With each passing year we often wonder how bow manufacturers are going to improve on their already impressive lines of bows and archery accessories. Just when it seems things can’t get any better we get new bows that are faster, quieter, and more vibration free than their predecessors. 2010 is no exception to that. Below we have assembled the ultimate list of 2010 bows including the already popular Mathews Z7, Bowtech Destroyer, Hoyt Carbon Matrix, Elite Judge, and many more. We hope you enjoy it!
Alpine Nitrous N20, Assault and Eclipse G2
Alpine came out with a version of the latest trends in limb technology, calling it the LXP for Lateral eXtreme Pocket. The primary job of this new pocket system is to move the limbs forward – away from the archer to produce the desired goals of a moderate brace height with parallel limbs and a neutral riser, and do it without compromising reliability.
Alpine’s Velocitec is a hybrid cam with outward-moving grooves on the take-up tracks of the cams. They move the harnesses away from the center of the limb as you draw the bow. The cams take up the harnesses on both sides of the string to help balance the draw force equally across the limb tip to reduce cam lean, but then this system takes that goal a step farther by employing angled grooves that move the harnesses to the side during the draw for even greater stability.
Alpine puts the new 3G Velocitec and LXP system to work on three bows in their new line. They are the Nitrous N20, Assault and Eclipse G2. All three of these bows feature dead-straight neutral risers, and the aforementioned 3G Velocitec. The Assault is a full-fledged speed bow. It has a 6 1/8 inch brace height, is 34 inches long and produces an IBO speed of 328 fps. Approximate retail is $690.
The Nitrous N20 is much longer than the Assault and has a higher 
brace height. In fact, it is almost 38 inches long. It is still fast with an IBO speed of 320 fps with a 7 1/8 inch brace height. If you are in the market for a long, stable bow, you should definitely check out the Nitrous N20. Approximate retail is $610.
The Eclipse G2 is very similar to the Nitrous N20, but is sized for women and youth shooters with shorter draw version of the Velocitec. It is fast for a youth/women’s bow, pumping out 298 fps with a 300-grain arrow at 60 pounds and 27 inches of draw length.
Approximate retail: $610.
Bear Archery Attack
One of the sweetest shooting bows at this year’s ATA Show was the Bear Attack. The draw cycle is not the world’s smoothest – very few are truly smooth these days – but once you squeeze the trigger it is pure pleasure. It is fast, quiet and has a very soft feel in the hand. The new Bear line has only one similarity with last year’s line – it features a bow for every price point. Other than that the names and faces have changed.
The Attack is the most expensive bow in the line and most feature rich. You will immediately notice the arc-shaped string dampeners that nuzzle the string at the top and bottom of the riser to eliminate string vibration and stop the forward progress of the string. This design eliminates any chance that the nock might whip up or down at the moment the arrow leaps free.
The Attack’s Max Pre-Load Quad Limbs are Bear’s version of the beyond parallel limb design that is sweeping through the archery industry. You get an aggressive draw cycle and all the energy storage that comes with it, but at the shot, the limbs recoil up and down and not forward, canceling for zero hand shock. A single-cam system, called the E-Cam, produces the power. The Attack is 31 inches long and has a 7-inch brace height with an IBO speed of 332 to 340 fps.
Suggested retail price is $749.
Bear Archery Assault
The Assault has many of the same features as the Attack but is shorter and has a slightly higher brace height for greater forgiveness. It has a “grip-less” design, you hold directly onto the riser for the narrowest possible handhold. The bow produces an IBO speed of 320-328 fps with a brace height of 7 1/4 inches. Again, the E-Cam single-cam powers this bow. It is just 30 3/4 inches long.
The Assault has a suggested retail price of $549.
Bear Archery Strike
As mentioned, Bear has bows for every price range with solid features. The next bow is even more affordable than the Assault. The Strike lands in a price range that almost all today’s archers will agree is “affordable”. It has a few less features – you have to give up something. For example, there are no Max Pre-Load Quad Limbs and the standard Perimeter Weighted Single-Cam replaces the more powerful E-Cam. However, the bow still sports dual string suppressors and flared quad limbs. The Strike is 30 inches long, has an IBO rating of 302 to 310 fps with a 7 3/4 inch brace height.
Bear Archery Charge
Bear Archery built its reputation on the quality of their affordable bows. In fact, many of us pushing 50 cut our bowhunting teeth on the Bear Whitetail Hunter. This year, Bear continues that legacy with a bow named the Charge. It has an MSRP of $299 and an IBO speed rating of 300 to 305 fps. That is not earth-shattering speed, but it is solid. The Charge is 30 inches long and has a 7 3/4 inch brace height. The bow is very similar to the Strike, but without the string suppressors.
Bear Archery Apprentice
The Apprentice is a very nice, high-performance youth or women’s bow. It is available in regular camouflage or pink camouflage. At just 2.9 pounds, it is very light and at just 27 1/2 inches, it is also very short. The Apprentice has a low six-inch brace height to gain maximum speed from limited draw weights. A full 12 inches of draw length adjustability make this a great bow for a growing young shooter. We love youth bows that grow as the young archer grows. The maximum draw weight on this bow actually changes with the draw length (it goes down as the draw length decreases). At just $279 suggested retail, the Apprentice is a great investment in the next generation of bowhunters.
Hoyt Carbon Matrix
Another bow we really looked forward to shooting at the ATA Show was Hoyt’s new Carbon Matrix. After watching the videos of the truck parking on the bow and driving over it several times (see them on Hoyt’s website), we weren’t worried that it might blow up in our hands! But, we really were curious what it felt like during the shot. There was certainly no disappointment from this bow. It was one of the sweetest shooting bows we have ever felt. That is due part to the beyond parallel limb geometry, but also in part to the fact that carbon doesn’t transmit vibration the way metal does.
The Carbon Matrix is not cheap with a typical retail of $1,600, but is also a very nice shooting bow. IBO speed for this bow is 318 fps. It has a 7 1/4 inch brace height and is powered by the same XTR Cam & 1/2 system that also powers the AlphaMax and the new Maxxis. It is 35 inches long.
Hoyt Maxxis
Hoyt’s new flagship is the Maxxis. After last year’s AlphaMax, it was hard to imagine any bow being able to live up to the reputation. We wondered what Hoyt could possibly come out with for an encore.
The Maxxis 31 and Maxxis 35 are the bows that most obviously extend the AlphaMax’s design features into the next year class. The Maxxis looks a lot like the AlphaMax but is slightly faster and has the beyond-parallel limbs that are gaining popularity across the market. Incidentally, the AlphaMax is still in the line and should continue to sell well because of the momentum it carries from this year’s marketing push. So with the Maxxis, you get a slightly improved bow with a few additional features.
The Maxxis has limbs that go beyond parallel during the draw so they are poised to move in directly opposite directions on release to cancel acceleration and deceleration forces. The Maxxis also employs the new In-Line Roller Cable Guard to reduce friction and improve efficiency. The brace heights are the same (7 inches) for both the AlphaMax and Maxxis and the speeds are within a few fps (IBO of 323 fps for the Maxxis versus 321 for the AlphaMax). You may not see much difference between these two bows nor feel much difference when you draw them, but you will notice that the Maxxis produces a little less recoil in the hand.
Approximate retail for this bow is $800.
Hoyt AlphaBurner
Hoyt’s new AlphaBurner has the magic word in its name. Any time the word “burner” shows up in the name of a bow, we know to expect raw speed. This one has a 6-inch brace height and an IBO speed pushing the 340 fps mark. This is Hoyt’s fastest bow to date. The AlphaBurner is the AlphaMax with its tail on fire. It has the same basic riser design, but with a more reflexed riser for a lower brace height. It is 34 3/4 inches long and carries Hoyt’s aggressive Spiral X Cam & 1/2 system. The Spiral X is reasonably smooth given the amount of energy it stores.
Hoyt Vicxen
The Vicxen is a new women’s bow that famous outdoor television personality Vicki Cianciarulo uses and promotes. This bow features the same extended pocket design found on the AlphaMax and the Cam & 1/2 Plus performance system. The bow is 33 inches long and features good speeds. At 70 pounds and 29 inches of draw, the Vicxen puts out arrows at 306 fps.
PSE X-Force Axe
The Axe impressed us with its low recoil and quiet performance despite impressive arrow speeds. It really was a joy to shoot. It comes in two different brace heights: 6 and 7 inches. The name designates which bow you are selecting. Axe 6 obviously carries the six-inch brace height. This low-braced model is not surprisingly faster than the Axe 7. Both feature the Axe Cam, a hybrid with an inner cam system that permits six inches of draw length adjustment. This in itself is a very impressive feature, but when you combine the adjustability with the speed, it is a sure winner. The bow is fast. IBO speed for the Axe 6 is 337 to 345 fps. The Axe 7 has an IBO speed rating of 327 to 335 fps. Both are 32 1/2 inches long.
These bows have a suggested retail price of $749.
PSE X-Force Omen
We will start with the speed: 358 to 366 fps IBO speeds. That is right; those are the numbers - incredible numbers. The Omen has a low 5 1/2 inch brace height but the string suppressor keeps the string from whipping far enough forward to snap a strawberry on your wrist. So it is shootable. The UF Hybrid cam is big and aggressive. It stores a lot of energy in the stout heavily pre-loaded limbs. The Omen is 33 5/8 inches long.
Bows with low brace heights aren’t for everyone, but this one shoots well. The arrow is gone so fast that you barely have time to flinch. No, you may not shoot this bow at the next indoor target shoot, but it is plenty accurate enough for typical bowhunting distances and really shines in situations where a flat trajectory is rewarded.
Suggested retail price is $949.
PSE X-Fore Vendetta
Both the Vendetta XL and the XS feature the trademark X-Force limb design with the heavily pre-stressed limbs that permit a past-parallel shape at full draw. They also employ the innovative L6 Hybrid cam used on both models. It permits a high degree (six inches) of draw length adjustability. You can also get the Vendetta in a smaller size, just 29 1/2 inches long with a 6 1/2 brace height and an IBO speed rating of 322 to 330 fps using the same L6 cam. They don’t get much smaller than this bow.
It also costs less with a suggested retail of $599.
Elite Archery GT500
2009 was Elite’s first year under a new management group whose goal was to ramp up the company’s marketing and grow the business without sacrificing the strong performance that had made Elite so popular with its core following. The GT500 was the first new bow for the newly reorganized company and it was (and remains) a strong product. It became very popular.
Typical retail prices is around $800.
Elite Archery Judge
This year sees a single new model from Elite, the Judge. The Judge takes everything good about the GT500 and then adds a turbocharger. It is all about the speed. The Judge comes in with an IBO rating of 343 to 347 fps. That is 11 fps faster than the GT500. Elite did this primarily by dropping the brace height from 7 1/4 inches to 6 inches. Everything else about the two bows is very similar. The Judge features a binary cam that creates the raw speed while still assuring the level nock travel you need for proper tuning. We shot the bow at the ATA Show and it really feels good. It is surprisingly quiet and is a bit top-heavy so it tips forward easily after the shot. The bow is just less than 35 inches long and you can order it at draw weights up to 90 pounds.
Suggested retail prices range from roughly $1,000 to $1,200.
Martin Archery Firecat-TR2
Martin has always been known for innovation and most recently it has become known as the company that offers that innovation at the best possible prices. The new Firecat-TR2 offers both. One of their new concepts this year is the helical track in their improved cam systems. The track moves the harnesses outward away from the string as you draw the bow. This better balances the forces acting on the limb tip to fend off limb tip torque and cam lean.
Upon shooting this bow, we were struck with the fact that it is very stable and quiet and more than acceptably fast. Of course, with a suggested retail price of $599, the value was also immediately obvious, as well. Coupled with the FireCat-TR2’s 7-inch brace height, the Hybrid Duo Cam System produces an IBO speed of 235 to 245 fps. The bow is 32 1/4 inches long and weighs just 3.5 pounds. Additional features include a roller cable guard, a string suppressor, custom string and harnesses and vibration dampening modules in the riser. You can get all the accessories (roller card, cams, suppressor) in full camouflage for a complete camo package or all black. Both look cool.
Martin Archery Pantera
At $539, the Pantera is even more affordable than the Firecat. It is not quite as fast, but still fast enough for any kind of bowhunting. The Pantera’s 315 to 320 fps IBO speed isn’t the industry’s fastest, but it is fast; it was certainly fast enough for us just a few years ago. If it was fast enough then, it sure ought to be fast enough now. The animals we hunt haven’t change, nor have the places where we hunt them. Sure, a fire-spitting bow is fun and sometimes even useful, but really, a solid, stable bow with good performance is all we really need.
The Pantera employs a single-cam version of the new helical track cam design. It is called the Accu-Trak cam. The Pantera also has parallel limbs that flex beyond parallel at full draw. This produces the least possible recoil and hand shock. The Pantera has very similar specs to the FireCat-TR2 but with the smooth drawing single-cam, is not as fast. It is 32 1/4 inches long, has 7 1/4-inch brace height and, as stated, an IBO rating of 315 to 320 fps. Other features include a string suppressor, high quality string and harness, roller cable guard and vibration reducing modules in the riser.
Mathew Archery Z7
The Z7 is the new flagship – the bow Mathews talks about and advertises the most. The first thing you will notice about this bow is the riser design. It is quite aggressively reflexed and has dozens of small cutouts to create a web-like appearance when viewed from the side. There is not an ounce of material on these bows that doesn’t have to be there, so you can be assured it is as light as is possible with aluminum. Mathews also redesigned the cam they put to work on the Z7, making it their top of the line single-cam bow.
The Z7 features not only the highly sculpted riser, but also a new roller guard that pushes the harnesses rearward rather than pulling them forward. This reduces friction on the rollers and makes the bow slightly more efficient. It is called the Reverse Assist Roller Guard and is highly machined like the riser.
The Z7 SoloCam, a new design, also features the Quick Change Axle you see on most new Mathews models. It permit fast service on the bench or in the pro shop. The cam is smooth but stores plenty of energy. The Z7 has a 7-inch brace height but still produces speeds up to 332 fps. It is only 30 inches long with limbs that go beyond parallel at full draw.
Suggested retail is $899.
Mathew Archery Monster 7
Last year Mathews introduced their version of the two-cam system. The Monster was born as a blazing fast, pure speed bow. It had a low brace height, two cams and highly flexed past-parallel limbs. This year, Mathews toned the Monster back a little with a 7-inch brace height and called it the Monster 7. It is still amazingly fast with an IBO speed rating of 342 fps. It is 33 1/2 inches long and features the same AVS dual cam system.
Suggested retail price is $899.
Mathew Archery Conquest Triumph
For those bowhunters and target shooters that seek a longer, more stable platform, Mathews offers the Conquest Triumph. It is 39 inches long, one of the longest bows on the market today, but it is also fast with an IBO speed rating of 325 fps with a 7-inch brace height. It features the Triumph Solocam single-cam system and the same style of highly sculpted riser found on the Z7. Additional features include a V-Lock limb pocket and parallel limbs.
With a suggested retail price of $1,299 is expensive but it just may be the ultimate target bow (or accurate hunter) on the market.
Mathew Archery DR2
The new DR2 has the look of the Mathews bows from the past. It has the more vertical limbs, and it is equipped with a perimeter weighted single-cam similar to the style made popular in the late 90s. But to show its link to modern times, it has a roller guard, Quick Change Axle, Sphere Lock limb pockets and string suppressors. It is 33 inches long, has a 7-inch brace height and an IBO speed of up to 320 fps.
It is lightweight, at under 3.9 pounds and carries a suggested retail of $759.
Mathew Archery Passion
“This is my passion…” You have probably seen this bow advertised on TV by many of the pretty women of the hunting industry. The Passion is a dedicated women’s bow made from the ground up specifically for the task. It is short (just under 30 inches long) and fast (325 fps with a 70 pound draw weight and 29-inch draw). Granted, few women will pull 70 pounds but that gives us something closer to the standard IBO spec to which we can compare this bow. Given the fact that the true IBO speed is measured from a 30-inch draw bow, (longer draws are faster) that makes the performance of the Passion even more impressive. It comes in some very sharp looking colors such as teal, pink, electric pink and even camouflage!
Suggested retail price is $869.
Sims Limbsaver Proton
The Limsaver Proton has several of the features on last year’s line of Limbsaver bows. Notably, it has a similar extended pocket, center cradle limb design that was the basic function of prior Limbsaver models. But the Proton takes the limb pocket design one more level up the design ladder. It features an interesting pocketless design that requires a 1-inch wrench to adjust draw weight in discreet two-pound increments over a 10-pound window.
The grip is very narrow that felt very good when we shot it. We were also impressed with the speed and quiet performance of the Proton. The low-mounted string suppressor serves dual purpose. First, it stops string vibration when the string hits brace during the shot. Second, it serves to move the harness to the side (you will notice the harness actually rides again the side of the suppressor) to better equalize the forces acting on the limb tip for greater limb tip stability, minimal cam lean and better arrow flight. The Proton is 32 inches long, has a 7-inch brace height and achieves IBO speeds of 330 fps with the HEAT modular hybrid cam.
Bowtech Destroyer
Bowtech’s new Overdrive Binary Cam system is unique. It is geared to the axle, which actually turns within a bearing assembly during the draw cycle. The axle is slightly offset at the end, like the handle of a crank. Because the harnesses are attached at the ends of each axle, the turning axle feeds out a little harness at the end of the draw cycle. This is a necessary requirement for a properly synchronized Binary Cam. By allowing the axle to do it, rather than the cam itself, the engineers have found a way to move the harness forces to the ends of the axle where they balance to produce a very stable limb tip that never twists to throw off arrow flight.
Another cool advancement is the roller cable guard that actually flexes during the draw to reduce the amount of leverage (torque) the harnesses apply to the riser and to the limb tips. By allowing the harnesses to fall more in line with the cams when the limbs load up, there is less side pressure. The result is less limb tip twist and easier tuning. The roller guard then snaps back on release to provide plenty of fletching clearance. It is smart stuff.
The new Hard Core limbs feature carbon cores for greater stiffness and strength and less weight. A lighter limb promises higher efficiency. Bowtech put these three new technologies to good use in their two newest bows: the Destroyer 350 and the Destroyer 340.
The Destroyer 350 is faster (IBO speed of 342 to 350 fps) with its 6-inch brace height and the Destroyer 340 is potentially a bit more forgiving with its 7-inch brace height. However, it is still very fast with an IBO rating of 332 to 340 fp. Otherwise, the bows have virtually the same specs and appearance being just under 32 1/2 inches long.
Suggested retail for these bows is $949.
Quest Archery
Quest has four bows in the line this year. The most distinctive new feature (available on all four) is a new finish process, called DuraFuse, that allows for a very durable, sharp finish with color options not seen on any other bows. For example, the GFade pattern has camouflage on the limbs and on the top and bottom of the riser. There is a black finish in riser’s center that diffuses out to the camo. This is a very cool look that is also reasonably functional for those who often hunt from ground blinds. But even if you never set foot in a blind, it is an impressive look.
Quest Archery Primal and Heat
These two bows are the fastest performers, both topping out around 330 fps IBO speed. Both bows also feature Quest’s I-Glide cable guard system, eliminating moving parts by utilizing a ceramic insert to keep the cables away from the arrow’s fletching. They both also utilize string suppressors and limb-mounted vibration reducers. However, they differ in one key way. The Heat is a single-cam with a 6 5/8 inch brace height and the Primal features Quest’s binary cam and a slightly more moderate brace height. Suggested retail price for the Primal is $699, $729 with GFade.
Suggested retail for the Heat is $599. These are top of the market bows at middle of the market prices.
Quest Archery Hammer
This is Quest’s most economical bow. The Hammer is a single-cam bow with a conventional cable guard system (not the I-Glide) and a string suppressor. It features IBO speeds of 312 to 315 fps with a forgiving 7 1/4 inch brace height.
It is a solid bow and at a suggested retail price of $399, it is a great value.
Quest Archery Smoke
The Smoke is also a single-cam design but it has a higher IBO rating of 320 to 324 fps with the same a 7 1/4 inch brace height. So it is both fast and forgiving. It also features a string suppressor and a conventional cable guard system with Alpine’s Mach 5 Cable Slide for reduced friction and increased arrow speeds.
The Smoke comes with limb silencers and is priced reasonably at under $499 suggested retail.
Diamond Archery Iceman FLX
You will immediately recognize the Iceman’s Center Pivot riser technology that it borrowed from parent company, Bowtech. Several other companies throughout the archery industry quickly adopted this limb and pocket system shortly after Bowtech debuted it three years ago. The center pivot point supports short parallel limbs allowing the bow designers to use a hinge at the butt of the limb, rather than locking it solidly in a pocket. The entire limb can flex, spreading the stresses for greater reliability.
The new Iceman features the same FLX roller cable guard that we mentioned in the section about Bowtech’s new technologies. It reduces side loading on the riser at full draw for less torque. The Iceman FLX also has a suppressor to stop string vibration and noise and a single-cam system with a rotating module that makes draw length adjustment easy. This is a smooth drawing machine. It is not super fast like some of today’s bows, but it is definitely smooth, with a solid back wall and quiet. It is a sweet shooter, keeping with the Iceman tradition. With a 7-inch brace height, the Iceman produces an IBO speed rating of 308 to 315 fps.
It is 31 1/2 inches long and has a suggested retail price of $799.
Mission Archery Maniac
One of the qualities we see in the Mission line is the commitment to flexibility and adaptability in almost all the six bows that Mission makes. You will sure see this in the Maniac. It will fit almost anyone while still delivering good performance. It is a good introductory bow for a teen-aged archer and an equally good upgrade for someone who has been bowhunting many years.
Here is what you will find: limb-mounted string suppressors, Zebra Hybrid string and harness system, parallel limbs and a highly adjustable dual cam system. As you increase the draw length from 22 to 30 inches, the peak draw weight also increases. We have not seen a bow with more adjustability than the Maniac. It is no slouch, as mentioned. With a 7 1/8 inch brace height, it produces IBO speeds up to 310 fps.
The bow is 41 inches long and has a suggested retail of $449.
Athens Archery Buck Commander
The new Buck Commander is a very good bow. Athens, being a new company last year, landed a much-needed endorsement from the new Buck Commander TV series. Buck Commander is a spin-off from the very popular Duck Commander show. This new bow from Athens Archery takes its name from this show. This is a good-looking all black bow, that performs well and feels good in the hand. It is powered to a 330+ IBO speed by pair of binary cams and a 7-inch brace height. The bow comes in two lengths: 32 and 34 inches. The Buck Commander struck us with how quietly it shot, partly due to its string suppressor limb-mounted Bow Jax silencers.
Suggested retail is $749.
Darton Archery Pro 3800
This may well be the best bow that Darton has ever made. It is very quiet and very stable in the hand during the shot, but it is also shockingly fast. The Dual Sync system is a binary cam where the harness is split to terminate on matching tracks on both sides of the cam to better stabilize the limb tips for perfect arrow flight. Darton has long been an innovator in cam design and the cam system on this new bow definitely puts that background on display. The Pro 3800 also features two string suppressors for quiet, accurate shooting. I mentioned speed: how about 345 to 350 fps from the bow’s 6-inch brace height.
The Pro 3800 is 33 3/4 inches long and has an MSRP of $830.
Rytera Archery Nemesis
Martin Archery makes the Rytera line. They didn’t hold back anything when making the new Nemesis. It was one of the best bows we shot at the ATA Show this winter. No BS, it is a good shooting bow. No recoil or hand shock whatsoever and it was quiet and fast. The Nemesis has a hybrid cam, Speed Bearings, super hard axles, custom strings and an elaborately machined truss-style riser. The specs are also good. With a 7-inch brace height, it produces IBO speed of 335 fps.
It is 34 inches long and has a suggested retail price of $799.
Strother Archery SR-71
Kevin Strother has been designing bows for more than a decade for other companies and his new namesake venture will benefit from all that experience. Strother’s new SR-71 is named after the Air Force’s reconnaissance plane, the SR71 Blackbird, a fast jet that has a very cool, unique look. Strother achieved a new method for constructing limbs to allow him to hold tighter tolerances for consistent fit and accuracy on the SR-71. Strother’s cam is also a good design, an aggressive hybrid design that produces a high degree of energy storage. Throw in the obligatory string suppressor and parallel limbs and you have a stable, fast shooting bow. The SR-71 heads an impressive line for a first-year bow company. With its 6-inch brace height, the SR-71 produces IBO speeds up to 353 fps.
It is 33 5/8 inches long and has an MSRP of $829.
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