LAST UPDATED: May 8th, 2015
It’s time to unveil my weapon of choice for the 2011 bow hunting season. I have it all decked out with accessories that will allow me to hunt worry free. I tend to choose accessories that I know will perform well in the woods as opposed to those with the latest and greatest gadgets.
The bow that I will be using in my pursuit of trophy animals this season is the Mathews ez7 in Lost Camo set at 65 lbs with a 30” draw. (Check out my review HERE.) I chose the ez7 because it has one of the smoothest draws available for 2011. I also like the shorter axel to axel length for maneuverability in the stand as well as the ground blind. It doesn’t hurt that Mathews has been a leader in the industry for years when it comes to designing bows either. The bow was the easy part, now for dressing it up with accessories.
My Mathews ez7 perched on my Lone Wolf Climber.
The rest I chose is the NAP Apache micro-tune drop away rest. Rugged, simple and effective is the best way to describe this rest. The all metal housing wraps almost completely around the arrow to contain it in any position except completely upside down, but allows easy arrow loading from the top. The inside of the rest is covered in foam insulation to dampen any noise from the arrow contacting the rest. Tool less windage and elevation adjustments can be made by loosening the lever and turning the knob and then locking everything down with the locking lever again. The Apache rest is a bargain when compared to other rests with the same features.
Holding my arrow is the NAP Apache drop away rest.
The very important choice of a sight went to the Viper Diamondback 5 pin .019 sight in Lost Camo. Viper is one of the leaders in producing fine hunting sights. The sight is complete with 5 super bright fiber optic pins, a level and a light for in the blind use. The 1-3/4” diameter pin housing on the diamondback sight fits perfectly inside the sight window when looking thru my verifier peep sight. The grid lock cut out design was developed to match the cut out design on the Mathews z series of bow risers. With it’s built in harmonic damper, Lost Camo and grid lock design, this sight was made for my bow.
The Viper Diamondback 5 pin Sight.
This sight was designed with the Mathews Z series of bows in mind.
The new NAP Apache stabilizer is actually 2 stabilizers in one. It can be used as either a 5” model or if you install the 3” carbon extension tube it becomes an 8” stabilizer. Noise and vibration are soaked up by the numerous rubber fingers mounted on the 3 bars on the business end of this beast.
NAP Apache versatile 5″ or 8″ Stabilizer.
My arrows of choice this season are the Gold Tip XT-Hunters in 7595 spine. These arrows have a weight tolerance of +/- 2 grains and a straightness tolerance of +/- .003”.
Guiding my arrows will be the Bowhunting.com version of NAP’s Quickfletch. Once you have used quickfletch, you will never go back to gluing vanes on arrows again. I bet I can fletch a dozen arrows in under 15 minutes. Try that with a fletching jig. All you have to do is boil water, position the quickfletch on the arrows and dip them in the boiling water and you are done.
The Bowhunting.com version of NAP’s Quickfletch.
On the business end of my Gold Tips will be the 2 blade 100 grain Bloodrunner. I really like the idea of big cutting diameter broadheads. And the 2 blade bloodrunner seems as foolproof as any mechanical broadhead on the market today. When open it expands to 2 full inches and it starts out at over an inch before expansion. Plus there are no o-rings or rubber bands to fail.
NAP 2 Blade 100 grain Bloodrunner means business.
Holding my arrows will be the Mathews, 5 arrow, Arrow Web T-Series Quiver. My main criteria for a quiver is, it must be removable. The Arrow Web comes off with a simple twist on and twist off motion. When locked into position the quiver sits very tight to the bow and is securely held in place. The arrows are held very securely by foam in the head of the quiver and rubber fingers about 6” from the head. The one complaint I have about the quiver is when shooting with the quiver off, there is a slight tuning fork vibration in the fingers that hold the quiver. I solved that with a strip of limbsaver material. No more vibrations.
Mathews Arrow Web Quiver.
For my release, I’m trying something new this year. I have switched to a handheld thumb style release. I have just gotten tired of having my release strapped to my wrist, bumping into everything and making it hard to wear gloves. I chose the Trufire 3D Hunter Release. Both the thumb handle and the trigger tension are fully adjustable. I actually believe my accuracy has improved since I made the switch. I’m sure I am more consistent in my anchoring with the thumb style release. I plan on having one attached to my string loop and another in a nearby pocket, just in case I drop the first one when buck fever sets in.
TruFire 3D Hunter Release
So there it is my bowhunting rig for 2011. I’m pretty sure this is what I’ll be taking into the woods this fall, unless I find something that changes my mind between now and opening day. You can check out most of these products in our shopping section by clicking on the red words.
