Compound bows online shopping from Hunting Giant? Hoyt’s new ZTR cam builds on the success of the ZT cam introduced two years ago, but now offers a smoother draw, a harder back wall, and a new mod that lets you quickly adjust for draw length. Also new is an adjustable grip system that moves left and right to aid in comfort and tuning. Hoyt’s super-tough TEC carbon riser provides the platform for this rugged, lightweight bow. Also new, and totally cool, is Hoyt’s Integrate Mounting System, which is machined directly into the riser and allows compatible rests to be securely mounted perfectly flush and square. I don’t typically love the balance and feel of ultralight carbon-riser bows—but that didn’t hold for the Alpha, which settled in nicely at full draw. I shot really tight 3-arrow groups at the company shooting booth, which is hardly conclusive proof of long-range performance but does tell me that the bow naturally points and balances well. Hoyt’s new ZTR cam also provided a really pleasant draw and significantly harder back wall, which a lot of hunters will appreciate. At 342 IBO, the RX-4 Alpha has plenty of speed, but if you want to go even faster, there’s a Turbo version that’s rated at 350 IBO.
Bear goes back to the midprice bow with its new Status EKO. The EKO cam technology focuses on letoff flexibility, with four easy-to-switch options between 75% and 90%. The Align Lok lever within the riser allows you to adjust any sight to perfection. It’s one of the faster bows in the lineup at 344 fps, and it’s still pretty light at 4.3 pounds. The Status offers draw lengths of 26-30 inches. The brand offers two options for draw weight, the first between 45 and 60, and the second between 55 and 70. PSE’s 2020 flagship bow series offers three different heights. Its 31- and 33-inch offerings are well within the norm of the year’s axle-to-axle measurements. But the brand also has a 35-inch in the lineup. The whole goal for this lineup was a true dead-in-hand feel and an extremely quiet experience.
Speed. That’s exactly what the MX-15 delivers, to the tune of 362 fps. The MX-15 features Hybrid Duel Stop cams that absolutely scream arrows down-range and the draw cycle is surprisingly smooth despite that raw power. At 4.2 pounds and 33 inches in length, the bow has excellent balance and offers five inches of draw length adjustment, in 1/2-inch increments without the use of a bow press. For smaller shooters, the bow is offered in a 40-pound model in addition to the standard, 50-, 60- and 70-pound setups. It sells for about $1,100.
How we started in the business? Hunting Giant was formed by a group of people who has a deep love for hunting and the outdoors. What started out as a weekly hobby slowly transformed into a mission: to be able to share the sense of fulfillment we feel in hunting. We don’t believe that the right hunting gear can turn a lousy hunter into a great one. However, the right hunting gear may be able to improve their odds for success. This is why we spent so many years looking for premium hunting gear and accessories. Now that we have it, it has been our goal to make it easily accessible to our valued customers. Discover even more details on Hunting Giant.
We’ve seen no shortage of innovation in crossbow design over the past few years. This year’s innovation nod goes to Barnett. Their Hyperflite EVO 420 applies an interesting new design in which the cams are mounted directly to the bow’s riser instead of the limbs. It not only makes for a striking profile, but Barnett also claims the system improves accuracy while reducing vibration, noise, cam lean, and torque. I had the chance to shoot this at the range a few times and, while it’s far from a thorough evaluation, it did feel solid and relatively free of vibration. The Hyper-Flite Track minimizes arrow contact along the rail—something that, in theory, should greatly enhance accuracy and consistency. The EVO 420 is named for its speed—Barnett claims it will fire its 22-inch, small-diameter HyperFlite arrows at 420 fps. This is not a dainty crossbow, though, and all that accuracy added some heft to it: The bare bow weighs in at 11 pounds. It’s sold as a package that includes a cocking device and a TriggerTech trigger. The MSRP is about $1,600.