I would not make a bet on PK17 - its cousin, the Renegade, is supposed to have PK17D, according to 123bowl.com, and it definitively is NOT. Much stronger, PK18 solid, polished, IMO (have one, love it!). And my guess is that the Vengeance uses PK18 pearl with the mild Rhino core. IMHO, an Avalanche Solid should come close? Another option could be a Swarm, drilled weaker, or maybe an international Dry Zone (Activator pearl with a high RG/low diff. core from the Purple Pearl Fuze).


Rats, I had a German website that used to have data on the Revolution pieces, but they revamped the site and the info is gone...
AFAIK, the Vengeance was the Renegade's company for light conditions.

But you are lucky: here´s a review from bowler's journal on the Vengeance (http://www.bowlersjournal.com/instruction/pro_shop/PRO_jun00.htm - I kept it from my researches on the Renegade ).

Revolution Bowling: Vengeance
Distinguishing Characteristics - The Vengeance also utilizes a Pro Traction reactive cover in Hunter Green (with white and neon yellow logos and pin) with sparkles added to the cover. This one comes with a 600-grit sand and a gloss polish. The cover sands and polishes easily. The high Rg (2.63) core is a large inverted bulb shape from the Gold Rhino Pro family. The low Rg differential (.033) will offer moderate flare potential and allow for a continuous arcing hook. The design of the Vengeance is to smooth out over-reaction on wet/dry conditions and give the power players needed control at the backend. Again, with the lower differential, the Vengeance can be given stronger two-piece drills for power. The ball design will deliver backend predictability.

Caveat - This is a very smooth-hooking/playable ball for a power-release player, but those of us in the average (or less) rev category had better find some backends. To test Revolution's tech-sheet claim that stronger drills may be used by strong-release players, our lefty-tester went stacked leverage with hole on PAP. The right-side ball was leverage pin with CG near grip center. On fresh strip and oil (30 feet, buffed to 38 feet), the left-side ball could be played anywhere left of fourth arrow.... short of the ditch, that is. This polished ball is very clean through the heads with a big arcing hook and excellent hitting power. On the right side of the lane, fresh backends gave our release the best reaction. As the heads dried up, the Vengeance remained clean in the front with strong arcing hook. On the tight carry-down condition, we played very direct, while our lefty-tester had to tighten the line and watch the speed. We passed these around to strokers, tweeners and power players on both sides of the lane. With fresh backends and lighter conditions, the balls were well received. When the lanes got tight, all but the extreme rev players were done with the ball. The main comment we heard was how the Vengeance was so consistent and predictable in the hook department, and hit and mixed the pins very well.  


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Edited on 7/8/2008 9:21 AM

Dan,

I agree with dizzy (in fact I think I gave him most of that.) Anyways, the BBR.com is mostly correct EXCEPT that RG, 2.648, is the maximum value the minimum is 2.615.

Revolution calls the coverstock, Pro Traction Reactive, on both Vengeance and Renegade.

Given the high RG, low differential core, this ball rolls INCREDIBLY early, in its stock surface, on anything less than medium oil, and has high hitting/pin moving power. They were made around 1999/2000 and were Revolution's first attempts to make balls for the home market.

The coverstocks are AT LEAST PK 18 level strength, possibly higher.

Unless you use a high pin position or have a high tilt, the ball makes relatively even move because, I believe, of round shape of the core.  When I put more polish on it or sanded it finer and added more polish, then it got more length and handled drier lanes. Stock surface, it's for medium-light to almost true medium oil, even on today's oil. Keep in mind my pin in beow the ring finger.

The only two balls even remotely similar to this are the Visionary Blue/Green Centaur and that has a mild, solid cover AND the Ogre Pearl. The OP should be closest in overall reaction, but its RG is not quite as high. It's core has a similarly low RG differential. The Vengeance cover is is similar in strength to the Ogre Pearl.

Oddly my drills for my Vengeance and the OP are almost identical, but I don't get quite the same reaction with the OP. But overall, the strong cover on a high RG REAL core with low differential, makes them very close in overall ideology.

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