For 2012, many bow companies are making their bows lighter and more compact. Just when we thought they couldn’t make bows any shorter or lighter, most of the large bow companies made them shorter and lighter. Compact, lightweight bows are easier to maneuver in the treestand, easier to pack on a backpack if you hunt out west, and they are often more enjoyable to shoot than bows that weigh as much as a boat anchor and are as long as a 10-year-old kid. Below are a few of the latest and greatest bows on the market.
Bear Anarchy
In the last few years, Bear Archery has made many strides forward in Bow Technology. For 2012, they are offering the Anarchy. This bow comes loaded with innovations bowhunters will love.
The new Bear Flat Top cam promises to deliver bow speed and a smooth draw cycle. Combine that cam with a 4X4 roller guard that contains eight sealed ball bearings, and you have a silky, smooth-drawing bow. The Anarchy comes with a customizable grip, Dual Arc offset string suppressors with added vibration dampening boots, and it has a very forgiving 7.25-inch brace height. Bear has lightened up the riser and the idler wheel so the overall weight of the bow is 3.8 pounds.
Axle to Axle Length: 35.25 inches
Brace Height: 7.25 inches
Weight: 3.8 pounds
Let Off: 80 percent
IBO Speed: 340 FPS
Draw Weight: 50-70 pounds
Bowtech Insanity CPX
Bowhunters who need speed should check out the New Bowtech Insanity CPX. This extra-fast bow is powered by the Overdrive Binary cam which offers symmetry, synchronization and stability which produce an easy-to-tune, accurate, fast-shooting bow. The carbon rod string stop and the FLX Guard both help to eliminate riser torque.
This bow shoots an arrow at a whopping 355 FPS, which is the only reason many bowhunters need to spend hard-earned money on this bow!
Axle to Axle Length: 32 inches
Brace Height: 6 inches
Weight: 4.3 pounds
Let Off: 80percent
IBO Speed: 355 FPS
Draw Weight: 50-80 pounds
Hoyt Carbon Element RKT
The new Hoyt Carbon Element RKT comes with many features bowhunters have come to expect from Hoyt, including an all-carbon riser design. The hollow carbon tube riser is extremely lightweight, durable and warm to the touch even on a frigid, cold day.
For 2012, the Carbon Element RKT comes with the RKT cam that has ErgoDraw Technology that adjusts the cam profile to draw more smoothly, even when pulling a lot of weight. Other key features include the Inner Race Bearing In-Line Roller Guard System which helps make the smooth drawing bow even smoother.
Axle to Axle Length: 32 inches
Brace Height: 6 3/4 inches
Weight: 3.6 pounds
Let Off: NA
IBO Speed: 330 FPS
Draw Weight: 30-80 pounds
Mathews Helim
Mathews Archery has a new bow called the Helim that will turn heads. This lightweight powerhouse comes with many features that make this bow a dream to shoot. For instance, the Helim comes with the Harmonic Stabilizer Lite which is lighter than previous harmonic stabilizers.
The GeoGrid riser is lighter than the previous riser but still very strong. It comes with a lighter Reverse Assist roller guard. By cutting extra ounces here and there, Mathews was able to built an incredibly light bow. The Helim tips the scales at only 3.5 pounds.
Axle to Axle Length: 30 inches
Brace Height: 7 inches
Weight: 3.5 pounds
Let Off: 80 percent
IBO Speed: 332 FPS
Draw Weight: 40-70 pounds
Mission Riot
Not everyone wants to spend two paychecks buying a new bow and outfitting it. For that reason, many companies are offering great bows with several features for a reasonable price. One example is the Mission Riot.
Mission bows are made by Mathews and come with great features including a Dead End String Stop and D-Amplifiers which quickly destroy vibration. The Riot is a cool-looking split limb bow that comes with an adjustable dual cam system that will fit a wide range of bowhunters.
Axle to Axle Length: 31 inches
Brace Height: 7 inches
Weight: 4.3 pounds
Let Off: 80 percent
IBO Speed: 310 FPS
Draw Weight: 15-70 pounds
