Predator vs. Firebird

[djjeremiahj]

I picked up a predator last week, field tested it, and really like it. (Elite Z)

I'm primarily an innova guy.... i can say that 2 discraft discs have become integral to my bag. Buzzz and Predator.

For me, the predator is the same thing as a Firebird, except it seems to fly a touch farther and give me the control that i always wanted (but could never get) out of the firebird.

For me, the Firebird always seemed to have a distance that was "just a touch short" of what i needed and the lack of glide really caused the disc to seemingly under perform.

It's still new, but with a little bit of work i can tell that it will replace my Firebird. I am hoping, with a little bit of braking in, it will loosen up and become a hybrid of an FL and Firebird.

Can i expect this to be true?

What other uses can i hope to find/master....

Comments.

 

[Frank Delicious]

Firebirds are shorter and more stable and handle heavy head winds better

The pred will be longer, have more glide and will flip up more when thrown into a headwind. It will be longer than either your firebird or FL. The pred is also faster so it takes a little more to get up to cruising speed.

 

[toothyfish]

For me, the predator is the same thing as a Firebird, except it seems to fly a touch farther and give me the control that i always wanted (but could never get) out of the firebird.

For me, the Firebird always seemed to have a distance that was "just a touch short" of what i needed and the lack of glide really caused the disc to seemingly under perform.

My observations exactly. The Firebird is a good disc, but for a speed 9, thought it should go further. I could throw a Banshee and Viper as far as a Firebird, with better control. The Predator does fly further, with a nice bag fade, but doesn't just drop off and die. It is overstable but not glideless.

 

[Technohic]

Gotta try a Firebird in 150 weight. I really love mine, better than heavier Firebirds I have thrown. The extra stability it has makes for a 150 class disc that likely isnt going to flip and it will stretch further than normal.

 

[ChaseTheAce]

you probably threw a 12x Firebird. Those suck. Anything made prior is money. The Z Predator I had was never as overstable as my Firebird. Could have been the run, but it wasn't for me. I currently carry 4 FBs in my bag in diff condition/weight

 

[agentdozzer]

Let me start I am or was a innova guy and I hate the fact that there is so many differences in the same disc. I recently replaced a sunken firebird and the new one is not nearly as stable. I am about to get a predator as I have heard nothing but good thing's and every discraft disc I go to replace flys the same as the last one I had. I dont care to know the differnce between 9x 10x or 11 I want a firebird is that to hard to ask?

 

[Mightyredpanda]

11x Firebirds are great, 12x not so much from what i have heard. Predator was never overstable enough for my taste, i now throw the Latitude XXX and i.m.o it is better than both. I have two 175g and one that is 178g, the most reliable disc i have ever thrown.

 

[ChaseTheAce]

Let me start I am or was a innova guy and I hate the fact that there is so many differences in the same disc. I recently replaced a sunken firebird and the new one is not nearly as stable. I am about to get a predator as I have heard nothing but good thing's and every discraft disc I go to replace flys the same as the last one I had. I dont care to know the differnce between 9x 10x or 11 I want a firebird is that to hard to ask?

that's why i love the disc.

I carry an 11x 175g, Pro Candy 175g, CE 170g, CE 169g. All 4 cover so many different shots.

My beef is that the 12x sucks in comparison to the 11x

 

[djjeremiahj]

11x Firebirds are great, 12x not so much from what i have heard. Predator was never overstable enough for my taste, i now throw the Latitude XXX and i.m.o it is better than both. I have two 175g and one that is 178g, the most reliable disc i have ever thrown.

MRP - (Location) Northern Sweden?
Is this true?

RE: Predator...
Understable - my home course is a long open wooded course with all holes shorter than 400' and many are around 300'... I am secretly hoping it really improves my forehand in the drive and fairway ranges.

So far, i think its exactly what i was looking for. I'll report back, but i think the extra glide in the predator makes it the "Firebird" for the average arm".
Eventually, i have a hunch i'll grow into a Firebird from this disc.

 

[Scoot_er]

My observations exactly. The Firebird is a good disc, but for a speed 9, thought it should go further. I could throw a Banshee and Viper as far as a Firebird, with better control. The Predator does fly further, with a nice bag fade, but doesn't just drop off and die. It is overstable but not glideless.

This is because the myth of faster discs flying farther has saturated the DG culture! Speed is only a portion of what decides distance and when you factor in the stability of the Firebird is should fly shorter than pretty much any speed 9 disc.

Look at my speed 20 driver.

 

[Frank Delicious]

This is because the myth of faster discs flying farther has saturated the DG culture! Speed is only a portion of what decides distance and when you factor in the stability of the Firebird is should fly shorter than pretty much any speed 9 disc.

Look at my speed 20 driver.

This is a good point.

 

[MotoDj]

So far, i think its exactly what i was looking for. I'll report back, but i think the extra glide in the predator makes it the "Firebird" for the average arm".
Eventually, i have a hunch i'll grow into a Firebird from this disc.

it may have a bit more glide, but to me the diference is that a predator needs left to right room when thrown hard and flat, easier to flip up to flat, the firebird is a tad more reliable in that respect, if you throw it flat, it goes flat/straight/ then guarantee'd fade - not so much of a grow into difference, just a preference of throwing lines

between the 2 i like em both, the pred is longer for me when its an open shot, but needs more room to work - personally i carry my firebird, mainly for overhand use, but i like em both, definate overlap, distance is close, but i think you can work different lines between the 2,

 

[McLeod]

That's why I like my Firebird, it's so much slower than my other overstable drivers. Even though it's not rated as such, it seems as though my Firebird is even slower than my Banshee.
I love it for skip attacking the basket.

 

[discdork]

12x firebirds and eagles suck bring back the flat

 

[Mightyredpanda]

MRP - (Location) Northern Sweden?
Is this true?

Is what true? Whether or not im living in northern sweden???

 

[Technohic]

This is because the myth of faster discs flying farther has saturated the DG culture! Speed is only a portion of what decides distance and when you factor in the stability of the Firebird is should fly shorter than pretty much any speed 9 disc.

Look at my speed 20 driver.

Its lack of glide that it is supposed to have could be why me running around with a 150 class one compensates for whats described here. Lighter discs do glide more but you sacrifice some stability.

 

[garublador]

For me, the predator is the same thing as a Firebird, except it seems to fly a touch farther and give me the control that i always wanted (but could never get) out of the firebird.

For me, the Firebird always seemed to have a distance that was "just a touch short" of what i needed and the lack of glide really caused the disc to seemingly under perform.

That's a pretty normal observation. You can get a Predator to do most anything a Firebird can do, but you can't get a Firebird to do many of the really useful things a Predator can.

 

[sidewinding]

That's a pretty normal observation. You can get a Predator to do most anything a Firebird can do, but you can't get a Firebird to do many of the really useful things a Predator can.

Could you please elaborate?

 

[VictorB]

In my experience, the predator is like a faster banshee:
- Very high speed stable (not hs overstable)
- Hard fade at the end of the flight

The firebird is high speed overstable, so you should get a different flight out of it (most likely shorter and more left) than a banshee or predator.

 

[garublador]

Could you please elaborate?

By manipulating the flight, you can get Firebird like flights with a Predator. However, you can't get a Firebird to glide like a Predator and get the same distance. You'd need a wider 'S' with a Firebird to match the straight distance you can get with a Pred.