Contents
Bow Package Contents
The ‘Pro’ is manufactured by Brennan Industries Inc. in the USA, which is a nice bonus, as a lot of the competitor models are made – partially or completely – overseas. It comes in a version for right-handed and left handed shooters. If you don’t know what that means, I would suggest you read my beginner‘s guide about compound bows here => Beginner’s Guide To Compound Bows.
This one is not eligible for the National Archery In The Schools Program, by the way. If you want to be safe here, you need to go with the Genesis Original, which is the official model for this program throughout the United States.
It is nonetheless a competition-quality bow, though. If your kid wants to participate in the program of your school, please ask the coach to make sure if he or she could use the ‘Pro’ as well.
A 3/16 Hex wrench for adjusting the draw weight and the draw length is included.
You will get a one year non-transferable warranty against defects in materials and workmanship to the original owner from the date of purchase, so keep your receipt safe. Not included in this warranty are the string and cables and all moving parts. The warranty gets voided when you misuse or modify this model. Think drilling additional holes into the riser or shooting without an arrow in place, which is called dry firing. This happens so often that I wrote an article about it here => Dry Firing A Compound.
You only will get the bare product and the Allen wrench, nothing else. That’s because the manufacturer wants to give you the possibility to get the accessories that you want. As choosing a model like this and accessories is more often than not really a personal thing, this makes a lot of sense – at least to experienced archers who know what they want. For beginners, this might be a bit tricky.
The Genesis Original comes ready to shoot out of the box. This one leaves the decision about what to get additionally and what not to – that’s why it’s called ‘Pro’.
You can buy it in several finishes / colors:
If you need a sight depends on if you want to shoot instinctively or not. If you want to aim and target practice at longer distances, a bowsight makes sense. You can get a standard one from Genesis or any other sight, due to the pre-drilled standard mounting holes in the riser. You also will have to sight it in, by the way. For doing so you need to follow the arrows. This means if you shoot too low and to the right, you need to adjust the sight accordingly. I have a small guide about the whole process here => How To Sight In A Compound Bow.
What you will have to buy for sure is an arrow rest, as there is none provided with this model. Without a rest you cannot use it properly (maybe you could shoot off the shelf, but that is not recommended with compounds). I would suggest you get a Whisker Biscuit, as those are proven to be very good and reliable but you can go with the standard rest from Genesis as well for starting out.
You cannot serve a peep sight into the string, as it is not splittable. If you want one, you will have to get a different string.
There are also no arrows included with the ‘Pro’. If this model is for your kid you could go with the Easton Genesis 2 (1820), which are really good youth arrows. If it is for yourself, it would make sense to go to a professional shop for finding arrows that fit your personal draw length. If your draw length is shorter, they will cut them to the proper length and make sure that the weight of them fit the bow and yourself. Carbon arrows are usually the best choice (Read my article about arrows here => Choosing The Right Arrows For A Compound Bow.).
You should install a nocking point to the string (after you have chosen an arrow rest, as this will determine the position on the string), because a nocking point is an important reference point for consistency while shooting, as arrows should be nocked in at the same spot every time. This makes your shooting cycle repeatable, which is important for accuracy and finding errors concerning proper form. If you never heard that term before, here’s an article about it => Proper Form For Compound Shooting.
A nocking point is good if you want to finger-shoot your Genesis Pro (you will need an archery glove to protect your fingers, though), which is not recommended for bows like this, by the way, as your fingers might twist the string and therefore affect the arrow’s flight negatively. Recurve shooters are quite used to this, so they might prefer to finger-shoot this model (as there is zero let off, there is not much difference between a recurve and the Pro anyway, if you ask me).
If you’d prefer to use a release aid you would need to install a D-loop to the string. A mechanical release aid has a trigger like a gun, so when you release the arrow, your fingers are completely taken out of the equation, thus twisting the string won’t happen at all, which means increased accuracy.
You can also attach a stabilizer to the Pro for getting rid of the vibrations and silencing it down quite a bit, in case it is too noisy for you.
Maybe you want to think about getting a case for transport and storage as well. Compound bows should not be exposed to extreme temperatures or moisture for too long, as this can damage them irreversibly. Don’t leave them in a hot trunk, hot attic or damp cellar – keep them dry and clean instead. A proper carry case will keep them safe for months, if needed. Apart from that it’s better to have one if you are transporting them a lot (driving to the range, camping, travelling etc.).
Noise Level / Hand Shock Of The Genesis Pro Compound Bow
I would say the Pro sounds quite normal. If you want to silence it down, you could add a stabilizer or string silencers but as it is not suitable for hunting anyway, this might be a bit too much. At the end of the day you have to decide for yourself if you think it’s too noisy or not.
There was no recognizable hand shock – but that’s also often a personal thing, which means some archers feel one and some don’t.
Bow Specifics / Limbs / Riser / Grip / String
The Pro is a very sturdy and durable compound and its quality really speaks for itself – made in America, no doubt about that!
It is well balanced and not too complicated, which makes it an excellent choice for beginners. The carefully machined aluminum riser has a decent weight, the molded competition grip feels quite comfortable and should fit a lot of hands. Apart from that, the riser is drilled and tapped for standard accessories, which gives you all the flexibility you need for tuning.
The cam is made from aluminum as well, just like the idler wheel. The limbs are made from a sturdy composite material that seems to be quite durable too.
With an axle to axle length (ATA) of 35.5″ and a total length of 39″, the Pro is not as compact as a lot of the hunting models available, but a very good choice for target shooting nonetheless.
The net weight of 3.5 lbs does not make it an ultralight model. On the other hand, this is more important for hunting again, for target shooting additional weight is an advantage, as heavier bows tend to be more stable while shooting.
Its brace height is 7 5/8 inches. This is quite generous compared to some hunting models, but again, for target shooting this is pretty normal.
The string is a high strength bowstring, the cable guard works like a charm.
Draw Cycle / Shootability
The Pro is easy and smooth to draw, due to the smoothly working single cam system – which makes it a really reliable performer.
Its draw weight range is 15 – 25 lbs. For adjusting you need to tighten or loosen the limb bolts that connect the limbs to the riser with the provided Allen wrench (clockwise increases, counter-clockwise decreases the poundage). One full turn equals approximately 1.4 lbs, the maximum number of full turns you can do is 7. Never ever back the bolts out more than 7 full turns, or the compound may fall apart rather violently, as compounds are always under a lot of tension. Just make sure that the number of full turns is the same on both bolts. If you are uncertain, just tighten to the max and start from there.
The draw length range is from 15″ to 30″, covering a lot of archers. You can adjust it by using the Allen wrench again. Turn the Draw Stop counter-clockwise until it is completely removed. Place it in the desired position and tighten again. You can adjust the draw length with the larger diameter draw stop in 1/2 inch increments, with the smaller diameter in 1 inch increments. If your personal draw length exceeds 30″, the Pro is not for you. If you want to know how to measure your draw length, feel free to read my guide about how to do it here => How To Determine Your Draw Length.
Because of the Draw Stop Cam technology you have a solid back wall, which is important for consistent anchoring while shooting. Especially beginners, who need to concentrate on proper form in the first place, will appreciate this feature, as consistency will lead to accuracy over time.
The Genesis line is known for having zero let off. This way nearly everyone can shoot them without adjusting a lot (it feels more like shooting a recurve, to be honest) and that’s the main reason why the Original is the official bow of the NASP and why these models are quite common in camps or in classes, where a lot of different people / kids have to use them all the time.
Shooting Speed Of The Genesis Pro Compound Bow
There is no official statement about speed, but it seems a customer had access to a chronograph. He measured 170 fps with a poundage of 20 lbs and 300 grain arrows. With 25 pounds he achieved 190 fps. Not bad at all, in my opinion.
Suitable For Hunting / Kinetic Energy (KE)
With a maximum poundage of 25 lbs it is not suitable for hunting anything, as it won’t meet any of the legal requirements demanded by the states in the USA. It is simply too weak to kill in a humane way and I hope you will respect that.
If you want a Genesis model for hunting, maybe take a look at the Gen X. This one has 40 lbs max and should meet the legal requirements of some states (there are also some that demand a draw weight of 50 lbs minimum).
Suitable For Bowfishing
As you can attach a bowfishing reel, this Pro is definitely suitable for bowfishing. The maximum poundage is not that much but should be enough for penetrating the water and hitting the fish well.
Pricing
At around 175 bucks the Pro is not cheap at all but still very affordable for testing the waters in the world of archery – especially if you consider that it is manufactured in the USA and has a decent quality to offer! This fact alone is worth the money, in my opinion.
You could also take a look at the Diamond Atomic, the Barnett Vortex or the Bear Archery Cruzer, just to check out some alternatives.
Pros & Cons
Pros
– made in the USA
– flexible due to zero let off
Cons
– no arrow rest included
Summary
The Genesis Pro Compound is recommended for tweens, teens and adults. Thanks to its zero let off, it can be used by nearly everybody without adjusting the draw length all the time, which makes it really a model for the whole family.
It is a good option for beginners, competition shooters or recreational archers. Bowhunters need to look for something else though, as it is meant to be used for target practicing, not bowhunting.
If you want a ready to shoot out of the box solution I would recommend you take a look at the Genesis Original. Otherwise the Genesis Pro is a great choice and will serve you well for years.
Thanks for reading and shoot straight!
Genesis Pro Videos
Thank you. The review helped helped this superannuated novice a bunch.
Very thorough and yet easy to understand review for us beginners. Extremely helpful! Thank you!