Four Innovative New Archery Products

The last couple of years the archery industry hasn't coughed up truckloads of innovative new products that will make a difference in either your ability to place an accurate arrow on target, or be a more successful bowhunter. And yet a few items shine through this year. Here are some that really caught my eye.

When Hoyt unveiled its first high-dollar bow with a hollow carbon riser, the Carbon Matrix, in 2010, many people scoffed. It was too flimsy, wouldn’t be strong enough, and cost way too much, they sneered. Yet the Carbon Matrix stunned the archery industry and was arguably the most sought after bow ever. This year’s models take the technology to a new level. With a suggested retail price of around $1200-$1300 just for the bow they may be a bit pricey for most hunters, but I have shot all three a lot, and have to tell you--if you are serious about archery and bowhunting, they deserve a very close look. I’ll be hunting a lot with the Carbon Matrix this year.

There are lots of innovative drop-away rests out there these days, but the NAP version is one I’ll be using this year for a couple of reasons. First, it’s simple, easy to set up, and easy to tune; once you get it dialed in, it stays that way. Second, it has a full-capture feature so the shaft cannot fall off the rest unless you are hanging upside down. Best of all, at about $80 retail it is way less expensive than many others out there that won’t do any more for you.

Would you spend $495 for a single-pin bow sight? Trijicon thinks many bowhunters will. Best known for their ACOG military gun sights and AccuPoint hunting rifle sights, Trijicon’s new sight features a single tritium pin with triangular aiming point that never quits being lit up and will not obscure the target. It also has a green, hi-vis aiming circle around synched with your peep around the aperture. The key selling point of this sight, though, is the fact that you can synch it to your bow’s speed. You determine bow speed, set the adjustment bar to reflect that speed, and presto! You can then take a reading with your rangefinder, turn the dial, and be dead-on to 80 yards.

I go through at least one, and usually two, pricey broadhead targets every year. Big Green Targets offers the first archery targets made from 100 percent recycled heat-bonded closed cell foam targets out there, including field point bag, backyard bowhunting, indoor archery, and broadhead targets that are 100 percent weatherproof and built for durability. They’re also recyclable, which I like, and priced less than most comparable targets on the market. Let’s see … less money, high quality, and built from recycled materials. That makes them worth checking out.