best
2010
Bows
and
sights April 2010
速
Ten dollars
www.insidearchery.com
A p r i l
2 0 1 0
Inside Archery • Volume 13 Number 3
P e o p l e
30
28 Power of Participation John Hernandez, BowTech Bonnie Blackburn, Blackburn Archery Alan Millin, Antler King Linda Burch, WildTech Corporation Daniel Baemmert, Scheels
54 38
30 Cover Story: MidAtlantic Archery Products
Bill and Sherry Krenz
The spin-stabilization success of MidAtlantic Archery Products emerged
from a combination of bowhunting passion and major league baseball.
M a r k e t
T r e n d s
24 New and Notable Archery products with strong sales potential. 52
38 Bow Report: Mission Maniac 40 Is 2010 the Best New-Bow Year Ever?
Bill Krenz
This year may be the strongest new-bow year in quite a while. Almost
every established bow company, regardless of size, is offering new and
significantly better bows for 2010.
52 Field Test: T.R.U. Ball Releases 54 Bow Report: Elite Judge 24
56 Looking for Better Sights in 2010
Dan Smith
Sight technology continues to march quickly forward, and this year is no different.
Study what’s new and available for 2010 to find the best-selling hunting sights.
Inside Archery 4 April 2010
A p r i l
2 0 1 0
Inside Archery • Volume 13 Number 3
more
I n s i d e
T h e
i n d u s t r y
28
8 Inside Track
The Secret is Publicity!
12 Industry News
Information that will keep you up to
speed on the latest news, events and
people in the archery industry. 24
16 Inside Archery Dealer School
Lowest Price Isn’t Always Best
20 ATA Action
ATA Staff Teams Up for Quality Trade Show
50 Archery Industry Calendar 64 Marketplace 66 Solutions
56
Greg Staggs Manufacturing Programs
Inside Archery ( Vol.13, No. 3) USPS #024-412 is published ten times per year by Zebra Publishing Inc., 2960 N. Academy Blvd, Ste. 101, Colorado Springs, CO 80917. Periodicals postage paid at Colorado Springs, CO 80917 and at additional offices. Postmaster please send address changes to: Inside Archery, P.O. Box 9010, Maple Shade, NJ 08052.
Inside Archery 6 April 2010
Inside Archery 7 April 2010
I n s i d e
t h e
i n d u s t r y
Inside Track
The Secret is Publicity! Small, local archery shops have a problem. That problem is how to get the word out about their business and how to draw new customers. Plenty of strategies work, but one of the very best is publicity. Publicity is the media hype that surrounds something. Two time-proven methods for generating positive publicity on the local level are to be first at something and to stage an event that is newsworthy. Being first at something may take some creativity. Chances are yours is not the first archery shop in the community. If it is, you’re home free and you can tout that fact, maybe even call the local TV or radio station or newspaper to cover your grand opening. Otherwise you may need to come up with a “first.” The first indoor archery lanes. The first interactive archery targets. The first bowfishing tournament in the county. The first youth-archery program. The first National Archery in the Schools Program sponsor. The first LadiesOnly Evening Shopping Spree. The first archery and ice cream shop. Come up with a first. Staging a newsworthy event takes an understanding of what is considered newsworthy by the general community. Staging an archery shoot for the express purpose of raising money for Haiti Earthquake Relief may be newsworthy. Doing the same to generate funds for the high school’s football field or the maternity wing of the community hospital might have the same effect. Those projects are genuinely worthwhile, but they are also newsworthy and, at the same time, may serve to generate positive local publicity for your business. Everyone benefits. We live in an over-communicated society, where nearly everyone is constantly being bombarded by commercial messages for everything from toilet paper to tracks of land. It’s difficult to break through all that clutter to gain attention. Publicity, based on being first at something or newsworthy, is a great way to rise above.
Bill and Sherry Krenz Editor and Publisher Inside Archery 8 April 2010
I
®
Publisher & Founder
Sherry Krenz • sherry@insidearchery.com
Editor & Founder
Bill Krenz • bill@insidearchery.com
Associate Publisher
Travis Reginek • travis@insidearchery.com
Managing Editor
Michaelean Pike • michaelean@insidearchery.com
Associate Editor / Online Editor Dan Smith • dan@insidearchery.com
Contributors
Tracy Breen • Michael Corrigan • Patrick Durkin Bob Humphrey • Mark Kayser • Greg Staggs • Brian Strickland
Art Director
Ed Rother • production@insidearchery.com
Production Manager / Graphic Designer Tara Reginek • tara@insidearchery.com
Graphic Designer Tyler Reginek • tyler@insidearchery.com
Advertising Sales Administrator April Foley • april@insidearchery.com (877) 499-9988 ext. 115
Advertising Sales Reps
Travis Reginek • travis@insidearchery.com (877) 499-9988 ext. 152 Brandon Johnson • brandon@insidearchery.com (877) 499-9988 ext. 150 Brian Healy • brian@insidearchery.com (877) 499-9988, ext. 121
Accounting Manager
Pam Ludlam • pam@insidearchery.com (877) 499-9988, ext. 120
Office Manager
Jessi Christensen • jessi@insidearchery.com (877) 499-9988, ext. 128
Subscription Services & Change of Address: Inside Archery® Circulation Department P.O. Box 9019 Maple Shade, NJ 08052 Phone: (800) 322-6087 • Fax: (856) 380-4101 zebrapub@starrcorp.com
Publication Office
Inside Archery® / Zebra Publishing Inc. 2960 N. Academy Boulevard, Suite 101 Colorado Springs, CO 80917 Phone: (719) 495-9999 • Fax: (719) 495-8899 info@insidearchery.com www.insidearchery.com Inside Archery® Copyright © 2010. All Rights Reserved by Zebra Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. Zebra Publishing Inc. is not responsible for researching and investigating the accuracy of the contents of stories published in Inside Archery® magazine. Readers are advised that use of the information contained in Inside Archery® magazine is with the understanding that it is at their own risk. Zebra Publishing Inc. assumes no liability for this information or its use. Zebra Publishing Inc. and Inside Archery® magazine assume no responsibility for unsolicited editorial, photography, or art submissions. In addition, no Terms and Conditions agreements for either unsolicited or solicited photography submissions are recognized by Zebra Publishing Inc. without being signed and returned by the Editor.
z Inside Archery® is a publication of Zebra Publishing Inc. Printed In The USA.
Inside Archery 10 April 2010
i n s i d e
t h e
i n d u s t r y
Industry News Roscoby RiserCam joins with National Wild Turkey Federation
Roscoby RiserCam recently announced that it has joined with the National Wild Turkey Federation as a licensing partner. “Hunting is a great year-round activity that brings friends and family together,” says Richard Millunchick, CEO of Roscoby RiserCam. “Through the effort of conservation groups such as the NWTF, the population of wild turkey has soared.” Millunchick goes on, “Capturing those amazing moments in the field is why RiserCam has become a sponsor of the NWTF. Our video camera allows the hunter to get great video of those fantastic birds from the field and do it without any additional help in any kind of weather.”
Through the impressive efforts of the NWTF, hunters across America can enjoy spring and fall turkey hunting. “Many of our customers are avid turkey hunters. To capture video of a wild turkey strutting and gobbling right in front of you is simply amazing,” says Millunchick. “Seeing wild animals in their natural settings is commonplace to hunters. When your friends can actually see the video of these magnificent birds from a hunter’s perspective, their appreciation for the sport and the efforts of the National Wild Turkey Federation is significantly improved.” RiserCam is dedicated to the efforts of those that believe
and participate in the conservation of this nation’s most precious natural resources. RiserCam is proud to support the efforts of the NWTF. For more information, log onto roscoby.com or call (734) 786-9926.
Robinson Associates Launch Lime Creative Marketing
Michael Mayer and Ami Klegstad of Robinson Outdoor Products recently announced the launch of a new agency, Lime Creative Marketing. Lime Creative Marketing represents a fresh marketing-agency twist offering brands an alternative to the current ad agency model by creating consumer movements through new world-class marketing solutions. Lime’s mission is a design model focusing on new communication platforms by offering the strategic direction, engagement and relationship that brands seek today. “At Lime Creative Marketing we believe in people. We believe in creating movements. It’s no longer about companies, products, advertising, public relations and consumers. It’s all about people,” states Mayer. “Today’s transparent communications and technology have set the stage for a new model to move forward. People have the power. Those that understand this shift of power, where an ad is about consumers and a movement is about people, will empower people into a brand movement. We believe empowering people to be the power of a brand is the future of communications; it’s not just a fad.” Co-founders Mayer and Klegstad recently come from, and will remain strong strategic partners with, Robinson
Outdoor Products. For more information, log onto limecreativemarketing.com or call (507) 254-3139.
Dietmar Trillus Captures 2010 Vegas Championship with T.R.U. Ball Release
Skilled competitive archer Dietmar Trillus recently captured the 2010 Vegas Championship title. Along with his new accomplishment, Trillus is also the current Double 70 FITA World Record Holder and the 2008 FITA World Cup Champion.
Dietmar Trillus Captures 2010 Vegas Championship with T.R.U. Ball Release.
Trillus used the T.R.U. Ball Short-NSweet II hunting release to capture the Vegas title. The Short-N-Sweet series of releases are designed for hunters but have the proven accuracy that target archers demand. The T.R.U. Ball Short-N-Sweet release now has another prestigious victory in archery to its credit. For more information, log onto truball.com or call (434) 929-2800.
Radical Archery Designs Purchases Savora Archery
Radical Archery Designs has purchased all of the Savora/Archers-Ammo, Inc. assets. The purchase sets the stage for the return of Savora Archery by RAD in 2011. Continued on page 14
Inside Archery 12 April 2010
i n s i d e
t h e
i n d u s t r y
Industry News Continued from page 12
RAD president and former Savora protégé Bryan Fry states, “This has been in our business plan since we started Radical Archery Designs in 2004. I think the industry is ready for a new introduction of Savora broadheads. Too many of the designs being
introduced today are all about flight and point design without consideration of the blade’s retention of sharpness. 440C stainless, soft-bent blades and other features common today do not perform at old arrow speeds let alone today’s hyper velocities. This is of great
concern to me.” When Duke Savora operated Savora Archery, the blades he produced were known worldwide for their sharpness
and edge durability. RAD’s plan is to bring back that level of quality and this is the reason they will not be offering any new products until 2011. They will be rebuilding and repairing their blade machine to maintain the Savora standards. The new Savora line of broadheads will contain modern design blended with increased blade sharpness. For more information, log onto radicalarchery.com or call (866) 396-1120.
Ohio NASP State Tournament Qualifies 34 Teams for Nationals
The winner of the 2010 National Archery in the Schools Program Ohio state tournament was Maysville High School for the fourth consecutive year, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The state tournament was held March 5 in Columbus, Ohio, in conjunction with the Arnold Sports Festival, the ongoing fitness tournament developed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger addressed the archery participants and their fans during the awards ceremony. “This year’s state tournament was quite a success in many regards,” said
Inside Archery 14 April 2010
Kevin Dixon, shooting sports coordinator for the Division of Wildlife, which coordinates NASP for Ohio. “The state tournament drew more than 1,000 student archers with 34 of the 45 Ohio teams qualifying for the NASP national tournament.” A total of 1,034 student archers from 45 teams from across the state competed. Thirty-four Ohio teams received qualifying scores, making them eligible to participate in the NASP National Invitational Tournament scheduled for May 7-8 in Kentucky. For more information, log onto nasparchery.com or call (608) 269-1779.
BCY String Helps American Win International Competition
In January, American Jesse Broadwater completed his sweep of an international field of 32 of the world’s best archers taking first place in the Arc Club de Nimes compound bow division. Broadwater took the competition using BCY’s new Trophy bowstring. The new bowstring material was created by blending BCY’s popular 452X material with Gore Performance Fiber. For more information, log onto bcyfibers.com or call (860) 632-7115.
SKB Announces New Creative Director
Bow case manufacturer SKB announced that Brian Torres will be the company’s new creative director. With over 20 years experience as a creative executive in the entertainment and action sports industries, Torres has numerous accomplishments in marketing and branding. Torres has expertise in strategic thinking, conception, brand building and art direction. He will oversee all creative content for branding, advertising, collateral material, web, social media and trade show design. “We at SKB are thrilled to Brian Torres have Brian come on board. With his creative energy, communication, presentation and project management skills, he is a welcomed addition to the SKB family,” states Dave Sanderson, president of SKB. For more information about SKB Cases or its new hire, log onto skbcases.com or call (714) 637-1252.
Z
Inside Archery 15 April 2010
I
Dealer School If you think that most consumers make their purchasing decisions on price alone, spend a few hours watching people shop in a grocery store. You’ll see how many people pass over the cheaper generic options in favor of the pricier brand name products. People may perceive that the brand name options taste better or have extra nutritional benefits thanks to added supplements. They may also just be swayed by brand recognition or by effective advertising. Whatever the reason, they don’t just automatically grab the lowest priced item on the shelf.
Lowest Price Isn’t Always Best
The same is true for archery equipment. Savvy consumers have learned that while there are plenty of places that will sell archery equipment at bargain-basement prices, low cost frequently equates to lower quality. And while consumers may be watching their wallets these days, they’re looking for the best value and not just for the best price.
“
While consumers may be watching their wallets these days, they’re looking for the You Get What You Pay For I compare prices, I’m always a little suspicious about too-goodbest value and not just When to-be-true bargains. This is especially true when I’m shopping for a service, such as car repair or carpet installation. If a company offers for the best price.
”
a price that is significantly lower than every other company, I always wonder how they’re able to offer such a low price and still make a profit. Sometimes, there’s an explanation—this particular service may
Inside Archery 16 April 2010
be heavily discounted to draw me in in the hopes that I’ll take advantage of other, full-priced services or the company may have advantages that its competitors do not. Usually, however, I find that a company can offer low prices only when they offer less. Less quality, less service or less value. When it comes to archery equipment, beginning archers may shop mostly on price at first, but most experienced archers have a good idea of what quality equipment costs. They understand that the money invested in better gear will be obvious on the range or in the field, and they’re willing to part with more money to get that better gear. Instead of looking only at price, most archers are looking at the value of any purchase. They’re interested in what kinds of features a product boasts and how those features benefit them. They’re looking for certain brand names that will lend them some prestige. They want products that will stand up to frequent use (and abuse). And they want to buy those products at an archery shop that offers convenient and reliable service. In other words, they want more, not less.
Offering Better Value
major problems, however. First, you’ll most likely drive yourself out of business very quickly. Second, when you win customers on price, you can lose them on price as well. And there’s always someone willing to sell for less than you. Instead of attracting customers with low prices, draw them in by offering the best
value around. You’ll earn your customers’ loyalty and bring them back again and again. Customers decide what makes good value based on the entire shopping experience. Some people hate navigating through crowded, chaotic parking lots and will happily pay a few extra dollars for something if they find a store with less traffic. Others want to make sure they
Dealer Survey Questions Archery dealer input is sought for the next Inside
Archery Dealer School. Your comments are invited on a variety of specific Dealer School topics. All you need to do is fill out and send in the easy-to-use Dealer School Response Card found on pages 18 & 19. Selected comments will be published in an upcoming issue of Inside Archery’s Dealer School. Your shop and location will be listed. In every issue a participating dealer will win a new Hoyt bow! To have a chance at this bow, all you have to do is participate.
Win!
a MAXXIS bow from
You can always bring more customers in by slashing prices to well below what your competitors are offering. This strategy has two
Inside Archery 17 April 2010
Th Montis Winn h’s er! W
ill H
Marchio S ymes p Hanover,oPrt Hut A
What’s the image created by the local archery dealer who always tries to have the lowest prices? Dealer
The following are selected responses from the Inside Archery Dealer School Survey presented in our December 2009 issue. Are you interested in participating and possibly winning a FREE 2010 Hoyt bow in the process? See page 17 of this issue for more information. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----To me dealers who sell price show that they want to move the product at all cost with no concern for the customer or for representing the manufacturer properly. I have no confidence that those dealers can provide quality service.
Comment
“
”
Jim Spada • Jim’s Custom Archery - New Milford, CT
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----It’s certainly a negative image. I’ve found that those dealers may not have a range to let customers shoot a new bow. They’ll sell a bow at $50 below our prices, but the customer will end up with an incorrect draw length and a poorly shooting bow. Then those dealers will charge those same customers $100 to take a look at their bows. We spend the time to ensure that our customers are properly set up and happy with their equipment.
“
Glen Bennett • Country Woods Archery - St. Johns, MI
”
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----Those dealers undermine the perceived value of their shop, products and services. Plus, when shops compete to offer the lowest prices, they’re usually not around for very long.
“
”
Brandon Bunnell • LongRange Archery - Twin Lake, MI
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----It looks like they’re just trying to make a buck and not all that interested in the customer’s needs and wants.
“ “
”
Mike Barrandey • Bowlero Archery - Van Horn, TX
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----I think dealers that try to have the lowest prices are just trying to sell merchandise. I would rather spend a little bit more money to get better service and know my equipment is going to work to its potential.
”
Will Hymes • Marchio Sport Hut - Hanover, PA
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----A dealer who always has the lowest price is either desperate or willing to cut corners in service or inventory. We watch our prices, but we’re in this business to make money. We try to maintain our margins by buying at the ATA Show or through our buying group.
“
Jim Yost • Clarence Archery - Snow Shoe, PA
” ”
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----I would say the image created by the dealer with the lowest prices is lack of service. It seems that the way to compete when you can’t offer expertise is to lower prices.
“
Morgan Dugger • Xpert Archery - Farmington, NM
Inside Archery 18 April 2010
have the hottest new product before any of their friends get their hands on it and will pay a premium to ensure that happens. And others are somewhat indecisive and want to shop at establishments with flexible return policies just in case they change their minds after a purchase has been made. In order to offer the best value, you’ll need to understand what is important to your customers. Talk to them. Are they looking for products that will guarantee the fastest possible arrow speed? Or are they looking for products that are easy to set up and use? Do you have lots of new-to-the-sport customers who want to take advantage of your expertise? You should also think about what you can offer that discount retailers cannot. Most discount retailers stock a limited selection of products and brands. Stocking a wide selection of products, especially those from manufacturers who sell only through archery pro shops, will give you an edge over the lowprice guys. Being able to find a number of different options in one place is an advantage that most people are willing to pay extra for. Your own expertise adds value to your customers’ shopping experience as well. Brand new archers who may not yet understand why it’s important to purchase the highest quality
equipment they can afford will appreciate knowledgeable advice and the opportunity to actually try before they buy. Many archery retailers who specialize in ultra-low prices lack a shooting range or the time to provide feedback on form and equipment fit. No matter how cheap a product is, it’s a waste of money if it’s the wrong piece of equipment. Finally, get creative and think of additional services that will make shopping at your store a positive experience for your customers. You could offer free coffee or sodas to customers as they wait for assistance. Or you could keep loaner bows on hand for customers who have an equipment crisis just before a major hunt. You could solicit reviews of various guides and outfitters from your customers and make them available to others who are in the process of planning hunts. Anything that your customers perceive as valuable will make you stand out from the discount retailers. If you find yourself tempted to slash prices to compete in today’s marketplace, take some time to evaluate the value you offer your customers instead. Give them more, and they’ll be willing to pay more in return.
In what order are the following things important to high-end bow buyers today—price, features, benefits? And why?
Dealer
Comment
The following are selected responses from the Inside Archery Dealer School Survey presented in our December 2009 issue. Are you interested in participating and possibly winning a FREE 2010 Hoyt bow in the process? See page 17 of this issue for more information. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----The most important thing to a high-end bow buyer is speed, followed by features and price. Just like with cars, guys like to brag about how fast their bows are.
“
Mickey O’Kane • Gem Sport Supply - Syracuse, NY
”
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----I would say customers are looking for a quality product with easy-to-use features at a fair price. High-end bow users know there’s a premium price for quality.
“
”
Ian Brucker • Lillies Country Complements - Holland Patent, NY
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----The high-end bow buyer looks for the latest features and how those features can make them better shots and hunters. Most don’t care about price—they just want to have the best.
“ ” “
Dean Muertz • J & M Archery - Valmeyer, IL
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----I think it’s benefits, then features, then price. Benefits are those distinguishing performance attributes customers look for in their equipment. Features are what make those benefits possible. Price is definitely last because most customers looking at high-end bows already have an idea of what kind of money they’ll need to spend.
”
Goran Zarkovic • Woodland Outdoor - Tippecanoe, OH
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----Features, benefits, price. High-end buyers are more interested in what they can get out of a bow than what they put into it.
“
”
Don Morgan • The Archery Shop - Victoria, TX
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----I would say that the brand is also pretty important to high-end bow buyers. I would rank features and price as second and third in terms of importance, with brand being first.
“
”
Scott Schmidt • Schmidty’s Archery - Menomonie, WI
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----First, features. Sex appeal sells! High-end buyers are looking for the latest and greatest. Next, benefits. And finally, price. High-end buyers expect to pay higher prices.
“
Doug Williams • Nichols Store - Rock Hill, SC
Inside Archery 19 April 2010
”
i n s i d e
t h e
i n d u s t r y
Action ATA Staff Teams Up for Quality Trade Show ATA names Maria Lewis exhibit and member services manager, and expands Trade Show responsibilities for several staff members. Through school, family and work, Maria Lewis learned plenty about customer service and problem-solving before joining the Archery Trade Association in September 2009 to help develop and administer its burgeoning membership-services programs. And once she began working for the ATA, Lewis demonstrated diverse skills, including the ability to respond to a high volume of demands and pressures that came calling quickly after Lewis was hired thanks to the most recent ATA Trade Show held January 2010. Given Lewis’ personality and vital role in last year’s Show registration, she was a natural fit to assume management of exhibitor-related duties for the ATA’s Trade Show team. Those tasks were previously performed by Cindy Brophy, who retired in January. Lewis works in the ATA’s central office in New Ulm, Minnesota, not far from her home in the small town of Courtland. Before assuming her new responsibilities with Trade Show exhibitors, she was already immersed in the ATA’s new NetForum products and services, ensuring the system ran efficiently for all ATA members. She also handles communications
The 2010 ATA Trade Show took place in Columbus, Ohio.
Maria Lewis works at the 2010 ATA Trade Show.
with ATA members, manages the association’s membership rolls and ensures membership data remains current and accurate. “Maria’s the perfect person to handle all these duties,” said Jay McAninch, ATA CEO/president. “Many ATA members already know Maria is a terrific, helpful, customer-service oriented person. She’s an extremely bright, talented person who enjoys working with people and helping them find success at the Show. Plus, her diverse background gives her insights and unique customer-service perspectives seldom found in one person.” McAninch is referring to Lewis’ personal and professional experiences: • Her husband, Mitch, is co-owner and manager of Two Rivers Archery and Outdoors, a 12,000-square-foot pro shop in New Ulm that carries archery, firearms, fishing and other sporting goods. Maria helped get the store up and running when Mitch opened it more than six years ago, all the while continuing to work full-time at her “day job.” • After graduating college in 2001 with a degree in business administration, she worked in accounting and customer service for a New Ulm leather-goods company. Starting in 2007, she also worked as customer-service and floor manager for a restaurant and banquet facility in New Ulm. • When she’s not working, she donates her time as a youth softball and basketball coach and as a summer coordinator for the local high school girls basketball programs. And if all that isn’t enough customer-service experience, Lewis is the mother of two children: Carson, her 5-year-old son; and Brooklyn, her 2-year-old daughter.
A Family Passion
Lewis is also a lifelong archer who grew up shooting in a community archery program. Her archery background and frequent visits to her husband’s store helped Lewis understand the sport’s importance to millions of Americans. “Mitch has always been passionate about archery and bowhunting,” Lewis said. “Long before I started with the ATA, he organized children’s leagues and adult leagues at the store. His store has a 12-lane, 45-yard indoor range, so there are always people shooting. Every time I walk in there I see how much everyone loves archery and bowhunting. They put a lot of time and effort into it, and Mitch is the same way. He not only wants his store and the industry to grow, he wants everyone to enjoy the sport as much as they can for as long as they can.”
Inside Archery 20 April 2010
Continued on page 22
I n s i d e
t h e
i n d u s t r y
Action
Continued from page 20
Lewis said she and her husband were excited when the ATA hired her for its new office in New Ulm last summer. “I took the job with the idea I would help out wherever I could,” she said. “I like challenges and being part of an organization that’s always trying to help its members. I saw a lot of potential for increased responsibilities with the ATA, and that’s how it’s turned out.” Upon joining the ATA, Lewis was tasked with coordinating Trade Show registration and exhibitor badge requests. Those responsibilities immersed her in the ATA’s new online registration program, where she answered questions and learned everyone’s likes and dislikes to help fine-tune the system. The new program proved incredibly effective, drastically reducing registration lines at the Trade Show, and quickly moving people onto the Show floor. “The process should be even easier this year because we cleaned up a lot of the membership information in our Customer Relation Management (CRM) software,” Lewis said. “Now they all have user names and passwords, which was new last year, and we’ve updated their store’s primary contacts and email addresses.” The CRM software also helps ensure only qualified industry professionals gain access to the Trade Show. “We have to protect the Show’s integrity as much as possible,” Lewis said. “Our system ensures all attendees are verified as current ATA members in good standing. Non-members must confirm they run a legitimate business in the industry.” Lewis also broadened her experience by working with exhibitors whenever possible during the 2010 Trade Show. She was the contact person for many exhibitors who had questions about badge registrations, and she helped exhibitors with issues that went beyond registration. After the Trade Show, Lewis helped the ATA implement a new software program, MyExpoBooth, that upgrades and streamlines the Show’s booth-registration process for exhibitors. She described it as an online booth-sales application with many benefits for exhibitors and the ATA. “We’ll be using it for the 2011 Trade Show,” Lewis said. “I’m positive our exhibitors will like what they see. This will be the
Inside Archery 22 April 2010
most streamlined process we’ve ever had for the ATA Show. Both exhibitors and attendees will have access to a live, interactive floor plan that supplies a lot of information. And it will be easy to navigate on your computer.” Lewis said she enjoys working in customer service because people in the archery industry share so many goals and attributes. “They’re just like the people I see at Mitch’s store,” she said. “They’re passionate about what they do, and they never stop working. It’s obvious that ATA members have a dedicated interest in growing this industry and our sport. When you work with people like that, it’s very rewarding and motivational.”
Matching Staff Strengths
Lewis’ expanded responsibilities were just one of several additions and adjustments recently made to staff duties to improve the ATA Trade Show. McAninch said the Show has grown steadily since the ATA assumed its ownership and operations seven years ago. As a result, the event requires increased expertise and efficiency to ensure it keeps growing and serving its diverse membership. “We’re creating more of a team approach for the entire Show,” McAninch said. “As we move forward, some people who have been with us a long time are taking more visible roles to capitalize on their strengths. We want to help ATA members gain maximum benefit from the Show and our full range of services.” Here’s a look at ATA staff and their roles at the Trade Show: Emily Beach, education and research manager: Beach will continue to head up Trade Show security, which has been her primary Show duty for several years. In addition, she oversees parking, loading and unloading for exhibitors at the rear docks, as well as other logistical responsibilities before, during and after the Show. Starting in 2009, she also became the primary coordinator of Archery Trade Academy, the Trade Show’s popular seminar series. “Emily quickly made her mark on the seminar program, which has become a very important part of the Show for many dealers,” McAninch said. Michelle Doerr, director of archery and bowhunting programs: Doerr’s year-round priority is working with states to plan and develop community archery strategies. Her
efforts benefit ATA-member dealers while recruiting archers into our sport. Doerr also works with the state agencies during the Show to help them develop staff and programs to recruit and retain archers and bowhunters. In that role, she works with states and individual dealers to increase shooting facilities and bowhunting opportunities in their areas. During the Trade Show, Doerr also works with nonprofit organizations attending or exhibiting at the Show. Patrick Durkin, contributing editor: The ATA’s longtime writer/editor provides yearround media and press support for the association. During the Trade Show, he helps Amy Hatfield produce the ATA’s Trade Show Daily, often interviewing exhibitors and dealers for their opinions on the Show and other matters. Durkin also helps oversee the ATA Academy seminars each morning and writes an annual review of the series for McAninch and the ATA Board of Directors. Melinda Gable, technology coordinator: Gable manages most of the ATA’s media platforms and integration responsibilities, as well as its Internet-based processes and procedures. “Melinda helped integrate the ATA’s online registration system that we launched in 2009,” McAninch said. “As everyone can attest, it saved ATA members a lot of time and trouble before and during the Show.” Gable is now working with Lewis to implement the ATA’s online exhibitor services package. “Exhibitors will find that it’s going to be very efficient and save them a lot of time,” McAninch said. “Melinda is also working with Amy Hatfield and Kurt Weber on some of the Show’s marketing and promotions programs. The technical efficiencies Melinda delivers help the ATA manage a very big show with a staff that’s smaller than any comparably sized organization and trade show.” Amy Hatfield, communications manager: Hatfield plans and coordinates all communications and public relations efforts for the Trade Show. “As the Show continues growing in size and scope, Amy’s role is expanding with it,” McAninch said. “At the same time, the communications arena is expanding beyond anyone’s imagination. That means the Trade Show requires more frequent and substantive communications
than ever before. Amy continually finds ways to incorporate new media opportunities so ATA members obtain maximum benefits from the Show.” Kelly Kelly, manager of support services and operations: “Kelly will work almost exclusively with the Show’s hotels, as well as the Show’s catering and food services,” McAninch said. Kelly was McAninch’s first hire when he was named the ATA’s CEO/ president in August 2000. She will continue to serve as his executive assistant and work with the ATA’s Board of Directors and its committees. She also coordinates many of the ATA’s sponsored events. Mitch King, director of government relations: “Mitch does a great job inviting and bringing in VIPs and top-level directors from state wildlife agencies so they can better understand what the ATA and the Trade Show are all about,” McAninch said. “The Trade Show is a good time to sit down with our guests and agency partners to discuss how we can work together to grow archery and expand bowhunting opportunities nationwide.” Lisa Roeder, business manager: As the ATA’s business manager, Roeder stays heavily involved in Trade Show registration by handling all business transactions associated with it. She also handles the ATA’s day-to-day accounting, bill-paying, accounts-receivable and general ledger work. Kurt Weber, director of marketing: Besides directing the Trade Show’s marketing and promotions programs, Weber is expanding sponsorships so exhibiting companies can improve their dealer reach and increase their brand visibility. “Kurt is always thinking of creative, innovative ways to help exhibitors increase sales of their products and services,” McAninch said. “He works hard to improve the Trade Show’s value and experience for everyone, whether they’re attendees or exhibitors.”
ATA Trade Show Dates and Locations
2011: Indianapolis, Indiana, January 6-8, Thursday through Saturday. 2012: Columbus, Ohio, January 12-14, Thursday through Saturday. 2013: Louisville, Kentucky, January 9-11, Wednesday through Friday; or January 10-12, Thursday through Saturday.
Z
Inside Archery 23 April 2010
New&Notable New & Innovative Products to Watch
Leupold Vendetta Bow-Mounted Laser Rangefinder 1
No hunter wants to spook game while trying to gauge shot distance and that is why Leupold created the Vendetta Bow-Mounted Laser Rangefinder. The Vendetta weighs just 10 ounces and mounts securely to a bow. After the laser is synced with the sight’s top pin, you simply put the top pin on any target out to 70 yards. When you press the trigger pad mounted on the front of your bow you’ll get an instant digital readout of the shot distance. This inventive piece of equipment automatically compensates for incline or decline in the shot. Don’t frighten game; make the shot with a Vendetta. For more information, log onto leupold.com or call (800) 538-7653.
2 Elite One-Piece Bowquiver
Elite Archery has partnered with Treelimb to produce an extraordinary new quick-detach bowquiver with Tension Lock System. Unlike most quick-detach quivers, the mounting bracket of the new Elite One-Piece Bowquiver attaches securely to the riser of an Elite bow. That eliminates stacked-bowsight clutter. Once the bracket is mounted, the quiver itself attaches and detaches with exceptional quickness and ease. This exciting new product holds five arrows and works with either fixed or expandable broadheads. For more information, log onto elitearchery.com or call (877) 503-5483.
BCY DynaFLIGHT 10 1
Bowhunters should not neglect the importance of their bowstring, and BCY has released a new option that will gain the attention of hunters. BCY’s new DynaFLIGHT 10 string is composed entirely of SK 78 Dyneema. This means it has the lowest creep of all Dyneema bowstrings with all of its advantages. High strength, durability and abrasion resistance make this new string a worthy addition to any bow setup. DynaFLIGHT 10 string comes in a wide range of colors. For more information, log onto bcyfibers.com or call (860) 632-7115.
2 GhostBlind Predator
The GhostBlind Predator has infinite camo options—no matter where you go—there you aren’t. By utilizing glare-diminishing mirror panels, the Predator hides anyone perfectly by pulling the reflection off of the ground and shrouding the hunter in that stealthy mirror image. The result is an astoundingly effective and portable blind with limitless versatility. The design allows for a seated shot that can be ideal for a bowhunter or for use when gun hunting, photographing or surveying game. Since the setup time is less than a minute for the lightweight Predator, a quick relocation is simple and the blind’s effectiveness is multiplied. The GhostBlind Predator earns its name as an unseen specter and will make a deadly addition to anyone’s equipment list. For more information, log onto ghostblind.com or call (877) 751-4868.
Inside Archery 24 April 2010
Muzzy Xtreme Duty Bowfishing Kit 1
This is the perfect season to get into bowfishing and the perfect time to introduce the Muzzy Xtreme Duty Bowfishing Kit to your gear inventory. Touted as “the world’s strongest bowfishing equipment,” the kit comes with Muzzy’s 1067XD Xtreme Bowfishing Reel, Heavy Duty Reel Seat and the full-containment Fish Hook Bowfishing Rest. This kit transforms a bow from a big-game setup to a fishing setup in a flash, and all for a reasonable price. The kit also comes with Muzzy’s 1020-C Classic Fiberglass Fish Arrow with Carp Point and 100 feet of 200-pound test line. You don’t need anything else to reel in creatures from the deep. For more information, log onto muzzy.com or call (770) 387-9300.
2 Tree Stand Buddy
The second most important characteristic of a treestand is location, and the most important is safety. The Tree Stand Buddy perfectly addresses both of these issues for hunters who use most models of hang-on treestands. The Tree Stand Buddy is a universal bracket system that allows easy, safe and quick installation and take-down of hang-on stands—which also elongates the life of your stand by keeping it out of the elements and away from would-be vandals. Cover more area by installing several brackets at different locations and you are ready to change your hunting position in no time at all. The Tree Stand Buddy is a great way of opening up your hunting opportunities and increasing your safety in the field. For more information, log onto treestandbuddy.com or call (877) 987-2723.
Trophy Rock All-Natural Mineral Lick 1 If you feed them, they will grow. If you feed them Trophy Rock All-Natural Mineral Lick, they will grow huge! Mined from a mineral deposit in central Utah, Trophy Rock contains over 50 different minerals critical to a deer’s health and antler development. The All-Natural Trophy Rock is available in two convenient sizes. The 20-pound Trophy Rock is ideal for those who want a long-lasting mineral lick that doesn’t need to be replaced often. The 12-pound lick is perfect for those seeking a light and economical option. For more information, log onto trophyrock.com or call 888-521-7771.
BuckEye Cam Bow Coach 1
Hiring a private archery instructor costs a bundle and your more experienced archery friends don’t always have time to help you improve your technique. But now you have a full-time companion on the shooting range with the BuckEye Cam Bow Coach. The Bow Coach attaches to the riser of your bow and serves as a unique training aid that detects any movement of your bowhand and bow. The Bow Coach then displays the information graphically and the instant feedback lets you know what you need to work on to increase accuracy. Training with the Bow Coach will quickly allow you to develop a truly consistent shot and followthrough. For more information, log onto bowcoach.com or call (866) 325-8172.
Inside Archery 25 April 2010
New&Notable Stealth Outdoors Run’N’Gun Bark Silencer 1
Silence in the stand or stealth on the ground can be achieved with the Stealth Outdoors Run’N’Gun BARK Silencer. The Run’N’Gun BARK Silencer either straps onto the tree behind you, preventing your clothing from rubbing against noisy bark, or can be used as an ultra-portable ground blind. The 20x24-inch Run’N’Gun’s tough, versatile and water-resistant design makes it a perfect way to stay quieter and get closer than ever. It’s an extremely effective blind that is also extremely economical. For more information, log onto stealthoutdoors.com or call (248) 459-8991.
2 Moon Archery Products Speed Grips
Many hunters have the need for speed; they want faster bows, but they don’t always want to spend hundreds of dollars to upgrade. Moon Archery Products Speed Grips help solve this conundrum. By adding the 1-;inch Speed Grip to a bow setup, you can add 10 fps to the arrow speed because the grip adds draw length. Accuracy will also improve with the Speed Grip because its design decreases torque, which makes for a straighter and more consistent shot. The injection-molded poly-carbonate Speed Grips are fitted for PSE, Mathews and Parker bow models. For more information, log onto moonarcheryproducts.com or call (740) 335-2770.
Inside Archery 26 April 2010
P E OP L E
The Power of
Archery Industry Members Participating in the Sport
Daniel Baemmert Optics Buyer—Scheels Wisconsin Whitetail Bow: Arrow: Broadhead: Sight: Rest: Release:
Linda Burch President—WildTech Corporation Manitoba Black Bear Bow: Arrow: Broadhead: Sight: Release: Bow Sling:
Mathews Outback Carbon Express Muzzy Phantom Impact Archery Tru-Fire Balcom
Inside Archery 28 April 2010
Mathews Switchback Carbon Express Terminator NAP Thunderhead Montana Black Gold Schaffer T.R.U. Ball Tornado
Participation John Hernandez Account Executive—BowTech Texas Whitetail Bow: BowTech Destroyer 350 Arrow: Gold Tip Broadhead: G5 Tekan Sight: Sword Rest: Octane TripWire Release: Carter Quickie
Alan Millin Pro Staff —Antler King Texas Axis Deer Bow: Arrow: Broadhead: Sight: Rest: Release:
Bonnie Blackburn with husband Matt Owner—Blackburn Archery Texas Corsican Ram Bow: Parker Arrow: Carbon Express Terminator Broadhead: Eastman FirstCut Sight: Trophy Ridge Matrix Rest: NAP QuikTune Release: Copper John
Inside Archery 29 April 2010
Mathews Switchback Gold Tip Muzzy Copper John Muzzy Zero Effect Carter
Mike Homan, Scott Mackie and Barbara Ricchiuti of MidAtlantic Archery Products.
Inside Archery 30 April 2010
The planning of production and assembly runs takes place in MidAtlantic’s conference room where bowhunting trophies set the tone for product quality.
MidAtlantic Archery Products President Scott Mackie is a lifelong bowhunter and archery enthusiast. His company is based on adrenaline-driven designs which have led to innovative archery products.
“I got the archery bug early,” says Scott. “I remember going to Sears to buy more arrows when I was about ten years old. They had the best selection back then, and I was going through arrows at a fast clip. “By the time I was in high school, I was deeply immersed in the latest in bowhunting equipment. In particular, I was enamored with arrow speed. Most of the time I was trying to obtain the best possible combination of arrow speed and kinetic energy, and have it all work for serious bowhunting. I spent an inordinate amount of time experimenting with different draw weights, different gear and calculating kinetic energy for everything as I went. “One of the things I found, however, was that the faster I arranged for my arrows to go, the more problems I experienced with arrow flight and accuracy, especially when shooting broadheads. That didn’t seem right to me and early on I saw it clearly as an opportunity to improve things. Even all the way back then I was beginning to envision possible solutions.” Archery wasn’t the only thing that captured Scott Mackie’s imagination. Baseball also took center stage, so much so that Scott was courted by major league baseball while still in high school, went on to star in baseball in college and was eventually drafted by the Cleveland Indians. “I played three years in the Indians’ farm system,” Scott reveals. “Playing professional ball was the sort of experience I wouldn’t give up for anything, partly because I met and played with so many wonderful people. Some went on to have Baseball-Hall-of-Fame careers. Others slid off in other directions. “Baseball was hard work but we also had a fair amount of time off, and one particular playing partner and I took full advantage of that to fish, hunt and shoot our bows.” After baseball, Scott got involved in real estate and construction,
Inside Archery 32 April 2010
eventually founding his own general contracting business. But always he stayed in touch with his old baseball/ hunting buddy and together they continued kicking around how to improve their fastest archery setups. “One of the ideas I had toyed with for years was creating a broadhead that imparted spin to an arrow. My old baseball buddy had gone on to become involved with government contracts for the Kennedy Space Center and in that capacity rubbed shoulders with some of the nation’s most brilliant aeronautical engineers and thinkers. Together, we ran our ideas by some of those men, and with their help refined our notions of a broadhead with airfoils on the back to spin-stabilize the head and the arrow.” In 1999 the two old baseball buddies decided to form a company to commercially explore their spinstabilize ideas. “In a burst of over-exuberant creativity, we named the company 2XJ Enterprises, the 2XJ standing for ‘two ex-jocks.’” Over the next two years the partners advanced their broadhead concepts, polishing their ideas and in due course being granted U.S. patents for what they termed “variable degree axial flow airfoils” on the aft end of broadhead blades and a unique V-lock broadhead-blade attachment system. “By 2002 we had created the very first 2XJ Crimson Talon Spin-Stabilized Broadhead, and that January we introduced that revolutionary new three-blade broadhead at the ATA Trade Show. Our sales pitch was straightforward and easy for everyone to understand. The Crimson Talon utilized patented Spin-Tite Airfoil Technology to stabilize a broadhead and arrow in flight like never before. This benefit was particularly evident the faster the archer shot arrows. The faster the arrow, the faster the Crimson Talon spun the arrow and the more stabilized it became. Finally,
Inside Archery 33 April 2010
bowhunters could get the most out of their fastest bowhunting setups. “At the same time there was a second significant benefit. When the spin-stabilized Crimson Talon hit an animal, it cored or drilled a hole rather than making a simple, straight slice. That cored hole had a much more difficult time closing up and in turn delivered a better blood trail and quicker, easier recoveries of game. The term we used to describe the effect was ‘spiral wound channel.’ “At that ATA Show we had exactly 24 prototype 2XJ Crimson Talon Broadheads in our booth. Ten minutes into the show we had a crowd of savvy archery dealers gathered around and one very interested Cabela’s buyer. They peppered us with questions. The eager Cabela’s buyer left, only to return mere minutes later with his boss who had only one question, ‘Would you accept an order right now and could you beginning shipping as early as March, just two months away?’ “In as strong a voice as I could muster, I assured him that we would and could, even though I knew that we had yet to work out final production, assembly and packaging details. ‘Sure, absolutely,’ I told him. Based on the interest and orders from dealers and that big order, 2XJ Enterprises was off and running.” In the coming years, 2XJ expanded its lineup to include additional broadheads, all utilizing the common theme of revolutionary airfoils on the back of the broadhead blades to spin-stabilize the heads and the arrows they were affixed to.
Barbara Ricchiuti is office manager for MidAtlantic Archery Products. She handles accounts receivable, payable and all general accounting.
“Slowly and carefully we added new Spin-Tite-Technology broadheads,” says Scott. “We introduced the 2XJ Crimson Tusker, a four-blade Spin-Tite broadhead, followed by the 2XJ Viper Venom and the Crimson Raptor. The Viper Venom was a wide and wicked cut-on-contact broadhead. The Crimson Raptor was a hybrid broadhead that featured both fixed cut-oncontact blades and two additional expandable blades.” By 2008 the Crimson Talon line of Spin-Tite Technology Broadheads was both well established and well accepted in
Mike Homan is MidAtlantic Archery Products’ national tech rep. Homan handles customer calls, order fulfillment and works closely with the company’s pro staff.
Inside Archery 34 April 2010
the bowhunting world, although things were about to change in a big way. “While working attentively on better broadheads,” Scott admits, “we were also focused on a brand new opportunity— arrow rests. For some time we had been watching and admiring the rise of the whisker-type arrow rest. Its amazingly simple design and operation, and its phenomenal sales growth, had surprised everyone in the arrow-rest arena. Yet, it had some drawbacks, fletching contact and fletching wear being chief among those. At almost exactly the same time, drop-away arrow rests had emerged as the clear choice of those archers desiring complete fletch clearance and all the arrow-flight and accuracy benefits that such complete clearance bestowed. “We surmised that if we could somehow create a secure whisker-type arrow rest that also guaranteed complete fletch clearance on every shot, we would step right into a huge arrow-rest opportunity. We developed a plausible concept for such a new-age arrow rest in 2006, but it took us over two years of diligent work to perfect that concept and create working prototypes. “About the time we completed that project, we also came to another realization. We decided that 2XJ was simply not a name to build a larger company upon. While it meant something to us, it had failed to be meaningful or even memorable to others. With our quickly solidifying plans to expand into arrow rests, we felt that the time was right to change our company’s name. “In 2008 we formed MidAtlantic Archery Products, and that new entity simply absorbed everything that was the old 2XJ Enterprises. MidAtlantic Archery Products became the umbrella company under which Crimson Talon Broadheads and our new TriVan Arrow Rests would be marketed.” MidAtlantic Archery Products introduced the remarkable new TriVan Vanishing Arrow Rest to the world at the 2009 ATA Trade Show in Indianapolis. “The TriVan Vanishing Arrow Rest offered archers the best of both worlds,” Scott explains. “While the archer waits
and during the draw, the TriVan Rest holds an arrow with complete security. Once the shot is triggered, the TriVan’s arms radially retracted like a camera’s shutter to provide complete shaft and fletch clearance for the speeding arrow. There’s also a unique draw-down feature that enables the archer to let his or her bow down without losing complete containment of the arrow.”
Inside Archery 35 April 2010
Brand new for 2010, MidAtlantic’s TriVan Vanishing Arrow Rests are now available in three distinct models––the TriVan Multi-Adjust Pro, the TriVan Original and the TriVan Contour. “The new TriVan Multi-Adjust Pro features an upgraded mounting bracket with independent windage and elevation adjustment capabilities. The MultiAdjust Pro also sports Vibra-Shield
Top: Prompt shipping is important to MidAtlantic Archery Products, and a well-stocked warehouse makes that possible. Bottom: A key element in the success of MidAtlantic Archery Products has been the careful design of genuinely innovative new products. Mark Best is MidAtlantic’s lead engineer.
Damping Technology which is essentially a soft armor coating that effectively squelches shot vibration and noise. The Multi-Adjust Pro, of course, features all of the desirable benefits that made the Original TriVan Vanishing Arrow Rest so popular with archers and bowhunters far and wide, including complete arrow capture and security even during letdown, precise adjustments for any arrow size and Vanishing Arm Technology for total shaft and fletch clearance. “The new-for-2010 TriVan Contour is a price-point arrow rest with unmoving rest arms. The Contour retails for just $49, and a single Contour unit is adaptable for either right- or left-hand use. The TriVan Contour, like the TriVan Original and the new TriVan Multi-Adjust Pro, features convenient arrow-size adjustability. It also features a Vibra-Shield Damping coating.” The Crimson Talon Broadhead lineup for 2010 from MidAtlantic Archery Products is indeed advanced. “Leading off that lineup,” declares Scott, “is the 2010 Crimson Talon XT, a six-bladed Spin-Tite Technology broadhead that has the toughest blades we have ever offered. Our customers are already saying that the Crimson Talon XT is the most technologically advanced fixed-blade broadhead they’ve ever seen. The Crimson Talon XT sports six spin-stabilized blades, three rigid airfoils and the patented V-Lock Broadhead Blade Attachment System. “Next up is the Crimson Talon Hyper-Speed XT Broadhead. This is a unique broadhead we’ve designed specifically for the fastest bows on the planet, including today’s highest performing crossbows. The Crimson Talon Hyper-Speed XT features a total of eleven rigid airfoils, three on the aft edge of the main blades and eight more on the head’s distinctive tip. “The 2010 Crimson Croc is an especially deadly cut-on-contact broadhead
Inside Archery 36 April 2010
with a Teflon-coated and serrated main blade, two rigid airfoils to spin-stabilize the head and its arrow, two additional bleeder blades and a sweeping cutting tip designed expressly to penetrate deeply, even with lighter weight bows.” The Crimson Cuda is a threeblade expandable broadhead featuring MidAtlantic’s patented Spiral Kut Tip, an especially tough tip with eight aggressive airfoils. Blades open instantly upon impact. “The 2010 X-System is a most remarkable hybrid cut-on-contact expandable broadhead. It features main blades equipped with patented Spin-Tite Airfoil Technology designed to spin-stabilize the shot and provide a devastating spiral wound channel. The X-System also utilizes what we call, and which we have patented, an Inertia Trigger Cam. Unlike conventional expandable broadheads which often use rubber bands or O-rings to retain their expandable blades during flight, the revolutionary X-System utilizes an ingenious spring-and-puck system located inside the ferrule to impart a cam load on its expandable blades during flight. Upon impact that small springmounted puck moves forward and the blades are allowed to quickly deploy without any friction. The system is called the Inertia Trigger Cam and it is the expandable-blade retainment system of the future.” Wrapping up the Crimson Talon lineup for 2010 is the company’s Turbine-Tip. “The Turbine-Tip is the world’s first and only spin-stabilized field point. It’s available in 100- and 125-grain models and features eight aggressive airfoils carved into its leading tip. Those airfoils spin-stabilize the arrow from the front for tack-driving accuracy. If you shoot an especially fast bow, this is the field point for you.” In just 11 years, the company now known as MidAtlantic Archery Products has risen from the minds of two exjock bowhunting buddies to become an innovation-based market mover within the archery industry. It’s currently housed in a 6,000-square-foot, two-level building in Maryland that’s organized into offices, assembly and packaging,
warehousing and shipping departments. “We’ve developed a strong sales structure, working closely with leading local archery pro shops, the nation’s best archery distributors and archery retailers and outlets of all sizes. We even have key distributors and retailers in Canada, Europe, Australia and Africa. “The obvious key to our success has been our drive to identify specific archerymarket opportunities and then apply ourselves to create genuinely innovative
Inside Archery 37 April 2010
new products in those opportunity niches that everyone––consumers, retailers and distributors––can benefit from. “In the future we plan to continue that process, seeking and seeing opportunities wherever they exist and hitting them out of the ballpark whenever possible.” For more information on MidAtlantic Archery Products, Crimson Talon Broadheads and TriVan Vanishing Arrow Rests, contact them at (410) 658-9660 or log onto midatlanticarchery.com.
Z
M a r k e t
T r e n d s
Bow Report
Mission Maniac
By Bill Krenz
W
hat do most bowhunters need? They need their favorite archery retailer to show them a good, solid, dependable bow that will help them shoot better. If that bow happens to look great, possesses a healthy dose of high-tech pizzazz and features a price tag that won’t sink the family ship, so much the better. Mission Archery has built a solid-gold reputation on delivering such bows. In fact, the mantra at Mission Archery is “quality and performance better than any competitor’s bows in the price range.” For 2010 the perfect example of that, well, mission is the Mission Archery Maniac. The 2010 Maniac is exactly the sort of bow that most bowhunters need. To begin with, the Mission Archery catalog pegs the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Maniac at just $449. Yet almost The Mission Maniac is equipped with both String Suppressors and D-Amplifiers which in spite of that wonderfully seaworthy price, work together to effectively dampen the bow practically drips quality and is packed bowstring shot vibration and noise. with innovation. The dependable 2010 Mission Maniac boasts such desirable features as cutting-edge String Suppressors, parallel limbs, a fully machined aluminum riser and an advanced dual-cam eccentric system that offers good performance and a unique draw-length-toweight adjustment system. With the Maniac, draw length is easily adjusted without a bow press from 22 inches all the way to 30 inches (that’s 8 full inches!) by utilizing the system’s pivoting modules. On each cam all you do is loosen and remove one screw and then pivot the draw-length modules to the desired and clearly A pebble-grained composite grip completes marked setting. To make the Maniac even the Mission Maniac. It’s a grip that is more versatile, Matt McPherson incorporated especially comfortable and accurate. Maniac draw length & weight adjustments (4 Turns Max)
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– w/70# Limbs
w/60# Limbs
w/50# Limbs
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Draw Peak Min Peak Min Peak Min Length Weight Weight Weight Weight Weight Weight
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
30” 29” 28” 27” 26” 25” 24” 23” 22”
74 72 72 71 70 68 66 63 59
50 48 47 45 44 42 40 38 35
64 62 62 61 60 58 56 53 49
42 40 39 37 36 34 32 30 27
54 52 52 51 50 48 46 43 39
35 35 32 30 29 27 25 23 20
Inside Archery 38 April 2010
a draw-weight range swing that naturally occurs as the bow’s draw length is changed. This is on top of the generous 20 pounds of standard weight adjustment. Take my test bow, for example. When I adjusted the bow’s draw length to 29 inches to fit me, the bow delivered a draw-weight range of 48 to 72 pounds, which was perfect for me. However when I adjusted the same bow down to 22 inches to fit my young nephew who wanted to give the new Maniac a try, the drawweight range dropped to 35 to 50 pounds, which was perfect for him. That unique feature of draw-length-toweight-range ratio makes the Mission Maniac one of the most versatile hunting and family bows ever. The 2010 Mission Maniac is a surprising bow. It’s a solid, dependable bow with a palatable price, good performance, plenty of pizzazz and unexpected drawlength and weight-range versatility. It’s exactly what so many bowhunters need.
How It Shoots
The very first thing that bowhunters will notice about how the 2010 Mission Maniac performs on the range and in the field is how smoothly this bow draws. That, all by itself, is a huge plus in today’s world of harshdrawing, hard-to-let-down bows. Draw weight builds slowly and evenly with the Maniac and letoff comes with a pleasing gentleness. Letting the bow down is just as friendly and easy, which is a very good thing in a cold and windy November treestand. The shot itself, even with lightweight arrows, is wonderfully quiet. When you combine those two things—a smooth draw and a quiet shot—you have the bow that most bowhunters will just love. Obtaining that sort of bowhunter-desirable performance in this price range must not be easy, as evidenced by so many comparable, competitive bows that struggle with those two things. The 2010 Mission Maniac pulls them off with apparent ease…and a boatload of advanced engineering. With the Maniac there’s a stiff, strong machined riser with a comfortable composite grip. Parallel-configured bow limbs work in concert to dampen shot vibration. That happens because at the instant of release, the Maniac’s top parallel limb rebounds upward while its bottom limb rebounds downward, thereby canceling each other out. Blended with the counter-canceling configuration are the bowstring-damping effects of factory-installed
Specifications
Arrow Speed
Axle-to-Axle Length
31 inches
Shaft: Arrow: Kinetic Arrow 28-Inch Arrows Grains/In Weight Energy Speed
Brace Height
7.12 inches
Riser Geometry
4 inches reflex
Mass Weight
4.12 pounds
Letoff
Up to 77 percent
Draw Lengths
22 to 30 inches
Draw Weights
30#, 40#, 50#, 60#, 70#
Color
Realtree Advantage Max 4 HD or Black
Mission Maniac ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For more information, log onto missionarchery.com or call Mission Archery at (608) 269-2719.
Mission Maniac set at 29 inches (by factory) and adjusted to 70 pounds ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Easton XX78 Alloy 2512 Easton Full Metal Jacket 400 Carbon Express Aramid KV 350 Carbon Tech Whitetail 65/80 Carbon Express Maxima Hunter 350 Easton ST Axis N-Fused 400 Beman ICS Hunter Elite 400 Gold Tip XT Hunter 55/75 PSE Radial X Weave Hunter 300 Gold Tip Ultralight Pro 400 Carbon Tech Cheetah 400 Easton FlatLine 400 High Country Speed Pro Max
10.3 10.2 9.8 9.5 8.9 9.0 8.4 8.2 8.1 7.4 6.4 7.4 5.5
448 gr. 426 gr. 415 gr. 411 gr. 398 gr. 392 gr. 390 gr. 385 gr. 376 gr. 361 gr. 346 gr. 344 gr. 303 gr.
72.0 72.0 71.7 71.6 71.3 71.2 70.8 70.4 70.2 69.8 69.2 69.2 67.2
269 fps 276 fps 279 fps 280 fps 284 fps 286 fps 286 fps 287 fps 290 fps 295 fps 300 fps 301 fps 316 fps
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Bow weighed with an Easton Bow Force Digital Scale. All tests conducted with a Spot-Hogg Hooter Shooter Portable Shooting Machine and a Competition Electronics Pro Chronograph.
Parallel-Limb Configuration Draw the Mission Maniac back and you’ll note that the top and bottom limbs are now quite parallel in relationship to each other. At the shot, those limbs rebound in equal but opposite directions—the top limb goes up while the bottom limb goes down. Those actions tend to cancel each other out, effectively damping shot vibration and noise. The advanced dual-cam system on the Mission Maniac is equipped with a convenient pivoting draw-length module that can be adjusted all the way from 22 to 30 inches.
D-Amplifier string silencers and limb-tip-mounted String Suppressors. An optimal Dead End String Stop is also available from Mission for the new Maniac. Speed is more than adequate with the new Mission Maniac and accuracy is first rate. Smoothdrawing, quiet bows tend to be easy to shoot well for many archers.
Key Features and Benefits Adjustable Dual-Cam System
The power plant of any bow is its cam system. The 2010 Mission Maniac is equipped with a dual-cam system that is wonderfully shooter friendly. Adjusting draw length is as easy as removing a single screw in each cam, rotating each cam’s draw-length module to the desired setting and replacing the locking screws. No bow press is needed and the adjustments literally take just seconds. The drawlength spread on the new Maniac is an amazing 22 to 30 inches. As the bow’s draw length is adjusted to shorter settings, the bow’s adjustable weight range also decreases accordingly. That’s ideal, as archers with shorter and shorter draw lengths typically want less and less draw weight.
String Suppressors Bowstring vibration that continues after the shot can be felt by the archer and contributes to shot noise. The 2010 Mission Maniac is equipped with ingenious String Suppressors, limb-tip-mounted dampers that capture and dampen down bowstring vibration almost before it begins.
D-Amplifiers Working with the Maniac’s String Suppressors are D-Amplifiers, small rubber string silencers that further aid in reducing post-release bowstring vibration and noise. D-Amplifiers are both effective and durable.
Zebra Hybrid Strings Good bows deserve quality strings. Zebra Hybrid Strings are featured on the 2010 Mission Maniac. They’re tough, durable, consistent strings that make Mission bows all they can be.
Composite Comfort Grip For most bowhunters, the right grip on the right bow is crucial. The composite grip on the Mission Maniac is both comfortable and accurate. Its composite material means it’s also warm on a cold day.
z
Inside Archery 39 April 2010
Inside Archery 40 April 2010
No matter what we do or what we’re talking about, to be satisfied we must search for new and better ways, methods and in this case, products. That’s ingrained in the human condition. All of which is why 2010 is such an exciting archery year. This year may be the strongest new-bow year that any of us have seen in quite a while. Almost every established bow company, regardless of size, is offering new and significantly better bows for 2010. On top of that, at least six brand-new bow companies have jumped into the compound-bow fray this year. It’s all exciting. What this means is that you have work to do. You need to look carefully at the new bows from your old and trusted favorites. But you might also want to peruse the new shooters from those brand-new companies as well. The upshot is that you can expect more from bows in 2010. And you’ll get more. You need to research the options, testshoot the possibilities, soak up the hype and learn all about the new technology. This article is designed to help you in that process. We’ve already looked at, handled and shot many of the new 2010 hunting bows. We’d like to shoot even more. So
Alpine Jim Shockey Silverado Yukon
far, we’ve been impressed by a surprising number, wowed by a few and, yes, unconvinced by some. What follows is a list of bows that are already standing out for us for 2010. Many are packed with new features and significant new benefits. Author’s Note––After each bow you’ll find two telling numbers in parentheses. The first number is the axle-to-axle length of that particular bow. The second number is the bow’s brace height. Those two numbers can begin to tell you a lot about a particular bow. Shorter bows can be handier. Longer bows may prove a bit more comfortable to shoot. A lower brace height is the quickest way to more arrow speed. A higher brace height typically delivers a somewhat more forgiving nature.
APA Black Mamba 6.5
Alpine Jim Shockey Silverado Yukon
Just like its namesake, the Alpine Jim Shockey Silverado Yukon (36.5/7.4) is tough, dependable and full of character. Its sweeping length and generous brace height make this a hunting bow for precise shot placement on the biggest of game. The bow’s third-generation Velocitec Hybrid Cam System was specifically designed for a
AMS Fish Hawk
Inside Archery 41 April 2010
Anderson ThunderHawk
smooth draw, loads of speed and power and reduced cam lean. Rounding out the package is a black wrinkle-coat finished riser, Realtree filmdipped limbs, inventive VX limb-pocket configuration that acts like a vise to prevent limb shifting and enhance accuracy, Stone Mountain Dakota Bowstrings, a custom string stop incorporating a Sims decelerator module and a classy checkered rosewood grip. For more information, log onto alpinearchery.com.
Athens Accomplice 34
AMS Fish Hawk
Bowfishing is a different game. Shots often have to be taken very quickly, punch and penetration are crucial and gear can get hammered. The AMS Fish Hawk (35.5/7.75) was designed specifically for better bowfishing. It features a forgiving length and brace height along with minimal letoff so that it can be shot perfectly from full draw or while snap shooting at a rolling fish. It’s physically light in weight, rough-and-tough and finished in water-friendly Blue Mothwing Camo. For more information, log onto amsbowfishing.com.
Anderson ThunderHawk
Working hard to create a better bow is what Anderson Bow Company is all about. The new Anderson ThunderHawk (34/7.25) is the result of that work. The ThunderHawk sports a strong and yet amazingly lightweight fully machined
Bear Archery Attack
BowTech Destroyer 340
Inside Archery 42 April 2010
Aerolite riser with a three-piece Cocobolo wood and leather grip. The bow’s new SBDT Cam-Control Wheel System is faster for 2010 and now also features an adjustable draw stop. A rear-mounted string stop mitigates shot noise and vibration. At just 3.4 pounds, the Anderson ThunderHawk is a hunting bow designed to please. For more information, log onto andersonbow.com.
APA Black Mamba 6.5
Almost no one packs as many ingenious features into a hunting bow as does APA Innovations. The APA Black Mamba 6.5 (32.25/6.5), for example, is loaded from end to end with both performance and benefits. With its 6.5-inch brace height, this bow is seriously fast. There’s also a Bow Carrying System incorporated right into the Mamba’s riser, along with a revolutionary “fang” located near the top of the riser from which the bow can be hung almost anywhere. Below the bow’s grip is the famous APA Tool Center, which includes a nock wrench, broadhead wrench, carbide sharpener and APA’s exclusive Cam Lock. The Cam Lock allows you to change the Mamba’s cables and bowstring without a bow press. Optional for 2010 is an APA Walkout light, a small LED light that attaches to the bow’s string stop and lights the way for those long walks out of the woods after dark. For more information, log onto apaarchery.com.
Browning Mirage
Athens Accomplice 34
The Athens Accomplice 34 (34/7) blends design with function to create a bow that looks great and performs even better. The Accomplice combines an artfully machined aluminum riser, Barnsdale laminated limbs, a hybrid string system, a Bowjax vibration-dampening system, sealed cam bearings, Anchor String Stop, twopiece laminated wood grip, rear-pivot limb pockets and more. The power behind the Accomplice is the Athens EV2 Extreme Velocity Duo Cam System, which delivers IBO speeds of over 330 feet per second. For more information, log onto athensarchery.com.
Bear Archery Attack
The new Bear Attack (31/7) may well be the finest compound bow that Bear Archery has ever offered, which is saying a lot for a bow company that is now over 70 years old. We really liked this bow. It’s smooth-drawing, very fast and surprisingly quiet and shock-free. The grip feels great, and the Dual Arc Offset String Suppressors not only look cool but are wonderfully effective. The big Bear E-Cam is a singlecam system that is easy to tune, and the max-Pre-Load Limbs boost performance while helping to dampen shot vibration and noise. Bear attacks with the Bear Attack. For more
Carbon Tech Lightning
information, log onto beararcheryproducts.com.
BowTech Destroyer 340
Wow! The new-for-2010 BowTech Destroyer 340 (32.4/7) can’t help but impress. It’s feature laden, power-packed and shooter-friendly. Crucial to the Destroyer system are a revolutionary Center Pivot Riser, an Overdrive Binary Dual Cam System, Hardcore Limbs, a carbon-fiber string stop and an avant-garde FLX-Guard cable-containment system. That groundbreaking FLX-Guard addresses the tune-robbing effects of extreme cable tension by flexing inward as the bow is drawn to reduce cable-guard torque to the riser. The BowTech Destroyer is clearly one of the most advanced compound bows ever offered. For more information, log onto bowtecharchery.com.
Elite Judge
Browning Mirage
Short and sweet, the single-cam Browning Mirage (29.75/7.5) is particularly easy to tune with broadheads. Its warm wood grip and fully machined aluminum riser deliver both comfort and performance. Silenced and dampened with a complete Vibracheck Hush Kit and Vibracheck Backstop String Stopper, the Browning Mirage is available as a bow-only or in either a Ready-Shoot Package or a Field Ready Package. For more information, log onto browning-archery.com.
Darton Pro 3800 QL
Inside Archery 43 April 2010
Diamond IceMan FLX
Carbon Tech Lightning
Long known for its exceptional carbon arrow shafts, Carbon Tech now also offers exceptional compound bows. The new Carbon Tech Lightning (32/7.5) is a bowhunter’s dream. The Lightning is a short, fast and powerful bow. Its fully machined aluminum riser, accuracy-oriented grip, string stop and Carbon Tech Hybrid Cam System work together to deliver on those oncein-a-lifetime bowhunting shots. For more information, log onto carbontecharrows.com.
High Country Speed Pro X10
Darton Pro 3800 QL
2010 marks the 60th anniversary of Darton Archery. For several decades, Darton has been a quiet leader in compound bow performance, specializing in high-efficiency cam systems. The new-for-2010 Darton Pro 3800 QL (33.8/6) features Darton’s newest high-performance cam system, the DualSync System. With that new system, the Pro 3800 QL delivers a smooth, shootable draw cycle with superb arrow speed. Parallel quad limbs (QL) reduce shot vibration and noise. For more information, log onto dartonarchery.com.
Diamond IceMan FLX
The Diamond IceMan was one of 2009’s most
Hoyt Maxxis 31
popular bows. New for 2010 is the Diamond IceMan FLX (31.5/7). The IceMan FLX features a FLX-Guard cable containment system. That system flexes to alleviate extreme cable tension, which can cause riser torque and tuning and shooting problems. A vibration-dampening Center Pivot riser and an easy-tune one-cam eccentric system complete this bow’s performance package. For more information, log onto diamondarchery.com.
Elite Judge
“Speed without Compromise” is the apt tagline that goes with the 2010 Elite Judge (34.9/6). The flowing elegance of the Elite riser is transformed into raw power in the new Elite Judge. The Judge features a sensibly smooth draw cycle for such a fast bow. A cushioned string stop and Sims LimbSaver dampeners help make this fast bow quiet. For more information, log onto elitearchery.com.
High Country Speed Pro X10
Light, fast and quiet are the hallmarks of the newly designed High Country Speed Pro X10 (33/7). Tough, reliable six-layer laminated limbs, a fully machined aluminum riser and High Country Trinary II Cam System make up the Speed Pro X10 package. Dual String Stoppers and a complete Bowjax Dampening System stop shot vibration and noise cold. For more
Liberty I Lakota Oglala
Inside Archery 44 April 2010
information, log onto highcountryarchery.com.
Hoyt Maxxis 31
MaitlandUSA Retribution
Hoyt’s 2010 bow lineup is packed with Wow! The 2010 Hoyt Maxxis 31 (31/7), the company’s premier hunting compound, is really something special. It’s smoothdrawing, power-packed and accuracy-oriented from end to end. Few bows shoot as well as the new Hoyt Maxxis 31. (And we’ve just got to mention the new Hoyt Carbon Matrix, the bow many are calling the most advanced compound bow ever offered. The racy Carbon Matrix features a radical, hollow carbon-tube riser that may well be the next big thing in compound bow design. It’s stiffer and stronger than any riser ever.) For more information, log onto hoyt.com.
Lakota Oglala
Lakota bows are produced on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation by a proud people with a long tradition of quality craftsmanship. The Lakota Oglala (30/7.75) is a compact bowhunter’s bow ready for action anywhere. It features an 8-position adjustment module and a generous letoff. For more information, log onto lakotaarchery.com.
Liberty I
The Liberty I (20.5/ 7) is one of the most amazing compound bows ever offered. It’s both unconventional in its design and scandalously short, with an axle-to-axle
Inside Archery 45 April 2010
Martin Firecat TR2
length of just 20.5 inches! That makes the Liberty I one of the easiest bows to transport, carry or pack anywhere. It also makes it wonderfully lightweight at just 2.3 pounds. Will it shoot? You bet! This little powerhouse is both fast and very accurate. In a tight space, when you need to pack a compact bow or anytime you just want to have fun, reach for a Liberty I. For more information, log onto libertyarchery.com.
Mathews Z7
MaitlandUSA Retribution
Utilizing what the company calls Longriser Technology to create the most stable shooting platform possible, MaitlandUSA concentrates weight at the ends of the Retribution’s riser. Combined with short, parallel-configured limbs, that means less moving mass during the shot for steadier, more consistent shooting performance. Only the most advanced design work and the finest components go into the MaitlandUSA Retribution. For more information, log onto maitlandusa.com.
Martin Firecat TR2
The new Martin Firecat TR2 (32.25/7) is a bow for today’s discerning bowhunters. Its trim and lightweight design and integrated silencing packages make this a hunting bow ready for any challenge. The Firecat TR2’s Cat 2 Hybrid
Mission Voyager
New Breed Genetix
Inside Archery 46 April 2010
Duo Cam System offers speed with significantly reduced cam lean, an adjustable draw stop and a pivoting cam module or convenient draw-length adjustment. For more information, log onto martinarchery.com.
Mathews Z7
Excitement, performance and innovation plus! That’s the brand-new Mathews Z7 (30/7) in a nutshell. With a new-look Grid Lock riser, improved SlimFit Inline Grip, innovative Reverse Assist Roller Guard, SphereLock Pivoting Limb Cup System, String Grubs, Dead End String Stop, String Suppressors, new Monkey Tails Silencers, Harmonic Damping System, Harmonic Stabilizer, parallel-limb design, Z7 Solocam System and more, the new Z7 is quite possibly the finest hunting bow that Mathews has ever produced. For more information, log onto mathewsinc.com.
Mission Voyager
High quality bows. Reasonable bow prices. That’s the mission of Mission Archery, and the new Mission Voyager (34/7) fits that assignment perfectly. The Mission Voyager has a Harmonic Stabilizer built into the lower half of the riser, String Suppressors on the limb tips, String Grubs on the bowstring and a walnut
Parker Inferno
grip in the middle. This is a whole lot of highperformance bow for the price. For more information, log onto missionarchery.com.
New Breed Genetix Pearson Legend
If you’re raising or hunting for big bucks, much can be said for good genetics. If you want a good bow, much can be said for the New Breed Genetix. The New Breed Genetix (33.5/7), with its Two-Track Bionix Cam System, offers an especially smooth draw, a solid back wall and excellent arrow speed. The bow’s Bow Rattler String Suppressor and complete Bowjax damping treatment keep this bow bowhunter-quiet. For more information, log onto newbreedarchery.com.
Parker Inferno
Loaded with innovation and desirable features, nothing is hotter than a Parker Inferno (30.4/7.5). The new-for-2010 Inferno sports a parallel-limb design to squelch shot vibration, a Deluxe String Suppressor to dampen bowstring twang, a Roller Cable Guard to tame those cables, a two-piece walnut grip, an integrated sling and new Inferno Single-Cam System with an adjustable draw stop. The Inferno is available as a bow only or in a complete Outfitter Package. For more information, log onto parkerbows.com.
Inside Archery 47 April 2010
PSE X-Force Axe 6
Pearson Legend
Quest Primal
Ben Pearson Archery is legendary for building great hunting bows, having been doing so for decades. The new Ben Pearson Legend (32.75/7.25) is a particularly smooth and quiet bow with great style and good speed. An artfully machined aluminum riser provides the perfect launching pad while the bow’s Legend Cams provide the performance customers demand. For more information, log onto benpearson.com.
PSE X-Force Axe 6
The PSE X-Force was one of the fastest and most effective hunting bows ever produced. For 2010, PSE improves on that high-performance design with the brand-new PSE X-Force Axe 6 (32.5/6). The Axe 6 delivers all that arrow speed with convenient adjustability. The Axe Inner Cam System offers a full 6 inches of draw-length adjustability in half-inch increments without modules and without the use of a bow press. Massively pre-loaded limbs, slim low-torque grip, Vibracheck Backstop, America’s Best Bowstrings and multiple sight-mounting holes all make the X-Force Axe 6 a bow to reckon with. For more information, log onto pse-archery.com.
Ross Cardiac 34
Quest Primal
One of the best-looking and best-performing “black” bows available today is the Quest Primal (32/7.1). The Quest Primal features a patentpending I-Glide Cable Guard System, an adjustable String Suppression System, innovative Speed Studs for enhanced bowstring acceleration and peep-alignment adjustment, Bowjax Limb Silencers, a forged and machined-aluminum riser, a two-piece laminated-wood grip and a Twin Track SYNC Modular Cam System with adjustable draw stop. The bow’s GFade fusion of camo limbs, limb pockets and the top and bottom of the riser with a black riser center section is simply stunning. For more information, log onto questbowhunting.com.
Ross Cardiac 34
Sporting a fully machined aluminum riser, an axle-to-axle length of 34 inches and a Single Cam System with a convenient rotating drawlength module, the Ross Cardiac 34 (34/7.1) spits out arrows at a respectable speed and as quietly as a mouse. The single rotating module on the cam makes draw-length adjustments easy. The bow’s Slim Line Grip, Teflon Cable Slide and Flatline Vibration Dampening System round out this impressive package. For more
Rytera Nemesis Sims LimbSaver Proton
Inside Archery 48 April 2010
information, log onto huntwithross.com.
Rytera Nemesis
Setting the riser-design bar higher than ever before is the Rytera Nemesis (34/7). The new Nemesis offers out-of-this-world style with sought-after performance. With its STS Shock Terminator Suppressor, Rytera Vibration Escape Modules, parallel limbs and unique riser, the Nemesis completely eliminates shot recoil. Furhermore, the Rytera Nemesis is available with either Hybrix dual cams or Tranz single cams. For more information, log onto rytera.com.
Sims LimbSaver Proton
The brand-new Proton (32/7) is LimbSaver’s flagship hunting bow for 2010. It’s trimmer and slimmer than any previous LimbSaver bow. The new Proton is a lightweight, perfectly balanced new bow that’s both quiet and fast. Its new cam system virtually eliminates cam lean while its premium Winner’s Choice Bowstrings preserve your tuning efforts for deadly shot-to-shot consistency. For more information, log onto limbsaver.com.
Strother Infinity
The key factor with Strother bows is how they
combine speed with shootability. The Strother Infinity (33.6/7.1) is the perfect all-around hunting bow. It draws smoothly, features a generous and forgiving brace height and yet delivers superb arrow speed. Its sweeping riser design is among the most pleasing anywhere. For more information, log onto strotherarchery.com.
The Best-Selling New Bows
This year, 2010, may well be referred to as “The Year of the Bow” because so many companies are offering so many genuinely new and exciting bows. It is clearly a superb year to buy and sell new bows. To uncover the best-selling new bows, look for those new features and benefits that your customers will instantly recognize as desirable––things like racy new technology, a brand new look, a grip that feels better, a draw that’s somehow smoother, bows that tune easier, convenient adjustments, light mass weight, a handy bow length, a more forgiving nature, first-rate arrow speed, an absence of shooting shock, a particularly quiet shot, better accuracy and more. In a year like this, packed with new and significantly improved bows, you can expect more. That beats crushing boredom any day.
Z
Inside Archery 49 April 2010
Strother Infinity
Archery Industry Calendar –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
By organization:
INT’L BOWHUNTING ORG. / I.B.O.
By Date:
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
ATA ARCHERY TRADE SHOW PHONE: 866-266-2776
PHONE: 440-967-2137
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
FAX: 440-967-2052
APRIL
WEBSITE: www.ibo.net
April 10-11, 2010 • Various Locations
FAX: 801-261-2389
I.B.O. Southern Triple Crown—3rd Leg
WEBSITE: www.archerytrade.org
April 16-18, 2010 • Rome, GA
NFAA Southeast Marked 3D Sectional
April 16-18, 2010 • Rome, GA I.B.O. Southern Triple Crown—3rd Leg
2011 ATA TRADE SHOW
I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—1st Leg
April 23-25, 2010 • Augusta, GA
Thursday – Saturday, January 6-8, 2011 • Indianapolis, IN
May 14-16, 2010 • Bedford, IN
ASA Team Realtree / Club Car Georgia Pro/Am
2012 ATA TRADE SHOW
I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—2nd Leg
April 30-May 2, 2010 • Redding, CA
Thursday – Saturday, January 12-14, 2012 • Columbus, OH
June 11-13, 2010 • McKean, PA
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
KINSEY’S DEALER SHOW PHONE: 800-366-4269 FAX: 800-366-4126 WEBSITE: www.kinseyarchery.com 2011 KINSEY’S DEALER SHOW February 18-20, 2011 • Hershey, PA
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
SHOT SHOW PHONE: 203-840-5600 FAX: 203-840-9600 WEBSITE: www.shotshow.org 2011 SHOT SHOW January 18-21, 2011 • Las Vegas, NV
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—3 Leg rd
July 9-11, 2010 • Nelsonville, OH
I.B.O. Traditional World Championship July 16-18, 2010 • Chapmansboro, TN
January 24-27, 2012 • Las Vegas, NV
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
MAY May 14-16, 2010 • Bedford, IN I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—1st Leg
May 22-23, 2010 • Yankton, SD NFAA Dakota Archery Classic
I.B.O. World Championship
May 22-23, 2010 • Yankton, SD
August 12-14, 2010 • Ellicottville, NY
NFAA Unmarked 3D Championship
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
May 29-30, 2010 • Various Locations
NATIONAL FIELD ARCHERY ASSOC. / NFAA
NFAA Southeast Outdoor Sectional
PHONE: 909-794-2133
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
FAX: 909-794-8512 WEBSITE: www.nfaaarchery.org
JUNE June 4-6, 2010 • London, KY ASA LimbSaver Pro/Am
NFAA Southeast Marked 3D Sectional
June 11-13, 2010 • McKean, PA
April 10-11, 2010 • Various Locations
I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—2nd Leg
NFAA Marked 3D National Championship
2012 SHOT SHOW
NFAA Marked 3D National Championship
April 30-May 2, 2010 • Redding, CA
NFAA Dakota Archery Classic
June 21-22, 2010 • Various Locations NFAA Mid-Atlantic Outdoor Sectional
June 25-27, 2010 • Metropolis, IL ASA Mathews Solo Cam Pro/Am
ELLETT BROTHERS
May 22-23, 2010 • Yankton, SD
PHONE: 800-845-3711
NFAA Unmarked 3D Championship
NFAA Southwest Outdoor Sectional
FAX: 803-932-5105
May 22-23, 2010 • Yankton, SD
June 26-27, 2010 • Bradford, MA
WEBSITE: www.ellettbrothers.com 2011 ELLETT BROTHERS DEALER SHOW January 5-8, 2011 • Columbia, SC
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
ARCHERY SHOOTER’S
NFAA Southeast Outdoor Sectional May 29-30, 2010 • Various Locations
NFAA Mid-Atlantic Outdoor Sectional June 21-22, 2010 • Various Locations
June 26-27, 2010 • Colorado Springs, CO
NFAA New England Outdoor Sectional
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
JULY July 9-11, 2010 • Nelsonville, OH I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—3rd Leg
July 10-11, 2010 • Various Locations
ASSOCIATION / ASA
NFAA Southwest Outdoor Sectional
PHONE: 770-765-0232
June 26-27, 2010 • Colorado Springs, CO
FAX: 770-795-0953
NFAA New England Outdoor Sectional
WEBSITE: www.asaarchery.com
June 26-27, 2010 • Bradford, MA
NFAA Southwest Marked 3D Sectional
July 16-18, 2010 • Chapmansboro, TN I.B.O. Traditional World Championship
July 28-August 1, 2010 • Darrington, WA NFAA Outdoor National Field Championships
ASA Team Realtree / Club Car Georgia Pro/Am
NFAA Southwest Marked 3D Sectional
April 23-25, 2010 • Augusta, GA
July 10-11, 2010 • Various Locations
July 29-August 1, 2010 • West Monroe, LA
ASA LimbSaver Pro/Am
NFAA Outdoor National Field Championships
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
June 4-6, 2010 • London, KY
July 28-August 1, 2010 • Darrington, WA
AUGUST
ASA Mathews Solo Cam Pro/Am
NFAA North American Field Archery Championships
I.B.O. World Championship
June 25-27, 2010 • Metropolis, IL
December 10-12, 2010 • Homestead, FL
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
ASA McKenzie ASA Classic
NFAA Vegas Shoot / World Archery Festival 2011
December 10-12, 2010 • Homestead, FL
July 29-August 1, 2010 • West Monroe, LA
February 11-13, 2011 • Las Vegas, NV
NFAA North American Field Archery Championships
Inside Archery 50 April 2010
McKenzie ASA Classic
August 12-14, 2010 • Ellicottville, NY
DECEMBER
Archery Industry Calendar
Inside Archery 51 March 2010
M a r k e t
T r e n d s
Field Test By Bill Krenz
T.R.U. Ball Assassin, the Beast and Boss X Releases
Tl
Assassin
The Beast
Boss X
here are two types of companies in the archery industry—those that lead and those that follow. The leaders tend to be guided by higher principles. “Our intent since day one has been to make archers and archery better. That’s been our guiding principle,” says Greg Summers, founder and president of T.R.U. Ball Archery. “We did that when we introduced the very first T.R.U. Ball release in 1995, and we’ve been steering by that core principle ever since.” Today T.R.U. Ball’s voice in archery is loud and clear, specifically because it is a leader. The company offers the sorts of releases that bowhunters and world-class competitors depend on. These are releases that are innovative, reliable and accurate. Epitomizing that longstanding commitment are three brand new releases from T.R.U. Ball for 2010 that we were fortunate enough to be able to recently test. Two are wrist-strap index-finger releases. One is a thumb-activated release. The vast majority of bowhunters prefer an index-finger release mounted on a convenient and comfortable wrist strap. A growing number are also becoming very specific in their preferences for the size of the release head, the type of jaws, the sort of connection to the strap, the shape of the trigger and the way the release is activated to attach to the bowstring or string-loop. The company has rolled all of those preferences into the brand-new T.R.U. Ball Assassin series of premium archery releases. The new T.R.U. Ball Assassin releases feature an unusually slim and trim release head along with the extra forgiving nature
Inside Archery 52 April 2010
of a dual-caliper design. The release-tostrap connection is T.R.U. Ball’s benefitpacked Solid Rod Globo-Swivel System. To begin with, the Globo-Swivel system is easily adjustable in length to fit almost any release hand. To do so, simply remove two screws and slide the release head forward or backward on an internal adjustment rod, selecting the exact trigger positioning that yields the best shooting results. The system also rotates to eliminate string torque and enables the release head to pivot down and back so that the head can be tucked out of the way in a sleeve. The trigger on the T.R.U. Ball Assassin releases is broad and contoured to naturally fit an archer’s trigger finger. That makes it much easier to find a consistent triggerfinger position. Finally, the T.R.U. Ball Assassin releases activate in the simplest, quietest and most foolproof manner possible. Pull the trigger to open the jaws. Let up on the trigger to close the jaws. 2010 T.R.U. Ball Assassin releases are available with a black or camo head, buckle or Velcro strap and standard or stainlesssteel jaws and trigger. These new-generation T.R.U. Ball releases feel, operate and shoot like a dream. Also new from T.R.U. Ball for 2010 are the Beast and the Beast II Michael Waddell Bone Collector Releases. These two new Bone Collector releases feature an openhook design for instant in-the-field hookup with a string loop. They also include T.R.U. Ball’s Solid Rod Globo-Swivel System and
all the benefits that ingenious system offers—release-length adjustability, rotating torque elimination and drop-down so that the release head can be tucked into a sleeve. The difference between the Beast and the Beast II lies in the trigger position. With the Beast, the trigger is positioned forward to provide more draw length for short-draw archers. The Beast II features a more swept-back trigger positioning to deliver the ultimate trigger feel for average- to longer-draw archers. Both the Bone Collector Beast and Beast II releases come with 3-ounce and 11-ounce trigger springs so that you can customize the trigger pull of your release, and with either a Velcro or buckle strap. As with everything Bone Collector, the T.R.U. Ball Beast and Beast II releases are black on Bone-Collector black. Top competitive archers have long recognized the potential for extra consistency with a properly designed handheld release. Brand new for 2010 is the exciting T.R.U. Ball Boss X, an especially easy-to-use, hand-held release that can maximize your accuracy potential. To work well, a hand-held release must comfortably fit the hand of the shooter. The new Boss X features a tapered-for-comfort handle that feels especially good and is available in either three- or four-finger configurations. To further aid in a perfect fit, the thumb trigger position with the Boss X is infinitely adjustable. The new, more compact dual-caliper release head on the Boss X allows you to use a shorter, more consistent string-loop and features a 360-degree swivel action to eliminate torque. A small, quiet cocking lever enables you to quickly and securely attach the Boss X to your string loop. Separate trigger travel and sensitivity adjustments enable you to fine-tune the T.R.U. Ball Boss X to a perfect, desired feel. At the moment of release with the new Boss X, a no-travel, ultra-crisp
hardened stainless-steel firing mechanism delivers the perfect shot. T.R.U. Ball Archery is the sort of company that leads based on its principles. It’s a company that dealers and
Inside Archery 53 April 2010
archers trust, offering products that make shooters and the sport better. For more information on T.R.U. Ball releases, log onto truball.com or call T.R.U. Ball Archery at (434) 929-2800.
z
M a r k e t
T r e n d s
Bow Report By Bill Krenz
Elite Judge H
ow do you judge a bow? Should the evaluation be based entirely on performance—how the bow draws, how quietly it shoots, the amount of hand shock it creates, the arrow speed it delivers? What about how the bow looks, day-to-day reliability, adjustability, long-term durability and, of course, its price? Doesn’t all that factor in? How do you also figure in how you feel about the company manufacturing the bow? Is that important? Most happen to think that it is, feeling much more comfortable with a bow company they like and believe they can trust. What would you think about a bow company that feels so strongly about the quality, dependability and performance of its bows that it offers a lifetime fully transferable warranty? That means that as long as one of its bow is up and ticking, regardless of whether it’s still in the hands of the original owner or The Elite Judge features a fast and highly adjustable cam system with a solid and precise draw stop. has been acquired by the third proud owner down the line, the company will fully warranty the major parts of that bow. But that’s not all! Imagine that same company also offering what it calls a Hunt Guarantee with every one of its bows. In essence, the Hunt Guarantee states that should you damage your bow, no matter where you are, the company will send you a loaner bow at no charge the very next day so that you can keep right Located below the Judge’s grip is a very effective string stop that on hunting. Obviously, such a bow practically eliminates post-shot bowstring vibration. company must have tremendous confidence in its products and must also place an extremely high priority on the satisfaction of its customers. If you think that no such bow company can be that trustworthy, think again. Everything described is part of the dealer and end-user promise that Elite Archery makes with every bow. The word “Elite” suggests something that is the best. Elite Archery was originally founded in 2005, so it’s a relatively new bow company, although its bows certainly don’t look or perform that way. In just a few short years Elite Archery has carved out a reputation for cream-of-the-crop bows that can be trusted. For 2010, a perfect example of that is the Elite Judge, a high-performance bow that offers speed with simplicity, dependability, elegance and a huge dose of shootability.
The Elite Judge is indeed fast (see the accompanying Arrow Speed chart). That’s not surprising given the bow’s aggressive two-track cam design and 6-inch brace height. What is surprising, however, is how shootable and how accurate the Elite Judge is on the range and in the woods. The 2010 Elite Judge, backed up by a company that believes in its bows and the satisfaction of its customers, is something special. It’s a bow you can trust.
How It Shoots
Many of the best bows on the market today, the elite bows if you will, typically allow some measure of fine-tune adjustability. That particular adjustability allows the archer or his dealer to conveniently tune the bow’s draw length and the bow’s valley and back wall specifically to the person shooting the bow. The 2010 Elite Judge offers that desirable adjustability. Draw length with the Judge is adjusted with interchangeable modules. A bow press is required, although the good news is the interchangeable Elite modules deliver draw-length changes in precise half-inch increments. As a further refinement, the Judge’s Rev Cams each feature an adjustable draw-stop peg. Those pegs allow for additional and very precise draw-length tuning, as well as tweaks to the bow’s valley and back wall. With my test bow, it proved a simple matter to tune the bow very precisely to the exact length and feel I prefer. There’s no doubt that helped the Elite Judge perform its very best in my hands. I’ve long said that any really accurate bow generally does things right at both of the archer’s hands. By that I mean the bow’s grip must be right (the front hand) and the bow’s back wall must be precise (the back hand). The Elite Judge does both of those things very well. The grip on the Judge is as good and as well designed as it gets. It’s small-throated to reduce shooting torque. It’s nicely angled to increase comfort and promote a solid, steady wrist position. And it’s flat-backed to encourage consistent bowhand placement. All of that, I found, delivered exceptional accuracy. Almost as important is the solid and precise feel of the bow’s back wall, compliments of the draw stops that rotate around with each cam to contact the flat of the
Inside Archery 54 April 2010
Specifications
Arrow Speed
Axle-to-Axle Length Brace Height Riser Geometry Mass Weight Letoff Draw Lengths Draw Weights Color
28-inch Arrows
Elite Judge –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 34.87 inches 6 inches 4 inches reflex 4.3 pounds 80 percent 26 to 30 inches 50#, 60#, 70# Realtree AP, AT Edition AP/Black, Ninja Edition Black, Realtree Max-1, AT Edition, Anthracite Metallic
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For more information, log onto elitearchery.com or call Elite Archery at (877) 503-5483.
Elite Judge set at 29 inches (by factory) and adjusted to 70 pounds ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Shaft Arrow Kinetic Arrow Grains/In Weight Energy Speed
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Easton XX78 Alloy 2512 Easton Full Metal Jacket 400 Carbon Express Aramid KV 350 Carbon Tech Whitetail 65/80 Carbon Express Maxima Hunter 350 Easton ST Axis N-Fused 400 Beman ICS Hunter Elite 400 Gold Tip XT Hunter 55/75 PSE Radial X Weave Hunter 300 Gold Tip Ultralight Pro 400 Carbon Tech Cheetah 400 Easton FlatLine 400 High Country Speed Pro Max
10.3 10.2 9.8 9.5 8.9 9.0 8.4 8.2 8.1 7.4 6.4 7.4 5.5
448 gr. 426 gr. 415 gr. 411 gr. 398 gr. 392 gr. 390 gr. 385 gr. 376 gr. 361 gr. 346 gr. 344 gr. 303 gr.
Bow weighed with an Easton Bow Force Digital Scale. All tests conducted with a Spot-Hogg Hooter Shooter Portable Shooting Machine and a Competition Electronics Pro Chronograph.
Parallel-Limb Configuration The parallel-limb configuration of the Elite Judge helps to reduce shot vibration and noise. When the bow is shot, the bow’s top limb tip moves upward while at the same time the bow’s bottom limb tip moves downward, and those equal-butopposite limb actions cancel each other out.
Elite Dampening Package
bow’s limbs. That sort of stop-to-limb contact is the most precise and the most reassuring possible. It delivers an exacting back wall that is unmistakable. With both hands—front and back—done right, the 2010 Elite Judge shot up a storm in every test I threw at it. Close range and way out there, this fast bow stacked arrows.
Key Features and Benefits Artfully Machined Riser
There’s a look about the Elite Judge that is simply elegant. Maybe it’s that long, sweeping riser and grip or all those beautiful rounded riser edges that show such attention to detail. It is genuinely difficult to find a more pleasinglooking fast bow anywhere.
Fast Rev Cam System Don’t be lulled by all that elegance. Arrow speed is the Judge’s forte. The aggressive Rev Cam
291 fps 297 fps 301 fps 302 fps 306 fps 308 fps 309 fps 310 fps 314 fps 320 fps 326 fps 327 fps 345 fps
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
system combined with the bow’s energy-packed 6-inch brace height spits arrows out with real authority. In addition, the Rev Cam System allows for precise draw-length and draw-stop adjustments, enabling the Judge to be custom fit to every archer.
This is a great grip, accuracy-oriented with a small throat, a flat back and nicely angled for a strong and constant wrist position.
84.3 83.5 83.5 83.3 82.8 82.6 82.7 82.2 82.3 82.1 81.7 81.7 80.1
Located just below the bow’s grip is an adjustable string stop. That stop features a dog-leg-shaped rod that can be rotated to center the stop’s bumper on the bowstring. The string stop effectively arrests post-shot bowstring vibration. Further dampening the Judge is a Sims LimbSaver Ultra Quad located on the inside of each bow limb.
Accuracy-Oriented Grip The 2010 Elite Judge is equipped with an excellent accuracy-oriented bow grip. It’s beautifully shaped and angled to lessen torque and promote both shooting comfort and consistency.
Lifetime Warranty & Hunt Guarantee Like all Elite bows, the Judge is warrantied for the extended lifetime of the bow. And the company thinks so much of you that in the unlikely event that your Judge is knocked out of commission, Elite pledges that it will send you a loaner bow at no charge for you to use until your bow is repaired. That’s elite customer service!
z
Inside Archery 55 April 2010
For your customers, the right new hunting sight does so many things. It completes a new bow. It dresses up an old bow. Its convenient and positive adjustments make bow setup and tuning so much easier. It instills shooting confidence, even excitement. And it glows faintly but distinctly in the dim light of early morning and late evening when a buck approaches. And yes, it helps them aim better. It does all that and more. When selling hunting sights, you need to keep all of that in mind. You also need to present an adequate selection of new sights in a variety of price ranges to meet the wants and needs of your particular customers. Fortunately, there are lots of high quality bowhunting sights available for 2010. Sight technology continues to march quickly forward, and this year is no different. Study what’s new and available for 2010 to find the best-selling hunting sights. One way to do that is to divide today’s hunting sights into three distinct categories: multiplepin sights, single-pin sights and what we’ll call peep-eliminating sights.
TruGlo Carbon XS
Multiple-Pin Sights
Each year the options grow in this popular sight category. Pins brighten and get closer, the sights get lighter and the durability increases. This sampling of available sights will help you get an idea of the newest and best choices currently available. When you pick up the TruGlo Carbon XS, you’ll instantly feel the difference of its ultra-light carbon composite. The material keeps the sight to a light 3.5 ounces and makes it soft to the touch. But just because its technical coating gives it a soft feel doesn’t mean it’s not tough. The rugged housing is bolstered by the new and advanced Tru-Flo fiber design that keeps the light-absorbent fiber-optics safe from snags and breakage while maximizing brightness. As twilight descends, the glow-in-the-dark shooter’s ring, extra-long fibers and push-button light will make aiming possible in dimmer conditions, and the reversible mounting bracket allows for a flexible vertical adjustment. Toxonics has come out with the new Wrangler this year which features its ultradurable half-moon shaped Metal-optic pins that protect the fiber optics in case of any hard knock when in the field. The Wrangler has polymer fibers that will resist cracking and stretch up to 30 percent before breaking, making it virtually snag-proof. A single piece of solid steel comprises the housing, and the sight comes with multiple lighting options. The Wrangler is also offered in a micro-adjust model, and all these features are available at a very reasonable price. The new Fuse Pilot M-Series sight packs a bevy of features into a highly desirable archery accessory. The sight comes with an option of three, five or seven adjustable pins that can be easily micro-tuned. Second- and third-axis adjustments allow for boosted aiming precision, and an advantageously placed sight light allows for shooting in darker conditions. The Pilot M-Series is also lightweight, tough and comes in Realtree APG and black options. “Economical,” straightforward” and “high quality” describe the new 4Max Gear Vector sight. It is part of a sight line created by Vital Gear meant for the discerning bowhunter. The 18 inches of fiber ensure pin brightness, and angled anchor technology self-aligns the pins. Micro-click windage and elevation adjustments lead to high-level
Extreme Archery Products H.D. Series
Toxonics Wrangler
Fuse Pilot M-Series
Vital Gear 4Max Gear Vector
Cobra Python
Copper John Dead Nuts Mark I Inside Archery 57 April 2010
LimbSaver Prism-Lite
Spot-Hogg Boss Hogg
Trophy Taker Top Pin 4
Impact Spirex
Custom Bow Equipment Sniper Pro
flexibility, and pins come in .010- or 0.19-inch sizes. This sight can be fitted with a 4Max Gear Lens Kit, and the whole setup comes in a compact package at a reasonable price. Copper John has come out with the third generation of their tried-and-true Dead Nuts sight lineup, and typical of that third-generation redesign is the new Copper John Dead Nuts Mark I sight. It features precision CNC-machined components, zero-gap pins with extra-tough fiber optics, laser-engraved adjustment marks, bright orange pin guard highlight, third-axis adjustable bubble level and optional micro-adjustability. The Mark I has everything a bowhunter needs in a sight without breaking the bank. Brand new from Cobra is the lightweight and versatile Python sight. The precision-machined Python weighs just 6 ounces. Its features include five allmetal pins with .019-inch field-replaceable fiber optics, laser-engraved adjustment marks and a unique reversible mounting bracket that provides flexible vertical positioning and adjustment. The Python comes in standard, micro-adjust and tool-less design options. The well-known sight designer has another sure hit with this one. Extreme Archery has been licensed by Mathews to manufacture a new H.D. Series of bow sights. Extreme H.D. sights will be available in two different housing sizes (1.75- and 2-inch), have a Mathews Harmonic Damper integrated right into the housing for increased vibration reduction and are available in satin black anodize, titanium anodize, Mathews Lost Camo and Realtree All-Purpose HD Camo. Models are also available with either a fixed plate or an 8-inch dovetail mount and with either tool-less or tool-less micro-drive adjustments for the windage and elevation. LimbSaver’s Prism-Lite sights pioneered the system which adds brightness to pins by channeling light through a prism directly into the fiber optics. The lightweight and durable sight offers .019- and .029-inch thin pins, and the aluminum poly-carbonate housing comes in Next Generation G-1 camo or a soft matte black finish. The Prism-Lite sight has an optional L.E.D. Light System that allows for bleed-free light concentration for use in darker situations. New for this year are improved precision index marks that allow for exact adjustments when sighting-in. Spot-Hogg’s Boss Hogg sight combines everything good about target archery sights into a top-of-the-line bowhunting sight. The Boss Hogg allows anyone to enjoy Spot-Hogg rugged dependability in a moveable hunting sight. The Boss Hogg’s controlled yardage adjustment system makes changing distances easier and faster, requiring less movement for stealthy adjustments in the field. This unique sight is available in one-, three-, five- and seven-pin versions. The Trophy Taker Top Pin 4 is a simple, rugged and uncomplicated hunting sight claiming over 50 inches of light-grabbing fiber optics. This sight also features vertical top and bottom pins, large no-strip hex adjustment bolts and clearly marked windage and elevation marks. New for 2010 from Impact Archery is the Spirex sight. Its lightweight design
Sure-Loc QC Max Inside Archery 58 April 2010
Viper Archery Diamondback H1000
of all CNC-machined aluminum makes for a tough sight that is also compact. The 3 feet of fiber is spiraled to maximize light absorption. The Spirex has a three- and four-pin version and can be paired with a performance-enhancing 5-inch extension. From Custom Bow Equipment (CBE), a division of Scott Archery, comes the newly designed Sniper Pro sight. The company creates competitive target sights, and they utilized their vast expertise when designing this precision hunting sight. This premium sight, made of machined 6061 aluminum, includes three mounting holes for flexible vertical adjustment and a microadjust windage unit. The rheostat sight light mounted on the Sniper Pro has three brightness settings and the light goes directly into the fibers to diminish sight distortion. Sure-Loc strives for quality and innovation, and it shows in the QC Max sight. The QC Max has a 2.5-inch vertical slide action that adjusts smoothly and dual tracks that make it easy to stack pins close. This sight is versatile; it has an optional removable pin module that makes it easy to change from a four- to a five-pin configuration, and the QC Max can make microwindage adjustments as small as .0015 inches. Fiber-protecting pins were newly added for this year, so you don’t become the victim of a shot-destroying snag. The sleek and solid design of Viper Archery sights has been furthered with the new Diamondback H1000. The durable CNC-machined construction of the original lightweight H1000 has been brought to a new aesthetic level and now matches the aggressive look of Mathews Z7 bows. Along with the new look are all the great features of the original including the builtin Harmonic Damper, precise windage
G5 Rock Inside Archery 59 April 2010
Axcel ArmorTech-HD
PSE Eclipse Pro
TruGlo MicroBrite Sight
Trophy Ridge Hit-Man
Allen Equalizer II Bow Sight
and elevation adjustments, five stainless-steel pins and 7.5 inches of super-bright fiber optics. You don’t ever want to worry about busting a sight in the field, and you don’t have to with the G5 Rock. This sight has all angles covered. The rack and pinion Gear Loc Moveable Pin System makes for a simple way to micro-adjust the pins, and the 100-percent metal pins are available in .019- and .010-inch fiber sizes. If you, like many bowhunters, are shooting a really fast bow, this sight has Dual Track Slots for tight pin gaps. The Rock comes in black, Realtree AP and Lost Camo finishes. The hearty Axcel ArmorTech-HD has built its reputation on a combination of ruggedness and extreme adjustability. This feature-packed sight has pin-protecting Armor Fiber Technology, innovative scope design and a built-in Mathews Harmonic Damper. It has a click gang-adjust for elevation and windage, and second- and third-axis adjustability. It is available with .010-, .019- or .029-inch fiber sizes. Axcel has also introduced a high-speed option this year for those with fast bows who demand a versatile sight. PSE’s long string of quality archery products continues with the PSE Eclipse Pro hunting sight. An extended target beam accompanies the Eclipse Pro’s onepiece machined housing and micro-adjusts for windage and elevation. A 2-inch lens-ready sight housing surrounds five .019-inch fiber-optic pins. This sight is ready to make your next double-lung shot. The TruGlo Micro-Brite Sight line is continually successful because of its myriad of unique characteristics beginning with fiber-optic pins that get smaller as the distance gets longer. There are also tool-less ultra-fine click adjustments for windage and elevation, wrapped fiber optics, a glow-in-the-dark shooter’s ring, an adjustable level, a reversible mounting bracket that enhances vertical positioning and a push-button light. TruGlo has added their new Tru-Touch technical coating this year which gives the sight a soft feel—a nice addition to an already strong product. Trophy Ridge took successful aspects from their previous sight models and compiled them into a new and simpler design called the Hit-Man. This line includes the snag-less front fiber-optic ring, which gathers all available light and shields the bright fibers from pesky branches. All of the Hit-Man models have zerogap spacing for fast bows and third-axis adjustability. This ambidextrous sight also has a Sight Light Housing which accepts the Trophy Ridge Rheostat Sight Light, and the line includes two micro-adjustable models. With a clear sight pin guard, brass inserts for all mounting screws and an affordable price tag, the Allen Equalizer II Bow Sight is an easy-to-adjust compact hunting sight that is great whether the archer is a beginner or expert. It also features four metal fiber-optic pins, and the sight pin rack is easily adjustable for windage and elevation. It’s a straightforward sight with everything a hunter needs. Black Gold’s FlashPoint RedZone is a rugged and fully micro-adjustable sight
Black Gold FlashPoint RedZone Inside Archery 60 April 2010
Vital Gear Star-Pro
with first-, second- and third-axis adjustability. The sight’s PhotoChromatic shell automatically adjusts pin brightness in all lighting conditions. The sight features exclusive inch-wheel adjustment knobs, which are calibrated so that one turn equals approximately one inch of adjustment at 20 yards. This attractive-looking sight is available with either five or seven new FiberTrack all-metal pins. FiberTrack pins contain a microgroove along the back of the pin offering added fiber protection.
Single-Pin Sights
The single-pin option tends to work best for bowhunters who demand a more open and uncluttered field of view. These sights typically can be conveniently adjusted in the field for different distances, allowing for quick-target acquisition. From a treestand, an angular single-pin sight can make the difference, and the Vital Gear Star-Pro sight is a great single-pin angular option. The large 2-inch scope and level will give you confidence in your shot with an uncluttered view that diminishes the effects of shooting from above. High-adjustability and ease of use make this a great choice for single-pin users. Extreme’s TS-Hunter is an affordable and easily adjustable single-pin sight that does away with all the clutter and confusion of multiple pins. Slide-and-lock adjustments are easy and foolproof. Quick-change fiber optics can be replaced in the field without removing the pin, and fibers come in diameters of .019- or .029-inches. For those who want all the quality of the Copper John Dead Nuts sights but prefer the openness of a single pin, Copper John has the Mark IV. This single-pin sight offers CNC-machined components, a bright orange pin guard for quick peep alignment and ultra-bright fibers that are guided by a new SmoothWay machined groove in the pin. This sight is third-axis adjustable with a bubble level, and a microadjustable option is available.
Inside Archery 61 April 2010
Extreme TS-Hunter
Copper John Dead Nuts Mark IV
Impact Archery NI-130 Tree Top
The Impact Archery NI-130 Tree Top sight has a pendulum travel adjustment that ensures a solid shot from any angle. Different arrow speeds have different trajectories and the NI-130 comes ready with a fine-tuning adjustment system. The wrapped fiber spool comes with an impressive one foot of .030-inch fiber for a brighter pin, and the machined-aluminum sight comes in Lost Camo, Realtree AP HD and black finish options. TruGlo rethought archery sights when they came up with the PWR-DOT. The revolutionary red-dot sight features Steady-Dot Technology. TruGlo Steady-Dot Technology steadies the movement of the aiming dot to a slow and comforting pace, and it is designed for precise aiming and fast target acquisition. This groundbreaking optical sight is adjustable with one hand, and the optics and the micro-adjust mounting brackets have been specifically designed for archery applications. The PWR-DOT is available with either a red or green aiming dot. It has unlimited eye relief and offers a wide field of view with a dot that is in focus for everyone. New this year is a coat of TruGlo’s Tru-Touch soft-feel technical coating. If you want to be quick to line up your peep, the new Cobra EZ Slide II could be just what you are looking for. The glo-orange ring makes target acquisition expedient, and the 24 inches of wrapped fiber make for a bright pin and easy aiming. This sight is finished off with a no-tools adjustment, built-in quiver mount and a bubble level.
Peep-Eliminating Sights TruGlo PWR-DOT
There are few more gut-wrenching moments in bowhunting than when an animal strolls into shooting range, turns broadside and you draw your bow only to discover that your peep sight has rotated incorrectly and you can’t see through the darn thing. The threat of that nasty experience has led many to reach for a new breed of bowhunting
For More Sight Information
For more information on today’s best bowhunting sights, log onto the websites of these leading sight manufacturers.
Allen Axcel Black Gold Cobra Compound Bow Rifle Sight Copper John Extreme Archery Products Fuse Archery G5 Hind Sight Impact Archery IQ Bowsight Scott Archery / CBE Lil Bow Peep LimbSaver Spot-Hogg Sure-Loc PSE Tactical Archery Systems Toxonics Trophy Ridge Trophy Taker TruGlo Viper Archery Vital Gear
Inside Archery 62 April 2010
allencompany.net axcelsights.com blackgoldsights.com cobraarchery.com peepeliminator.com copperjohn.com extremearchery.com fusearchery.com g5outdoors.com hindsightco.com impactarchery.com iqbowsights.com custombowequipment.com archersbowpeep.com limbsaver.com spot-hogg.com sureloc.com pse-archery.com tacticalarcherysystems.com toxonics.com trophyridge.com trophytaker.com truglo.com viperarcheryproducts.com vitalbowgear.com
Cobra EZ Slide II
Tactical Archery Systems SABO Sight
Compound Bow Rifle Sight
sight that completely eliminates the need for a string-mounted peep sight. The Tactical Archery Systems SABO Sight was inspired by US military technology for rapid target- and aiming-point acquisition. SABO, which stands for Superimposed Ambient Ballistic Optic, delivers superimposed aiming dots generated only by natural light gathered through fiber optics. There are no electronics whatsoever in this sight, making it legal everywhere. The dots are projected into a concave lens with a special coating. This magnifies the fiber intensity and generates the superimposed holographic dot image into the archer’s heads-up sight picture. Utilizing a patent-pending design, the fibers are held in a ballistic configuration which allows for independent adjustment of the projected aiming points. Regardless of the angle that the dots are viewed from, they will always show the arrow alignment with the impact point. That means that no peep sight is required. Just aim and shoot. Motivated by the desire to solve vision problems when shooting in low-light conditions, the peep-eliminating Compound Bow Rifle Sight works much like a rear rifle sight. With the Compound Bow Rifle Sight, you don’t need a peep sight or even an anchor point to shoot with consistent accuracy. As long as you can see the appropriate pin in the V notch and on the target, you are ready to
Inside Archery 63 April 2010
IQ Bowsight
Hind Sight Max
fire. The design of this sight, particularly good in low-light conditions, was 17 years in the making and shows how innovative thinking continues to push sight design. The IQ Bowsight incorporates a revolutionary red-dot tunnel vision system (located near the top of the circular pin guard) called Retina-Lock that accurately references off of your aiming eye. Only when you are in the exact same anchor and head-angle position will that red dot be centered in the sight’s Retina-Lock System. When the dot is centered, the shot will be accurate. The IQ Bowsight utilizes natural light and fiber optics to power everything. There are no electronics and no batteries. The IQ Bowsight also includes Light Trap Technology to store natural light, releasing it to the pins and the Retina-Lock to extend your shooting time at the end of the day. The Hind Sight Max eliminates the peep with a rear-mounted crosshair that lines up with the pins and makes for a quick and accurate shot. The sight is adjustable to allow the cross hairs to center on individual pins which are dual-slotted for the option of a tightly packed configuration. There is no worry of a twisting peep with this sight mounted on your bow, and pin brightness is ensured by a clear polycarb pin guard designed for maximum light infiltration. This sight comes with five Pro-Wrap fiber-optic pins and is drilled and ready for bonus L.E.D. lighting. When you are lining up your shot, there is no threat of a distorted peep with the Lil Bow Peep. This well-designed and surprisingly affordable sight will tighten arrow groupings in no time. Lil Bow Peep’s innovation comes from its highly adjustable nature. The notable flexibility allows a wide variety of shooters to find their mark and fit their shooting style. This peep-eliminating, lightweight and single-pin sight can increase confidence in the field by removing torque, and consequently, uncertainty.
Sights That Do It All Lil Bow Peep
In the mind of your customer, a new hunting sight does more than just help them aim. It instills excitement and confidence, it facilitates bow setup and tuning and it holds the potential to increase both shooting enjoyment and bowhunting success. Those are lofty expectations that you’ll want to meet. Listen carefully to what each sight customer wants. Ask questions to discover exactly what that might be. Then suggest sights that meet those needs and match those expectations. That won’t be hard given all the exceptional sights available for 2010.
z
TRUGLO, Inc. – Regional Sales Manager TRUGLO, Inc., a leading manufacturer of archery and firearm accessories, is looking for a Regional Sales Manager in North/Central and Northeast states. The Regional Sales Manager will be responsible for managing sales and customer relations for TRUGLO, APEX GEAR, FIRSTSTRING & TRUGLO Watch Company brand product lines working directly for the manufacturer. The position is responsible for increasing sales, maintaining current business and building a positive company to customer relationship. The successful candidate will meet the following requirements: • 8 to 10 years experience as a Regional Sales Manager in the Archery and/or Firearms industry. • Experience within the Northeast area preferred but not required. • Proven track record of effectively managing outside sales reps. • Must be a team player. • Ability to work unsupervised. • Positive attitude with external as well as internal customers. • Excellent communications skills both written and verbal. • Proficient computer skills. • Must be able to travel 75% of the time in the territory and attend industry trade shows. Salary: Based on level of experience. Contact: jobs@truglo.com TRUGLO, Inc. 710 Presidential Drive • Richardson, TX 75081 www.truglo.com Established in 1993, the TRUGLO brand is recognized for innovative product designs and includes archery/firearm accessories for hunting, target shooting and law enforcement. TRUGLO products are distributed worldwide.
Inside Archery 64 April 2010
Marketplace
s u bs c r ib e To
b ( 8 0 0 ) 3 2 2 -6087
Inside Archery 65 April 2010
I n s i d e
t h e
i n d u s t r y
Solutions by Greg Staggs
M
anufacturing Programs • Halfway into the second decade of my sales career, I’ve realized that I’ve made it this far in the ultra-competitive world of Fortune 500 companies by remembering a lesson I learned early on. That lesson is that if hard work yielded the biggest paychecks, the ditch digger would be the wealthiest man alive. But he’s not. Hard work is a necessary ingredient in success, of course, but it’s not the key ingredient. Working smart, in addition to the willingness to continually roll up your shirtsleeves, just may be the intangible that’s missing from your success formula. For the past nine years I’ve worked in distribution sales. That means I’ve worked for a company that offers a vast array of products that I can sell to my customers. One of the biggest values I bring to them is the much-lauded “one-stop shopping center.” My sales bag consists of well over 750,000 products, some of which I simply can’t be fully up to speed on. There’s just too many items. I overcome that by working smart. Specifically, I take advantage of manufacturers programs and put them to work for my customers and me. This past fall, one of my customers was looking to make a significant purchase. They were planning to buy an instrument for their laboratory that carried a price tag in excess of six figures. I made a couple phone calls and discovered that the manufacturer of that product was planning to have a semi truck showcasing that and other similar items within a two-hour drive of my customer. That truck would be accompanied by manufacturer representatives who could talk at length and in expert detail about their instruments. I worked smart and set up the meeting. Casey Greene, owner of The Greene Outdoors in Steele, Missouri, did likewise for his archery shop this past summer. Greene is Missouri’s largest BowTech dealer––an astonishing feat considering that the little town of Steele has a whopping population of 2,093. The closest town with at least 50,000 people is well over two hours away. One of the reasons he’s had such success is that he’s been willing to take advantage of the programs his manufacturers have to offer, such as bringing in a company-sponsored semi truck to be parked in front of his store for the weekend. In the same manner that the laboratoryinstrument truck was staffed with corporate representatives and experts, so was the BowTech truck. Greene also hosted a pop-up 3D shoot in the parking lot that weekend, and a large, local radio station did a remote broadcast from the store. With a little simple planning and coordinating of resources, he drew a crowd that kept coming all afternoon and included new faces from over 500 miles away. The event was a
classic example of working smart in addition to working hard. “I’ve tried a lot of different promotions,” says Greene. “Most worked to some degree, but many also proved quite costly on my own. I learned of BowTech’s trailer program while attending the BowTech University in Oregon. I scheduled a date with BowTech and was able to use manufacturer co-op money to help promote the event through local radio stations and newspapers. BowTech helped further by sending out prizes to give away to my customers on that weekend, and the company’s marketing department was wonderful to work with in figuring out the best overall strategy for handling the event. “The result was that I have never been busier on a summer day selling bows!” As beneficial as it can be to have the manufacturer come to you, it’s also often worthwhile to go to them if you have to. Last month I received news at my job that we would begin selling a new line of products from a major manufacturer within the medical industry. Guess what the first item on the agenda was for our sales force? We spent several days at their headquarters touring their manufacturing facilities and receiving in-depth training on how to properly position their products in the marketplace. The trip, while an expensive investment for my company, will pay dividends far beyond the initial return on investment. Greene felt exactly the same way after traveling to Oregon to attend BowTech’s University. Other archery manufacturers offer similar programs. “In hindsight,” Greene explained, “I would trade almost anything to take advantage of that opportunity. BowTech’s University was an eye opener. I was still fairly new in the industry at the time and was quite green, to say the least. I went through the program, and as soon as I got back to the shop, I was practically jumping with enthusiasm and so much energy I could hardly stand it. I had the confidence in the products they were building and could pass it on to the consumer. I also discovered that it helped when I explained to my customers that I had been at the factory and seen the manufacturing process first hand. In addition, the University’s marketing and merchandising class proved top notch in discussing how to better present all sorts of products to my customers.” Take advantage of the programs offered by your manufacturing partners and put them to work for you, whether it’s training classes they offer or huge showrooms on wheels that can be brought directly to your location. Remember, you don’t have to do all the work yourself. In fact, by utilizing all the resources around you, you may well be able to get twice the results with half the work. That’s working smart!
Inside Archery 66 April 2010
z