Image | Length | Bow Weight | Draw Weight | Takedown? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PSE Honor See on Amazon.com | 56 inches | Unknown How to: choose arrows, draw weight, and tune your recurve | 35 to 55 lbs. | Yes |
| Pros - Gorgeous construction - FastFlight compatible - Very accurate | Cons - Poor quality control - Not pre-drilled for accessories - Sometimes does not include a bow stringer |
| Also recommended: Best PSE Bows |
Welcome to another recurve bow review, this time of PSE’s Honor. This is a gorgeous bow crafted crom zebra wood and maple, with black fiberglass lamination on the limbs. It’s available in either right-handed or left-handed models, and is compact and lightweight. Let’s look a bit closer, and see if it performs as beautifully as it looks.
What Comes In The Box?
When you open the box for this takedown bow, you’ll find the following items nestled within:
- The PSE Honor bow, including riser and limbs
- Dacron String (Not FastFlight, as advertised)
- Bow stringer (in some boxes – check for this!)
- Assembly hardware
- 3 carbon arrows
What’s Assembly Like For The PSE Honor?
Putting the bow together is a simple affair. All you have to do is attach the limbs to the riser using the included bolts and your bow wrench. The bow doesn’t come with an Allen wrench, so make sure you have one.
Next, you string the bow. Check the box before you buy the bow, because not all of the boxes I opened included a bow stringer. If you can’t find a box that includes a bow stringer, I strongly recommend buying one. Stringing a bow without the use of a bow stringer is dangerous and can lead to inaccurate shooting or even injury.
Does The Bow Accept Any Accessories?
The bow isn’t drilled for accessories, so you’ll have to take it to your bow technician to have those added if you want to use them. I typically shoot without anything extra, relying on instinctive shooting, but many archers like to use stabilizers, sights, or Berger buttons for shooting. If you’re in that camp, you’ll have to spend a little more money to have your bow tricked out, unfortunately.
Is This Bow Hard-Hitting And Accurate?
The PSE Honor is available in draw strengths ranging from 36# to 55#, so it can be a very hard-hitting bow. The model I reviewed was the “50# to 56#” model, meaning you can adjust the draw strength of the bow by adding more or fewer twists to the string when tuning it. I set it to approximately 55# and went to town, and found that the bow is, indeed, quite powerful.
Accuracy was also pretty good, allowing me to consistently lay out 2″ patterns from 35 yards. I ran into problems with quality control on the bow, and had to return it several times for replacements (more on that in a moment), but once I got my hands on one that didn’t fall apart on me, it remained highly accurate and didn’t suffer any problems with limb twist.
Are The Limbs And Riser Long-Lasting?
Let’s talk about durability and quality control. A good bow will last for years, and the lamination with hold tight for just as long. This bow is made with a zebra wood riser, and the limbs are maple with black fiberglass laminations. Unfortunately, quality control on the manufacture of the limbs seems to be a problem. The first bow I purchased experienced delamination of the limbs within a few shots, and the second cracked vertically down the length of the bow when I strung it. PSE was good about returning the bow, but you shouldn’t have to go through that much hassle to get a product that doesn’t fall apart on you.
Can I Use The PSE Honor For Hunting?
At the higher draw strengths, this bow is absolutely wonderful for hunters. I’ve used mine to hunt deer and elk, and the 56# draw weight would even been suitable for going after moose or black bear. The compact size of the bow makes it easy to move through the brush with it, and it maneuvers beautifully in my tree stand. While I don’t know the exact weight of the bow, it feels like it’s around 2 pounds, so it’s light enough to carry all day without any problems.
How Good Is The PSE Honor For Beginners?
I would not recommend this bow for beginners, simply because of the manufacturing defects I encountered and the fact that it doesn’t accept a sight without post-manufacture modification (which will likely void your warranty.) Other than that, it’s a great bow and is very forgiving of poor technique and stance.
What Arrows Should I Use With The Honor?
The PSE Honor comes with 3 carbon arrows, but you’ll probably want different ones for your long-term use. Choosing arrows is a highly personal decision, but we’ve put together this comprehensive guide on what you need to know to make that choice.
What Strings Will Fit The PSE Honor?
PSE advertises the Honor as coming with a “Fast Flyte string,” but it actually ships with a Dacron string. With that said, the bow is FastFlight compatible, since it has reinforced limb tips, so once you’re sure you have a model that isn’t going to delaminate or crack on you, feel free to change the string out for a Flemish or other FastFlight string.
Is This A Heavy Bow?
I would guess the weight of this bow at around 2 pounds, but the manufacturer doesn’t give the exact weight. It is light enough that I can use it and carry it around all day long without experiencing any fatigue or hand-cramping.
How Quiet Is The Honor?
Out of the box, the PSE Honor has quite a bit of limb slap. Once it’s properly tuned and fitted out with string silencers, though, this is a very quiet bow. Just make sure you give the proper amount of twisting to the string to make sure it’s at the draw strength you want and the silence you need. I’ve found that I can get the PSE Honor down to less than a whisper, and haven’t seen deer string-jump unless I’m within 10 yards of the beast.
Recurve Bow Summary
Thanks for reading my review of the PSE Honor. This bow is certainly beautiful, but the poor quality control can make it more trouble than it’s worth. If you don’t want to deal with returns and exchanges, I’d recommend choosing a different bow, like the Samick Sage. Take a look at Today's Amazon.com price on the PSE Honor if you’re interested.
