Contents
Bow Package Contents
The High Five Scorcher made by High Five Gear – a company based in Greencastle, Indiana – is available in a right-handed version only. It is meant to be a youth model that also can be shot by petite women but it is, by all means, not a full sized adult bow.
It comes with a 3-pin fiber optic sight included that is made of cheap plastic. It works for starting out but if you have the chance just get a better one. A quality sight won’t cost much but the effects it might have on your accuracy while shootong could be great. Maybe a 3-pin or 5-pin fiber optic sight made from aluminum would do just fine.
The adjustable Crab Claw arrow rest is more or less junk. As the sight, it is good enough for starting out, but if you want to get really good at shooting you definitely need a better one. While shooting the index feather of the arrows (usually two feathers are colored the same, the third one (index feather) has a different color) needs to face away from the body of the Scorcher. Otherwise the fletchings will get ripped off as they will hit the arrow rest / cable guard when being shot! Additionally, this will influence the flight of the arrow resulting in wild shots that won’t hit where you want them to. By the way, the Allen drop-down rest did not fit the High Five Scorcher because the riser was in the way (so look for a different 
model or get a Whisker Biscuit).
The Hog Nose Peep sight that comes with the High Five Scorcher acts as a rear sight and string vibration dampener. It works as long as you keep it from twisting after starting the draw. But I would recommend you get a real peep sight because you will shoot much better with one. Serving in a peep sight is not that easy as it has to be adjusted to the shooter so when in doubt just go to a professional shop and they will take care of it for a small fee.
Concerning arrows: as with all those relatively cheap compound sets most of the accessories that are included are crap. And so are the 2 included FlightRight arrows. Those were made of fiberglass with cheaply pressed on tips that are bigger than the shafts. Because of this they are hard to remove from targets without ripping the tips off. Fiberglass tends to break or splinter when hitting harder objects (think wall, tree, backstop …) so I would recommend you get aluminum or carbon arrows. Just make sure you get some that are rated for the draw weight and draw length of the High Five Scorcher. If you want to learn more about arrows feel free to read our guide here => Choosing The Right Arrows For A Compound Bow. Choosing the right arrows can be quite tricky. So again, if you are in doubt please go to a professional shop. Shooting with the wrong arrows won’t do you any good!
There is a DOA String Stop System installed. The string stopper is made out of rubber. As the cables will rub on it when you are pulling the string back I would either take it off or I would cut a part of the rubber off with a knife (like the guy did in the video at the end of this review) to prevent the string from getting too much wear too early.
A real optical highlight is the Flame-On Camo pattern. From a distance it looks just great. If you look closer the paint job is not that convincing anymore, but who cares as long as it looks good from a few feet away.
The SPIDER Two-Piece Quiver does its job, so there is not much to say about it. It’s a pretty standardized thing.
Some words about the FingerSavers. As the Scorcher is recommended for youth archers High Five Gear included finger rollers that are attached to the bowstring. Those act as a nock point because you can nock your arrows always on the same spot on the string (theoretically) which is good for accuracy and consistency while practicing as you have a reference point. On the other hand they act as a shooting glove that protects your fingers, which means this model can be finger-shot 
(you could shoot it like a recurve, even instinctively although both ways are not recommended for compound bows!) but this can be problematic: If you shoot a model like this with your fingers you tend to twist the string during the release. Another thing is that your fingers sometimes just roll off the savers if your grip is not accurate. These things lead to inaccurate arrow flights resulting in missing or wild shots. In the worst case the string could detach from the cams and hit you in the face. Compound bows like the High Five Scorcher should be shot with a release aid in general. To be able to do this you need to get rid of the finger rollers and you need to get a D-loop installed (acts like a nock point and enables the compound’s string to be pulled back with the release aid). A mechanical release aid has a trigger for releasing the string and thus will take out all the irritations that your fingers and muscles might cause.
The armguard is quite standard and will protect you from string slaps to your forearm. The string slaps are a result of shooting without proper form, so the error lies in your way of shooting and needs to be addressed.
For adjusting the draw weight and the draw length of the Scorcher you will need allen wrenches that are included with this set.
Concerning tuning: As the High Fiver Scorcher itself is a really well made compound you should make a further investment to make it more accurate and reliable. As with models in this price range you should expect the accessories to be junk in general.
To make it a really great shooter you need to switch out the arrow rest (get a fall away or Whisker Biscuit), get rid of the hog nose peep sight and finger savers, get a D-loop installed and a real peep sight served in (the string can be split so there’s no problem). Additionally you need to get good arrows (carbons) that fit the High Five Scorcher (poundage) and yourself (draw length). If you want to learn more about choosing arrows I would recommend you reading our little guide here => Choosing The Right Arrows For A Compound Bow. If you want to know how to measure your draw length read this => How To Determine Your Draw Length.
Arrows are often times more important than the bow itself for getting good and consistent results while shooting. Just saying. As a last step you could switch out the sight that came with this compound. If you tune it like this you should be able to hit right on point every time up to 20 yards without a problem. Just watch the video a customer has made about the High Five Scorcher:
If you are not sure about what to choose and how to install it (maybe that’s your first compound ever) I would strongly recommend you to go to a professional bow shop. They will set things up for you for a small fee and explain things you need to know. Just don’t damage the bow because of a lack of knowledge!
Noise Level / Handshock Of The The High Five Scorcher Compound Bow
There is no annoying hand shock and noise. The string dampener seems to do his job pretty good, so I think there is no need for adding further dampeners or silencers. But as you know this is quite a personal thing, so you might see this differently.
Bow Specifics / Limbs / Riser / Grip / String
The High Five Scorcher comes in a version for right-hand shooters only. So southpaws should look out for a different model as this one is not suited for them. It feels like a ‘real’, full sized bow like some of the kid’s dads will shoot and looks surprinsingly solid and well manufactured.
The BackStrap Magnesium Riser feels smooth and sturdy as do the quad limbs (Quatro Limb Design). The cams of the dual cam system seems to be made out of a very durable material as well. I assume the whole compound is mostly made out of modern composite as this is used for nearly all the actual models out there at the moment.
Its axle to axle length (ATA) is 30.5″ which is quite a handy size for a youth compound and should fit most tweens and teens. It might also fit petite women, so if that’s the case this might be an option for you as well. Its net weight is 4.5 pounds which is not bad at all. Just remember that with more accessories it will be heavier, of course.
The High Five Scorcher has a real bowstring – in contrary to a lot of other youth models that have more cable or rope like strings – therefore it is possible to get a real peep sight served in, which is a great plus, in my book.
The installed string stop is made of rubber and seems to work properly (after cutting out a piece like I wrote above).I already mentioned that a compound should not be finger-shot. But if you want to do that anyway the Finger Savers will protect your fingers and will act as a nock point. That one orange saver should be above the arrow’s nock, the other two should be below it.
One last word about the cable guide. This model’s cable guide is a rather straight one. So you need to shoot your arrows with their index feather pointing away from the compound’s body (which you should do with every bow, does not matter if recurve or compound). Otherwise the fletchings of the arrows will be ripped off when hitting the cable guard or arrow rest. The index feather is the one colored differently than the other two.
All in all the bare compound is very well manufactured. It is of a high quality and looks pretty sturdy and durable. And for that low price it’s just a super deal!
Draw Cycle / Shootability Of The High Five Scorcher
After switching the arrow rest the High Five Scorcher shoots very accurately and you will be able to get really tight groups. It draws rather smooth and there were no humps recognizable before reaching the valley. This model is particularly easy to adjust concerning draw length and draw weight and a bow press is definitely not needed for doing so.
The draw weight range is from 16 – 29 lbs (it comes set to its maximum poundage and its maximum draw length). You can adjust the poundage up or down with the included allen wrenches. To do so you need to tighten or untighten the limb bolts at the top and bottom of the riser. Before turning the bolts counterclockwise (which untightens them) make sure that they are fully tightened first. In case you untighten them too much the limb could disengage from the riser and land in your face as compound bows are always under a lot of pressure! You also only can do a maximum of three full turns. Never do more! Another thing is that you must be sure to tighten the bolts the same amount of turns for keeping the tension on both limbs the same! If there is a difference you will have bad experiences while shooting.
One customer had problems with the heads of the limb bolts (the allen wrenches did not work quite well with them). He switched’em out (well, a bow shop did as you need a bow press for doing so) against two American made stainless steel 1/4-20 X 2″ allen head bolts and the problems were gone.
The draw length of the High Five Scorcher ranges from 16″ – 26″. And again, you don’t need a bow press for adjusting it. To adjust the draw length you need to move the modules one notch each but make sure, that both are kept in the same final position. A lower number shortens the draw length one inch, a higher number increases it.
If you are beginner you will appreciate the wide let-off of 65% which will let you concentrate more on proper form and aiming without pulling you forward. Drawing, holding / aiming and shooting feels quite comfortable due to the gradual release. You won’t get any string slaps as well, provided your form while shooting is proper.
Shooting Speed Of The High Five Scorcher Compound Bow
There is no information about the shooting speed of this compound available. As this model is too weak for going bowhunting anyway, this makes not much of a difference in my opinion.
Proper For Hunting / Kinetic Energy (KE)
As the maximum poundage of the High Five Scorcher is 29 lbs it is definitely too weak to hunt anything with it (most states have legal minimum requirements between 30-50 lbs!) because you won’t get a lot of Kinetic Energy together. Just look at Easton’s Field Chart to see what is recommended for which game.
If you want to learn more about Kinetic Energy for hunting just read our small guide here => Kinetic Energy For Bowhunting.
This model is meant for learning and practicing and not for hunting, so please don’t try to kill any game with it.
Proper For Bowfishing
You definitely can set this model up for bowfishing and it works quite well. There are pre-drilled holes to add a bowfishing reel and the 29 lbs are enough to hit the fish well.
Pricing
With around 100 bucks the High Five Scorcher is a very affordable youth model. As the bow itself is well manufactured and of a high quality you just need to invest in better accessories to have a really great and accurate shooter. At these low price ranges you have to expect this and there are a lot of entry-level compounds with crappy accessories out there. But the bare bows are mostly always made well, so that’s a compromise you have to take. If you want a compound that has only the best accessories on it etc. expect to pay two or three or four times as much (just look at the Infinite Edge Pro, the Bear Archery Cruzer or the Apollo Tactical to get an idea about how much you could invest for a youth bow)!
Pros & Cons Of The High Five Scorcher
Pros
– well made, sturdy entry-level compound
– shoots accurate and consistent after getting better accessories
– adustable and ready to grow with your kids
Cons
– crappy accessories and arrows
Summary
The High Five Scorcher is recommended for kids / tweens between 8 and 14 years. It can also be used by petite women who want to enter the world of archery. Its adjustability makes sure that it can grow along with your kiddos, and, its sturdyness will serve them well for years. All in all this is a pretty decent compound to introduce a beginner or youngster to archery for a very affordable price (compared to models that cost $ 400 and up). And always remember that your kids will outgrow this compound sooner or later. Then you can invest in a higher priced adult model. But up to this point the High Five Scorcher is a very good option that won’t let your kids down if treated appropriately.
Thanks for reading and shoot straight!
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