ARCHERY
ON THE MARK
THIS YEAR’ S TOP BOWS
Reviews by Calvin Fuller, Bowhunting & Archery Enthusiast & Field Manager @ North 40 Outfitters
In an industry taken over by body building, vitamin supplements, d-rated films, and training yourself to hunt, it is sometimes hard to wade through all the new trends, ideas and hype to find some truly noteworthy products. Let’ s start with bows.
Every year, major bow companies compete to create the fastest, lightest, and strongest bows. Balancing these attributes with smoothness, accuracy, and reliability is a chore that takes a team of experts to figure out.
This year, we shot every bow we could at the ATA show and focused on the real attributes that hunters and shooters like us want to know, and tried to ignore the hype.
What’ s ATA( Archery Trade Association) Show, you ask? Imagine a theme park of the industry’ s top bow / archery companies all packed into one place with booths set up to attract retail buyers to their“ latest and greatest” innovations. Everything new that these companies work on is revealed here. So, without further ado, here are our Top 3 bows from ATA this year.
Xpedition Denali Bow & Xcursion 6 Bow
Xpedition is fairly“ new” to the archery world and seems to spend little time marketing their products and more time backing up their products and researching new ways to make bows quieter, smoother and more reliable.
The draw cycle of these bows was smooth and solid. The break over was far less aggressive than other bows out there and the shot was top 2-3 in smoothness. After the shot, the bow remained balanced for an easy follow through. Performing at 345-358 IBO, these bows are right up there with speed bows that other companies offer, yet they shoot like a smooth bow rather than a speed bow.
Personally, I was a fan of the Denali, due to my long draw length and its 34” axle to axle. This bow had moderate string angles at longer draws and was extremely stable through the shot.
Mathews Halon 32
The Halon 32 was by far the smoothest bow we all shot at the show. This decision for us was unanimous. A longer version of the Halon, the Halon 32 offered string angles that were easier to deal with than the original Halon.
Offered in 5, 6, or 7-inch brace heights, the Halon 32 can fit most shooters and the 7 goes out to 32” on the draw length. The draw cycle on this bows was smooth and had a forgiving break over. The thing that we all noticed was how smooth and quiet the shot was on this bow. Anyone looking for a new bow should try this bow out before they make their decision.
Prime Centergy Bow
Another bow that made the cut for all of us at the show was the Prime Centergy. A redesigned riser allows for superior bow balance during the shot and after the shot. The draw on this bow was surprisingly smooth, with a solid backwall and high let-off. The shot was extremely smooth with little bow torque for easier follow-through. I was a big fan of this bow.
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XPEDITION DENALI
• Brace height: 6.875” +/-. 125”
• IBO speed: 345
• Axle to Axle: 34” +/-. 250”
• Draw weight: 45, 55, 60, 65, 70 LBS
• Weight: 3.9 LBS
$ 999.99
1461293
MATHEWS HALON 32
• Brace height: 6”
• IBO speed: 343 fps
• Axle to Axle: 32”
• AVS technology to produce a stealthy draw and consistent accuracy
$ 999.99
1466327
PRIME CENTERGY
• ATA: 33.25”
• Draw Length: 28”-29.5”
• Brace Height: 6.5”
• Mass Weight: 4.3 lbs.
• Draw weight: 70 lbs.
• IBO Speed: 333 fps
$ 1099.99
1499570