Hybrid from 20 yards to 100 yards. The more I shot the bow, the more I tipped my hat to its accuracy. It builds shooting confidence quickly.
The draw cycle is generally smooth, but the transition to the bow’s 80 percent let-off setting was abrupt. It’s by no means terrible, and the more you shoot the Form, the less you notice the humpy transition. The backwall is firm, but there is a pleasant valley, which I appreciate. The felt-padded draw stops on the cam modules roll over and contact the outer cable. At full draw, the cams aren’t itching to spring forward. Prime wasn’t trying to build a speed demon. The bow powered my 381.5-grain arrow at 296 feet per second, set at 70.01 pounds of draw weight and a draw length of 29 inches.
I’m not a speed chaser, and 296 fps isn’t slow. I found the 6-1/4-inch brace height forgiving, and the bow holds like a rock on target. Centergrip technology works with the hybrid riser design to minimize pin float. I felt comfortable no matter how close or far away I was from my target. Pin float was reduced, and I could focus on aiming while letting my release fire the bow.
One nock on the Form is the post-shot noise and vibration. No, it’s not loud and doesn’t buzz your hand terribly bad, but it’s less quiet and dead-in-the-hand than most other 2025 flagships I have tested. Still, it is one of the most accurate compound bows of 2025, and I love shooting it.
Final Tune & Final Thoughts
Lowering my nocking point cleaned up the high nock tear, and the MX2’s .0019″ per click windage adjustment eliminated the slight nock-left tear the bow was producing. In less than 15 minutes, I had a half-dozen Easton 5.0 shafts tuned through paper. It’s always a good idea to paper-tune every shaft you plan to send downrange.
Prime’s Form is an engineering win. I love the hybrid riser design, and the Core Cam System simplifies tuning. There is no question this 34-inch axle-to-axle bow is one of 2025s best.
