The crew at Hoyt made their 2019 bow design goal to revolve around the development of the quietest, smoothest and most vibration free aluminum bow they’ve ever built. Hoyt has long been known as the company that builds bullet-proof bows that can handle the use and abuse hunters put them through, but they wanted to take their reputation to a new level with a sweeter shooting bow. The result of their research, design and engineering was the 2019 Hoyt Helix. The company says the bows features their most advanced aluminum riser to date, maximizing stability and rigidity while eliminating vibration and noise. Sounds pretty good, right? Take a closer look at the bow here in our Hoyt Helix bow review.
Hoyt raises the bar with the new Hoyt Helix aluminum compound bow.
First Impressions
As mentioned above, Hoyt bows are tough. They look and feel tough, right out of the box. The Helix is no different. I knew I was holding on to a finely designed shooting machine the moment I pulled the bow from the box. It looks sharp with a tough, durable finish that seems to be able to handle the abuse it will no doubt receive. It is well balanced. Not too heavy and not too light. The grip design is a perfect fit for me. I really liked the way this bow felt in my hand.
Specs on the Hoyt Helix
Here’s a quick look at the details on what you’ll find with the Helix in the way of specs.
Axle to Axle – 30 1/2″
Brace Height – 6″
Speed – 342 fps
Let-Off – 80% and 85% options
Weight – 4.3 lbs.
Color Options –ย Realtree Edge, KUIU Verde, GORE Optifade Subalpine, GORE Optifade Elevated II, UA Ridge Reaper Barren, Storm, Black Out (additional target color options available)
Price – $1199
The test bow we reviewed actually came in lighter than advertised at 3.8 pounds.
ZT Pro Cam
The Helix is a smoother drawing Hoyt bow, no doubt. This is a direct result of the all-new ZT Pro Cam system. The “ZT” stands for Zero Torque. It was designed to create a balanced side-to-side load with Hoyt’s patent pending Split-Cable system. This system eliminates the need forย flexible guard. The result, more balance, less bulk. The concept and design reduces cable-induced torque and lateral nock travel. The result is a much more accurate shooting system. Hoyt says the ZT Pro Cam is faster and smoother than its predecessor and is their highest let-off cam ever built.
Hoyt ZT Pro Cam
X-Act Grip System
As previously mentioned, the grip on this bow is one that is nearly perfect in design for me personally. I really like the way it fits in my hand. Better yet, it stays where I want it in my hand. No slipping and sliding. Obviously consistency is the key when it comes to accuracy shot after shot, and consistent hand placement is no exception. The grip is where it all begins when it comes to consistency. The Hoyt team slimmed this one down with a slimmer width, angle and shape to help promote a more accurate shot.
Hoyt delivers a better grip for the Helix in 2019.
Roller Cable Guard
The roller guard often gets overlooked when it comes to the bells and whistles on a new bow, but subtle design improvements can go a long way to the overall performance in a bow. The Helix features a silky smooth roller guard designed to help deliver a smoother draw cycle and reduce friction. The result, increased efficiency and shot performance.
A unique design for greater results in roller guard performance.
Noise & Vibration Dampening
I like the rubber pad on the arrow shelf to help eliminate any noise from an arrow that bounces around in the rest, or while you’re maneuvering to make the shot on game. It puts an end to the obnoxious noises that tend to spook game.
Another new feature designed to help squelch noise, as well as vibration in the shot, is Hoyt’s all-new Shock Pod Vibration Damping System built into this bow. Having shot and reviewed the 2018 lineup of bows from Hoyt, we can honestly say this is a nice improvement that delivers a noticeable difference in hand-shock and noise reduction.
A padded arrow shelf is another way Hoyt has addressed the reduction of noise on the Helix bow.
StealthShot
Hoytโs popular StealthShot string suppressor system is another source of noise and vibration dampening built into this bow. However, for 2019 the system gets an upgrade with an all-new material that Hoyt says kills noise and vibration better than anything they’ve ever used. The StealthShot works far beyond noise and vibration and helps create a more accurate shot as well. This is made possible by a design that delivers a cleaner release of the arrow from the bow string. A cleaner shot shot, with less noise and vibration – it’s all built in to the StealthShot.
The StealthShot delivers more accuracy with less noise and vibration.
Bow Performance
I spent some time with this bow on the range as well as shooting it through the chrono to see how it measured up with some real-world hunting arrow weights. I shot a variety of arrow weights, including 400 grains, 448 grains, and 543 grains. The test bow I had was a 29″ draw length bow with a draw weight bottomed out at 71 pounds.
The 543 grain arrow flew through the chrono at 265 feet per second.
Here’s what I got through the chrono with the Hoyt Helix test bow:
400 Grain Arrow – 296 FPS
448 Grain Arrow – 280 FPS
543 Grain Arrow – 265 FPS
Hoyt Helix Bow Review – Conclusion
As previously mentioned, this bow is a very nice improvement from Hoyt’s 2018 offering. It’s a smoother drawing bow with less hand-shock and is noticeably quieter than previous models. And that’s exactly what Hoyt was going after with this one. Give it a look at your local Hoyt dealer or visit them online at www.hoyt.com.
