APA are a small shop based out of biggar saskatchewan, not far from my home town and my cousin actually used to work there. Their bows might not be the best of the best, but they also dont have 50 years of brand recognition, massive engineering staff, or the financial backing of the majority of the other bow brands. So what they have accomplished is pretty awesome imo.
It’s like the swiss army knife of bows. I do feel like it’s a niche bow for the bow hunting community. Very innovative and hats off to APA for producing a cool product that works. Mahalos again MFJJ for the review. There are so many options for bow hunters, it’s fricken cool.
Thank you for the review. Without you testing it, we would never know that the valley is extremely short or what the speed numbers are in comparison to other bows.
As someone who grew up shooting "speed bows" for decades ending with the likes of the black knight and black knight 2 just as examples.. this IS right up my alley. Made me a heck of a lot better archer (unforgiving).
A lot of people have already commented on it, but adjusting the limb stops does make a big difference with the hold. APA's are really aggressive and 70 pounds feels like 70 pounds, but I think they are smooth to pull as long as you are used to the full feel of that weight. I bought an APA Black Momba Air about 6 months ago. I preferred its feel over anything else under $800 that I could get my hands on. I have a 27in draw length and i really appreciate the speed those aggressive cams get. I did have a shoulder injury early in 2023 and was still recovering so I had mine set at 60 pounds but with my light arrows (thank you MFJJ for that) were still at 299 fps and i could shoot all day, literally would sometimes shoot 200 arrows or more. After getting further along in my recovery I turned it up to 65 and only got 3 fps greater speed but yet it was noticeably more difficult to pull. I think with these aggressive bows, don't be afraid to turn it down for comfort until you get used to it and slowly work up. For the hilly terrain with cliffs and thick swamps between, the short axle to axle light bow is perfect for me and I love the speed it offers me since God didn't bless me with a long draw length.
I saw another review of this bow from a guy that shoots 60lb Bow's and he had no problem drawing it and staying in the back wall. From guys i know that shoot them, they said tuning makes a big difference and these Bow's are finicky. Once you dial them in they shoot good, draw length is the same as Mathews for the last 20 years. Price is a bit high $1299 is what they should be. Good to see Josh is a dealer, even though APA has try before you buy. Hopefully more dealers start to do the same.
I appreciate you doing this review. I 've been seeing a lot of posts from the "speed 'tards" on Facebook lately whining that "Nobody makes a bow that shoots 370 fps like the PSE Full Throttle of 10 years ago" and "Why does anyone care about draw cycle? You don't need draw cycle to hunt." But a nice draw cycle sure makes practice more fun and easier on your joints and tendons, and one needs to practice to be accurate, and accuracy has killed more animals than speed ever will. I can now tell all the speed 'tards that APA sells a bow that is the best fit for what they are looking for.
Single limb bow that shoots! I've been shooting an apartment since 2013 and love it. Want another but can't choose between two of them with no dealers in Florida, what a predicament. Thanks for the review!!!!!!
Well i have the mathews lift and the black mamba pro.both bows are good.apa is alot faster love it.very accute.lift had to change top hats just to get to tune.still not like i want to be.changing out the grip now.see if better.all bows are good just gotta see what feels good to you. I do like soild limbs better then spilt limbs.soild limbs stronger less movement. Spilt limbs dont flex the same.maybe be some of top hats issue.seem like all spilt limbs having issues.bowtech has axle lock so you adjust the cam .at end of the day shoot what you like.not by what you see and hear
Great review! Love seeing the other high end “not as popular” companies out there! Would love to see GEARHEAD archery. They have standard length bows such as 30” and 33” bows and SHORT bows like a 20” or 24” ATA bow. Not to mention….. adjustable CARBON bows. The owner is a great guy and I’d be willing to bet money that he could get you a standard and small sized bow for your testing. Thanks for all the reviews! Bout to check out the Athens one next!
I have to say I just bought this bow a few weeks ago and got really nervous the first week. But now I actually really really like it. Took me a bit to get use to.
Cool bow. Built for a very specific type of archer. Truthfully, very few archers will want that draw cycle and shallow valley, but for those that do, it is a great option.
As an APA owner myself, I actually agree. Very aggressive, wants to go. But that’s what I like. I like as much speed as possible so that I can shoot as heavy an arrow as possible🤘
100+ lbs on their bows feels smooth as butter and like a 80lber in other brands to me. Feels the same as my mathews monster back in the day at 80ish lbs. I've shot numerous brands, and have had mathews and hoyt alot and got this bow, I think, 2 years ago now, and I won't be going back to any other brand anytime soon. Plus, they are only brand that have the balls to build a 100+ lbs bow because their confident with the strength of the riser. Definitely mess around with the adjustments more, the bow wants to go but has more valley then what it looked like in your video, at least to me. Then again if I was them I would of already set all that up to full specs for you if I was the owner.
Other than a few cosmetic changes they have been mostly unchanged for quite a while. I got to shoot one for a couple weeks years ago and found it reminded me of my old bowtech patriot dually. Like your video says they are fast , stiff drawing , and have a miniscule valley.
I shot a APA mamba 34 for years 84#@31.5" and i loved how it shot and the speeds was incredible but i just can't get it to tune and stay tuned tried many different arrows and points weights usually have to put slightly out of time to get it to broadhead or paper tune, so i retired it this fall and went to phase 4 33. I miss hunting with my apa but the Mathews just made life easier anyone can tune it in minutes and it stays in tune.
@@caninphx i had mine much longer than that...im not sure what year i got it. Tuning is terrible it spent alot of time at dealer and i think they even sent it back to APA once only way it tunes is to put top cam slightly advanced which causes other issues.
@@jkgkjgkijk definitely don't work for Mathews sure not a fan boy and actually have a bit of a grudge with Mathews, i feel they did me dirty on what should have been a warranty issue with the last mathews i had years ago they refused to stand behind their product and i refused to own one for over a decade but in my opinion after shooting many different bows they do make the best shooting bows on the market and have for a long time. They are also the top seller among flagship bows by a large margin making all pro shops super familiar with them.
Always enjoy your reviews, like the honesty and authenticity. I have more respect now that you are wearing an AIC - Dirt 🤘 Thanks for your efforts on the channel!
Love the bow reviews. Would love to see you do one o on one of the 2024 Obsession bows since there are literally no videos on them and/or the xpedition xlite bow
Cams are out of time you can see it when you draw it back use the microtune, its not a guard adjuster it adjusts the cam timing . Also adjust the cam draw stops, this will give you less hold weight and less snatch off the back wall but unfortunately will increase the draw length. I think with a little tuning you will hit 150fps.
As someone who has owned and hunted with the mamba 33. It's an amazing bow in the hand, super light, fast as hell, and stayed tuned. The downside is the let-off. If you treestand hunt, it's great, but if you spot and stock, it was not for me. You need to draw back sometimes before an animal crosses your path. This thing is hard to hold back for anything over 5 seconds. So in my conclusion hard to practice alot.
Spitting arrows on a 3.9lbs platform! This is an out and out backpacking hunting rig. Holding this bow at full draw is tough, so timing your draw on a hunt needs a little more thought (Forget holding back for more than 30 seconds). If you just want to sit on your patio at home and shoot paper, probably not your bow. I have shot the Mamba 29 @#70 (2021) - Love the grip / carry handle / Simple design and ability to yolk tune without a press/speed and shoots surprisingly accurate - Dont like, shallow drop off. Practice sessions need to be kept short as fatigue sets in early. Horse for courses :) Thanks for the review.
@@birchriver1 Dude, are you challenging me for a push-up competition ;) hahahahaa....Agree, it can be done. If you are someone that likes to draw early on a shot, there are easier bows to hold at full draw. I am yet to NOT get a pass through on my mamba 29 (shooting GR Hades fix blades), the speed is deadly.
@@peteleroux559 Haha! No push-up challenges from me! Adrenaline had a lot to do with it! Definitely couldn’t hold it that long shooting targets. They are great bows for sure! It’s now my backup, my Bowtech Core SS should be here very soon.
Thank you for reviewing this bow. Not in the market for such a bow but I've been intrigued by APA products since I heard of them a few months ago. If I needed a post-apocalypse survival bow....I'd bin my Phase 4....possibly. LOL
@@darewade5876all that stuff built into them are for the backpack archer way back in the bush. I can see scenarios where they absolutely would come in handy. I think it’s cool seeing manufacturers think outside of the box instead of following trends.
@@paulheberling2750 I’m pretty sure he’s not even ranking this bow top 20. That was one of the rougher reviews I’ve seen him do. The bow has some really cool features but when it comes to actually shooting it I’m sorry but apa is downright unenjoyable. I’m saying this from experience as an apa owner. The next innovation they need is not an integrated bow hoist… it’s a new cam system.
I have a mamba its a couple years old and i still love it , i shoot 70lb draw , id recommend APA not as a starter bow but definitely a solid , fast good looking bow
Shot the mamba 32 tf for years Same draw cycle and will rip your arm off on let down BUT they are incredibly forgiving and accurate they do run long on draw length If you adjust the speed knocks on the control cables the speed will come Keep up the good work
I have their king cobra xr with 90lb limbs. It is a powerhouse for lack of a better term. I'm all about perfrlormance and shooting heavy arrows fast. And as far as I'm concerned, there is no other company out there that comes close to the speed and performance of APA bows. However, as you said, it is not the smoothest and most forgiving bow out there. Thanks for the review
Maintain the low weight, modernize the riser machining (just the look) but keep the hook, keep the standardized sling mounts (why TF does no other company use these??), keep the stay afield system, lose the broadhead wrench and sharpener, dial back the speed just a bit and make the draw nicer, maybe go split limb (maybe not...). One of these bows built out with high quality accessories would be an option for many backcountry hunters.
I had an APA for about a week and half. Was so out of time and took a lot to get it back in time compared to other bows. The valley was just as short as seen here; it just wanted to jump out my hand. It was just a nightmare and something I had no enjoyment shooting. I sold it and bought a V3X 33.
I had the exact same problems. I would tune it through paper after about 100 shots. It would just come out of tune put gas Bow Strings on same thing had it for six months I gave up and I sold it for half the price. Oh, and my PSE Xpedite was faster than the mamba. Wosre bow I ever owned and I owned a lot currently own 10 bows
What year were the bows? Reason being is after about 2020’ish they got a lot better line stays I. Time and I shoot 90lbs dw 2-3 times a week, 100plus arrows an outing
Hey Josh. I have a Black Mamba 31 and a Mathews V3X 29. They are extremely different to shoot. I did get used to the back wall on the APA after playing around with the limb stop and having the bow try to tear my arm off several times. The Mathews for me is just straight up more fun to shoot but .. If I were going on a pack in back country hunt, I'd probably take the APA. It's extremely light, very fast, and the option to remove the and replace the strings and cables in the field is worth something to me. I know you can do it with the SAS system but the APA system is dead nuts easy and fast. You don't need to turn down limbs or anything, just put the pin in place and you're good to go. That said, for me the Mathews is easier to be accurate because of the longer riser. The draw cycle on the APA is a beast. I did get used to it but again, that makes the Mathews feel even smoother when I shoot them back to back, Great and fair review on your part.
my destroyer 350 and insanity cpx were 350 plus all day long and not that harsh to draw and definitely had a valley. today bows are slower than they should be -idk whats the point of not feeling the bow go off which seems to be what we are after
Question did you adjust the draw stops to set the valleys? The valley is adjustable with the draw stop to increase the valley. For the record have used the knife sharpener on mine.
But did you shoot it at 30.5??? Because if you did then you have to reduce speed score, right? Obviously if you adjusted down to 30 then all good but i didnt catch you saying that you did... I may be deaf lol Anyway another great bow review, I absolutely love how you have ALMOST absolute zero biased! I watch all your videos EVEN if I have no interest in the product itself! You and your reviews are the reason I bought my Elite Omnia and I have learnt so much more about archery from all your technical videos, podcasts with Tim and stuff with elkshape as well! Keep up the good work mate! Tim from Oz!
Likely didn't have the modules in stock. They sent him a bow to review so they likley had 30" Draw mods. Apa is known to be 1/2" long on their draw length.
Thanks for reviewing this bow! I've always wanted an Apa because they are small and light. But when I shot them. They draw hard! And the lack of valley is terrible. If they'd fix these 2 things. I'd own one.
They do that for speed if you don’t want a fast bow you don’t get apa but it would be nice if they made some other bows that are softer and have a better valley
Really cool bows. I would never own one because i wouldn't enjoy shooting it, but there is a market for bows like this. Especially for people that want to shoot 80+ lbs
Finally an APA review! Really been considering this bow and the poundage options. But with the Pro need a 80 and 90 pound option to compete with other high end competitors. Only offered in 70 pounds
Seeing as how you’ve done so many bow reviews When measuring the reflex. Do you still think the Stanley tape measure tastes the best ? Asking for a friend.
Didnt you say the dominator duo was off by like a full inch in draw length? I wouldnt have docked them that many points for half inch. I'd given them a 3.
I was looking at the APA bow few years ago but the price combined with a local dealer scared me away. Basically the issue with the back wall is timing related. I had the same problem with Bear dual cam bow that once the timing was adjusted it disappeared but it took some time and custom strings to get it fixed. If the bow was binary cam the timing issue will be gone . Regarding the reflex in the riser in order to fix it you need to move to split limb this way you will have shorter limbs and less reflex. APA is a nice bow from the past . It is stuck 20 years ago in terms of technology. Can it be fixed maybe if they use at least binary cam to remove the timing issues. Moving away of single limb will also help. Regarding the features cam lock is really nice because you can adjust the bow and change cables and strings but for me the rest of them have no real value. Most of the new bows integrated rest and sight are simply a money grab and nothing else.
I owned an APA for about a year. Had some tuning issues took it to an apa dealer they couldnt tune it either. Found out it was a bad batch of strings where it was spongey from materials. Just plain old wouldnt hold tune. Owner of APA reached out to me admitting it was a string issues that they knew about. I moved off of APA because of that. How do you know about a string issue and not contact everyone affected? I see with thier FPS off so much and someone else in the commments saying that this bows timing is off well not much has changed with this company. I really want great things for APA as im just down the road from the factory but I want a dependable bow. So i shoot something else now
You really should of tried out the apa dangerous game can get it in up to 100lb draw weight thing is insane and worth every last bit of hype it still hasn’t gotten
I've watched many of your bow comparison videos. I've only owned one bow and that was a Matthews. I was very successful with it for several seasons. I tore my rotator cuff and it took a couple years to rehab. My son purchased the Hoyt Carbon RX 8 Ultra last year and loves it. I'm unable to shoot it because he's a lefty. I'm visiting my local archery shop in a couple weeks and planning to shoot the Hoyt RX 8 as well as a Bow Tech. Is there a better Carbon bow on the market other than Hoyt that I should consider?
Personally if a bow is set up with new strings and broadhead tuned. Its money. Who swaps strings in the field.. or use any of those options. When your in the bush. Your ready. Gear is tested, things are done right. Broadheads are on and tight.. lol Anyway.... I'm a 4 limb guy 100% I want options, not a torn shoulder
MFJJ!! Good review mate. QUESTION- Would you do you comparison similar to Average Jacks vid on the chronograph speed variations? Using some bows like the APA n a couple of other Brands that were way off of their advertised speeds.
I find apa bows are impossible for me to personally shoot. One of the guys at the club shoots one at 80 lbs and it felt like I would get hurt if it was my bow.
If only people could feel the old Nitrous cams from Martin. Talk about wanting to pull your arm out...dang but like you said, its a speed thing with that type of draw cycle
This is a big ol’like! APA has needed someone like MFJJ to help us all see what they got going on. This would be a 60lb bow for me. 70 looks harsh all the way around.
I bought one 3 years ago biggest mistake I made very hard to tune them and they don't keep the tune after hundred shots or so loses it's tune and no it's not from strings stretching Oh I also own.a pse xpedite and it was faster than the mamba
Great review! Question: Would nearly half a pound of draw weight (69.6 bs 70) increase its speed significantly enough in testing? Enjoyed the review, keep 'em coming!
Another great review. I really value your opinion over many others . The only thing I question is your constant negativity towards bows with more reflex as this design is employed for a reason and shouldn't count against it. Ive had a number of bows with high amounts of reflex and they weren't torquey at all but other than that I cant argue your evaluation system. Keep up the great work and thank you 🙏. Ps good luck at Vegas this year ! I hope your still going to compete 👍
You likley have a draw cycle and grip that is not introducing torque. Most people are not like this however. The larger the reflex the slight amount of torque one has in their grip/draw cycle gets magnified.
APA are a small shop based out of biggar saskatchewan, not far from my home town and my cousin actually used to work there. Their bows might not be the best of the best, but they also dont have 50 years of brand recognition, massive engineering staff, or the financial backing of the majority of the other bow brands. So what they have accomplished is pretty awesome imo.
If they wouldn't charge 1600 for a bow that scored lower then even bow on the market they might have some hope. More like 1000 flat for that bow.
It’s like the swiss army knife of bows. I do feel like it’s a niche bow for the bow hunting community. Very innovative and hats off to APA for producing a cool product that works. Mahalos again MFJJ for the review. There are so many options for bow hunters, it’s fricken cool.
Bought the Mamba 31 last fall. Smoothest shooting bow I’ve ever owned. The ability to work on the bow without a press is amazing.
Josh, with them being Canadian I would make sure that price isnt in CAD and not USD. If it is that bow would be $1195 US.
That’s the correct price in USD
It's a 2000$ bow in canada... and you don't get a discount if you buy 2. I asked
Thank you for the review. Without you testing it, we would never know that the valley is extremely short or what the speed numbers are in comparison to other bows.
As someone who grew up shooting "speed bows" for decades ending with the likes of the black knight and black knight 2 just as examples.. this IS right up my alley.
Made me a heck of a lot better archer (unforgiving).
I was fine with a PSE full throttle for a few years tuned down to 63lbs so yeah...I don't have an issue with that either.
A lot of people have already commented on it, but adjusting the limb stops does make a big difference with the hold. APA's are really aggressive and 70 pounds feels like 70 pounds, but I think they are smooth to pull as long as you are used to the full feel of that weight. I bought an APA Black Momba Air about 6 months ago. I preferred its feel over anything else under $800 that I could get my hands on. I have a 27in draw length and i really appreciate the speed those aggressive cams get. I did have a shoulder injury early in 2023 and was still recovering so I had mine set at 60 pounds but with my light arrows (thank you MFJJ for that) were still at 299 fps and i could shoot all day, literally would sometimes shoot 200 arrows or more. After getting further along in my recovery I turned it up to 65 and only got 3 fps greater speed but yet it was noticeably more difficult to pull. I think with these aggressive bows, don't be afraid to turn it down for comfort until you get used to it and slowly work up. For the hilly terrain with cliffs and thick swamps between, the short axle to axle light bow is perfect for me and I love the speed it offers me since God didn't bless me with a long draw length.
there's nothing smooth about that draw cycle. its stiff the whole way.
I saw another review of this bow from a guy that shoots 60lb Bow's and he had no problem drawing it and staying in the back wall.
From guys i know that shoot them, they said tuning makes a big difference and these Bow's are finicky.
Once you dial them in they shoot good, draw length is the same as Mathews for the last 20 years.
Price is a bit high $1299 is what they should be.
Good to see Josh is a dealer, even though APA has try before you buy.
Hopefully more dealers start to do the same.
I appreciate you doing this review. I 've been seeing a lot of posts from the "speed 'tards" on Facebook lately whining that "Nobody makes a bow that shoots 370 fps like the PSE Full Throttle of 10 years ago" and "Why does anyone care about draw cycle? You don't need draw cycle to hunt." But a nice draw cycle sure makes practice more fun and easier on your joints and tendons, and one needs to practice to be accurate, and accuracy has killed more animals than speed ever will. I can now tell all the speed 'tards that APA sells a bow that is the best fit for what they are looking for.
Single limb bow that shoots! I've been shooting an apartment since 2013 and love it. Want another but can't choose between two of them with no dealers in Florida, what a predicament. Thanks for the review!!!!!!
There is one
If you meant apa, you can order apa bows straight from the company with a 5 day try before you buy.
Oh lord, spell check got me again. Yes I meant APA. I have a m5 SD. It's a ahooter
I ordered my bow directly from Nibel at APA. GREAT company. Just would like to shoot the newer ones to see if it's time to upgrade
Well i have the mathews lift and the black mamba pro.both bows are good.apa is alot faster love it.very accute.lift had to change top hats just to get to tune.still not like i want to be.changing out the grip now.see if better.all bows are good just gotta see what feels good to you. I do like soild limbs better then spilt limbs.soild limbs stronger less movement. Spilt limbs dont flex the same.maybe be some of top hats issue.seem like all spilt limbs having issues.bowtech has axle lock so you adjust the cam .at end of the day shoot what you like.not by what you see and hear
Great review! Love seeing the other high end “not as popular” companies out there!
Would love to see GEARHEAD archery. They have standard length bows such as 30” and 33” bows and SHORT bows like a 20” or 24” ATA bow.
Not to mention….. adjustable CARBON bows.
The owner is a great guy and I’d be willing to bet money that he could get you a standard and small sized bow for your testing.
Thanks for all the reviews! Bout to check out the Athens one next!
I have to say I just bought this bow a few weeks ago and got really nervous the first week. But now I actually really really like it. Took me a bit to get use to.
There is a adjustment period for sure
Cool bow. Built for a very specific type of archer. Truthfully, very few archers will want that draw cycle and shallow valley, but for those that do, it is a great option.
The valley is adjustable with the draw stop system on the cam to allow more valley on the draw
As an APA owner myself, I actually agree. Very aggressive, wants to go. But that’s what I like. I like as much speed as possible so that I can shoot as heavy an arrow as possible🤘
@@paulheberling2750as someone who grew up shooting "speed bows" like black knight and black knight 2 just as examples.. this IS right up my alley.
I have an. Xpedition SMOKE & it had a very short valley, wanted to take off. I adjusted limb stops & it’s great now. Smoothest 70lbs I’ve ever pulled.
What speeds at what specs are you getting?
@@renurenovationsllc7780 28/70 450gr arrow 290fps
100+ lbs on their bows feels smooth as butter and like a 80lber in other brands to me.
Feels the same as my mathews monster back in the day at 80ish lbs.
I've shot numerous brands, and have had mathews and hoyt alot and got this bow, I think, 2 years ago now, and I won't be going back to any other brand anytime soon.
Plus, they are only brand that have the balls to build a 100+ lbs bow because their confident with the strength of the riser.
Definitely mess around with the adjustments more, the bow wants to go but has more valley then what it looked like in your video, at least to me.
Then again if I was them I would of already set all that up to full specs for you if I was the owner.
I love that you're testing that one! Been an APA fan for years. Crazy how much the limbs move at the shot. You were very gentle with the scores 😀
Other than a few cosmetic changes they have been mostly unchanged for quite a while. I got to shoot one for a couple weeks years ago and found it reminded me of my old bowtech patriot dually. Like your video says they are fast , stiff drawing , and have a miniscule valley.
I shot a APA mamba 34 for years 84#@31.5" and i loved how it shot and the speeds was incredible but i just can't get it to tune and stay tuned tried many different arrows and points weights usually have to put slightly out of time to get it to broadhead or paper tune, so i retired it this fall and went to phase 4 33. I miss hunting with my apa but the Mathews just made life easier anyone can tune it in minutes and it stays in tune.
That is the old bows, the new ones after say 2020 stay in tune and are easy to tune.
Yeah right! What shift do you work at Matthews 😁😁😁
@@caninphx i had mine much longer than that...im not sure what year i got it. Tuning is terrible it spent alot of time at dealer and i think they even sent it back to APA once only way it tunes is to put top cam slightly advanced which causes other issues.
@@jkgkjgkijk definitely don't work for Mathews sure not a fan boy and actually have a bit of a grudge with Mathews, i feel they did me dirty on what should have been a warranty issue with the last mathews i had years ago they refused to stand behind their product and i refused to own one for over a decade but in my opinion after shooting many different bows they do make the best shooting bows on the market and have for a long time. They are also the top seller among flagship bows by a large margin making all pro shops super familiar with them.
Always enjoy your reviews, like the honesty and authenticity. I have more respect now that you are wearing an AIC - Dirt 🤘 Thanks for your efforts on the channel!
Love the bow reviews. Would love to see you do one o
on one of the 2024 Obsession bows since there are literally no videos on them and/or the xpedition xlite bow
Cams are out of time you can see it when you draw it back use the microtune, its not a guard adjuster it adjusts the cam timing . Also adjust the cam draw stops, this will give you less hold weight and less snatch off the back wall but unfortunately will increase the draw length. I think with a little tuning you will hit 150fps.
Im also not entirely sure he should have based it off of the actual front of the bow, measured as AMO standard may have been better?
As someone who has owned and hunted with the mamba 33. It's an amazing bow in the hand, super light, fast as hell, and stayed tuned. The downside is the let-off. If you treestand hunt, it's great, but if you spot and stock, it was not for me. You need to draw back sometimes before an animal crosses your path. This thing is hard to hold back for anything over 5 seconds. So in my conclusion hard to practice alot.
Spitting arrows on a 3.9lbs platform! This is an out and out backpacking hunting rig. Holding this bow at full draw is tough, so timing your draw on a hunt needs a little more thought (Forget holding back for more than 30 seconds). If you just want to sit on your patio at home and shoot paper, probably not your bow.
I have shot the Mamba 29 @#70 (2021)
- Love the grip / carry handle / Simple design and ability to yolk tune without a press/speed and shoots surprisingly accurate
- Dont like, shallow drop off. Practice sessions need to be kept short as fatigue sets in early.
Horse for courses :)
Thanks for the review.
I have a Mamba 6.5 and held it for about 2 minutes waiting for a moose to take a step. It can be done. Pretty shaky after that long though!
@@birchriver1 Dude, are you challenging me for a push-up competition ;) hahahahaa....Agree, it can be done. If you are someone that likes to draw early on a shot, there are easier bows to hold at full draw. I am yet to NOT get a pass through on my mamba 29 (shooting GR Hades fix blades), the speed is deadly.
@@peteleroux559 Haha! No push-up challenges from me! Adrenaline had a lot to do with it! Definitely couldn’t hold it that long shooting targets. They are great bows for sure! It’s now my backup, my Bowtech Core SS should be here very soon.
As a Canadian I’m so excited to see you review them!
Thank you for reviewing this bow. Not in the market for such a bow but I've been intrigued by APA products since I heard of them a few months ago. If I needed a post-apocalypse survival bow....I'd bin my Phase 4....possibly. LOL
I have a king cobra dg at 90#’s. Love it
Finally lol thank you in the past u have been little skeptical. I've been shooting for 10 years great bows.
Finally APA gets the recognition they deserve!
I own a Swiss Army knife, but it isn't as useful as people think. APA is the same.
@@darewade5876 have you shot them?
@@darewade5876all that stuff built into them are for the backpack archer way back in the bush. I can see scenarios where they absolutely would come in handy. I think it’s cool seeing manufacturers think outside of the box instead of following trends.
@@darewade5876 You obviously never shot one. Dumb shit.
@@paulheberling2750 I’m pretty sure he’s not even ranking this bow top 20. That was one of the rougher reviews I’ve seen him do. The bow has some really cool features but when it comes to actually shooting it I’m sorry but apa is downright unenjoyable. I’m saying this from experience as an apa owner. The next innovation they need is not an integrated bow hoist… it’s a new cam system.
I have a mamba its a couple years old and i still love it , i shoot 70lb draw , id recommend APA not as a starter bow but definitely a solid , fast good looking bow
Honesty is what I love about your videos.
Shot the mamba 32 tf for years
Same draw cycle and will rip your arm off on let down BUT they are incredibly forgiving and accurate they do run long on draw length
If you adjust the speed knocks on the control cables the speed will come
Keep up the good work
I have their king cobra xr with 90lb limbs. It is a powerhouse for lack of a better term. I'm all about perfrlormance and shooting heavy arrows fast. And as far as I'm concerned, there is no other company out there that comes close to the speed and performance of APA bows. However, as you said, it is not the smoothest and most forgiving bow out there. Thanks for the review
Just seen on APA facebook page a bloke doing a review on this bow at #60 28.5" draw length and a 300grn arrow and got 343 ft/s 🤷♂️
Maintain the low weight, modernize the riser machining (just the look) but keep the hook, keep the standardized sling mounts (why TF does no other company use these??), keep the stay afield system, lose the broadhead wrench and sharpener, dial back the speed just a bit and make the draw nicer, maybe go split limb (maybe not...). One of these bows built out with high quality accessories would be an option for many backcountry hunters.
Apa did this, its the mamba lite
I had an APA for about a week and half. Was so out of time and took a lot to get it back in time compared to other bows. The valley was just as short as seen here; it just wanted to jump out my hand. It was just a nightmare and something I had no enjoyment shooting. I sold it and bought a V3X 33.
I had the exact same problems. I would tune it through paper after about 100 shots. It would just come out of tune put gas Bow Strings on same thing had it for six months I gave up and I sold it for half the price. Oh, and my PSE Xpedite was faster than the mamba.
Wosre bow I ever owned and I owned a lot currently own 10 bows
What year were the bows? Reason being is after about 2020’ish they got a lot better line stays I. Time and I shoot 90lbs dw 2-3 times a week, 100plus arrows an outing
Test the xpedition x lite if you can get your hands on it
I agree. Been waiting to see if it’s worth the money they are asking for it.
I've been waiting for you to review this bow
Was pretty cool to see apa get some attention they are good guys
Good review! Appreciate you sharing this one. Was always interested in these bows. Thanks man!
Hey Josh. I have a Black Mamba 31 and a Mathews V3X 29.
They are extremely different to shoot. I did get used to the back wall on the APA after playing around with the limb stop and having the bow try to tear my arm off several times. The Mathews for me is just straight up more fun to shoot but ..
If I were going on a pack in back country hunt, I'd probably take the APA. It's extremely light, very fast, and the option to remove the and replace the strings and cables in the field is worth something to me. I know you can do it with the SAS system but the APA system is dead nuts easy and fast. You don't need to turn down limbs or anything, just put the pin in place and you're good to go.
That said, for me the Mathews is easier to be accurate because of the longer riser.
The draw cycle on the APA is a beast.
I did get used to it but again, that makes the Mathews feel even smoother when I shoot them back to back,
Great and fair review on your part.
This bow is for a select few I think u should try a black mamba 33.
Great shirt...great album
Let me know when you want to do a video on bows and music.
my destroyer 350 and insanity cpx were 350 plus all day long and not that harsh to draw and definitely had a valley.
today bows are slower than they should be -idk whats the point of not feeling the bow go off which seems to be what we are after
Question did you adjust the draw stops to set the valleys? The valley is adjustable with the draw stop to increase the valley.
For the record have used the knife sharpener on mine.
But did you shoot it at 30.5???
Because if you did then you have to reduce speed score, right?
Obviously if you adjusted down to 30 then all good but i didnt catch you saying that you did... I may be deaf lol
Anyway another great bow review, I absolutely love how you have ALMOST absolute zero biased!
I watch all your videos EVEN if I have no interest in the product itself!
You and your reviews are the reason I bought my Elite Omnia and I have learnt so much more about archery from all your technical videos, podcasts with Tim and stuff with elkshape as well!
Keep up the good work mate!
Tim from Oz!
Likely didn't have the modules in stock. They sent him a bow to review so they likley had 30" Draw mods. Apa is known to be 1/2" long on their draw length.
Basically just pick the same draw as the Mathews bows the last 20 years and you will be money.@@caninphx
I love that you tested something that you don't even carry
Thanks for reviewing this bow! I've always wanted an Apa because they are small and light. But when I shot them. They draw hard! And the lack of valley is terrible. If they'd fix these 2 things. I'd own one.
They do that for speed if you don’t want a fast bow you don’t get apa but it would be nice if they made some other bows that are softer and have a better valley
Really cool bows. I would never own one because i wouldn't enjoy shooting it, but there is a market for bows like this. Especially for people that want to shoot 80+ lbs
Hasn’t change LD since 2005. Great bow
Great content we grew up in the same era nice shirt , good music yea they come to snuff the rooster piece out
Finally an APA review! Really been considering this bow and the poundage options. But with the Pro need a 80 and 90 pound option to compete with other high end competitors. Only offered in 70 pounds
Ordering mine In a few weeks, Stoked! Hope this review is good ...
Did the review give you hope?
I wouldn’t order it based on that review lol
Awesome i was wondering about that bow thanks for the review
Seeing as how you’ve done so many bow reviews When measuring the reflex. Do you still think the Stanley tape measure tastes the best ? Asking for a friend.
Hey Josh, as I understand, the bag it comes in is like a "snake bag"? Great review!
I have been wanting to give these bows a try... just wish I had the $$$$ to pic up this NEW bow
Thanks for doing this! They're just si interesting.
I got a question for MFJJ. She use different veins for different broadheads like fix blade and mechanicals.
Didnt you say the dominator duo was off by like a full inch in draw length? I wouldnt have docked them that many points for half inch. I'd given them a 3.
I was looking at the APA bow few years ago but the price combined with a local dealer scared me away. Basically the issue with the back wall is timing related. I had the same problem with Bear dual cam bow that once the timing was adjusted it disappeared but it took some time and custom strings to get it fixed. If the bow was binary cam the timing issue will be gone . Regarding the reflex in the riser in order to fix it you need to move to split limb this way you will have shorter limbs and less reflex. APA is a nice bow from the past . It is stuck 20 years ago in terms of technology. Can it be fixed maybe if they use at least binary cam to remove the timing issues. Moving away of single limb will also help. Regarding the features cam lock is really nice because you can adjust the bow and change cables and strings but for me the rest of them have no real value. Most of the new bows integrated rest and sight are simply a money grab and nothing else.
One thing I would like to point out is that APA is Canadian and that 1600$ is a tad under 1200$ USD
Do you always use the same weight arrows on the vibration test? and if so what weight are they?
I like my pse nxt 31, but I would like to get myself one of these, especially knowing it's Canadian made
Josh, try a Steady Aim to test out the vibration of the bow.
I owned an APA for about a year. Had some tuning issues took it to an apa dealer they couldnt tune it either. Found out it was a bad batch of strings where it was spongey from materials. Just plain old wouldnt hold tune. Owner of APA reached out to me admitting it was a string issues that they knew about. I moved off of APA because of that. How do you know about a string issue and not contact everyone affected?
I see with thier FPS off so much and someone else in the commments saying that this bows timing is off well not much has changed with this company. I really want great things for APA as im just down the road from the factory but I want a dependable bow. So i shoot something else now
Love the honesty
I think that sharpener is pretty awesome actually
Yesssss🎉😂❤ I was hoping to hear about this!!
You really should of tried out the apa dangerous game can get it in up to 100lb draw weight thing is insane and worth every last bit of hype it still hasn’t gotten
To me one of the most important things with APA is you don't need a bow press
No hate great video. Love the shirt also
Wow can't wait to see this.
I've watched many of your bow comparison videos. I've only owned one bow and that was a Matthews. I was very successful with it for several seasons. I tore my rotator cuff and it took a couple years to rehab.
My son purchased the Hoyt Carbon RX 8 Ultra last year and loves it. I'm unable to shoot it because he's a lefty. I'm visiting my local archery shop in a couple weeks and planning to shoot the Hoyt RX 8 as well as a Bow Tech. Is there a better Carbon bow on the market other than Hoyt that I should consider?
Ever think you will review an Xpedition XLite?
I thought the Darton was the farthest off draw length
Interesting bow with that speed you could drop down to 65 pounds and probably be ahead of the game with better draw.
Personally if a bow is set up with new strings and broadhead tuned. Its money.
Who swaps strings in the field.. or use any of those options.
When your in the bush. Your ready.
Gear is tested, things are done right.
Broadheads are on and tight.. lol
Anyway....
I'm a 4 limb guy 100%
I want options, not a torn shoulder
It they made a 35ata bow I would buy one
Like for the shirt alone!
Can you do a video of the specs on the older PSE Stinger 3G?
Nice shirt!
It was holding almost 20 pounds. Wouldn't the valley get better if it was switched to 80 or 85 percent let off?
Seems like that there’s a lot to overlook for a few feet per second to gain. Good review
It’s all about the fps gain!
Definitely the most features on any bow.
MFJJ!! Good review mate. QUESTION- Would you do you comparison similar to Average Jacks vid on the chronograph speed variations? Using some bows like the APA n a couple of other Brands that were way off of their advertised speeds.
I find apa bows are impossible for me to personally shoot. One of the guys at the club shoots one at 80 lbs and it felt like I would get hurt if it was my bow.
APA is the coolest!!!
If only people could feel the old Nitrous cams from Martin.
Talk about wanting to pull your arm out...dang but like you said, its a speed thing with that type of draw cycle
Dirt is a phenomenal album
Ill put this bow up against my 2010 PSE Omen. It shoots laser beams. Draw cycle sounds about the same.
This is a big ol’like! APA has needed someone like MFJJ to help us all see what they got going on.
This would be a 60lb bow for me. 70 looks harsh all the way around.
It’s honestly not that bad I’m 160lb I don’t work out, it took me a week to get use to it but I love mine. Different for sure
I have 2 apa bows one 80lb and one at 60. If you blind folded me I'd have a hard time telling them apart.
That string angle looks pretty severe on the 31. The Black Mamba 36 is more appealing to me.
Wasn’t the Mathews just as fast and lighter? While being easier to shoot?
Badd a$$ shirt! I thought it would've been faster...
wow that's fast!
I didn't catch the let off %. Looks like it is only about 70% Reminds me of a Bowtech Insanity back wall and draw cycle.
Probably an awesome bow at shorter draw lengths
I bought one 3 years ago biggest mistake I made very hard to tune them and they don't keep the tune after hundred shots or so loses it's tune and no it's not from strings stretching
Oh I also own.a pse xpedite and it was faster than the mamba
Great review! Question: Would nearly half a pound of draw weight (69.6 bs 70) increase its speed significantly enough in testing? Enjoyed the review, keep 'em coming!
No not really typically it's about 2 fps per 1lb of draw weight and I think the extra half inch in draw length more than makes up the difference
If you look into IBO testing they have a -2+2 on arrow weight and -2+2 on draw weight....
Another great review. I really value your opinion over many others . The only thing I question is your constant negativity towards bows with more reflex as this design is employed for a reason and shouldn't count against it. Ive had a number of bows with high amounts of reflex and they weren't torquey at all but other than that I cant argue your evaluation system. Keep up the great work and thank you 🙏. Ps good luck at Vegas this year ! I hope your still going to compete 👍
You likley have a draw cycle and grip that is not introducing torque. Most people are not like this however. The larger the reflex the slight amount of torque one has in their grip/draw cycle gets magnified.