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The Test
Testing was conducted at two venues. The first day was spent at Archery Headquarters (507-282-3507), one of the Midwest's top pro shops located in Rochester, Minnesota. Shop owner Marty Stubstad and professional shooter Trent Kleeberger set up each bow with a Whisker Biscuit rest, a string nock, and a draw weight of 70 pounds at a 29" draw length. Then we measured arrow speed by shooting a 437-grain Carbon Express Aramid KV 350 arrow through a chronograph. Using a decibel meter supplied by the folks at Professional Equipment in Janesville, Wisconsin (800-647-7233, professionalequipment.com), we measured relative bow noise by averaging the decibel reading of three shots.
After these objective tests were complete, we shot the bows and rated performance on a scale of 1-10 (10 being perfect) on a variety of subjective criteria such as draw cycle, back wall, balance, hand shock/vibration, and overall performance. Marty and Trent restricted their shooting to the indoor range, while whitetail nut Mark Stimets, former guide Ted Marum and I shot the bows at 3-D targets outside. Our results follow. --Scott Bestul
Winner
BowTech The General
The General flung arrows accurately, consistently, and with adequate speed. And we were unanimous that felt recoil was almost nonexistent. "Completely dead at the release," said Stubstad. For the tree-stand hunter, the General is a deadly tool. It's heavy at 4½ pounds (Stimets said he'd never take it on an elk hunt), but for folks who love to shoot a great-feeling bow, there's nothing better.
$799 * 541-284-4711 * bowtecharchery.com
Weight: 4.5 lb
Length: 31 3/16"
Brace Height: 8.25"
Speed: 267 fps
Noise: 47dbA
Draw Cycle: 6.75
Vibration: 10
Back Wall: 8.5
Balance/Grip: 8
Wow Factor: 8.25
OTHER TESTER PICKS
BEST VALUE
Bear Truth 2 $649
The Truth won Best Value last year, and enough improvements (Dual Arc string suppressors, Winner's Choice string) let it retain the title despite a $100 price jump. • beararcheryproducts.com
Weight: 3.9 lb
Length: 33"
Brace Height: 7"
Speed: 270 fps
Noise: 48.3 dbA
Draw Cycle: 7.7
Vibration: 7
Back Wall: 8.2
Balance/grip: 5.5
Wow Factor: 6
PSE X-Force Dream Season HF $850
Easily the fastest bow we tested, the Dream Season has a solid back wall and good balance. On the downside, its draw cycle is rough and the noise level is pretty high. • pse-archery.com
Weight: 4.1 lb
Length: 33"
Brace Height: 7"
Speed: 291 fps
Noise: 67 dbA
Draw Cycle: 5.5
Vibration: 5.7
Back Wall: 7.5
Balance/Grip: 7
Wow Factor: 6.5
Hoyt Katera $849
Not only is the Katera the second-fastest bow we tested, but it is also pleasant to draw and shoot. That's a difficult combination to achieve. Its biggest drawback is its weight. • hoyt.com
Weight: 4.5 lb
Length: 33"
Brace Height: 6"
Speed: 284 fps
Noise: 60.6 dbA
Draw Cycle: 7.25
Vibration: 8
Back Wall: 8
Balance/Grip: 7.2
Wow Factor: 7.2
Mathews DXT $859
Had BowTech's The General slipped up in any category, this would have won Best of the Best'it was that close. Every tester appreciated the DXT's smooth draw, balance, and speed. • mathewsinc.com
Weight: 3.75 lb
Length: 29.75"
Brace Height: 7"
Speed: 276 fps
Noise: 47.3 dbA
Draw Cycle: 8.25
Vibration: 8
Back Wall: 8.5
Balance/Grip: 8.5
Wow Factor: 8
BONUS CATEGORY
BEST NEW BOW ACCESSORY
Mathews T-Series Quiver $90–$120
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