As a company, PSE is about as old as compound archery itself. The company’s history has spanned more than 50-years, throughout which time they’ve produced a number of the industry’s most sought-after bows.
Over the past decade, PSE has joined the push to offer new, highly adjustable compound bows, which cater to archers of every age group. This has been an endeavor they’ve been quite successful in. For proof of this fact, look no further than PSE’s Uprising. Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time shooting it. I was quite excited to get my hands on it after seeing PSE’s published stats. This bow weighs only 3.2 LBS with a 30” axle-to-axle!
Over the past several years, ultra-modern, highly-adjustable bows have grown immensely in popularity. As a result, many manufacturers have jumped head-long into the production of such bows, with PSE being no exception. PSE claims a draw weight range of 15-70 lbs and a draw length range of 14-30 inches.
Technical Specifications
Again, this bow measures only 30” axle-to-axle while weighing in at just over 3 lbs! These numbers can be appreciated by those who routinely hunt in tight confines, such as a ground blind or a well brushed-in treestand. Here are PSE’s published specs:
| Let-Off: 70 percent |
| Weight: 3.2 pounds |
| Brace Height: 6 5/8″ |
| Axle-to-Axle Length: 30 inches |
| IBO Speed: 302 fps |
| Draw Weights: 15 to 70 pounds |
| Draw Lengths: 14 to 30 inches |
| Finishes: Black, Mossy Oak Breakup Country |
| Suggested Retail: Check Price |
As mentioned, the PSE Uprising’s top selling point is its extreme range of adjustability. The Uprising’s large draw length and weight ranges are great for youth archers who traditionally require a non-standard draw length and a rather low draw weight. The let-off of 70% is lower than the vast majority of modern compound bows on the market today but most archers should still have no trouble holding at full draw assuming they aren’t over bowed.
The brace height of 6 ⅝”, should translate to a very forgiving bow. As a general rule, the closer a bow’s brace height is to 7” the more forgiving it will be to shoot. This points again to a good beginner or youth bow.
That’s not to say a grey beard can’t utilize a bow like this to its full potential. From hunting to target shooting the PSE Uprising is more than capable of achieving all that is asked of it, despite its somewhat underwhelming IBO speed. The experienced archer will definitely notice what’s missing on a bow like this but if he is a budget hunter he won’t care.
Shootability
After the dead simple draw length adjustment it was time for some shooting. Coming to a full draw I was pleasantly surprised. The draw cycle was substantially smoother than I had anticipated, but it’s more than likely owed to its lower let-off. The cams also actuated in a smooth manner, settling cleanly into the valley.
While holding at full draw, the relatively low let-off was noticeable. I didn’t feel this lack of let-off to be overly detrimental, even when shooting the Uprising at its maximum draw weight of 70-pounds. Really you’re only talking around a 6-7 pound difference in let off versus a 80% let off bow of similar weight. That 6 pounds is traded for the smoothness and ease of draw. Bow manufacturers are still tethered to physics so they have to choose their sacrifices and PSE chose a smooth draw here.
ll admit it, I’m not a huge fan of the grip; the bow itself seemed less stable in my hand than I had hoped. It’s thin and minimal and in my larger hands seems inadequate. This is a matter of personal preference though and may not be an issue to others who favor a less pronounced grip.
For what the Uprising lacks in speed it more than makes up for in its quiet operation; another sacrifice I onboard with. Each shot downrange was dead in the hand quiet. The bow deals with residual shock wonderfully, with no buzzing, loud, or sharp frequencies being emitted. For the price point, the PSE engineers nailed it in my opinion.
PROS:
- Whisper Quiet
- Minimal Hand Shock
- Light Weight 3.2 lbs
CONS:
- Minimalistic Grip
Comparable Bows
| BOW | Price | IBO (fps) | Let-Off | Draw Length | Max. Draw Weight | Brace Height | Bow Mass Weight | Hands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Paradox | medium | 330 | 80% | 23.5″ – 30.5″ | 70lbs | 6.25″ | 4.3lbs | L/R |
| Bear Divergent EKO | med/high | 338 | 90% | 26″ – 30″ | 70lbs | 6.5″ | 4.1lbs | L/R |
| Bear Cruzer G2 | medium | 315 | 70% | 12″ – 30″ | 70lbs | 6.5″ | 3lbs | L/R |
| PSE Uprising | medium | 302 | 70% | 14″ – 30″ | 70lbs | 6.625″ | 3.2lbs | L/R |
| Diamond Deploy SB | medium | 330 | 80% | 26″ – 30.5″ | 70lbs | 6.75″ | 3.2lbs | L/R |
| Blackout Epic | medium | 340 | 90% | 26″ – 30″ | 70lbs | 6″ | 4.1lbs | L/R |
| PSE Stinger MAX | medium | 312 | 80% | 21.5″ – 30″ | 70lbs | 7″ | 3.8lbs | L/R |
| Diamond Edge 320 | medium | 320 | 85% | 15″ – 31″ | 70lbs | 7.25″ | 3.6lbs | L/R |
| Diamond Edge Pro | medium | 310 | 80% | 13″ – 31″ | 70lbs | 7″ | 3.2lbs | L/R |
| Diamond Prism | medium | 295 | 80% | 18″ – 30″ | 55lbs | 7″ | 3.2lbs | L/R |
| Predator Raptor | low | 315 | 75% | 24.5″ – 31″ | 70lbs | 7.5″ | 3.8lbs | L/R |
| PSE Brute NXT | medium | 328 | 80% | 22.5″ – 30″ | 70lbs | 6.5″ | 3.7lbs | L/R |
| Diamond Provider | medium | 310 | 80% | 25.5″ – 31″ | 70lbs | 7.5″ | 3.3lbs | L/R |
Accessories
The PSE Uprising comes outfitted from the factory with a number of accessories, initially eliminating the need for additional purchases beyond that of the bow itself. This include a 3-pin sight, arrow rest, stabilizer, wrist sling, and peep sight. These, of course, aren’t top of the line. They’re there to get you started. They will all work and will help kill deer, but if you’re anything like me your gonna want to get your hands on some better components at some point.
While the sight that is included within the Uprising package is pretty basic, it can certainly serve the purpose. At some point you’ll want to upgrade it though. For what it’s worth, the sight’s pins are easily focused within the peep sight and visible under a wide range of lighting. It has an integrated level – a welcomed addition.
The included arrow rest is a “captive” style, which holds an archer’s arrow securely in place quietly. The sight’s tri-segment bristles make full arrow containment possible while minimizing rest to fletching interference. This reduces speed loss by eliminating any unnecessary friction. It allows all three fletchings total clearance as well. Though I prefer a drop away rest, I prefer this style if I were to run a captive rest.
Overall Evaluation
The Uprising gives a lot of bow for the price. This bow can be adjusted to fit almost any archer and is quite a joy to shoot. You’d be hard-pressed to find a lighter, more compact, well rounded compound bow on today’s market. If the Uprising had one shortcoming worth mentioning, it would be its relative lack of speed. But, as I said before, that lack of speed is the sacrifice you have to make to get what this bow delivers at this price.
Though it would be a stretch to refer to the Uprising as slow, there are certainly faster bows on the market. This doesn’t take away from its value or extreme versatility in any way. This bow is more than capable of target shooting, hunting whitetails, or even taking down an elk.
Overall I would classify the PSE Uprising as the ideal bow for any young archer who is looking to get off to an excellent start with a bow that will grow with them. Unlike some beginner compound bows that you can outgrow with time, the Uprising is a bow that will last through all stages of growth.
Check it out on amazon, I’ve seen this bow well below the $300 range for the black finish, which is insane value:
Special thanks to the staff at Cabela’s of Bowling Green, Kentucky, for allowing us the use of their bows, and range, for test and review purposes. Cabela’s was acquired by Bass Pro Shop in 2016 and now operates as a branch of the company, with retail locations nationwide.
Conversation | 3 comments:
I bought my uprising last September and was ready for the woods in a few days! I’m 43 and live and hunt in the thickest areas here in Harlan Ky. I had great success with this bow. My father’s first bow 35 yrs ago was a PSE and I’ve stuck with them all these years. My dad handed his down to me after using it for many years and I used it for years after that! After last years deer season and this springs turkey season I have to say I love everything about my UPRISING and PSE will always be my brand of bow. I bought it at mountain outdoors in Harlan Ky
How can I adjust my Adjustable draw length and weight without it coming apart with force?
Hey Larry
Your draw weight will be the single bolt that holds the limb to the riser. There is a bolt for the top and a bolt for the bottom. Backing those out in equal proportions (count your turns) will allow you to reduce your poundage. I can’t remember if the PSE had a limb bolt hole but alot of times manufacturers will put a hole in the riser so you can see how far the bolt has traveled. You don’t want to go past that point when backing out your limb bolts.
I never took the Uprising down to 15 lbs but those limb bolts would have to the backed WAY out. As long as you’re not looking to shoot 15 lbs you outta feel safe turning those limb bolts out pretty far to get where you feel comfortable.
If you want to adjust your draw length just look at the bottom and top module that have numbers 14-30. All you have to do is change the screw location to the draw length you want. Make sure you do both the top and bottom cams and the same number. These modules don’t hold tension until the bow is drawn so your bow won’t come apart during adjustment of them, don’t worry.