Best Overall		Redline RL-1 Carbon Quiver 6-Arrow	SEE IT
Best Fixed		TightSpot Pivot 2.5 2-piece	SEE IT
Best Budget		Kwikee Kwiver Lite-4	SEE IT

The arrow quiver is one of those pieces of gear that bowhunters generally don’t think about too much. Until it’s a problem. The job of the quiver is pretty simple: carry arrows. That’s it. That’s all it does.

And often times, bowhunters simply look for the cheapest quiver they can find, or one that best matches their bow to complete a killer look. They don’t always pay attention to the working parts of the quiver that earn its keep when the heat is on.

So what do you want in a quiver? You want one that holds your arrows firmly in place, protects you from your broadheads, stays quiet, doesn’t stick out awkwardly, and, of course, looks cool.

Lancaster Archery Supply carries just about every hunting quiver on the market—certainly all the major players in the game. I get the chance to see, touch, and feel all of these quivers as they arrive in inventory, so I know them all pretty well. But in trying to find the best hunting quivers for this article, I took some extra steps to test nearly two dozen quivers.

I put arrows in the grippers and broadheads in the hoods to see how they hold. For the bow-mounted models, I mounted them on my bows to study their profiles and effect on balance, and I took shots to listen for any noise caused by vibrating parts—the coal-mine canary of bad bow quivers.

Combining that knowledge and testing, I came up with the following picks for best hunting quivers in the following categories:

• Best Overall: Nock On Checkmate
• Best Budget: Octane Furnace 4-Arrow Quiver
• Redline RL-1 Carbon Quiver 6-Arrow
• Best Detachable: Conquest Talon
• Best Fixed: TightSpot Pivot 2.5 2-piece
• Kwikee Kwiver Lite-4
• Best Traditional: Selway Slide-On
• Best Hip: Vista Knight Hunting Quiver
• Mathews and Hoyt: Mathews LowPro Detachable Quiver, Mathews Arrow Web HD, Hoyt Carbon Superlite Stretch

The Best Bow Quivers: Reviews and Recommendations

Best Overall: Nock On Checkmate

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Key Features

• 19 inches long, made of high-modulus carbon and aluminum
• Curved hood for wind deflection
• Simple, fast quick disconnect
• Holds five arrows, plus a bonus arrow
• Low-profile design
• Deep, protective hood with durable, dense rubber
• Can be adjusted up and down and left and right for perfect balance
• Holds arrows from micro-diameter up to 23 diameter
• Retractable hanging hook

Pros

• Can be used on the bow or be quickly detached
• Totally silent in all uses
• Rubber arrow gripper has separate notches to hold the skinniest arrows up to 23 diameter
• Curved hood helps cut through the wind
• Includes a one-arrow holder on the bow mount, so if you remove the quiver for hunting, you have a follow-up arrow always at the ready

Cons

• Expensive

The Nock On Checkmate is John Dudley’s latest contribution to the archery world. He sat down and thought about every feature he’d like to see in a quiver, and then he built that quiver.

The Checkmate is 19 inches long, and made of high-modulus carbon and aluminum. The hood is 2.5 inches deep and filled with rubber foam to hold nearly any broadhead on the market securely. Also, the hood is curved to help deflect side winds so they don’t affect the bowhunter as much as if it were flat. And it’s got a retractable ring on the back that can be pulled up for hanging the quiver in a tree stand.

The lower arrow gripper has two notches in each arrow seat to accommodate super skinny or fatter hunting arrows. One of those grippers points directly back at the archer to allow for the fast rear deployment of one of the arrows.

The bow mount features a quick-detach system. Lift a lever, and the quiver slides out. Push the quiver into the receiver and push the lever down, and the quiver is locked in place.

And that bow mount includes two arrow grippers to hold a single arrow. So let’s say you detach your quiver while hunting in a tree stand. You can load one arrow in those grippers, so you’ve always got a follow-up arrow at the ready.

The quiver can be adjusted up and down and in and out to get it to sit exactly where you want it for perfect balance on your bow.

Read Next: Best Trail Cameras

Best Budget: Octane Furnace 4-Arrow Quiver

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Key Features

• Detachable, one-piece quiver
• Deep hood with thick foam for seating broadheads
• Dual arrow grippers in addition to the hood
• Quickly detaches
• Holds four arrows

Pros

• Costs less than $35
• Securely locks arrow in place with three connection points
• Adjustable height to get the quiver in the right place on your bow
• Quick-detach is fast and easy to use
• Holds arrows of varying diameters

Cons

• The foam in the hood will break up over time
• Won’t stand up to much abuse

Not everyone wants to—or can afford to—spend $100 or more on a bow quiver. Some bowhunters just want the least expensive option for holding arrows securely. The Octane Furnace does that.

It’s a four-arrow quiver with two carbon rods connecting the hood to two arrow grippers. With three connection points, arrows are going to stay put. And the grippers will securely hold the most popular hunting arrow shaft sizes.

The attachment point on the quiver slides up and down so you can seat the quiver at the height you want on your bow. That connection point pops in and out of the quick-detach base that’s mounted to the bow. A lever holds the two parts together and then releases them from one another when you want to remove the quiver.

The hood is 3 inches deep and filled with foam for seating broadheads. You can remove the foam when using field points or mechanicals that you don’t want to sink into the foam.

This quiver isn’t built to handle serious abuse, which is one of the reasons it is so inexpensive. But just pay a little attention to what you do with it, and it will last for many years – especially for tree stand and ground blind hunters who simply carry their bows from the truck to their hunting sites.

Redline RL-1 Carbon Quiver 6-Arrow

Redline

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Key Features

• 20 inches long, yet only weighs 9.7 ounces
• All carbon rods
• Simple, yet secure, quick disconnect
• Holds six arrows
• Low profile design
• Deep, protective hood with rubber lining and dedicated broadhead seats
• Can be adjusted so quiver top stays below top limb and arrows don’t extend beyond bottom limb

Pros

• You can slide the quiver forward or back to get it balanced on the bow
• No rattling when you carry your bow or when shooting
• Rubber arrow gripper holds shafts securely
• Long design is great for securing arrows to the bow
• Quick disconnect is fast and easy

Cons

• The dedicated seats for broadheads are great for expandables and three-blade fixed broadheads, but they’re not ideal for broadheads with two large blades.

The Redline RL-1 Carbon Quiver is a six-arrow quiver measuring 20 inches long, but only weighing 9.7 ounces, thanks to all the carbon in its construction. There’s an identical, 3-arrow version that weighs 6.5 ounces if you want to cut even more weight. Redline is a new player in the compound accessory market, but the people behind the company have tons of experience. This quiver is a great example of the Redline goal, which is to produce quality gear at a fair price. This quiver isn’t cheap, but it’s not over-the-top expensive either.

The long design is a fairly new trend in quivers. I like it. With arrow shafts secured in grippers in the lower third and at the tip, they feel more secure than when you’re using a shorter quiver that grips them in the upper half of the shafts. 

The RL-1 has great rubber broadhead seats inside the hood that work well with any expandables and with three-blade, fixed heads. As I mentioned, big two-blade fixed heads won’t sit as neatly, but they’ll still be secured. 

If you want to take the quiver off when you’re up in the tree stand, there’s a simple, metal lever that you raise about 3 inches and then you slide the quiver straight back. It’s super secure and super quiet.

The features of this quiver are all great, but it vaulted to the top of my list when I put it on my Mathews V3X 33 and shot with it attached. It was whisper quiet, which is important. But what I didn’t expect was how well it allowed me to hold the bow. I was rock steady with the RL-1 on my bow with 4 arrows in the quiver. I held even steadier with it on than I did with it off. I’m sure it’s because I was able to slide the quiver straight back toward me. With a slotted mounting bracket, you can pull this quiver back toward you a good bit farther than you can basically any other quiver. So instead of it sitting parallel to the riser, it can sit parallel to the cables and string.

So the RL-1 is a well-made, lightweight, quiet quiver that holds arrows securely, and can be quickly detached, or balances the bow nicely if you choose to shoot with it on. That’s the quiver grand slam.

Best Detachable: Conquest Talon

Conquest Archery

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Key Features

• Unique, spring-loaded claws grip the mounting bracket
• Considered a five-arrow quiver, but it’s got two extra spots on the back side that allow storage of two more for a seven-arrow total capacity
• Rubber lining in the hood
• Grips arrow shafts in two places, and has point seats in the hood
• Comes with two sets of arrow grippers—one for standard hunting arrows and one for micro-diameter
• Rope tree-loop on the top for hanging in the stand

Pros

• The claw that you squeeze to remove the quiver is unique and ridiculously easy to maneuver
• Ridiculously lightweight
• Dual shaft grippers hold arrows still and quiet at the shot
• Adjustable up and down to get your arrows where you want them on the bow
• Holds seven arrows
• Costs under $90

Cons

• The point seats in the hood are round rubber cups, which I’m not a big fan of for holding broadheads

The Conquest Talon is the only quiver made by Conquest Archery, which is known more for its stabilizers. It’s lightweight, at just 9 ounces, and features dual, rubber shaft grippers, which is unusual for a 13-inch quiver. But those 2 grippers—plus the point seats inside the hood—ensure your arrow isn’t going anywhere until you pull one out.

You can adjust the quiver up and down on the twin, carbon support rods, and then lock it in place so it stays put where you want it. But the main feature of this quiver is the quick disconnect. No other quiver on the market has a disconnect like the Talon.

Essentially, it’s a claw that grabs hold of the mounting block on the riser. The claws are held in place by spring-loaded arms. Squeeze those arms and the claws release the mount block. You can easily pluck this quiver off the bow with one hand in a second.

To be perfectly honest, the Conquest Talon wasn’t on my radar as I was doing my initial research for this article. I had done a video on it two years ago when it came out and hadn’t paid much attention to it since. I saw it in the Lancaster Archery Supply Pro Shop and remembered the unique, quick-disconnect.

At first glance, it seems like there’s no way the quiver claw that grabs the mounting block would have enough force to keep the quiver from rattling. But it does. And the quick disconnect operates simpler and faster than any other I tested.

Best Fixed: TightSpot Pivot 2.5 2-piece

TightSpot

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Key Features

• Broadhead hood and arrow gripper are two separate pieces that are attached individually to the bow
• Multiple included connectors fit just about any compound bow
• Pivoting rods that allow the quiver to transform so it’s always vertical, regardless of the bow
• Screw-in arrow blocks that allow the individual arrow grippers to adjust for fat or skinny arrows
• Durable, solid foam block in the hood secures fixed or mechanical broadheads
• Holds five arrows

Pros

• Can be adjusted to fit nearly all compound bows
• Once set and fitted with arrows, it’s solid
• No audible extra noise added to the bow at the shot
• Hood foam is deep and locks broadheads in place

Cons

• I couldn’t tighten the bolt enough on the lower half of my test quiver to solidly lock down that piece. Once arrows were in it, however, it didn’t move.

The TightSpot Pivot 2.5 2-Piece Quiver is an adjustable quiver that can be permanently attached to just about any compound bow in a variety of configurations. Some bowhunters prefer quivers that are not detachable, because the quivers designed to attach and detach often are the ones prone to rattle when walking and shooting.

The top half—hood—and the bottom half—arrow gripper—of this quiver are bolted onto the riser of a bow independently. TightSpot includes multiple hardware pieces to match the varying connection points across the spectrum of compound bows on the market. Once attached to the riser, the Pivot earns its name from the adjustable rods that can be maneuvered so the quiver stands vertically on any bow. And the rods telescope so you can extend or reduce the distance between the gripper and the hood. You can also push the quiver in toward the riser to produce a slim profile, or pull it out away if you need to work around other accessories.

Screws mounted in rubber wedges between the individual arrow grippers can be driven in, or backed out, which compresses or opens the grippers to accommodate arrows of different diameters. With the wedges screwed all the way in, they’ll firmly hold 4mm shafts. Backed out, you can load 23-diameter shafts without a problem.

The soft foam that fills the hood is my favorite kind of foam for broadheads. No, it isn’t as durable as harder rubber seats in the hoods of other quivers, but it holds broadheads in place better than any other material. And as long as you seat your broadheads in the same holes in the foam every time you load your quiver, the foam will last for many years.

Kwikee Kwiver Lite-4

Kwikee

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Key Features

• Detachable, one-piece quiver
• Deep hood with thin, solid rubber padding inside and guide holes for arrow tips
• Strong arrow gripper will hold skinny and normal diameter hunting arrows
• Can be locked in with an included bolt
• Lightweight at 8.4 ounces
• Holds four arrows

Pros

• Costs $30
• With the Ultra-Lock bolt in place, it’s super quiet
• Actic-2 arrow holder remains pliable in freezing weather
• Easily detaches without the Ultra-Lock bolt
• Even large fixed-blade broadheads are totally enclosed in the hood

Cons

• Without the Ultra-Lock bolt, it has a faint rattle
• With the bolt in place, detaching is not as fast as without it
• Arrows extend below the bottom cam

The Kwikee Kwiver Lite-4 was going to make my list somehow because it’s one of the rare pieces of compound bow equipment that has remained virtually unchanged for more than three decades. I can think of no other piece of compound gear that hasn’t morphed over the years to change the way it functions or the way it looks. With that kind of longevity without transformation, you know The Kwikee Kwiver Lite-4 works.

This is a one-piece, detachable quiver that holds four arrows. Arrows are held about a third of the way down the shaft by the rubber Arctic 2 gripper, which doesn’t turn to rock when it’s cold outside.

The hood has a thin, solid-rubber lining with guide holes in the top to receive arrow points. Those holes combined with the gripper hold arrows pretty snugly in place.

The quick-detach bracket employed by the Kwikee Lite-4 is the same as it’s always been. There’s a metal leaf with a red plastic top that you pull back to insert the quiver. When the quiver is seated, the leaf springs back into place and the red top then holds the quiver down.

To get the quiver completely silent, you’ll need the Ultra-Lock bolt, which mounts through the center of the quiver arm and pins it to the bracket. It’s easy enough to unscrew it to detach the quiver, but it takes extra time. Without that bolt, the quiver does rattle a bit at the shot.

Where the Kwikee Lite-4 sits on the riser is both good and bad. The quiver sits kind of in the middle of the bow, while others usually sit higher. This lower position causes arrows 27 inches and longer to extend below the bottom cam on most bows, which means the nocks are constantly digging into the dirt if you rest your bow on the bottom cam. But that low position allows your bow to balance better during a shot. It doesn’t make the bow top heavy, like some other quivers.

Best Traditional: Selway Slide-On Recurve Quiver

Selway

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Key Features

• Two-piece design
• Slides over limbs
• Hood is solid leather with thick, trad stitching
• Foam insert inside the hood is deep to receive those big traditional broadheads
• Lower, rubber gripper securely holds five arrows
• Fits recurve bows with limbs 1.5-2 inches wide

Pros

• Can be adjusted up and down on the limbs to hold arrows of any length
• The ends twist to get the orientation of both halves so they hold arrows parallel to the bow
• Easy to install
• Looks super traditional

Cons

• Not the most secure-fitting quiver

The Selway Slide-On Recurve Quiver tells you exactly what it is in the name. It’s a two-piece quiver that slides onto recurve bows. Each half slides onto a limb. 

Assembly is simple. Remove the bowstring and slide the hood over the upper limb tip and down toward the riser. Slide the arrow gripper over the lower limb tip and up toward the riser. Position the two halves anywhere to hold your arrows accordingly. The two pieces fit fairly snugly, so long as the limbs are 1.5-2 inches wide. Of course, they fit the 2-inch limbs more snugly than the 1.5-inch.

The hand-stitched leather hood is what makes this quiver so trad. It looks cool and forms the perfect container for my favorite broadhead-holding foam. Stuff a big, 135-grain Zwickey two-blade into this foam and it’s not going anywhere, nor is it cutting anyone accidentally.

With its all-rubber contact points, the Selway is nice and quiet on the bow at the shot. Even though it might be a bit loose on the limbs as compared to a bolt-on quiver, there’s nothing metal to rattle and make noise.  

Having arrows in the quiver actually makes it more secure on the bow because arrows connect the halves to one another. And it holds those arrows within easy reach in case a follow-up shot is needed fast—a not-so-infrequent issue traditional bowhunters face.

Like I said. The Selway Slide-On functions great. What seals its crown as the best traditional quiver is its looks. It’s trad through and through.

Best Hip Quiver: Vista Knight

P.J. Reilly

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Why It Made the Cut

It’s one of the only hip quivers designed to hold broadheads left on the market. It’s well made, looks good and has my favorite type of broadhead foam.

Key Features

• Stunning leather construction
• Sturdy rubber arrow grippers
• Thick hood foam to secure broadheads
• Belt loop
• Intended for wearing only on the right side
• Leather thigh lashes

Pros

• Stows arrows right on your hip for quick loading into your bow
• Leather construction and foam in the hood protect you from razor-sharp broadheads
• Lashed to your thigh, the quiver moves with your leg as you stalk
• Rubber shaft grippers hold arrows securely

Cons

• Not ideal for tree stand or ground blind hunting
• Arrows are more exposed to brush while stalking and can get pried out of the quiver easier than arrows attached to a bow

The Vista Knight Hunting Quiver is a stylish, leather quiver that holds five arrows. It’s 12 inches long by 8.5 inches across and has a loop that connects to a belt worn around your waist. It’s also got leather lashes so you can tie the bottom of the quiver to your thigh. The arrow shafts are held in place by rubber grippers at the top, while the broadhead-tipped points are buried in thick foam inside the hood. 

That foam inside the hood is what separates the Vista Knight from most other hip quivers on the market. Those are designed primarily for arrows tipped with field points, and therefore intended more so for target archery than hunting. Such quivers are no good for broadheads.

Hip quivers used to be quite popular among bowhunters many years ago, but have fallen out of favor in more recent times. That’s probably why there are very few options for hunting hip quivers today. Now, you’re probably most likely to see traditional archers using such a quiver.

But they’re great for spot and stalk hunts. With the lashes tied to your thigh, this quiver moves with your body, holding arrows ready for action right on your hip, sort of like a Western six-shooter. If you have to crawl on your belly, you undo the lashes and shove the quiver around your belt to your back.

Mathews and Hoyt Quivers

Mathews and Hoyt are two bow manufacturers that have cultivated dedicated fan bases that love to fly the manufacturers’ flags. Die-hard Mathews and Hoyt owners will have as many Mathews and Hoyt accessories on their bows as they can get, including quivers. If you’re part of this crowd and you have a Mathews Phase 4, you’re just not going to put a Redline or TighSpot quiver on your bow, even though they will fit.

Fortunately for Mathews and Hoyt owners, their manufacturers both make quality quivers. We are giving them their own category because these quivers only fit the bows they’re named for. So they’re no good to owners of bows that don’t say “Mathews” or “Hoyt.” But if your bow does bear one of those names, these are the quivers for you.

Mathews LowPro Detachable Quiver

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The LowPro is a five-arrow, quick-detach quiver that follows the Mathews’s overall bow design of creating a skinny bow profile. They’ve got the integrate rest mount and the Bridge-Lock cutouts for mounting a sight and stabilizer – all in the name of slimming down the bow. So they need a quiver that keeps that vibe going.

The LowPro features a single carbon rod and attaches to the bow via connections at the top of the quiver and the bottom. A simple press lever at the bottom locks it in place. Lift the lever, and the quiver easily detaches.

The hood is deep and filled with a pliable foam that holds broadheads firmly. And with the hood and lower arrow gripper 20 inches apart, the quiver holds arrows in place more securely and quietly than shorter quivers. You can set your bow on the ground – quiver side down – and not worry about arrows bending or breaking.

It’s a quiver that’s quiet, very functional, low profile, and which will appeal to the Mathews fans who just gotta have all the Mathews accessories.

Read Next: Mathews Phase 4 Review

Mathews Arrow Web HD Quiver

Mathews

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The Arrow Web isn’t Mathews’ latest quiver, but it is the quiver that will fit the most Mathews bows. And it’s been around for many years because it’s well-made. Available in four-arrow or six-arrow versions, the Arrow Web mounts to Mathews bows via a one-of-a-kind connection.

There’s a metal piece shaped like the letter “C” that gets bolted to a unique-shaped recess built into Mathews risers. The quiver then has two metal posts on it. The top one gets seated in a cup on the mounting bracket and the lower one pivots over a raised finger before seating into its own cup.

Now that connection keeps the quiver seated solidly. It, plus harmonic dampeners in the quiver and the mounting bracket keep this quiver ultra-quiet if you choose to shoot with it attached to the bow. But if you press down on that finger on the lower attachment point on the bracket, the quiver can quickly be detached if you like to remove it in the tree stand or ground blind.

The hood space is generous and it’s filled with a rubbery pad that broadheads sink into for nearly total encasement. The arrow grippers easily accommodate standard or micro diameter hunting arrows.

Hoyt Carbon Superlite Stretch

Hoyt

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The Carbon Superlite Stretch is another one of those long quivers, measuring 20 inches. Again, I like that length for stability holding the arrows in place. You can shoot your bow with this quiver attached, or it can quickly be detached at its two mounting points.

The unique feature of the Carbon Superlite Stretch is its adjustability. You can adjust the quiver up or down so the arrows sit on your bow the way you want. And you can also adjust it toward or away from the riser to navigate around other accessories. And if you’re using a Hoyt integrate arrow rest and the Hoyt picatinny mount for your sight, you can pull the Carbon Superlite Stretch insanely tight against the riser for an extremely low profile.

What to Consider When Buying a Quiver

Choosing a hunting quiver doesn’t need to be a long, drawn-out process. If you do your homework and know what you want, you should be able to pick one out in short order.

The process starts with deciding if you want the quiver to be detachable or not. Think how you hunt and where you hunt, and that decision should be simple. Of course, if you’re not sure, then go with detachable, because you can always simply leave that quiver attached.

Study how different quivers attach to a bow. If there’s going to be noise, this is where it’s going to start. You want the connection to be snug—immovable if possible. 

If the quiver is detachable, how does the detach system work? You might be detaching and attaching in the dark, so you don’t want a quiver that requires fine motor skills to put it on or take it off your bow.

Like you’d do buying a car, look under the hood. How does a certain quiver hold arrow points? You want your points held firmly in place to keep them from rattling loose. In my opinion, hoods filled with foam/rubber are the most secure.

Check the arrow grippers. You want them to be pliable, so arrows can slip in and out easily, but you don’t want them to be flimsy, or the arrows will vibrate loose. Pliable, sturdy arrow grippers are best. 

Overall, how well does the quiver hold your arrows? If you hold a quiver that locks arrows in place and one that allows them to move around, you will feel the difference. 

Choose the quiver that holds the number of arrows you want to take with you on bowhunts and fits your budget, and you’re all set.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Bowhunting quivers aren’t sexy. They aren’t meant to be sexy. You don’t usually hear bowhunters waxing poetic about how much they love their quiver. You want it to do its job and never have to think about it. Pick the right one, and that’s exactly what you’ll get.

The post The Best Bow Quivers of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Overall		Bitzenburger	SEE IT
Most Precise		Last Chance Archery Vane Master Pro	SEE IT
Simplest		Arizona Carbon EZ Fletching Jig	SEE IT

More bowhunters today are looking to work on their own gear. And one project they’re really interested in is building arrows. To complete that job, you’ll need a fletching jig, which is a tool that allows you to place fletchings on your arrows. It’s a tool you might think would be largely the same from jig to jig, but it’s not. Jigs are quite different across the spectrum, and it’s imperative to find the one that’s right for you. 

Some are simple and allow you to attach fletchings to an arrow without variation. Others have a wide range of adjustments and allow for lots of experimentation. To help you find the right one for you, I’ve used my years of experience working at Lancaster Archery Supply and building my own arrows to break down the best fletching jigs. 

• Best Overall: Bitzenburger
• Most Precise: Last Chance Archery Vane Master Pro
• Simplest: Arizona Carbon EZ Fletching Jig
• Best Budget: AAE Fletch III Fletching Jig

Best Fletching Jigs: Reviews & Recommendations

Best Overall: Bitzenburger

Bitzenburger

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Key Features

• Made of die-cast alloy, with all metal parts
• Self-centering arrow cradle that can be set to space three or four fletchings evenly
• Strong magnet holds the clamp securely
• Adjustment wheels allow the clamp to be angled for left or right offsets
• Offered with straight, right, or left helical clamps
• Adjusts to space three fletchings 120 degrees apart, four fletchings 75 degrees and 105 degrees, or four fletchings 90 degrees apart

Pros

• Easy to adjust and use
• Easy cleaning and resists wear caused by glue
• Once it’s set, every arrow fletched will be identical
• Can easily be used to place single fletchings if one gets damaged

Cons

• The Bitzenburger comes with one clamp, and so if you want all three, you have to buy two separately
• Difficult to set to precise and repeatable offsets

The Bitzenburger has been the choice of bowhunters and champion tournament archers for many years because it does everything you need a fletching jig to do, and using it is a piece of cake.

It’s made of die-cast alloy and has all metal parts. That means it’s easy to clean and won’t degrade due to repetitive use with cyanoacrylate glues commonly used for fletching arrows. These glues are notorious for eating away at plastic jigs and jig parts.

There’s a simple dial at the base of the jig that you can set with an Allen wrench to allow for fletching arrows with three evenly-spaced fletchings, four fletchings set at 90-degree intervals, or four set 75 and 105 degrees apart. That four-fletch, 105-degree setting gives you a flatter X shape that’s ideal if you use a blade-style arrow rest.

Equally simple to adjust with an Allen wrench is the offset for your fletchings. You can pivot the clamp position for left or right offset. If you want your fletchings set with a helical offset, you need a separate clamp for that. Bitzenberger makes a straight clamp, a right helical and a left helical. When you buy a jig, it comes with one clamp style and you can buy others separately. 

The jig is almost foolproof once you get everything set the way you want. Load a vane or feather in the clamp—the Bitz can handle either—put some glue on the bottom and then attach the clamp to the jig body. A powerful magnet holds the clamp in the right place. It will spit out dozens of identically fletched arrows and last for many years, which is why it’s still the best fletching jig. 

Most Precise: Last Chance Archery Vane Master Pro

Last Chance Archery

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Key Features

• Can fletch arrows with vanes set at precise, 0- to 5-degree offsets, or helical with right or left deflection
• Fletches arrows in three- or four-fletch configurations, although four-fletch requires an additional part that must be purchased
• Rotating wires in the clamp allow for perfect vane-to-shaft contact from vane to vane and arrow to arrow
• Fletches vanes up to 4 inches long and can be used to fletch with some thinner feathers, but it’s mainly built for vanes
• Elastic cord connects to the end of the arrow shaft to apply consistent pressure back into the arrow seat, which prevents shifting

Pros

• The repeatability of this jig is unrivaled
• Adjusts the degree of offset precisely and simply by pulling a pin
• Adjusts to right or left offset simply by turning a knob
• The rotating wires ensure perfect vane-to-shaft contact

Cons

• This is the most expensive jig on the market

The Last Chance Archery Vane Master Pro is the perfect tool for archers who are meticulous about fletching arrows. Everything about the Vane Master Pro’s construction is designed for precision and repeatability. If you build a set of arrows one day, then change the jig’s setup for different arrows, you can get it back to the original settings easily, and the performance will be identical.

It’s a jig you set on a flat surface, like a tabletop. It employs a unique clamp that slides into position on two posts. There is no play in either post, so the clamp goes to the exact same position every time it’s installed.

Fletchings are held in place on the clamp via two flexible wires that can be rotated to ensure perfect vane contact. This is a great feature because vane bases vary. The wires allow you to account for those differences.

Loosen a knob on the back of the clamp, and you can easily change the configuration of vanes from right to left offset. Move a pin between a series of holes and easily adjust the offset amount from 0-5 degrees in 1-degree increments.

The nock receiver sits in a slot on the jig base. Loosen the connection knob, and you can slide the receiver forward or back to get the vanes to sit close to the nock or farther away, depending on your preference. An elastic cord with a cup on the end is stretched out to cover the point of the arrow, which pulls the arrow into the nock receiver so it can’t slide out.

The jig comes with a knob for fletching three vanes on an arrow, evenly spaced at 120 degrees apart. You can buy separate knobs to four-fletch arrows with the vanes 90 degrees apart or four-fletch arrows with vanes 75 and 105 degrees apart.

Simplest: Arizona Carbon EZ Fletching Jig

Arizona EZ-Fletch

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Key Features

• Allows for attaching up to three fletchings at once
• Can be used with vanes or feathers up to 5 inches long
• Two versions: one sets fletchings straight on the shaft, and another sets them with right helical
• Compact and portable
• Can be used with micro-diameter or standard carbon arrows

Pros

• The setup is fast and foolproof
• Can be used with feathers or vanes
• Couldn’t be any simpler to use
• Affordable

Cons

• It’s plastic, so it’s not as precise as metal jigs, and glue will affect it over time

If you want a simple fletching jig, look no further than the Arizona Carbon EZ Fletch jig. I’m not sure how it could be made any simpler.

In the closed position, the jig kind of looks like a big plastic bullet. There’s a removable top that holds the three clamps in the upright position. Load a bare arrow shaft nock first into the center of the bullet, put one fletching in each of the three clamps, and then close them up. Put the top back on and hold for a 10 count. Take the top off, fold back the clamps, and remove your three-fletched arrow.

The jig can be used with feathers or vanes up to 5 inches long. One version of the Arizona EZ puts fletchings on the shaft so they run straight down the center, and another puts them on with a right helical. There’s no adjusting those configurations. They’re set either way, and that’s all they do.

As long as you used this jig to fletch the original, you can use this jig to place single fletchings on arrows in making repairs. Load your arrow in the nock receiver. Position fletchings you don’t want to replace so that you can simply close the associated clamp(s) over top of the attached fletching(s). Where you need a new fletching, load one into the clamp, apply glue, and close up the jig for that 10 count. 

Best Budget: AAE Fletch III Fletching Jig

AA & E

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Key Features

• All plastic construction, with key parts infused with Teflon and silicone to prevent glue from sticking
• Fixed position to put fletchings on a shaft with 1-degree right offset
• X-stand flips to accommodate fletching smaller diameter arrows or larger diameter
• Clamp is held in place by two posts to ensure consistent fletching placement each time
• Slotted receiver allows even placement of three fletchings
• Weighs 1 ounce

Pros

• Costs $35
• Very simple to use
• Consistent
• Teflon and silicone infusions help prevent glue buildup

Cons

• Not very durable

For bowhunters who fletch a dozen arrows a year and don’t want to spend much on a fletching jig, the AAE Fletch III is a great choice.

The jig has a horizontal base featuring removable X legs at one end. You can rotate the X, which offers a skinny V on one side for smaller-diameter arrows and a wider V on the other for larger arrows.

Set the point end of the shaft in one of the Vs and the nock end into a receiver. That receiver rotates inside a circle with three notches in it. A post on the receiver fits perfectly into each notch. Rotate the receiver to each notch to evenly space three fletchings around the shaft.

The fletching clamp is connected to two posts that slide into cylinders on the jig base, so each fletching is positioned the same on the shaft each time it’s rotated. The clamp itself is spring loaded to solidly hold vanes or feathers. And it’s pitched to set fletchings at a 1-degree fight offset.

Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Fletching Jig

Your Arrow Building Needs 

There are advanced, highly-adjustable fletching jigs, and there are jigs that do one thing, one way, and that’s it. What kind of bowhunter or archer are you? Never see yourself experimenting with different fletchings set in different configurations on your arrows? Then go simple. If you are a tinkerer, you’re going to want one that allows you to use plastic vanes and feathers of varying lengths set at different angles left or right and one that allows you to go three-fletch or four.

If you don’t need all those adjustments, then find one that fletches the way you want and go with that, knowing that it will do what you need it to and nothing more. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Generally, metal jigs last longer than plastic ones. Over time, the glues used for fletching will deteriorate plastic parts, which can lead to inconsistent fletching. A metal jig can be used and cleaned over and over and over and stay as sharp and precise as the day you first took it out of the box.

Simplicity

Check the manufacturer’s instructions for fletching an arrow and see how easy or difficult it seems to set up the jig and to put a vane or feather in the clamp and an arrow in the receiver. That should all be simple—even on advanced jigs that allow the most versatility. If you have to change a lot of parts or take a lot of steps to set the jig, move on. Fletching is not a complicated process, and so the jig should be easy to use.

Precision

You want precise movements in the moving parts. “Slop” or “play” in the moving parts can lead to inconsistent fletching placement on the arrow shaft. You want to be able to place each fletching exactly where you want it and in exactly the same configuration from arrow to arrow.

FAQs

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Advertising does not influence our gear reviews and it never will. While we always focus our coverage on standout products—because we want our readers to be aware of the latest and greatest gear—we also cover the flaws and quirks of any given product.

Final Thoughts

When the wind is howling in the dead of winter, or the rain is falling in buckets during summer, there’s no better way to pass the time than fletching arrows. Fletching can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. The best fletching jig is the one that does what you want it to, and that can withstand the amount of fletching you plan to do, and you’ll never be bored on those “inside” days again. 

• Best Overall: Bitzenburger
• Most Precise: Last Chance Archery Vane Master Pro
• Simplest: Arizona Carbon EZ Fletching Jig
• Best Budget: AAE Fletch III Fletching Jig

The post The Best Fletching Jigs of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Budget		Allen Terrain Cape Daypack 1350	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary Plenty of storage space on a budget.
Best for Bow Hauling		Insights The Vision	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary Stores your bow for hands free treks.
Best Overall		ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary Excellent storage, comfort, and price.

Bowhunting whitetails is a game that involves a lot of moving pieces, and bowhunting backpacks keep all those pieces together. A bow, arrows, tree stand, climbing sticks, binoculars, rangefinder, release aid, pruning saw, scents, calls, the list goes on, and you’ve got a lot of gear to carry, which means you need a pack to carry it all.

A good bowhunting pack should carry all the gear you need for your specific hunting style. They should also keep your gear organized so you can access what you want, when you want it. Long, slow sits on stand or in the blind can turn into a frenzy of action at the blink of an eye. And sometimes you need to quickly access your call, a rangefinder, or a release so you don’t fumble the encounter. But you also don’t want a pack that feels like there’s a sack of corn slung on your back via strands of bailing twine. The best bowhunting backpacks should feel like they’re part of you; like they’re fused to your spine and shoulders, and you’d be hard pressed not to find one on this list that won’t work for your specific needs.

• Best Overall: ALPS Outdoorz Pursuit Backpack
• Best for Tree Stand Hunters: Sitka Cargo Box
• Best for Quick Hunts: Tenzing Hangtime Lumbar Pack
• Best Budget: Allen Terrain Cape Daypack 1350
• Best Bino Pack: Badlands Bino XR
• Best for Bow-Hauling: Insights The Vision Bow Pack
• Best Frame Pack: Mystery Ranch Metcalf

Things to Consider When Buying a Bowhunting Pack

Carrying Capacity

Depending on how much gear you plan to take to the woods, you need a pack that can adequately hold your stuff. If you take a lot of gear, you want a big pack. If you take just a few essentials, then you want something smaller or even a minimalist option.

Manufacturers list the carrying capacity of the backpacks in cubic inches. For this article, I’m talking about backpacks used for one-day bowhunts. I’m not looking at packs that can carry tents, cooking supplies, food for a couple days, plus all your bowhunting gear. Most bowhunters will do well with packs that fall in the 1,500-3,000 cubic-inch range.

Fit

You’ll know after one hunt if a backpack fits you or not. Comfortable shoulder straps protect against rubbing. Good padding on the back of the pack protects your back. And if you’re carrying a heavy load, a waist belt can help manage it, so the pack feels lighter than it is. A good pack will have plenty of adjustability in the shoulder and waist straps so you can make it fit as snug or as loose as you want. If you come out of the field after a hunt and your shoulders and/or back hurt, your pack doesn’t fit you properly or it needs to be adjusted.

Access

Organizing your gear is as important as hauling it. Does your pack have intuitive pockets? Nothing is more frustrating than having to dig deep into the main space for every little piece of gear you need, especially when you’re trying to remain hidden. The best bowhunting backpacks will have separate pockets perfectly placed for calls, scents, your release aid, and other important gadgets. When you’re buying a pack, imagine you’re in your stand and the pack is attached to your tree. What do you need to access and is there a pocket positioned that allows you to quickly access that gear?

Best Bowhunting Backpacks: Reviews and Recommendations

Best Overall: ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit Backpack

ALPS OutdoorZ

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Key Features

• Capacity: 2,700 cubic inches
• Weight: 4 pounds, 1 ounce
• Main pocket storage
• Sturdy handle
• Comfortable shoulder straps and waist belt
• Organizational shelf pocket
• Blaze orange rain cover

Why It Made the Cut

This pack has plenty of room to haul everything you need to sit on the stand all day without the bulk and rigidity of a frame pack and runs just under $100.

Pros

• Large main pocket area
• Tons of pockets for organizing gear
• Comfortable when hauling heavy loads
• Waist belt with pockets
• Great price

Cons

• Not a fan of the aluminum spine (but the bar is removable, so this con is fixable)

Product Description

I’m someone who hauls a lot of gear into the woods when I bowhunt, and this pack has plenty of room, without the bulk and weight. And it costs under $100. So the pursuit pack hits the trifecta for me and is one of the best hunting backpacks available. The Pursuit has the capacity to carry anything and everything I want. The storage capacity is listed as 2,700 cubic inches, but its hauling capacity is even greater when you start strapping things to the outside. The deep main compartment has the capability to hold even the heaviest of layers. And on long walks to a stand where I want to avoid sweating, I stuff in both a pair of bibs and a heavy coat on top of all my food, drink, and hunting gear I need to spend the day in the stand.

Having said that, I like using one pack all season long. Once I get my basic gear organized – tree hooks, calls, knife, flashlight, etc. I don’t want to transfer it and reorganize it in another pack. That’s a recipe for me to leave something behind. In the early season, obviously, I don’t need all the space in the Pursuit’s cavernous main pocket, where I typically carry extra layers once the mercury dips. But I’d rather use one pack all season than switch halfway. And since this pack is lightweight, I don’t mind carrying it in the early season, even though it’s not filled.

Another great feature of the Pursuit pack is the organization shelf that’s part of a large front pocket on the pack. Unzip the pocket face all the way, and the rigid face falls forward to serve as a shelf held in place by straps. There are mesh pockets on the shelf and there are several other small pockets on the vertical face that’s now exposed for stowing gear like a rangefinder, grunt tube flashlight and other things you might want to grab quickly while in the stand. With the shelf exposed, these things are right at your fingertips.

The pack also has mesh-bottom pockets on the bottom of each side of the pack, and corresponding straps at the top. The mesh pocket and strap on one side of the pack is the perfect place to store my tree stand umbrella when I’m expecting rain. It’s a much better spot for the umbrella than putting it inside the pack, especially for the walk out when it’s all wet. The mesh pocket and strap on the other side would be great for a camera arm if you film your hunts.

On top of all these features, there’s a drop-down pouch stowed in the bottom of the pack that you can lower, set one cam of your bow in, and then strap the upper part of your bow to the top of the pack when you need both hands to drag that big buck out of the woods by yourself.

Read Next: Best Hunting Backpacks

Best for Tree Stand Hunters: SITKA Cargo Box

SITKA

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Key Features

• Specialized stowing areas for a tree stand and climbing sticks
• Carrying capacity: 2,200 cubic inches
• 23 storage compartments
• Mesh gear viewing windows
• Padded shoulder straps and waist belt
• Weight: 7.5 pounds

Why It Made the Cut

Simply put, if you are a hang-and-hunt bowhunter, this pack will hold everything you want to take to the woods securely and quietly.

Pros

• Roomy
• Sturdy
• Comfortable
• Intuitive pockets

Cons

• Expensive

Product Description

From the first time you hold the Sitka Cargo Box, it’s clear the Sitka engineers went bowhunting with a tree stand and then thought about all the features needed to carry and organize all their gear. The pack initially looks like any other backpack, but it breaks into two sections so you can sandwich a tree stand in between them, rather than simply strapping it to the outside. It also has storage areas on each side that evenly distributes the weight and stows them quietly. The padded shoulder straps and waist belt are sturdy and adjustable, so they can keep a snug fit as you add and remove layers and shift your load to navigate different terrain.

The genius of the Cargo Box’s stand-carrying capabilities is that it’s a snap—unsnap really—to remove the stand and sticks once you reach your favorite tree and it’s time to hang. Simply undo a couple of buckles and pull back some straps to free your equipment. Lash the two halves of the pack back together and now it’s just the pack you’ll hang behind you in the tree. But even with its stand carrying capabilities, the Cargo Box doesn’t eat up the real estate you need to carry the usual gear you need for an all-day sit in the stand.

The deliberate thought about this pack becomes even more evident once you’ve hung your stand. A front flap folds up to hang the pack from the tree so a row of zippered, mesh-faced pockets is exposed. And you can quickly access the gear with a slide of a zipper. Also, the front of the main compartment folds partially down with the pull of two zippers so you don’t have to reach up and over a top lip and then dig to grab your coat or binos. While this pack has all the bells and whistles you need for a comfortable and convenient all-day sit in the stand, the price tag might deter many. But if you want a pack that eliminates all the hassle of carrying bowhunting gear to the stand so you can focus on shooting when it matters, the Cargo Box is hard to beat.

Best for Quick Hunts: Tenzing Hangtime Lumbar Pack

Tenzing

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Key Features

• Compact, lumbar-style
• 5 storage compartments
• 5 organization pockets
• Capacity: 750 cubic inches
• Weight: 1 pound, 12 ounces

Why It Made the Cut

The Hangtime lumbar pack is perfect size and design for those quick hunts when you don’t want to lug a big pack into the woods. Just toss in the essentials, huck it onto your back, and go.

Pros

• Rigid shell allows pack to hang or sit open in the stand or blind
• Lightweight
• Compact, yet has a fair amount of storage space
• Easy on shoulders and back
• Intuitive pockets

Cons

• Only available in Mossy Oak Bottomland

Product Description

It’s late October and you have a couple hours after work to spend on stand, hoping to catch that shooter that’s been showing up on your trail cams regularly the last few days. You won’t be out long and don’t need a ton of gear. That’s where the Tenzing Hangtime Lumbar Pack comes in handy. It’s built for speed and comfort. The Lumbar pack slings over your shoulders, but the storage compartment sits just above your hips, rather than your whole back. Think of a big fanny pack with shoulder straps and a waist belt.

This pack has adjustable shoulder straps. waist belt, and chest strap, so you can get it to ride your torso the way you want. I’m a big fan of chest straps on backpacks because when you’re ducking under branches and jumping over streams, simple shoulder straps can slip off or hang up. With the chest strap, you can do somersaults on your way to a stand and your pack will stay on your back.

While it weighs less than 2 pounds, the Hangtime has a generous amount of space–750 cubic inches–for an extra layer of clothes, binos, a rangefinder, Ozonics, all your calls, and more. Once you get into your stand or blind, you can open the lid and hang the pack. Or you can set it on the ground, and the lid stays open for easy access to your gear. The main compartment stands upright and open, thanks to the rigid, molded shell. That means no fighting with the pack to access your gear. Inside that main compartment, mesh pockets organize your vital gear in handy locations, and you can see what’s in each pocket. It might not have the same appeal as traditional packs, but the Hangtime works great for those sporadic or quick hunts. 

Best Budget: Allen Terrain Cape Daypack 1350

Terrain

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Key Features

• Capacity: 1,350 cubic inches
• Two large zipper compartments
• Dual, exterior side pockets
• Adjustable, padded shoulder straps
• Top carry handle

Why It Made the Cut

This pack has 1,350 cubic inches of storage space and costs less than $35. Enough said.

Pros

• Decent storage
• Will get your gear into the woods
• Won’t break the bank

Cons

• It doesn’t have the same build quality as higher-end packs

Product Description

Not everyone wants or needs to spend $200 on the best bowhunting backpack. For some bowhunters, the backpack is solely utilitarian. It’s for hauling gear. The Terrain Cape Daypack will do that at a budget-friendly price. This pack has two, large zippered pockets; a deep, full-pack pocket and a smaller one that has three individual pockets inside for basic organization. Two, elastic-top mesh pockets sit low on each side of the pack. Allen says they’re for water bottles, but you could use them for other gear as well.

Weaved onto the front of the pack is an elastic band that you can expand to strap gear to the outside, like a jacket or umbrella. The shoulder straps are padded, though thinly. And if you have to carry a heavy load for a lengthy period, get ready for sore shoulders. Again, this is a simple backpack. There are no frills. It’s for putting stuff in and getting to the woods. But if that’s what you’re in the market for, look no further.

Best Bino Pack: Badlands Bino XR

Badlands

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Key Features

• Separate compartments for up to 10×42 binoculars and a rangefinder
• Two zippered side pockets
• Magnetic closure
• Comes with rain cover
• Adjustable mesh shoulder harness

Why It Made the Cut

For its small size, this pack holds a decent amount of gear, and if you use a bino harness anyway, this one will store other essentials, too. 

Pros

• Large compartments in a compact pack
• Keeps binos and rangefinder tethered in easy-to-access pockets
• Side pockets ideal for a release, wind indicator, compass, and other small gear
• Magnetic closures open and close quietly
• Lightweight

Cons

• Front flap is a bit large

Product Description

Yes, I know this isn’t a backpack. I mean, you wear it on your chest. But more and more bowhunters are turning to these chest packs for their binoculars and other essential gear. The Badlands Bino XR pack is about as elaborate and voluminous as I’ve seen.

Secure your hunting binoculars—up to 10×42—in the large main compartment via tethers connected to the pack, which opens via magnetic closures. Inside the main compartment, Badlands provides a tethered lens cloth for cleaning your binos and rangefinder glass. At the bottom of the pack, another magnetic pocket holds your rangefinder. Small pockets on either side of the pack can easily store your release, a wind indicator, pocket knife, compass, or other small gear. And they’re conveniently placed at your chest. And on the back of the pack, there’s a large pocket best suited for flat objects, such as hunting licenses, maps, a knife, or an energy bar or two. Inside that pocket is a zippered pocket that holds a tethered, nylon cover you can pull out and stretch over the pack to protect it from rain.

The pack is held on your chest by a typical shoulder harness with straps that connect to the top of the pack, go over each shoulder, and then buckle to the bottom of each side of the pack. Although it holds a lot of gear, this pack will not interfere with your bowstring when it comes time to draw and shoot. It might not be your typical pack, but this supped up bino harness makes a great minimalist option.

Best for Bow-Hauling: Insights The Vision Bow Pack

Insights

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Key Features

• Padded bow case built into the pack
• Dual holsters for quiver and umbrella, camera arm, tripod
• Roomy standard backpack for normal gear
• Outer containment wings ideal for bulky jacket
• Organization pocket includes hanging basket

Why It Made the Cut

Sometimes you need both hands free for the hike in or out of a bowhunt, and this pack offers the most secure, comfortable way of hauling your bow and arrows on your back.

Pros

• Holds your bow and arrows securely
• Plenty of storage for all your other gear
• Quiet
• Many organization pockets

Cons

• A bit bulky

Product Description

Many backpacks provide systems for strapping your compound bow to them. Typically, those systems don’t hold securely, and the bow flops around or gets caught on brush. In a nutshell, The Vision Bow Pack is a soft bow case with a full backpack sewn to the outside. I securely stowed my Mathews V3X 33 with a 12-inch front stabilizer and a 10-inch siderod, plus an Axcel Landslyde sight that sticks out six inches from the riser. I didn’t have to remove or alter any of my accessories to get my bow to fit, and it’s a big rig by bowhunting standards.

Attached to the bowcase, a full-sized backpack holds plenty of storage for your other gear. On the main compartment is another zippered pocket that can be used in a variety of ways. You can use it for storage. Or you can open it halfway, and it becomes a shelf with mesh-faced pockets exposed. Unzip it completely, and a mesh basket sits upright that you can toss a release, call and/or rangefinder into for quick access.

This is a strategically designed, functional backpack that actually holds your bow securely. Yes, the bow-case portion of the pack creates added bulk, but that part is against your back, so you don’t notice it as much as you might think.

Best Frame Pack: Mystery Ranch Metcalf

Mystery Ranch

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Key Features

• Patented Overload system keeps meat separate from gear
• Removable lid
• Side access with special storage bag
• Five-section segmented waist belt
• Storage capacity: 4,333 cubic inches
• Weight: 5.7 pounds

Why It Made the Cut

The Mystery Ranch Metcalf has room to carry all the camping and hunting gear you need to spend several days in the backcountry, and the Overload System allows you to separate that gear from meat if you’re lucky enough.

Pros

• Overload system puts the meat close to your back to minimize weight shifting
• Comfortable belt and shoulder straps
• Massive storage and hauling capacity

Cons

• While there’s plenty of room for your gear, there’s not as much for meat

Product Description

The Mystery Ranch Metcalf is a huge backpack connected by straps and buckles to the Guide Light MT Frame. This is a lightweight, rigid frame built to haul your gear and meat comfortably. In the backpack, you’ve got ample room for your tent, cooking, and hunting gear. On the outside, you can lash a sleeping bag and pad, if you want.

A removable top portion gives you extra space for more gear. With that in place, the Metcalf has a nice, long side zipper, so you can get to gear inside the pack without having to remove the top. And that side zipper also exposes a self-contained, attached storage bag to further organize your gear (like keeping dirty laundry separate from clean clothes).

The genius of the Metcalf is the patented Overload System. Disconnect the pack from the frame, set a loaded meat bag on top of it, and then strap your pack back on over the meat. With that setup, the meat sits close to your back, so it won’t shift as easily as it would if the positions were reversed. Comfortable shoulder and waist straps are critical to a bowhunter’s backpack. To haul heavy loads, you need nicely padded weight support points. The Metcalf provides that comfort – especially in the five-section segmented belt that conforms to your shape.

FAQS

How to Choose a Bowhunting Backpack

Think of what you like to take with you on a hunt. Now think about where you hunt. The perfect bowhunting backpack for you should hold all your stuff and allow you to get where you need to go with relative comfort. If you don’t pack much gear and don’t have far to go, probably anything with a pocket will work. But if you tend to carry a lot of stuff and need to cover multiple miles over harsh terrain, a high end pack will make life easier for you, at least hunting wise. And if that’s the case, be sure to get a pack that has thick padding on the shoulder straps and even a waist strap to help it ride nicely and load your pack in a comfortable way.

Before you buy a pack, test the zippers. A good zipper should feel solid and move freely in both directions quietly. Cheap zippers feel, well, cheap. They don’t zip freely in either direction and tend to make a lot of noise. 

If you’re a hunt and hang hunter, you’ll want a pack that’s easy to hang in the stand and stores your gear at your fingertips. You don’t want to have to worry about which pocket your grunt tube is in when a big buck pops into view.

Final Thoughts

The best bowhunting backpacks are the ones that you really don’t have to think much about. From the storage compartment to the fit, accessing your pack should feel second nature. And when you’re not having to think about your backpack, you can think more about what matter, like your next shot. 

The post The Best Bowhunting Backpacks of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Overall		Axcel Antler Ridge 10-inch	SEE IT
Best Combo Pack		Dead Center Dead Level Hunter Verge Lite Stabilizer Kit 12/9	SEE IT
Best Budget		Redline Rl-1 8-Inch	SEE IT

Stabilizers are arguably the most misunderstood pieces of archery gear that bowhunters put on compound bows.

Target archers know how to use them to balance and stabilize their rigs. But bowhunters just seem to want something short and stubby, which results in almost none of the stabilizing benefits stabilizers are designed to produce.

Well, I’m here to tell you not only which stabilizers I’ve picked as my “best in class,” but I’m going to tell you what to look for in a stabilizer and how to use them properly. 

At Lancaster Archery Supply, I get to see, feel and test most of the stabilizers on the market, so I have a pretty good idea of which ones lead the way. But just to confirm my picks for this piece, I tested nearly two dozen stabilizers by attaching them to my Mathews V3X 33 and shooting several arrows to feel for the stability, balance, and vibration reduction each bar produced. Here are my picks for the best bow stabilizers: 

• Best Overall: Axcel Antler Ridge 10-inch
• Best Siderod Mount: Shrewd Atlas
• Best Combo Pack: Dead Center Dead Level Hunter Verge Lite Stabilizer Kit 12/9
• Best Single-Bar, Dual Purpose: Bee Stinger Microhex Counter Slide 15-Inch
• Best Budget: Redline Rl-1 8-Inch
• Best Short Bar: Shrewd Vantage 9-Inch
• Best Micro Diameter Hunting Rod: Conquest Control Freak With SMAC .500
• Best Stabilizer for a New Mathews Bow: 12-inch Mathews Bridge-Lock Stabilizer

Best Bow Stabilizers: Reviews & Recommendations

Best Overall: Axcel Antler Ridge 10-inch

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• Made from high-modulus carbon and flax
• Kryptos Arc Dampener, which is designed to kill vibration on the X, Y, and Z axes
• Comes with two, 2-ounce weights
• Solid, aluminum end caps

Pros

• Is actually a tick under 12 inches when the dampener and both weights are included in the length
• Crushes vibration from every angle
• Promotes a steady hold at full draw

Cons

• Expensive

A lot is going on in this 10-inch bar. It’s thin, it comes with 4 ounces of weight, the included dampener is one of the best on the market, and the bar is made from a unique mix of materials that do a great job of killing vibration while promoting rigid stabilization.

The Axcel Antler Ridge 10-inch hunting stabilizer is nearly 12 inches when both weights and the Kryptos Arc Dampener are added to the 10-inch bar. The bar is a combination of high-modulus carbon, which is super stiff, and flax, which is a natural fiber that acts like a vibration sponge. Its vibration-soaking properties are so well known that flax is used in all kinds of sporting gear, where reducing vibration is important, such as Formula 1. Axcel is the only company using flax in its stabilizers.

The Kryptos Arc Dampener would be an add-on for other stabilizers, but it comes with the Antler Ridge. Bow vibration at the shot is generated on the X, Y, and Z axes—horizontal, vertical, and depth. The Kryptos Arc is specially engineered to absorb vibration on each axis. Of all the stabilizers I tested, I felt the least amount of vibration in my hand with the Antler Ridge.

This is one of only a few bowhunting stabilizers that comes with 4 ounces of weights in the pack, which is a good amount for a 10-inch bar. Most hunting stabilizers come with 2 or 3 ounces of weights. You can usually add weights to any bar, but it’s nice when you don’t have to buy extra parts to make something work.

I picked a 10-inch bar as my best overall stabilizer because I believe it’s a length most bowhunters can work with. It’s definitely long enough to provide stabilization for any compound bow—especially since the total length of the Antler Ridge is basically 12 inches. (I discuss stabilizer length at the end of this article.) While I personally prefer a 15-inch front bar, I believe that’s a length a lot of bowhunters just won’t accept. And when I run a 15-inch front bar, I always have a side rod as part of my setup. The 10-inch Antler Ridge is perfect for having just the front rod and no side rod. 

Best Siderod Mount: Shrewd Atlas

Shrewd Archery

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Key Features

• Aluminum with stainless steel, anodized hardware to prevent rust
• Independent adjustments for horizontal and vertical positioning of the bar
• Tapered connection points so parts get tighter as the bolts are tightened
• Quick disconnect barrel included
• Laser-engraved connections allow user to get the bar in the same position time and again
• Weighs 3.8 ounces

Pros

• Fits tight to the riser to minimize side bulk
• Doesn’t add much weight to an overall bow setup
• When the bolts are all tightened, everything is locked in place
• Weather resistant

Cons

• Sometimes the horizontal and vertical adjustments fit so snugly, you have to tap them with something to separate them so you can change the bar position.

The Shrewd Atlas is the perfect combination of what bowhunters look for in a siderod mount: strength, lightweight, and security. Made in the USA, the Atlas is CNC-machined aluminum with anodized stainless steel hardware. That means it’s not going to rust like other mounts do.

What’s missing from the Atlas is the bulk that seems to come with most siderod mounts. It weighs almost nothing—just 3.8 ounces—and fits tight to the riser. That means it won’t catch on branches and brush while you’re stalking or clang off the stand when you’re in the tree.

The Atlas employs tapered parts that essentially wedge together by bolts to lock them in place. The more you tighten a bolt, the more you drive a wedge into its seat, which makes it fit tighter. You want to position your siderod how you want it horizontally and vertically, lock it in place, and never think about it again. The Atlas does that.

Laser etching on the horizontal and vertical adjustments enables you to mark where the rod is positioned on each axis, so you can get it right back where you want it if you have to remove it from your bow, or move it from one bow to another. Once you find perfection with siderod position, you don’t want to have to hunt for it again.

Best Combo Pack: Dead Center Dead Level Hunter Verge Lite Stabilizer Kit 12/9

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• Includes a 12-inch bar, 9-inch siderod, connection mount, and 6 ounces of weights
• Verge dampener end caps 
• Dampeners can be adjusted to sit perfectly vertical or horizontal, depending on preference for cutting wind
• The connection mount allows you to adjust the side rod up and down and left and right to position the weight where you want it

Pros

• Bars are super stiff
• Dampening qualities are good
• You get everything you need for a full setup in one pack
• The kit is less expensive than if you built a stabilizer/side rod setup by buying individual pieces

Cons

• A couple more weights for the side rod would have helped
• Even though it’s cost-effective, the sticker price will bulge some eyes

The Dead Center Dead Level Hunter Verge Lite Stabilizer Kit 12/9 is a one-stop package that has everything you need for a front-bar, side rod setup. It’s got a 12-inch bar for the front, a 9-inch bar for the side, and it’s got the mount you need to connect both bars to the bow, or just the side rod.

The bars are Dead Center’s best high-modulus carbon, so they are super stiff. The end caps are machined aluminum, which adds to the stability and rigidity of these bars. And each bar is topped with the Verge Dampener. It’s a ring of rubber surrounding a weighted centerpiece. At the shot, vibration hits the dampener, causing the weight to move around inside the rubber ring. That action soaks up the vibration, preventing most of it from getting to your hand. Set screws on the end of each rod allow you to position the dampeners perfectly vertical or horizontal once your bars are locked in place in the mount.

The mount can be used to attach both bars from the front, or you mount the front stabilizer by itself and then bolt the mount for the side rod to the back of the riser. If you mount both from the front, run the bolt on the long bar through the mounting bracket into the riser and then swivel the side rod connector to face backward.

The side rod connector pivots left and right and up and down so you can get the bar positioned precisely where you need it for the best balance. Once you lock it in place, it won’t budge. The two pieces you’re forcing together with the locking bolt are cone-shaped, so the more you drive in the bolt, the more you wedge those cones together. It’s super solid.

Six, 1-ounce weights are included in the kit for weighting and balancing the bars. I’d go 2 ounces out front and 4 ounces off the back, but you might find you need more to get the bow stable and balanced.

Best Single-Bar, Dual Purpose: Bee Stinger Microhex Counter Slide 15-Inch

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• Single bar that can be adjusted forward and back to imitate having both a front stabilizer and a side rod
• Bar is 15 inches long, which allows for a decent amount of adjustment forward and back
• Proprietary Countervail material inside stabilizer helps kill vibration
• Dovetail mount makes bar removal and installation simple for travel
• Five 1-ounce weights included

Pros

• It’s one bar that does the job of two
• Can be adjusted multiple ways to get it to sit where you want it
• Countervail is one of the industry’s best materials for killing vibration

Cons

• It does a fair job of imitating having two bars, but it’s not the same
• Having five 1-ounce weights in the pack is nice, but you’ll most likely need to buy more to get the balance right between front and back

The Bee Stinger Microhex Counter Slide is a thin, 15-inch bar that sits off the riser’s side, opposite your sight and quiver. Sitting there, the bar can offset the weight of those accessories.

From there, the unique mount allows you to slide the bar forward or back to adjust the distribution of weight. But it sort of mimics having a front stabilizer and a side rod. Given the length, you could adjust it so 8 inches stick out front and 7 inches extend backward. Then you add weights to each end to achieve the leverage you want. If the bow wants to tip forward, add more weight to the back, or slide the bar back. If it wants to tip up, add more weight to the front, or slide the bar forward.

The bar comes with the mount that connects it to the bow. It features a dovetail bar with a line of divots, which allows you to adjust how close to or far from the side of the riser the stabilizer sits. You can also pivot the riser mount up or down to pull the mount even closer to the riser if you want.

Bee Stinger’s Microhex bars are its narrowest, which makes them ideal for cutting through wind. And the Countervail material used inside the bars is very efficient at killing vibration. These bars transmit very little vibration back to the archer’s hand at the shot.

To be honest, I view dual-purpose bars like the Bee Stinger Microhex Counter Slide as a gateway stabilizer to a true front-rod/side rod setup. The Counter Slide does a fair job imitating the balancing effect of having two bars, but I believe it will convince you of the benefits of having both, and you’ll eventually pull the trigger on a two-bar rig.

Best Budget: Redline Rl-1 8-Inch

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• 8 inches
• Three, 1 ounce weights 
• Rubber dampener 
• Woven carbon bar

Pros

• Stiff carbon bar
• Quality dampener attacks vibration
• Three ounces of weights included
• Weight feels like it’s correctly placed for balance and vibration back to the shooter is minimal
• Costs under $60

Cons

• Vibrates a bit more than higher-end stabilizers

The Redline RL-1 8-inch stabilizer features a stiff carbon bar, a rubber dampener at the end of that bar, and three, 1-ounce weights. With the weights attached, the stabilizer is properly end-heavy. That is, the vast majority of the stabilizer’s overall weight is concentrated at the end. That’s especially critical when using a bar as short as 8 inches.

I chose an 8-inch bar for the “best budget stabilizer” because that’s the minimum length I believe stabilizers should be for most of today’s compound bows. (More on that at the end.) And the Redline RL-1 8-inch is the least expensive, 8-inch bar Lancaster Archery Supply carries. 

But it’s not just a cheap stabilizer. It does its job. It helps the archer hold the bow steadier at full draw than without it, and it kills some vibration at the shot. 

The Redline stabilizers do their job well, so much so, that we used the Redline RL Trio Back Bar and Stabilizer Kit to outfit bows during the 2023 compound bow test.

Best Short Bar: Shrewd Vantage 9-Inch

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• 7, 9, or 12-inch lengths
• Includes two 1 ounce weights
• Two dampeners 

Pros

• Short, thin and light
• Special tapered interior promotes rigidity without adding weight
• Two Hi-Lo dampers helps squash vibration 
• Long bolt allows many weights to be stacked to get the correct balance

Cons

• Only comes with two 1-ounce weights

Thin, light, lots of vibration dampening. For bowhunters concerned about having accessories stick out in front of their bows, the 9-inch Vantage is so slender and unassuming, it’s hard to argue that it’s “in the way.” Without any weights on it, the Vantage is incredibly light. Shrewd says that’s because of a unique tapered interior, which allows for a rigid, high-modulus carbon bar without any extra weight.

There are two Hi-Lo dampers on the Vantage. (Damper is a term often used to describe a rubber device designed to suppress vibration. It’s often used interchangeably with “dampener.”) The Hi-Lo dampers are designed to attack high-frequency and low-frequency vibration. Think of the difference as big, heavy vibration—low frequency—and smaller, lighter vibration—high frequency. A bow produces both, so Shrewd designed dampers to attack both. There’s no doubt the Vantage does a good job killing vibration with just 9 inches to its length.

The Vantage 9-inch comes with two, 1-ounce weights that are added to the stabilizer between the bar and the end Hi-Lo damper. This allows the end damper to serve as a rubber protection for the end of the stabilizer. The long bolt that connects the damper to the bar allows for many weights to be stacked, if you need them to get the right feel for your stabilizer.

But even with just the two ounces of included weight, the 9-inch Vantage does a good job helping stabilize the bow at full draw. The bar is so thin and so light it’s hard to imagine bowhunters fearful of stabilizers “getting in the way” thinking the Vantage is a cumbersome accessory. 

Best Micro Diameter Hunting Rod: Conquest Control Freak With SMAC .500

P.J. Riley

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Key Features

• Carbon bar with aluminum end caps
• 1/2-inch diameter cuts through the wind
• Utilizes SMACWRAP, which is a proprietary material for vibration dampening
• Ultralight bar
• Includes three 1-ounce weights

Pros

• SMACWRAP is one of the best vibration-dampening materials on the market
• When a stabilizer is super light, you can use less weight on the ends for balance because you don’t have to offset the weight of a heavier bar
• The microdiameter rod cuts through the wind better than fatter rods

Cons

• If you care about such things, the graphics are a little odd

The Conquest Control Freak With SMAC .500 is a half-inch wide stabilizer that’s built for performing in the wind. You won’t find a stabilizer thinner than a 1/2 inch on the market, so this hunting rod cuts through the wind the best. However, other 1/2-inch stabilizers employ weights significantly larger in diameter than the rod—especially if you use a big stack of weights. The Control Freak’s weights are only slightly larger than the rod, which minimizes wind drag.

Another benefit of skinny bars is they weigh less than fat ones. When a stabilizer bar weighs less, the effect of adding weights to the end is more noticeable. When you can feel the weights more, you can use less to achieve balance. And what bowhunter doesn’t prefer a light rig over a heavy one?

SMACWRAP is a proprietary material used in a variety of products for vibration dampening, including golf clubs. Conquest decided to put it inside some of its stabilizers, and it does a great job of killing vibration. Vibration in a bow does two things. It creates hand shock and noise. Noise, of course, is bad for bowhunting. And hand shock can make a bow unpleasant to shoot. Certainly, when you kill vibration, a bow is nicer to shoot, which will help you focus more on where the arrow should hit, rather than the hump your hand will feel.

The Control Freak With SMAC .500 comes in lengths of 6, 8, 10, 12, and 15 inches, and they can be used as front rods and as siderods.

Best Stabilizer for a New Mathews Bow: 12-inch Mathews Bridge-Lock Stabilizer

Mathews

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Key Features

• Mounts directly into Bridge-Lock risers, so the connection is more rigid
• Length is adjustable in half-inch increments
• Threadless, stackable weights
• Super skinny bar with holes throughout its length
• Harmonic dampener in the end cap

Pros

• The connection point is much more rigid than traditional stabilizers
• Adjustable length allows you to customize its fit
• Kills vibration and is super quiet
• InterLink Weight system eliminates the need for threaded rods

Cons

• Currently can only be used on Mathews Phase 4 bows
• Expensive

Mathews introduced the 12-inch Bridge-Lock Stabilizer in 2022 as a new stabilizer system for the Mathews Phase 4 bows. Presumably, this stabilizer will be usable in Mathews hunting bows in the future, as Bridge-Lock technology is incorporated into new offerings from Mathews. Despite the fact that it’s only good for two bows at present, it’s a solid, well-built stabilizer.

The bar is designed to slide into a Bridge-Lock receiver cut into the risers of the Mathews Phase 4 bows. It’s locked in place with a wing knob. Sliding the bar into the riser makes the connection point much more rigid than when a stabilizer gets screwed into a bushing under the grip.

Also, with this design, the 12-inch bar can be made shorter in 1/2-inch increments simply by pushing the bar deeper into the riser. So you can extend it to 12 inches for those long shots on the open prairie, or pull it in to 8 inches when it’s time to stalk through the thick stuff.

The bar is super skinny and has holes cut through its length. It imitates the geogrid design of the Mathews risers. So not only does the stabilizer match the bow, but those holes will allow wind to blow through it, making this stabilizer a great choice if you hunt in the wind.

For this stabilizer, Mathews developed a new weight system where weights can be linked together to create a weight stack held in place by an end cap secured with a single set screw. No threaded rods needed. And that end cap has a harmonic dampener built into it to soak up any vibration from the bow.

Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Bow Stabilizer

Why You Need a Stabilizer 

A stabilizer is intended for two purposes—to help you hold a bow steady and to help kill vibration at the shot. A stabilizer helps you hold a bow steady by adding weight to the bow below your hand, and by resisting hand torque. A great, albeit exaggerated, example of how it resists torque is to think about holding a dust brush and a full-length broom out in front of you with your arm extended. It’s easy to move the dust brush side to side because it’s short and it’s light. But the broom is going to resist that sideways motion because of its length and the heft at the very end.

Stabilizer Length

Again, that’s an exaggerated example of what a stabilizer does, but it paints a general picture of the principle. And it demonstrates why target archers typically use 28 to 36-inch front stabilizers that can carry more than 25 ounces at the very end. Bowhunters don’t need to go that far. Such a stabilizer would be cumbersome in the woods.

But what bowhunters need to know is that a “stabilizer” offers no stabilization at all until it extends beyond the limb pockets. And with the way many of the best compound bow risers today are reflexed back toward the archer, the stabilizer bushing might sit 4 or 5 inches behind those pockets. That means you don’t get any stabilization at all from a stabilizer 6 inches or less. 

On most bows, an 8-inch stabilizer would be the minimum length needed for a stabilizer to be fully functional. Ten- and 12-inch bars would be even better. Whenever I encounter a bowhunter who balks at the thought of a 12-inch stabilizer because it “sticks out too far,” I have them nock an arrow. No 12-inch stabilizer sticks out as far as a 27-30-inch arrow. The point being, if you think a 10-inch stabilizer is going to get in the way at some point during a hunt, your arrow will be an even bigger problem.

Weights

The good news is that the longer the bar, the less weight you need on that bar. On my setup, I only have 3 ounces on the end of my 15-inch stabilizer. If I went to an 8-inch bar, I’d have to bump that weight up to about 10-12 ounces in search of comparable stability. 

Side Rods

However, as the front stabilizer gets longer, the need for a sideroad increases to balance the bow. A long front bar with even just a little weight at the end will cause a bow to want to tip forward. A side rod adds weight behind the bow to counteract that forward tipping. Twelve inches with just a couple ounces of weight at the end is about as long and heavy as I’d go with a front bar before adding a side rod. 

FAQs

Final Thoughts

When used correctly, the best bow stabilizers can make a decent archer a decent and consistent archer. They’ll help you hold steady and feel comfortable at the shot. When you’re comfortable, you’re relaxed. When you’re relaxed, you can drive tacks. Don’t just think of stabilizers as something to put in the bushing under the grip. They’re designed for a purpose. Take the time to figure out how they can make you a better archer.

The post The Best Bow Stabilizers of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Overall		Axcel Landslyde	SEE IT
Best Rangefinding		Garmin Xero A1i Pro	SEE IT
Best Lightweight		CBE TEK-5	SEE IT

Bow sights today are more advanced and feature laden than at any other time in history. I remember in the early 1990s when the big advancement was the change from metal pins with painted balls on the tips to pins that had colored plastic cylinders at the ends. Those were game changers back in the day.

Today’s bowhunters can choose sights with fixed or movable pins, sights with digital sight tapes, sights with built-in rangefinders and electronic readout screens, and on and on. The options are nearly limitless.

What hasn’t changed, however, is the fact that a good sight won’t make up for lack of shooting skill or a lousy bow tune. A bow sight is a tool that functions best in the hands of a skilled worker. The better you become at archery, the better a good sight can help you move closer to perfection.

But not everyone is at the same point on that road to perfection, and so different people have different needs and capabilities. Not everyone needs the most expensive, most advanced bow sight. And that’s where the market has responded. Wherever you are in your archery journey, there’s a best bow sight for you.

• Best Overall: Axcel Landslyde 5-pin
• Best Rangefinding Sight: Garmin Xero A1i Pro
• Best Single Pin: Black Gold Pro Dual Trac
• Best Budget: Redline RL4
• Best Lightweight: CBE CX-5
• Most Unique Looking: Dialed ARXOS
• Best Aftermarket Hunting Scope: UltraView UV3XL Hunting Scope
• HHA Tetra Ryz

The Best Bow Sights: Reviews and Recommendations

Best Overall: Axcel Landslyde 5-pin

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• Five fixed pins mounted on a movable vertical post
• Two sight tape indicators can be set to mark the top and bottom pins
• Movable rheostat
• Long lengths of high-quality fiber optic
• Adjustable on both second and third axes

Pros

• Offers the best of both worlds – fixed pins that can be adjusted on the fly
• Built like a tank
• Super bright pins that can be quieted in bright sun
• Comes with metal sight tapes

Cons

• Expensive
• Can be hard to find due to high demand

The Axcel Landslyde five-pin sight is the ultimate bowhunting sight. It offers the quick aiming of five-fixed-pins sight, and the adjustable precision of a sliding, single-pin sight. So if you’ve got your five pins set at 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards, you’ve got fixed aiming references if your target buck comes racing in to 20 yards, but then scoots out to 35 after you’ve come to full draw, but before you could shoot. Stay at full draw, and simply move to the gap between your 30- and 40-yard pins.

On the other hand, if you’ve got the time, you can dial your sight to the exact yardage that buck is standing at so you can paste a pin to the spot you want to hit. No gap shooting if you don’t want to gap shoot.

The micro-adjust system for moving each individual pin is ingenious and it takes minutes to sight in your bow. Each pin is held in place by a locking screw. Underneath the pin stack is a dial. You unlock one pin and turn the dial, and then only that pin moves up or down. You are able to make tiny adjustments with the dial, so you can get each pin in exactly the right place. Once a pin is set, tighten the locking screw, and it won’t budge.

When you get the Landslyde in your hands, it’s easy to understand why it’s fairly expensive. You can feel the quality. The pins are bladed, so they won’t bend. The fiber optic is incredibly bright in even the dimmest light. And if it happens to be super bright outside and your pin is starbursting, you can slide the rheostat to cover up some of the fiber, which dulls the pin and eliminates the starburst.

Every sight comes with a good selection of metal and coated paper sight tapes. Odds are, one will work for your setup. If you can get a metal tape to work, you don’t ever have to worry about it getting wet or tearing. With the dual indicators, you can set the top arrow to mark your top pin and the bottom to match your bottom pin. That way, you can use your top pin as a single pin sight from 0-60 yards, and your bottom pin for aiming at anything beyond 60 yards.

We’ve chosen the five-pin sight as the best, but Axcel offers the Landslyde in three-pin and single-pin configurations. You choose what you prefer. You can also choose between versions where the sight bar mounts directly to the riser, or which slides through a mounting block so you can easily adjust how close to or far from the riser the scope sits.

Best Rangefinding Sight: Garmin Xero A1i Pro

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• Operated by the touch of a button attached to the bow’s grip
• Can be set to account for multiple arrow setups
• Choose red or green aiming dot
• Choose single dot that appears at a ranged distance, or a stack of preset dots similar to a fixed-pin sight
• Micro-adjust windage, elevation, and scope pitch
• Quick disconnect cord so sight can be removed from the bow for travel

Pros

• Incorporates rangefinding and aiming into one action
• With the push of a button, puts an aiming dot precisely on your target
• Can be preset to account for a light arrow and a heavy arrow
• Instructions for setup are built into the menu

Cons

• Can be intimidating to bowhunters not comfortable with advanced technology
• Very expensive

The Garmin Xero A1i Pro is a bow sight that also functions as a rangefinder. It can be set to that when you press a button attached to the front of the bow grip to range a target, the distance will appear in a display, and an illuminated dot will appear on a screen in the scope housing at the exact spot where it would need to be to aim dead-on at that target. Or it can be set with a series of fixed aiming references set at 10-yard intervals and pressing the rangefinding button simply displays the distance to the target.

The Pro is the newest version of the Xero A1i, and includes micro-adjust capabilities for elevation, windage, and the pitch and yaw of the scope. The pitch and yaw ensure the display screen in the scope is perfectly flat to the user’s eye. That’s key for accurate rangefinding.

Setup for the Xero A1i Pro does take several steps, but you’re guided through those steps by on-screen directions. Follow those directions, and setup is not difficult.

The customization this sight affords is unparalleled. Besides choosing between single-pin or multi-pin aiming, you can choose the pin colors, set up an on-screen digital level if you want, and set the sight to account for normal or extended-range shooting, among other options. You can even set the sight to adjust for different arrow profiles.

You can read the full Garmin Xero A1i Pro review here.

Best Single Pin: Black Gold Pro Dual Trac

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• Pin Size: .019
• Housing size: 1 3/4″
• Weight: 9.4oz
• Adjustment wheel
• Includes a second, lower aiming reference that can be adjusted up or down
• Dual indicators on sight wheel match each aiming reference
• Solid gear system with zero slop
• Pin fiber is protected under a clear plastic cover for maximum light gathering with maximum protection
• Dovetail mount allows the sight to be removed for transportation and is Bridge-Lock compatible

Pros

• Can set the aiming pin fast and easy
• Separately adjustable lower pin
• Lots of fiber to light up the pin at prime time
• Skinny, bladed pins to minimize target blocking

Cons

• Vertical bar could be longer to allow for longer shooting

The Black Gold Pro Dual Trac Dovetail Sight is a solid, but lightweight sight at just 9.4 ounces, making it a solid choice for bowhunters looking to minimize bow weight, but who still want a sight with all the bells and whistles. At its core, this is an adjustable, single-pin sight. You set up a sight tape, range your target and move your sight pin to the desired distance.

However, Black Gold has added a second pin under the main pin, and that second pin is individually adjustable. On many sights that offer a second pin like this, it’s fixed, and you have to figure out the distance it’s set for as you move your main pin. On this sight, you set your main pin, and then you can adjust the second pin up or down to a distance that suits you. Two sight-tape indicators are adjustable so you can set them to match each pin. And those pins are bladed for strength, yet super skinny to the shooter’s eye to minimize how much the pins cover your target. 

The dovetail bar allows you to slide the scope closer to or farther from the riser so you can get your sight picture the way you want. Also, the dovetail is sized to work with any bow (currently only newer Mathews bows) featuring the Bridge-Lock sight mounting system.

Windage and elevation adjustments used for setup are both micro-adjustable. The fiber for each pin is housed inside a clear plastic container located on top of the scope for maximum light-gathering, yet keeping the fiber safe from the elements. Included in the pack are 54 stick-on sight tapes. With that many offerings, there’s likely one in the pack that will match your bow and arrow setup.

Best Budget: Redline RL4

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• Tool-free locking adjustment knobs
• Precision click windage and elevation adjustments
• Lightweight
• Four fixed pins with lots of fiber
• Multiple mounting points
• Built-in level

Pros

• Costs under $75
• Solid construction
• It can be leveled on the second and third axes
• Light included

Cons

• Pins aren’t the brightest in low light
• Pins are thin wire, which could bend if a stick gets inside the scope

The Redline RL4 includes a lot of features bowhunters look for in a high-end sight, but it costs less than $75. It’s a four-pin sight with micro-adjust click dials for windage and elevation. And those adjustment dials can be locked and unlocked without using any tools. Hand-tighten knobs keep them secure.

The pins are made of thin wire, but keep debris out of the scope and you’ll be fine. Each pin has a good amount of fiber that’s all stored in a clear plastic case mounted to the top of the scope for optimum light gathering, while the fiber is also protected. In normal lighting situations, the pins glow nicely.

This sight can be adjusted to level it on the second and third axes, which is unusual for a sight in this price range. So bowhunters can rest assured that when the bubble is in the middle of the level, the sight truly is level.

Four sets of pre-drilled holes in the sight arm allow for attaching the sight to the bow, so the scope sits at different distances from the riser. This allows some customization in getting the sight picture through the peep the way you want it.

Best Lightweight Sight: CBE CX-5

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• High modulus carbon bar is ultralight but ultra strong
• Five bladed pins
• Dovetail mount so you can easily move the scope in and out from the riser
• 12 inches of fiber per pin, and the fiber is protected in a clear plastic case on top of the scope
• Lockable, micro-adjust towers for windage and elevation

Pros

• Very light and still feature loaded
• Pins are super bright and super strong
• Can be leveled on the second and third axes
• Comes with interchangeable, fluorescent scope rings—green, red, yellow and grey

Cons

• Five pins, but only two colors—red and green

The CBE CX-5 is built for the hunter concerned about overall bow weight, but who still wants a sight that has all the features of the most advanced sights. Weighing just 9 ounces, the CX-5 is a five-pin sight that has a foot of fiber for each pin, a built-in level, micro-adjust drive systems for windage and elevation, and is adjustable on the second and third axes.

The sight features a 3-inch dovetail bar with four locking positions for moving the sight in and out of the mounting block that’s attached to the bow. This allows the user to fine-tune the scope distance from the riser to get the best sight picture through the peep.

On top of the scope, there’s a clear plastic case that houses all the pin fiber. The clear plastic allows light to get to each fiber strand, so they can light up the pin ends, but it also protects the fiber from tree branches, brush, and other outside elements which could break the fiber. Included with the sight is a blue light that attaches to the fiber case, in case artificial light is needed in low-light conditions.

Despite weighing only 9 ounces, the CX-5 is built strong. The carbon bar that cuts weight in super stiff and will not bend. To get the bladed pins to bend, something catastrophic would have to happen. The usual stick running through the scope isn’t going to affect these pins. CBE cut weight from a high-end bow sight, without stripping features or sacrificing strength.

Most Unique Looking: Dialed ARXOS

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• Adjustable, single pin sight which includes a second aiming reference below the main one, on the same sight post
• Two yardage pointers, which can be individually set for each sight pin on the adjustment wheel
• Twenty-degree angled vertical bar allows for greater shooting distance as compared to a straight vertical bar
• The Void Dial is a large wheel that’s turned to raise the scope in setting the shooting distance. Inside the wheel is nothing, leaving a big hole in the sight
• Scope level is mounted to the top of the scope to offer a greater field of view at the bottom
• Cerakote finish in black, brown (Earth), olive (Sage) or gray (Smoke)

Pros

• Solid, heavy-duty sight that can take a beating
• Dual aiming points extend the sight’s range
• Angled vertical bar extends the sight’s range

Cons

• Expensive
• Angled bar does extend the sight’s range, but not as much as you might think

The ARXOS sight by Dialed Archery is an eye-grabber. With its slanted vertical bar, the giant hole in it when viewed from the side and the cool matte colors, the ARXOS just doesn’t look like other compound bow sights.

The Dialed ARXOS is an adjustable, single-pin sight that offers a second, lower aiming reference on the sight post. So when you max out the sight’s distance, you can switch to the lower aiming point to gain yardage.

The 20-degree angle in the bar brings the scope closer to your eye as you lower it for longer distances. That move extends the sight’s range, as compared to a straight vertical bar. The horizontal distance between the lower and upper ends of the bar is not that great, and so many users are estimating they are getting about 5-10 more yards because of the angle. Just know that going in, as some hunters have thought they’d gain a lot more distance.

The Void Dial is the large wheel that’s turned to adjust the scope up and down. Dialed decided just to leave the inside of the wheel blank, which creates a unique look for this sight. They provide sight tapes, which stick to the sight tape ring. The ring features two adjustable indicator pins that can be individually set for each aiming reference. So when you adjust the scope, you’ll know exactly how far to shoot using the top pin and the lower pin.

The ARXOS sight, with its Cerakote finish, is built for backcountry hunting and Total Archery Challenge abuse. It’s sturdy and can take a beating.

Best Aftermarket Hunting Scope: UltraView UV3XL Hunting Scope

UltraView

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Key Features

• 41mm scope housing allows for large field of view favored by bowhunters and 3D shooters
• Cartridge system allows for swapping between one and two pins, no pins and lenses
• Five internal LEDs for pin and/or level illumination
• Two batteries installed, plus two more included with the scope
• Attaches to any sight that accepts 10-32 rods

Pros

• Allows for multiple scope setups with one housing
• Provides optimum sight picture for bowhunting and 3D shooting
• Can be added to many sights on the market

Cons

• Useless without a sight body
• Expensive

Customization is the name of the game in archery today, and so many bowhunters aren’t satisfied with the standard scopes that come on various bowhunting sights. The UV3XL is a scope that can be added to many adjustable sights on the market, including ones made by Spot Hogg, Axcel, and HHA. The scope features one or two aiming references, a level, and a built-in light for illuminating the aiming pin and level, or either one individually.

It’s based around a 41mm scope housing, which is optimally sized for bowhunting in that it provides for a good field of view and light transmission to the shooter’s eye.

The scope has an aluminum body, which can then receive various cartridge inserts. The cartridges allow the shooter to choose between single or double-pin aiming references, a lens with a drilled center for a stick fiber, or a lens with a dot that glows when illuminated. All the cartridges feature baffling that reduces glare. The point being you pick how you want to aim.

The front of the scope comes with a light cartridge with 5 LEDs for illuminating your aiming reference and sight level. Two CR 2025 batteries power the light.

Essentially, the UV3XL provides the best sight picture possible for your bowhunting rig. Where typical hunting sights provide a better overall sight experience, the UV3XL focuses exclusively on sight picture issues.

HHA Tetra Ryz

P.J. Reilly

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Key Features

• Big ergonomic wheel for adjusting the pin
• Includes a second, lower aiming reference useful for long-distance shooting and/or if an animal moves farther away after you come to full draw
• Dual indicators on sight wheel match each aiming reference
• Solid gear system with zero slop for precision dialing
• Rheostat scope cover allows for adjusting pin brightness
• Comes in direct mount or removable dovetail versions

Pros

• Can set the aiming pin fast and easy
• Second-axis adjustment screws are separate from the scope mounting screws
• Lots of fiber to light up the pin at prime time
• Aiming references are different colors

Cons

• Rheostat is not the simplest to adjust
• Paper sight tapes

The HHA Tetra Ryz is an adjustable single-pin sight that includes a second aiming dot at the base of the pin. That second aiming dot allows for extended range shooting. Two markers on the adjustable sight wheel are perfectly spaced to indicate the distance each aiming reference is set at as the sight is adjusted up and down.

The Ryz carries over all the features that made the 2021 version of the HHA Tetra so popular among bowhunters. It’s got a big wheel that turns easily and quickly to set the pin to the desired shooting distance. Turning the wheel drives the scope up and down on a vertical bar. Precision gears in the wheel mechanism mean there’s no wiggle as you zero in on the desired distance. When the sight-tape indicator hits the number you want, it sticks there.

Quality fiber optic that wraps several times around the scope housing has ample surface area to capture maximum light so hunters can see the two aiming dots in low light when hunting often is best. A movable rheostat allows the hunter to control the light transmitted by the fiber in bright light.

Included with each sight are more than 50 sight tapes, which should mean there’s a tape for just about any hunter’s setup. The tapes are simply to apply to the wheel, and they’re easy to read.

Like all HHA Tetras, the Ryz allows for leveling the sight on both the second and third axes. Versions are available where the sight bar can be mounted directly to the riser, or you can mount a block to the riser, which receives a dovetail bar that can be set at different distances from the riser, and can be removed during transport in a case.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Bow Sight

Pin Size

Bow sight pins come in a variety of sizes, but the three most common you’ll encounter are .010, .019, and .029 inches. The smaller the pin, the more precise you can be in aiming. That can be important, especially if you plan to shoot long range. A .029 pin is nice for aiming at a deer 15 yards away, but back up to 70, and that pin is likely to cover half the animal’s body.

However, the smaller the pin, the less light it is able to transmit. So if you’re a tree stand hunter under a heavy canopy, a .010 pin will go dark as prime time arrives in the evening substantially before a .029 pin. As you get older, those smaller pins go dark even sooner.

Think about your age, your eyesight and what you need and want to see while aiming when you choose the size of the pins in your sight.

Fiber Length and Exposure

When you look through a sight and see glowing red, orange, green and/or yellow dots at the sight pin heads, the glowing is thanks to fiber optic. The fiber optic used in bowsights is a thin strand of plastic. Anywhere that fiber is exposed to light, it is gathering light. Any light it gathers is transmitted to the end of the pin, which is what bowhunters use to aim.

The longer the fiber is, and the more that fiber is exposed to light, the more light it can gather. The shorter it is, the less light it will gather. So in low light – prime hunting time – a pin with lots of exposed fiber will be more visible that a pin with a shorter fiber, or fiber that has more length covered.

If most of your hunting is spot and stalk on the open prairie, fiber length is not a huge deal. But if you’re going to be hunting in the timber, having a sight with lots of fiber is critical.

Leveling

As bowhunters, we chase game over uneven terrain, whether we’re aiming down from a tree stand or shooting across the side of a mountain. If your sight isn’t level to the Earth, then you can have problems with arrows hitting left or right of where you want them.

So getting a sight that allows you to level it on the second and third axes ensures that when you check your sight to get the bubble in the scope level into the middle while aiming, you know the sight truly is level. Leveling on the second axis involves pivoting the scope head up and down while the base is pinned to the sight bar. Leveling on the third axis involves pivoting the scope head like it’s a swinging door moving toward or away from the sight bar.

Not all sights include these leveling features. That’s ok, so long as you understand what you’re sacrificing. When you aim down from a tree stand, for example, you will have no way of knowing if the sight’s third axis is level, and so your arrow might impact left or right of where you’re aiming if it’s not level.

If you want to be confident the sight is true when you take aim, choose one that allows you the level the second and third axes.

FAQs

Final Thoughts on the Best Bow Sights

Choosing the right sight for your bow is a critical piece to the accuracy puzzle. It is the last thing you’re looking through before an arrow is released, and often is the difference between filling a tag and going home with a sad story. But a sight can’t make up for poor shooting form or a bad bow tune. Work on those before diving into a high-end sight. When you get your shot and your tuning right, then one of the best bow sights can be just what’s needed to make you the most accurate bowhunter possible.

• Best Overall: Axcel Landslyde 5-pin
• Best Rangefinding Sight: Garmin Xero A1i Pro
• Best Single Pin: Black Gold Pro Dual Trac
• Best Budget: Redline RL4
• Best Lightweight: CBE CX-5
• HHA Tetra Ryz

The post The Best Bow Sights of 2023, Tested and Reviewed appeared first on Outdoor Life.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best Index Finger		Scott S2	SEE IT
Best Budget Index		Scott Little Goose II	SEE IT
Most Versatile		TruBall Goat	SEE IT

For bowhunters, no piece of gear is more personalized than release aids. Everyone has their favorite style, which they set their favorite way, and it’s pretty hard to find two bowhunters who like the exact same release, set up the exact same way. 

Heavy trigger, light trigger, no travel, some travel, thumb trigger, hinge, index finger, wrist strap, no wrist strap, and the options go on. That’s probably why Lancaster Archery Supply has 389 different release aids on their site. While which of those nearly 400 options you choose depends largely on personal preference, some releases are objectively better than others. For my picks for the best releases of 2023, I broke down the market into six of the most basic categories that will likely be relevant to bowhunters. I then chose my picks for the best bow releases for those categories based on my experience shooting nearly all the release aids on the market. 

• Best Index Finger: Scott S2
• Best Practice Release: Stan Onnex Resistance
• Best Budget Index: Scott Little Goose II
• Best Hunting Thumb Trigger: Ultraview Button
• Best Hunting Hinge: Ultraview Hinge 2
• Most Versatile: TruBall Goat
• Best Budget Hand-Held: Booster Ignite
• Carter Like Mike II

How I Chose the Best Bow Releases 

You will notice there is no “Best Overall Release.” That’s in deference to the bowhunting community, because there are two primary camps in the release market—index finger and hand-held. If you’re a bowhunter who uses an index-finger release, you don’t like hand-helds. And if you’re a bowhunter who uses a hand-held release—thumb trigger or a hinge—you don’t like index finger releases. So to pick a “Best Overall Release,” I’d have to pick a camp, and that’s just not right, because neither style is better than the other. Whichever works for you is what’s “best.” 

When choosing the release aids for this article I wanted to include selections that any archer would appreciate. As a Lancaster Archery Supply employee I have dozens of archery releases at my disposal. I’ve shot most of them and through that process I’ve found the releases that are easy to use, comfortable, and accurate. My final selections all have those qualities.

Best Release Aids: Reviews and Recommendations

Best Index Finger: Scott S2

Scott Archery

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Key Features

• Dual sears for consistency
• Open hook for fast connection to the string
• Separate micro-adjustments for tension and travel
• Infinite adjust web strap connecting wrist strap to release head
• Padded leather wrist strap

Pros

• The dual sears mean the feel of the release doesn’t change from shot to shot or bow to bow
• Can be set light or heavy with some or no travel
• The open hook is ideal for fast hookups when bowhunting
• Comfortable wrist strap

Cons

• Among index finger releases carried by Lancaster Archery Supply, it’s the second-most expensive

The Scott S2 is a wrist strap connected, index-finger release. Unlike most releases of this type, which are either spring loaded or cocked by pushing the trigger forward, the S2 has a separate cocking mechanism, which means it has dual sears. The benefit of dual sears is consistency from shot to shot and bow to bow.

The trigger on most index finger releases feels one way in your hand and then totally different on the bowstring at full draw. The draw weight of the bow affects the feel of the trigger. With the dual sears, the S2 feels and functions the same on every shot on every bow. Dual-sear releases are the most consistent trigger releases but are rare among index-finger releases.

The hook on the S2 is open, which means only one moving jaw. And it means hookups to the D-loop are fast and easy. You can feel your way into the loop rather than having to look at the release to watch two jaws close around the loop.

Micro-adjust screws provide individual adjustments for trigger tension and travel, so you can get this release activated the way you want. Similarly, the web strap connecting the wrist strap to the release head is infinitely adjustable, so you can get the head to sit exactly where you want in relation to your wrist.

The padded leather buckle strap is comfortable on your wrist, whether you’re walking around or at full draw.

Best Practice Release: Stan Onnex Resistance

Stan Release Aids

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Key Features

• It’s set to be heavier than your bow’s holding weight
• Thumb barrel is a safety to keep it from firing
• Comfortable handle
• Built on the same handle as the Onnex Hinge and Onnex Thumb Trigger so you can switch among all release types and keep the same feel
• Open hook design with flexible string keeper that prevents release from falling off D-loop

Pros

• Excellent tool for combatting target panic
• It can be set as heavy or light as you want
• Thumb-barrel safety is ideally located for comfortable drawing

Cons

• Unless you really feel comfortable with it, it’s not ideal for some to use bowhunting
• Until you get comfortable with it, it can be scary to use

The Onnex Resistance is a release every compound archer and bowhunter should own because it teaches you how to pull through a release rather than punch a release. You can’t punch it because there is no trigger.

The Stan Onnex Resistance is a unique type of handheld release that uses resistance as its trigger. So there is no actual trigger on this release. Instead, the archer turns a screw in the handle to set the firing mechanism heavier than a bow’s holding weight. You draw back while gripping the thumb barrel, which is the release’s safety that keeps it from firing. At full draw, you take your thumb off the barrel, and pull back on the release until the resistance increases to the amount you’ve set it for, and the release then fires.

This type of release forces the archer to just keep pulling through each shot, and that’s the only way to get the release to fire. So those fighting target panic can work through the panic by keeping the pin on target and simply pulling on the handle until the release fires. That action often kills the anxiety created by trying to punch a trigger when the sight pin approaches the aiming spot.

No matter what you do with compound archery, this is a key release to have for practice sessions. Any time you feel anxious while shooting, pick up the Onnex Resistance and spend some time with it to quash the panic feelings. 

There’s no reason you can’t use this release for hunting. Still, because it activates when a certain amount of resistance is reached, it’s possible to get to that resistance level faster than normal in tense situations. Like when you’re taking aim at a trophy animal. If that happens, the release might fire before you’re ready. It also might be more difficult to fire under pressure. But this release is a great training tool when you’re calm on the range.

Best Budget Index: Scott Little Goose II

Scott Archery

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Key Features

• Push the trigger forward and a single jaw closes against a fixed post to capture the D-loop
• Jaw flies open when sufficient trigger tension is applied
• Head barrel has multiple holes for adjusting distance between release head and wrist strap
• Head barrel swivels to prevent string torque
• Padded leather wrist strap

Pros

• Costs less than $75
• Single moving jaw promotes consistent releases
• Adjustable head
• Acts on a sear, as opposed to a spring, which creates the cleanest releases
• Comfortable strap

Cons

• With this type of release, the trigger feel changes as you change the bow’s draw weight. The lighter the draw, the lighter the trigger feels. The heavier the draw, the heavier the trigger feels.

The Scott Little Goose II is the latest version of Scott Archery’s best-selling Little Goose release. It’s been around seemingly forever because it’s affordable, well made, and reliable. This is not the least expensive index finger release, but this is the best “budget” release because it offers the best value for what you pay. And what you pay is less than $75.

For that price, you get a release that operates off a sear, versus a spring. What that means is, you pull the trigger, which is holding a metal moon in place that keeps the single jaw closed and your D-loop contained. When the edge of the back end of the trigger clears the edge of the moon, the jaw flies open. You get a clean, consistent release every time, as compared to a spring-loaded release, where the jaws open and close as you pull and release the trigger.

That single jaw also promotes a consistent release. The jaw holds the D-loop at full draw, but when you activate the trigger, the loop slides across the straight, fixed-position post opposite the jaw. When two jaws move, it’s possible they move differently from shot to shot, which can cause the D-loop to come out differently.

As I mentioned, the Little Goose II is a release where the trigger tension needed to activate the release changes as the bow’s draw weight changes. So it’s light when the draw weight is light, and it gets heavier as the draw weight increases. But that doesn’t mean the trigger is heavy at 70 pounds. It’s still pretty light. It’s just heavier than if the draw weight is 40 pounds. The only adjustment in the Little Goose II is trigger travel.

Best Wrist Strap Thumb Release: B3 Exit Hunter

B3

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Key Features

• Thumb trigger release connected to wrist strap
• Open hook
• Infinitely adjustable web strap connecting release to the wrist
• Large thumb barrel
• Comfortable, three-finger handle

Pros

• You get the wrist strap with the release
• Simple to cock
• Open hook allows for fast connection to the D-loop
• Available in Cerakote finish which is strong and has no glare

Cons

• Release settings for trigger travel and tension are fixed and cannot be adjusted

More and more bowhunters recognize the benefits of drawing a bow with a handheld release connected to a wrist strap. Not many manufacturers offer a release-and-wrist-strap combo. Bowhunters have to buy extra parts to piece together their own. This is a combo package, and it’s a good one by a solid manufacturer.

The B3 Exit Hunter Thumb Release is a handheld, thumb-trigger release that comes with a wrist strap. Many bowhunters today choose thumb-trigger releases because they like how they draw, hold, and fire, compared to index-finger releases. And as they choose these handheld releases, they are adding wrist straps because of the aid they offer in drawing heavy draw-weight bows.

When you draw a bow with a handheld release alone, all the weight of the bow is put on your hand. When you connect that release to a wrist strap, you add your arm to the drawing process, and it makes the draw easier. It also makes it easier to hold the bow at full draw for extended periods.

A web strap connecting the release to the wrist strap is infinitely adjustable, so you can get the distance between the two exactly right for your shooting style. Also, you can remove the wrist strap if you want.

The Exit Hunter is available in an anodized finish or Cerakote. The Cerakote is a super-hard ceramic coating that can stand up to the abuse bowhunters are sure to inflict.

In the name of keeping things simple, the release cannot be adjusted for trigger tension or travel. But the folks at B3 have been around the industry for a long time, and the Exit Hunter is set basically with no travel, and it requires a little bit of pressure to fire. So it’s not scary light, nor is it too heavy.

Similarly simple, to cock the release, you simply have to press on the open hook. There’s no fumbling to try to find a separate cocking button.

Best Hunting Thumb Trigger: UltraView Button

UltraView

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Key Features

• Thumb-activated trigger
• Handle shape based off measurements of hundreds of archers’ hands
• Heavy stainless steel or light aluminum construction
• Wrist strap connection built into finger extension
• Spring clip captures D-loop so release stays put when connected
• Internal “Ultraglide” system minimizes metal-to-metal contact

Pros

• Arguably the most comfortable handle on the market, which precisely matches my pick for best hinge
• Big thumb barrel made to promote traction
• Wide range of adjustments
• Can be connected to a wrist strap
• Can be hung from a D-loop
• Releases the string crisply

Cons

• Expensive
• Currently only available in medium size

This release was just introduced in 2022, and you might be so you’re wondering, how can it be considered the best bowhunting thumb trigger when it’s just been around for one hunting season. That’s a valid question, but after spending a year with one, I think it’s a winner.

The UltraView Button is the culmination of years of meticulous research by the crew at UltraView. The handle was designed after engineers measured hundreds and hundreds of archers’ hands to figure out how to make a handle that fits most people. You’ll appreciate that research when you pick up this release. It doesn’t feel like any other thumb-button handle. It sits in your fingers comfortably with the right pressure in the right places.

The big thumb barrel is concave and has big grooves in it. It kind of looks like a monster truck tire. Those design features are intentional so that no matter how you like your thumb to interact with the barrel, you’re going to get the traction needed to make the release fire. And you can move the barrel in, out, left, and right a good bit to get it in precisely the right place.

The adjustments for trigger travel and tension are pretty generous. So whether you like the release to go off if you blow on it or you like to squeeze the trigger as hard as you can before it fires—or you’re somewhere in between—you can set it the way you want. 

Internally, the Button features Ultraview’s “Ultraglide” technology, which utilizes washers to separate metal parts, making the release quiet and preventing future grittiness.

A key reason I picked the UltraView Button is that it’s virtually identical to the UltraView Hinge 2, which is my pick for best hinge. 

Most target archers will have a hinge and a thumb trigger in their release pouches so they can switch between the two for training purposes or if conditions change during competition. Having a hinge and thumb trigger that fit the same and can be anchored the same is key to same-hole accuracy when switching between the two. 

Bowhunters will benefit from owning and shooting both types of bow releases as well. A hinge will help stave off target panic and promote a relaxed aim. A thumb trigger is better suited to hunting situations when you might have to make a shot happen quickly. 

Best Hinge: UltraView The Hinge 2

UltraView

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Key Features

• Hook releases the D-loop by rotating the handle
• Handle shape based off measurements of hundreds of archers’ hands
• Handle comes as three-finger or four-finger
• Add-on bracket available to attach wrist strap
• Micro-adjustable moons for fire and click-to-fire settings
• Can be set with or without click

Pros

• Comfortable handle that matches the Button
• Individual moon adjustments for travel and click distance
• Hook positioned over middle finger for better leverage
• Can add a wrist strap via an add-on bracket
• Can use with or without a thumb peg
• Free try before you buy option 

Cons

• Expensive 

Having a handle that matches the Button is a big plus for The Hinge 2, but it’s not the only reason it’s my pick. The handle and unique positioning of the string hook combine to make this one of the most user-friendly back-tension releases. It’s also easy to draw a bow comfortably with this release, without fear of punching yourself in the nose. And having individual moons for setting the travel position and the distance from click to fire is extremely beneficial. (I’ll explain that more in a bit.)

The Hinge 2 came before the Button in UltraView’s sequence of product offerings, and so it was the release that introduced the archery world to their super-comfortable and form-fitting handle. Hinge releases, no doubt, are more associated with target archery than hunting, but there are a growing number of bowhunters picking up these releases. 

Leverage points are critical with hinges because you need leverage on one side of the handle when drawing and on the other side when firing. The Hinge 2 makes it comfortable to draw, hold, and activate the release because the leverage points across the user’s hand are in the right places.

As mentioned, the Hinge 2 has separate moons that can be set for travel and click distance. The travel moon is set to make the hook release the string at a certain point in the rotation of the handle, and it’s up to you to set it for your comfort. 

The click moon can be set to create an audible click just before the release fires, so the user knows the release is imminent. Infinite adjustment of that click-to-fire distance allows the user to set it precisely where you want. If you prefer no click, you can set the Hinge 2 without a click as well.

The Hinge 2 has a magnetic hook return, so the hook is always ready to connect to the D-loop, and the magnet eliminates the noise of a flopping metallic head. That feature was included primarily for bowhunters. UltraView also makes a bracket that can be added to the Hinge 2 so a wrist strap can be connected to the release. 

The Hinge 2 is an expensive release, but like the best hunting arrows, you get what you pay for. 

Most Versatile Release: TRUBall GOAT

TRUBall

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Key Features

• Hand-held, thumb-activated trigger release that converts to a hinge
• Half aluminum, half brass gives the release some nice heft in the hand
• Open hook
• Can be used as a two-finger, three-finger, or four-finger release
• Finger extension can be moved forward or back to change the feel of the release at activation

Pros

• It’s one release that can be used two different ways
• Easy to convert back and forth
• Comfortable handle
• Separate adjustments for each configuration
• Price is nice when you figure you’re getting two releases

Cons

• The pin used in the conversion is small and easy to lose
• No connection for a wrist strap

The only thing better than having a thumb trigger and hinge with matching handles is to have one release that can be shot both ways. Now you’re really talking about matching geometry.

The GOAT is a bow release that comes from the factory set up as a thumb trigger, but is easily converted to a hinge simply by turning a couple screws and moving a pin. What’s more, the adjustments for trigger travel and sensitivity when the release is set as a thumb trigger are separate from the adjustment for hook travel when the release is set as a hinge. So you customize each setting, and your settings don’t change when you move from one configuration to the other.

As a thumb trigger, you can set this release with zero travel and get a crisp release with a fairly wide adjustment range for trigger tension. As a hinge, this release has good leverage points to make the release rotation smooth simply by pulling through the shot.

The release was designed in conjunction with Reo Wilde, who is one of the most decorated target archers in the U.S., so it has a strong pedigree. It’s got that target release feel, since it’s anodized aluminum on one side and nickel-plated brass on the other. The release has heft, which just feels better in the hand while you’re shooting.

The hook is open, so it will not fully capture the D-loop. That means you can’t hang it on the loop while your bow is hanging in the tree. However, an open hook means you don’t have to look at the release to hook it to the D-loop. You can keep your eyes on that big buck while you feel your way into the D-loop. Or, in low light, you can connect to the loop by feel, rather than having to see it. Some bowhunters prefer that simplicity.

Best Budget Hand-Held: Booster Ignite

Booster

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 Key Features

• Hand-held, thumb-activated trigger
• Comes set as a three-finger release, but an extension is included to make it a four-finger
• Wrist lanyard included
• Separate adjustments for trigger travel and tension
• Adjustable thumb-barrel position
• Lightweight

Pros

• Single moving jaw facing a solid post
• Can be clipped to the string and left there
• Separate adjustments for travel and tension
• Comes as a three-finger release, but includes an extension to make it four-finger
• Costs $100

Cons

• There are other less expensive hand-helds
• The trigger is not as crisp as more expensive thumb triggers

The Booster Ignite is a nice release that is not the least expensive hand-held out there, but it is much higher functioning than the cheaper models. The $100 price is a bargain for this release’s features.

It has a comfortable metal handle with a solid thumb trigger that can be adjusted to the most comfortable position for the user. The release operates how I like—press the trigger, and a single hook flies open when an adjustable amount of tension is applied. Most of the cheaper hand-held releases are spring loaded, so the jaws open and close as you pull and release the trigger. Those are nowhere near as consistent as the Ignite.

Push a button on the back of the release to set the trigger. When you do that, the jaw automatically closes against the solid post, so there is no need to manipulate it with a frigid finger on a frosty November morning. 

The adjustments for trigger travel and tension are generous. You can have the release fire with very little tension, or a lot; and with zero travel, or a fair amount. Set light with zero travel, this release is money. It rivals other, more expensive models, but at a fraction of the cost.

Carter Like Mike II

Carter

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Key Features

• Index finger trigger attached to a wrist strap
• Sets by holding the hook with index finger and pressing trigger set with thumb
• Hefty head is easy to grab onto to hook to D-loop
• Trigger sensitivity has wide adjustability
• Zero trigger travel

Pros

• Zero travel
• Open hook for easy D-loop connection without looking
• Nylon strap connection lets you set the head precisely where you want it
• Comfortable wrist strap with buckle
• Especially good for archers who like to set the trigger heavy

Cons

• You have to hold down the hook with a finger while you set the trigger
• Expensive for this release type

The Carter Like Mike II is one of those releases that has been around for a while, and has earned its stripes through the test of time. It was the best index finger release pick in 2022, and it remains one of the best release aid options.

It’s an open hook release, which means it’s ideal for hunters who like to keep their eyes up while connecting their release to the string or would rather feel their way to the loop in low light. You hold the hook with your forefinger and push the trigger set with your thumb. It feels awkward the first few times, but you get used to it quickly.

The reason the Like Mike II is my pick as the best wrist strap is primarily for its action. There is zero trigger travel, and all you have to set is the tension. This release is especially ideal if you like a heavy trigger set because the trigger just feels solid, and the release head doesn’t twist as you’re pulling through the shot. 

When the release breaks, it’s as clean a release as you can imagine. There’s a faint “click,” and the arrow is gone. A number of top target archers who shoot index-finger releases use this release because of its adjustability and consistency.

The nylon connection strap is ideal for getting the release head to sit precisely where you want it for optimum engagement between your finger and the trigger. And the buckle strap ensures consistent, comfortable attachment to your wrist. 

Things to Consider When Buying a Release

Choosing the best bow release is a lot like choosing the best compound bow, you have to try a bunch to see what you like best. But, here are some qualities you should look for in good bow releases and answers to common questions. 

Hinge vs. Trigger Release 

Hinge releases have no trigger, so they are great for killing target panic. The handle must rotate for the release to fire, which requires the user to simply keep pulling back after coming to full draw. Many bowhunters are going to find the lack of a trigger unnerving. They want to control exactly when the shot goes off, especially in urgent situations, like when they stop a running whitetail with a grunt. 

It is possible to make a hinge go off on command, but it’s not as easy to do as it is with a trigger. When activated properly by simply pulling at full draw, a hinge produces surprise shots that are associated with pinpoint accuracy.

Index vs. Hand-Held

This is the first issue you must resolve because the style you choose takes you to very different releases. What bowhunters like about index-finger releases is the wrist strap aid in drawing back the string, and the trigger affords great control over the shot. You decide when the bow fires. Also, the release is always on your wrist, so it’s always at the ready.

What bowhunters like about hand-helds is they promote cleaner shots. Index-finger releases are difficult to shoot without punching the trigger. And when you punch, you can flinch. Thumb triggers and hinges can be activated to create surprise shots that kill anticipation. Also, some bowhunters don’t like anything attached to their wrist while they’re sitting in a tree stand or stalking. With some hand-helds, you can hang the release on the D-loop until it’s time to shoot.

Wrist Strap

If you use an index-finger release or you like to connect your hand-held release to a strap, so it’s always at the ready while hunting, be sure to think about how the strap connects to your wrist. The only two options are a buckle or Velcro. Velcro might seem nice because it’s infinitely adjustable, but that also leads to inconsistent connection. And Velcro can slip over time.

A buckle, on the other hand, attaches via the same hole in the strap every time. Yes, it might feel like one hole is too tight, but the next one is too loose, but consistency is the key to achieving the same anchor from shot to shot. And the buckle does that better in the long run.

Jaw Function

There are two ways the release jaws open. Either they are spring loaded, or they operate off a sear. The spring-loaded releases generally are going to be less expensive, but the sears are far more consistent.

As I’ve described, spring-loaded releases open and close the jaws as you press and release the trigger. A certain amount of trigger travel is required with these releases to open the jaws far enough to release the D-loop.

Sears operate opposite that. You pull until the sear releases the trigger, and the jaw or jaws then fly open. They can be set with zero trigger travel, which many bowhunters prefer. 

FAQs

Final Thoughts on the Best Release Aids

The compound bow release market is one of the most diverse that you’ll find. There are many manufacturers with lots of offerings. That’s a testament to the fact that no two people are alike when it comes to finding the release. Play around with a few at your local pro shop before you decide on one. And if it turns out you don’t like it, try a different style. The best bow releases feel like an extension of your hand and shots break cleanly without anticipation. When you find a release aid like that, it’s the perfect release for you.

• Best Index Finger: Scott S2
• Best Practice Release: Stan Onnex Resistance
• Best Budget Index: Scott Little Goose II
• Best Hunting Thumb Trigger: Ultraview Button
• Best Hunting Hinge: Ultraview Hinge 2
• Most Versatile: TruBall Goat
• Best Budget Hand-Held: Booster Ignite
• Carter Like Mike II

The post The Best Bow Releases of 2023, Tested and Reviewed appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Best Overall		Pelican 1745 Air	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary The Cadillac of bow cases.
Best for Air Travel		SKB iSeries 4217 Double Bow Case	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary Durable enough for even the toughest baggage claims.
Best Budget		Plano 1111 Protector Series Bow Case	SEE IT	LEARN MORE	Summary Solid protection at an affordable price.

Unlike gunhunters, bowhunters need a bow case to protect the much more fragile parts of their setup. Bow cases aren’t just for storage, they’re vital to protect your bow and keep it in operating condition. That means shielding it from the elements, pets, kids, airline baggage handlers, bumpy rides, and pretty much any other hazard you can and can’t think of.

I’ve had the opportunity to test almost every bow case on the market in the past ten years. And fortunately, the market is rife with cases designed to house your precious investment. Finding the right one for your needs is an individual task. You know how you live, travel, how and when you hunt, so you’ll want to find the best bow cases for those conditions and decide which one fits your style best.

• Best Overall: Pelican 1745 Air
• Best for Air Travel: SKB iSeries 4217 Double Bow Case
• Best Budget: Plano 1111 Protector Series Bow Case
• Best Soft Case: Legend Monstro Compound Bow Case
• Best Traditional Recurve Case: Legacy Leather Deluxe Traditional Soft Case
• Best for Crossbows: Sportsman Outdoor Products Echo Crossbow Case
• Best for Hunting: Sitka Nomad

How I Evaluated the Best Bow Cases

I’ve traveled for hunting trips everywhere from the midwest to the arctic circle and I travel to at least one archery tournament per month. I also work at Lancaster Archery Supply, which carries many of the best bow cases available. Using my frequent bow flying miles, I selected the best bow cases for a wide range of use cases.

The Best Bow Cases: Reviews and Recommendations

Best Overall: Pelican 1745 Air

Pelican

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Key Features

• Padded interior divider
• Foam arrow holders
• Waterproof
• Towing wheels
• Weight: 23.15 pounds
• TSA approved latches

Pros

• Durable
• Secures your bow inside
• Airline worthy
• Customizable to haul your gear, your way

Cons

• Expensive

For decades, Pelican has been the industry leader in building cases to protect delicate electronic gear, especially camera equipment. They took that know-how and built the Pelican Air bow case. It’s a hard plastic case that’s sturdy enough for airline use. With 44 inches of interior width, 17 inches of depth and 8 inches of height, this case is a tank. It can take a beating, whether it’s bouncing around in the back of a pickup bed, on the floor of a johnboat, or on its way to the belly of an airplane.

The floor of the case where you store your bow features movable foam pads, so you can protect the parts of your bow that need extra padding. It also has movable straps to secure your bow to the floor. Once you secure your bow, you can strap over the top of it with the padded lid. It looks like the top half of a soft bow case, complete with exterior pockets for storing small items. That soft case top can also be strapped to the lid of the Pelican when the lid is open, so it’s out of your way while you’re working with your bow.

The lid has slotted, foam pads capable of holding a dozen arrows, plus a separate strap for an arrow tube. There also are two zippered bags for storing small gear such as, releases, broadheads, tools, a rangefinder, and more.

Even with all the assigned gear locations packed, there’s still some room inside the Pelican for stowing additional gear, such as clothing, binoculars, and other bowhunting essentials. And that extra space comes in handy when you’re flying somewhere to hunt.

The Pelican Air has six push-button latches–two of which feature TSA-approved locks. These are handy, because they allow TSA agents to open your case for inspection in the airport without having to call you for keys.

The wheels on the Pelican Air are pinned tightly in place at one end of the case. That minimizes the chances of them snagging in transportation and separating from the case. (I don’t know how that happens in the airport, but trust me, I’ve seen it happen on other cases.) And don’t worry about water or dust getting inside the Pelican Air. When latched, this thing is sealed tightly, thanks to a rubber O-ring lining the case’s edges.

If you want one case that excels for multiple purposes, it’s hard to beat the Pelican 1745 Air.

Best for Air Travel: SKB iSeries 4217 Double Bow Case

SKB

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Key Features

• Capacity: Two bows
• Handle and towing wheels
• Multiple points for adding locks
• Weight: 24.3 pounds
• Interior Dimensions: 40 inches x 16 inches x 6 inches

Pros

• Lots of interior space
• Plenty of padding
• Lockable
• Wheels and handle make it easy to transport

Cons

• Bulky
• Heavy

The SKB iSeries 4217 Double Bow Case is an injection-molded, water/dustproof case that’s built to hold two bows. A padded divider comes with the case to separate the bows, which can be up to 40 inches long, including the cams. It has a handle for carrying the case horizontally and another handle and wheels to tow the case through the airport. There are six latches and four metal rings for adding locks to secure your valuables.

The sturdy construction of SKB makes it one of the best bow cases for air travel. Bow cases take a beating in baggage, and if you buy a cheap case, you will regret it. I’ve had cases come off planes with such damage that I can’t even imagine how someone loaded them. Even if the SKB iSeries 4217 is damaged in flight, their killer lifetime warranty will cover its repair or replacement. That’s a valuable feature worth investing in.

Also, this case is big. It’s classified as a double bow case, but I never use it for that. I pack it with one bow and a bunch of stuff, which is vital for flying to bowhunting destinations. You’ll always want to take more gear, but airlines have that 50-pounds-per-bag weight limit. You have to check a bow case as one of your checked pieces, so why not carry one that you can fill with stuff besides your bow? I know from practice that you can cram lots of clothes and gear into this case with your bow and arrows to get its total weight to 49 pounds.

This case weighs just under 25 pounds, which leaves 25 pounds of gear that you can add before hitting the weight limit. Stuff it to the max. I don’t know how many bowhunts I’ve gone on where I checked two bags that each weighed 49 pounds, and one of those bags was my SKB double bow case. Yes, single-bow cases are lighter. But there’s not as much room to add extra gear, and checking a 30-pound bag is a waste of 20 pounds in my book.

Best Budget: Plano 1111 Protector Series Bow Case

Plano

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Key Features

• Hard case
• Dedicated storage area for arrows
• Tie downs to hold the bow in place
• Weight: 10 pounds

Pros

• Affordable
• Durable to an extent
• Keeps your bow safe at home and in the truck
• Plenty of storage for your whole rig

Cons

• Won’t stand up to heavy falls and abuse

The Plano 1111 Protector is a basic, plastic case that’s 49 inches long and 19.5 inches wide, so it will hold most compound bows on the market today. The inside has a foam mat with Velcro ties to strap your bow in place so it doesn’t bounce around inside the case. The lid has rubber strips to hold a dozen arrows firmly in place. And four plastic clasps keep the lid closed.

After you’ve got your bow and arrows stowed inside, the case still has plenty of room for extras. You can easily stash your bow-mounted quiver, stabilizer, release aid, and other equipment you need for target shooting or hunting. You should be able to keep your sight on your bow inside this case, unless it’s set unusually far out from the riser. In that case, you can loosen the sight-bar retaining knob and simply slide the bar in for travel. If you have a stabilizer that’s six inches or longer, you can count on having to remove it from the bow for it to fit in the case.

Many bowhunters just need something to keep their bows safe in the truck on their way to the stand or the range and protected from pets, kids, and normal life activity. This case is perfect for that, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Buyers need to understand that this case isn’t airline worthy. If you’re flying somewhere for a dream hunt, this is not the case for your bow. Yes it has loop holes so you can add locks, but this plastic can’t take the abuse of air travel.

Best Soft Case: Legend Monstro Compound Bow Case

Legend

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Key Features

• Material: Nylon
• Interior and exterior pockets
• Adjustable cam protectors
• Cable tie downs
• Carry handle and shoulder strap
• Dimensions: 47.2 inches x 3.9 inches x 19.7 inches

Pros

• Plenty of room
• Adjustable cam protectors are genius
• Multiple pockets allow for organization
• Multiple carry options

Cons

• No camo options

The Legend Monstro is a soft-sided case with 45 inches of interior, horizontal space. It will hold any hunting compound bow.

Inside the case, there are two cam protective sleeves with Velcro tie downs to grab each cam. You can move the sleeves to match your bow’s length so your 28-inch bow won’t slide back and forth inside. But having the extra room is nice when you decide to opt for a 34-inch bow next year, and you won’t need to buy a new case. You just simply slide the cam protectors to fit your bow.

To further secure your bow, there are two Velcro tie downs that attach to your bow’s cables. Also, the interior has two mesh-face zippered pockets for extra gear storage.

The exterior features two long pockets for storing more gear. One is 39 inches long and is deep enough to hold a telescopic arrow tube. The other pocket is 31 inches long, so it has plenty of room for stabilizers, releases, tools, grunt calls, and anything else you need for a day in the tree.

Soft cases don’t offer as much protection as hard cases, but they also aren’t as bulky. If your bow rides in the back seat of the truck, it just needs minor protection from a bumpy ride. And the Legend Monstro will fit a lot nicer back there with all your other gear than a bulky hard case. 

Best Traditional Recurve Case: Legacy Leather Deluxe Traditional Soft Case

Lancaster Archery Supply

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Key Features

• Material: Green canvas
• Water repellent
• Fits strung recurves and longbows up to 62 inches
• Exterior accessory pocket

Pros

• Simple, well-made case
• Good storage space
• Heavy duty zipper

Cons

• Doesn’t fit big bows over 62 inches

The Legacy Leather Deluxe Traditional Soft case looks like the case you’d expect a trad-bow fan to carry. It’s 62 inches long, so it’s capable of holding strung recurve bows up to that length. It also has a 34-inch-long pocket on the outside of the case that’s more than sufficient for carrying a dozen arrows, plus finger tabs, arm guards, and other gear you’ll want to have for shooting your bow.

Inside, the case is lined with a padded felt material. Recurve bows aren’t as delicate as compounds. Realistically, what you’re protecting your bow from most inside this case is scratches. You can be kind of rough with a one-piece recurve bow and not cause any structural damage, unlike a compound bow.

The shape of the case is bowed, which is why the manufacturer specifies this case is intended to haul strung recurve bows and longbows up to 62 inches long. Unstrung, 62-inch bows would not fit inside this case. And a handle in the center of the case is perfectly positioned for balanced carrying.

Best for Crossbows: Sportsman Outdoor Products Echo Crossbow Case

Sportsman

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Key Features

• Dimensions: 39 inches x 24 inches x 10 inches
• Carry handles and deployable shoulder straps
• Zippered bolt pocket
• Several storage pockets

Pros

• First most standard, narrow, and reverse-draw crossbows
• Good storage
• Backpack straps are a nice touch

Cons

• Probably won’t fit all crossbows

The Echo Deluxe will fit most standard crossbows with bows sitting perpendicular on top of the stock. But the unique tapered shape from the limb ends back to the stock end widens the case in just the right places so that it can also accommodate reverse-draw and narrow crossbows.

It has a zippered pocket designed for holding bolts up to 24 inches long and multiple exterior pockets to organize and stow other small pieces of gear.

The Echo has handles on both sides of the case, so you can carry it left- or right-handed, and it has nice shoulder straps so you can carry your crossbow case like a backpack. The zippers are heavy duty, which might not seem like a big deal, except these are extra-long zippers running nearly the whole way around the case. When big zippers are cheap, they separate in no time. These will stand the test of time.

Best for Hunting: Sitka Nomad

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Key Features

• 8600 cubic inches
• Dimensions: 42 x16 x14 inches
• Wheeled 
• Telescoping handle
• Interior zipped lid pocket
• Top accessory zippered pocket
• Internal compression straps

Pros

• Tons of storage 
• Can carry a bow, arrows, gear, and clothing 

Cons

• Easy to pack over 50 pounds

If I’m not hunting, I can travel with just a small carry-on bag, but even a three-day turkey hunt requires a ton of gear. Good luck fitting a vest, calls, boots, Permethrin, Thermacell, and hunting clothes into a carry-on. That’s why I’ve been flying with a Sitka Nomad lately. I’ve taken it waterfowl hunting in eastern Colorado, to the Lancaster Archery Classic, turkey hunting in Nebraska, and to the 2023 Outdoor Life gun test. With thousands of air miles on the bag, I’m sold that it’s the perfect piece of hunting luggage. 

The interior of the Nomad is a lot like a duffel—a large empty space that you can fill with gear. No useless compartments or space-hogging pockets. One of the key things that make the Nomad better than a duffel bag is its rigid frame and wheels. The rigid frame provides enough protection to use the Nomad as a bow case. I strap a bow to the bag using the compression straps and then pack clothing around it for added protection. 

You can easily fit all the gear and clothing you need for a seven-day hunt into the Nomad, but you can pretty easily pack it over 50 pounds. I’ve found if I pack it full of clothing and some gear, it will hit 50 pounds. So with a bow and a lot of gear, I pack some clothing in the Nomad and the rest in a carry-on. 

Aside from it being easy to push the oversized baggage limits, the other cons I’ve experienced is that the zipper is sticky. Both are manageable cons and are outweighed by the Nomad’s functionality. – Scott Einsmann

Things to Consider When Buying a Bow Case

Fit

Not all bows fit in all cases. With compound bows, for example, some are too long or too wide for certain cases. Make sure the case you’re considering is long and wide enough to carry your bow.

Ideally, you’ll also want some wiggle room. A bow is not something you want to have to force inside a case and then shut it quickly before it pops out. Pressure on a bowstring is never a good thing, regardless of the type of bow.

Purpose

If you’re only driving with your bow from home to your hunting spot, then you don’t need a case that’s suited for airline travel. But if you plan to fly to distant hunting destinations or do some adventure bowhunting, then you don’t want a case that’s only designed to carry your bow in the back of your truck.

And be honest with yourself. If you tend to be hard on equipment, get a case that can withstand your lifestyle. A cheap plastic case bouncing around in the back of the truck with the spare tire, gas can, tire iron, and chainsaw probably isn’t going to survive too many rides. When the case fails, your bow is in danger.

Presumably, you are buying a case to protect your bow. So think about what you’re protecting it from and choose accordingly.

Capacity

What do you want your case to hold? If you just need to store your bow, then you don’t need a ton of extra space or pockets. But if you want your bow case to hold everything associated with shooting that bow, that’s a different story. You need more space and organizing pockets for release aids, finger tabs, field points, broadheads, stabilizers–the works.

A lot of bowhunters want their bowhunting backpack and bow case sitting by the door ready to go, without wondering if the release is in there, or the quiver. If the bow case is where everything lives, you need room to store it all.

I have one bow case that I use only for airline travel. It’s a big case that can hold my compound bow, all my related shooting gear, plus clothes and other items. I need that case to be large and roomy for a specific reason.

FAQs

Final Thoughts on the Best Bow Cases

The best bow cases don’t require you to spend a small fortune, but they are something you don’t want to cut corners on. If you need top-end protection, then get it. Trust me, you’ll regret it if you don’t. If you don’t need a case for air travel, then simply consider how and where you’ll be transporting your bow and buy accordingly. Keep in mind, whatever you spend on a case is likely to pale in comparison to what you’ve invested in the contents it’s carrying.

The post The Best Bow Cases of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

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Elite Archery took the plunge for 2023 and came out with its first carbon compound bow, the Era. Two years in the making, the Era was designed to look and feel like an Elite, but with a carbon riser. Having only worked with aluminum in the past, Josh Sidebottom, Elite’s COO, and head engineer, admitted there was a learning curve to figuring out carbon.

But after making and testing multiple prototypes, the Era was born. And it delivers on Elite’s promise of “shootability” in its bows.

The Era looks like an Elite and it shoots like an Elite. And in my opinion, it sets a new standard for how carbon compounds should feel in the hand.

Elite Era Specs and Features 

P.J. Reilly

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• Axle to Axle: 31.25 inches
• Brace Height: 7.25 inches
• Weight: 3.95 pounds
• Peak Draw Weights: 40, 50, 60, 65, and 70 pounds
• Let-Off: Adjustable up to 90 percent
• Draw Length: 25.5 to 31 inches
• IBO Rating: 336 fps
• Price: $1,699

The Carbon Riser

Elite has made aluminum bows for years. So I asked Sidebottom, why would they want to take on carbon? 

“It’s something we’ve heard from a segment of our customers that they want,” Sidebottom said. “And it allows us to offer something new and different.”

Generally, hunters favor carbon for two reasons: it’s lighter and not affected by temperature to the same degree as aluminum. Aluminum bows can shoot differently when the mercury really drops, and carbon stays the same.

Several years ago, I bowhunted for muskox in the Arctic and took a carbon bow just because of the -40-degree temperatures we expected. The bow shot just like it did back home. 

Also, carbon feels much warmer in the cold than aluminum does. Aluminum sucks the heat out of your hand. Carbon is a poor conductor, so it doesn’t. In fact, heat from your hand will actually keep a carbon grip warm.

The Era’s riser is created from hand-laid carbon. According to Sidebottom, this is a process where sections of carbon are set in a mold by hand. The more intricate the riser, the trickier it is to get the carbon into the mold. Since part of Elite’s goal in creating a carbon bow was to make one that looks like an Elite, that meant creating an intricate mold, featuring riser cutouts and Elite’s signature bridges above and below the grip.

“Those bridges definitely help with the rigidity of the riser,” Sidebottom said.

Sidebottom and his team played around with different types and thicknesses of carbon in different areas of the riser to get the construction and performance just right.

“It took us some time to figure it out and get the right carbon where we needed it,” he said.

Simplified Exact Tuning

Then, they had to figure out how to get Elite’s SET system onto the bow. SET stands for Simplified Exact Tuning, and it’s the unique system Elite uses for tuning.

“This was a must-have,” Sidebottom said. “We were determined to have SET on this bow.”

The way SET works is the archer turns an Allen screw attached to the top of the riser, and the limb pocket pivots to adjust the cam position. It’s an easy system to build into an aluminum riser, but carbon is different. Sidebottom said they had to embed an aluminum piece in the carbon to get SET to work the way it does on all their bows.

SP Cam

The power engine for the Era is the all-new SP cam that Elite introduced earlier this year on its flagship aluminum bow, Omnia. It’s a powerful cam—we’ll talk speed in just a bit—with a ton of adjustability, which is yet another Elite signature.

The SP cam utilizes a rotating module to adjust draw length from 25.5 to 31 inches. And it can be adjusted in 1/4-inch increments. That’s a killer feature for bowhunters who really like to get that draw length exactly right.

On most bows with rotating mods, adjustments are made in 1/2-inch increments. But sometimes, that’s too much of an adjustment. Archers would twist the cables to adjust the draw length in between the 1/2-inch increments. But when they do that, they change the performance of the bow. Sidebottom has long advocated that engineers like him want bows to be shot with cables at the length they’re set at the factory for peak performance.

The SP cam also features a uniquely-adjustable let-off system. The let-off on the Era can be adjusted in one-percent increments from 70-90 percent simply by turning an Allen key. Why is that a big deal? It’s another way for a bowhunter to get their bow to perform the way they want. 

It’s for customization. Some bowhunters—like those who hunt out West—like a little less let-off and a little more holding weight to allow them to stay steady in windy conditions. Those hunters don’t like that 90-percent let-off an Eastern whitetail hunter might want.

The SP cam is on the aggressive side for Elite bows. That is, Elites to me always felt like they drew less than their actual weight. So a 70-pound bow might feel more like the low 60s because the draw cycle was so smooth. 

Brace Height

That’s not the case with the SP. It’s not harsh to draw, but it feels like its weight. A bow that’s 70 pounds feels like it’s 70 pounds. With the Era, Elite eased that draw cycle a bit by raising the brace height from the Omnia to the Era. The Era’s brace is 7.25 inches, whereas the Omnia’s is 6 inches.

Now you’re probably thinking, “Oh man a 7.25-inch brace, this thing has got to be slow.” Not so. The IBO speed rating for the Era is 336 fps—only 11 fps under the Omnia. Again, we’ll talk about arrow speed here in a minute. But that brace height helps the shooting experience.

The Era’s grip is shaped just like it is on the Omnia, and the cable arm includes Elite’s LTR system (Linear Tunable Roller). This allows the rollers to be adjusted laterally for tuning purposes or to get fletching clearance when shooting large fletchings.

Read Next: Mathews Phase 4

Testing the Elite Era

For this review, I borrowed an Elite Era from Lancaster Archery Supply. It was set to 70 pounds with a 30-inch draw length. From that bow, I shot a Black Eagle Spartan, 250 spine, that weighs 475 grains. Shooting through a chronograph, I got 291 fps.

Now, remember that 11 fps difference from the Omnia I mentioned regarding the Era’s IBO speed rating? Well, the 291 fps that I got from the Era is exactly 11 fps slower than I got from the Omnia, shooting the same arrow at all the same bow specs.

And let’s talk about that for a second. I got 291 fps shooting a 475-grain arrow with a 7.25-inch brace height and 90-percent let-off. That’s pretty darn fast in my book. A bowhunter could easily hit 300 fps with an arrow weighing in the vicinity of 425 grains, and that would still be a heavy arrow. (To get the IBO speed rating, manufacturers shoot bows set to 70 pounds, with a 30-inch draw and 80-percent let-off.)

Tuning

Tuning my Era was a snap. I set my center shot at 13/16 of an inch and made sure my nock height was level with the rest. My first shot through paper produced a perfect bullet hole. I backed up to 10 yards, took another shot, and got another perfect hole. I didn’t need to mess with SET.

I’ve started adding that 10-yard shot because I discovered occasional torque issues that can produce a good hole up close, but then a wicked tear at 10 yards. I did not have any torque problems with the Era. I’m pretty sure that has to do with the grip. Elite built a new grip onto the Omnia and the Era this year. It’s a little bit wider at the bottom than we’ve seen in the past. I like it. I have fairly large hands, and this wider base feels a bit more stable at full draw.

Draw Cycle

So the draw cycle on the Era is similar to the Omnia, but that 7.25-inch brace helps the Era a bit as compared to the Omnia when it comes to drawing the bow. The SP cam is built for speed, and manufacturers have to sacrifice some smoothness when they go for speed. The speed has to come from somewhere.

So the SP cam requires effort at the front of the draw cycle and then another burst of effort just before the cam rolls over. Comparatively, prior Elite cams required a burst of effort at the beginning, and then the draw just felt like a downhill roll to the back wall.

But that extra 1.25 inches of brace on the Era minimizes the length of the initial effort in the draw cycle. It’s not quite as harsh a draw as the Omnia. I wouldn’t describe the draw cycle on either bow as “harsh,” but compared to one another, the Omnia’s cycle is harsher than the Era’s.

The Shot

I’ve been testing carbon bows for about a decade now. In the beginning, the bows about jumped out of my hand at the shot. I shoot with a very loose bow hand and if I didn’t wear a wrist sling, it was possible I might drop the bow at the shot. Manufacturers making carbon bows have been improving the hand shock these bows produced in the years since. The feel is nowhere near what it used to be.

When I took my first shot from the Era, I was astounded. Just to double check what I felt, I quickly took a second shot. Same thing.

The hand shock produced by the Elite Era is as slight as I’ve felt in any carbon bow. I believe this is the new standard for how a carbon bow can feel at the shot. There is a little thump, but the bow sat still in my hand. It felt as close to aluminum as I’ve ever felt a carbon bow.

Why is that important? Hand shock creates anticipation. When you know a bow is going to jump after you release the string, your brain starts to prepare for that before you release it. That can cause all kinds of problems with aiming and punching the trigger.

What you want is to be relaxed at full draw. Then you slowly squeeze through the trigger, while holding the bow rock steady. And when your brain isn’t worried about what’s going to happen after the shot, the string usually releases cleanly, and the arrow hits behind your sight pin. For me, that’s precisely what happened when I shot the Era.

Accuracy

Personally, I prefer bows that are 33 to 35-inches axle-to-axle. The Era is a bit under that, but I was able to hold it steady at full draw. With the size of the SP cam, the string angle makes this bow shoot bigger than 31.25 inches. 

Because I could hold the bow steady and it didn’t jump out of my hand, I could pack the arrows into the middle from 20-50 yards. This bow is a tack driver.

Where the Era Is Lacking

Cost. Unfortunately, carbon bows where the carbon is hand laid are expensive. That’s the nature of the beast. And even though the MSRP for the Era is $100 less than most carbon bows, it’s still above $1,500. That’s going to put it out of reach for a lot of bowhunters who just can’t justify that cost for a bare bow.

Where the Era Excels

The shot. I personally haven’t shot a carbon bow that feels this quiet in the hand. Last year, I said the PSE Levitate changed my expectation of what a carbon bow should feel like. Well, with this bow Elite raised the bar, in my opinion.

Final Thoughts

Carbon bows have been around for years, but Elite Archery wanted to ensure that when they finally got into the market, they offered a bow identifiable as an Elite. They did that with the Era. This bow looks, feels, and shoots like an Elite. You never know how a bow will feel in your hands until you actually get it in your hands. If you’ve been thinking about taking the carbon-bow plunge, the Era is one you’ll want to shoot to see if it fits your taste.

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Last year Prime went away from their signature parallel cam design to their new Inline cam. This year, their new bow is ditching the old cam in favor of a new design, and once again, I like the new cam better than the predecessor. The Revex is Prime’s 2023 flagship hunting bow and it bucks the adjustability trend for a cam system that requires changing modules in order to change draw length.

But Prime said it decided to go back to fixed modules in order to achieve peak performance at all draw lengths, and it resulted in my favorite Prime bow to date. The Revex 4 that I shot was smooth drawing, produced decent arrow speed, held steady at full draw, and was whisper quiet with very little vibration at the shot. Historically, I would say I have not been a big fan of Prime bows, but the Revex 4 brought me into their corner.

Revex 4 Specs and Features

• Axle-to-Axle: 34 inches
• Weight: 4.6 pounds
• Brace Height: 6.25 inches
• Draw lengths: 26.5 to 30.5 inches
• Draw Weight: 40 to 80 pounds
• Price: $1,299

As they typically do, Prime is offering the Revex in three lengths: 32 inches, 34 inches, and 36 inches. By doing this, Prime is offering a model for just about everyone—you’re not stuck with just one size.

For draw weights, you’ve also got plenty of options, with peak-weight offerings of 50, 60, 70, and 80 pounds. That’s going to cover a good segment of the bowhunting population as well.

The New Core Cam

The Core cam is new for Prime, but it carries over some features from the 2022 Inline cam. For starters, we have a typical binary cam system with one cam up top and one at the bottom. Looking back over the past decade, this is new for Prime, which was known from 2011 to 2021 as the company with the four-cam bows.

Prime’s parallel cam system, with two cams up top and two at the bottom, became its signature feature. Last year, Prime ditched the parallel cams for its inline system. The engineers said it achieves the same result as the parallel cams, but in a quieter, simpler system.

The Core cam is the next iteration of the Inline system. At rest, the cables sit off to the side of the bowstring. But as you draw the bow, the cables shift toward the cam so that, at full draw, both cables and the bowstring are in line with one another at the cam. Prime’s engineers say that evens the load on the cam, preventing cam lean and improving tunability.

As previously mentioned, the Core cam employs modules that are draw-length specific, as opposed to adjustable, rotating modules like the 2022 Inlines have. So if you get a bow that’s set at 29 inches, then that’s all it is. You would need to change modules to change the draw length.

Engineers have long preached fixed modules to maximize efficiency at every draw length. That is, a bow with a rotating module that can be adjusted from 27 inches to 31 inches is going to get the best performance at 31 inches, but it’s going to be less efficient at 27. That’s why some manufacturers, like Hoyt, offer two different cam sizes to split the adjustable draw length range. Having two cams minimizes the efficiency loss at the low end of the draw-length range. The fixed module maintains better efficiencies across all draw lengths in a bow’s range.

That’s not to say the fixed modules are superior in every way. To change draw lengths, you have to have access to modules. If your local shop doesn’t have them for the length you want, you’ve got to go looking elsewhere. If I want to play with my draw length on a bow with an adjustable module, all I need is an Allen wrench.

Historically, bows with adjustable modules allowed draw length changes in 1/2-inch increments. Recently, we’ve seen a swing toward modules that can be adjusted in 1/4-inch increments to allow archers to really fine-tune their draw lengths with minimal cable twisting. (One way to increase draw length is to put twists into a bow’s cables, but that can adversely affect the bow’s performance.)

So as some companies are offering more draw length adjustability to bow owners, Prime is going the other direction. Again, their engineers say that’s in the name of performance. And to be honest, after a decade of working with customers at Lancaster Archery Supply—one of the biggest bow shops in the country—I can say there are many bowhunters who simply don’t play with draw length. Once it’s set on their bows, they never touch it. So while there are bowhunters who want adjustability, there are plenty who will never take advantage of that feature anyway on a bow that offers it.

Center Grip Technology

One feature of Prime flagship bows that makes them stand out is the location of the grip. The throat of the grip is the center of the bow. That’s a good bit higher than it is on other bows, which is why when you pick up a Revex, you’ll notice a lot more riser under your hand than you’ll have with other bows.

That center position makes the bows balance exceptionally well without any accessories. Prime’s theory is that the more the bow is balanced without anything on it, then the less you have to do with stabilizers to achieve balance after adding a sight, rest, and quiver.

Nano Grip

One of the most painful features of aluminum bows is often the grip. Aluminum grips get downright frigid when the mercury drops and the hunting gets good. And they will suck the heat out of your hand in seconds.

Prime’s Nano Grip is a rubber piece that fits over the riser and feels warm in its own right. Underneath the grip, Prime coats the riser with Aerogel, a NASA-created substance designed to protect against the cold. So holding the Nano grip in frosty temperatures is not a painful issue.

Swerve

Another uniquely Prime feature is the swerve, which is found on the Revex bows. The swerve is a curve in the riser below the grip that matches the one above the grip, which creates the sight window. Prime engineers say having the matching riser curve below the grip causes the riser to flex in a more uniform fashion through the shot. That helps with stability and minimizing vibration.

Movable Spacers

Short of having a proprietary tuning system like Elite’s SET or Bowtech’s Deadlock, the common method for tuning binary cam bows is to have movable spacers on the axles, which allow you to shift the cam left or right. The Revex continues Prime’s spacer system launched with the Inlines. There are three sizes. Let’s call them small, medium and large. Either you have two mediums, or a large and a small to maintain the proper spacing between the limb tips.

You need to press the bow, remove the axle and then juggle the spacers around to get the right tune. It’s a solid system, but there’s no question it’s not as user-friendly as SET or Deadlock.

Testing the Revex 4

I borrowed from Lancaster Archery Supply a Revex 4 set to a peak draw weight of 60 pounds and a draw length of 29 inches. With those specs, and shooting a hunting arrow weighing 477 grains, Lancaster Archery’s chronograph showed I was getting an arrow speed of 260 feet per second.

I would classify that as decent arrow speed. It’s not screaming fast, and it’s not dog slow. The bow’s IBO speed rating is 338 fps, which is achieved by shooting a 350-grain arrow at 70 pounds from a bow set to a 30-inch draw length.

The 260 fps I got with 10 fewer pounds of draw weight, an inch less in draw length, and an arrow that’s 127 grains heavier is not far off the bow’s rated performance. Regular readers of my reviews will recall that I’m not a speed freak. I’ll take a nice-shooting, forgiving, and accurate bow over a bow that’s simply built for speed any day.

The setup I shot produces 71.5 ft-lbs of kinetic energy. According to various charts that recommend the kinetic energy ranges needed to bowhunt big game animals, 65 ft-lbs is the peak considered necessary to bowhunt grizzly bears and cape buffalo. So it’s more than enough for whitetails and elk.

For those who are concerned with speed, I could easily get into the 280-fps range simply by cutting arrow weight. And that’s very good speed for a 60-pound bow at 29 inches.

Tuning the bow was a snap. My bow came with four medium spacers, which put the cams in the center of the limbs. I set my arrow rest so the center of my arrow was 13/16 inch from the riser. And I set my nock height, so the arrow was level from the string to the rest. My first shot through paper was perfect. I didn’t have to adjust my rest, nor did I have to swap out any spacers.

There’s no real way to test the claim that fixed-module cams maximize efficiencies across all draw lengths as compared to cams with rotating modules. To test this, you’d have to have two of the same bows, but one with a fixed module and one with a rotating module. That just doesn’t exist. But I’ve heard enough engineers from multiple bow manufacturing companies make this claim that I have no reason to doubt it.

Where the Prime Revex excels in my book is the shooting experience. I said at the beginning this is the nicest Prime I’ve ever shot. For me, the exceptional experience starts with the brace height. Prime lengthened it from last year’s 6-inch bows to 6.25 inches. That’s the sweet spot for me. It’s forgiving, without sacrificing a ton of speed. Seven inches is ideal, but that’s too much brace to produce decent speeds from hunting-weight arrows in my opinion.

So you start to draw the Revex from a comfortable position. The draw cycle takes some effort at the front end, and then the bow just glides to full draw. The cam rollover feels like a downhill run.

At full draw, Prime came up with another tweak that I like. The fixed modules have built-in draw stops. Those stops contact the cables instead of the limbs, which Primes have included in the past. I’m finding that I like cable stops more and more as time goes by. They’re not as squishy as they used to be, but they’re nowhere near as hard and abrupt as a limb stop. At full draw, the Revex is solid, but it has just the right amount of give to pull through the shot.

Speaking of full draw, the Revex held like a dream. I only put a 12-inch Shrewd stabilizer on the front, rather than my usual front-bar, side-bar setup. But it held well anyway. I think the Center Grip Technology negates the need for as much stabilizer manipulation.

Once I got this bow sighted in, it pounded the middle at 20 yards. Then I took it outside and got the same results out to 50 yards. I didn’t feel like I had to rush my shots at distance because I could feel my aim breaking down. The pin sat in the middle until I executed the shot. Now, I don’t always execute perfect shots, but that’s not the bow’s fault. The arrows hit behind the pins. That’s all I can ask.

I’m sure the 60-pound weight played a big role in my stamina, but I felt like I could shoot this bow well all day. I didn’t get fatigued, like I do with some bows with harsher draw cycles.

The final piece of the Revex shot cycle that impressed me was how quiet it was in both sound and vibration. I know the parallel-cam Primes produced substantially more of both. Last year’s Inline was better than those bows for noise and vibration, but not quite as good as the Revex.

Where the Revex Is Lacking

A trend in compound bows today is to streamline them. Bowhunters today want their rigs to have a slim profile. While the Revex has a threaded hole in the front of the riser to receive a new low-profile quiver that TightSpot is producing, it has no such streamlined mounting options for a sight or a rest.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that there are those who will knock the Revex for moving away from the adjustable draw-length module to the fixed module. While engineers like the system’s performance, it creates potential problems for finding modules when you need them. Also, it’s not a one-size-fits-all scenario when it comes time to sell the bow.

What the Revex Does Best

It draws nice. It holds nice. It’s accurate. It’s quiet. It has barely noticeable hand shock. In essence, the bow does everything you want a compound bow to do. In a lot of shops, bows are sold on the 5-yard line. That is, potential buyers take a shot at a target 5 yards away with no sight on the bow and gauge its performance solely by feel. In that scenario, the Revex can hang with anything on the market.

Final Thoughts

For me, Prime was always this bow manufacturer on the fringe that made the bows with four cams. They were okay, but I never really gave them much credence. With the 2023 Revex lineup, Prime caught my attention. This solid compound bow is on par with anything else on the market. For me, it checked all the boxes for what a compound should feel like and do.

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The 2023 Mathews Phase 4 33 is the quietest Mathews, with the least vibration, that I’ve ever tested. It’s almost identical to the 2022 V3X 33, which I deemed last year to be the nicest compound bow I’d ever shot, except this year’s model has two key improvements. The upgrades (which I’ll get into below) make the Phase 4 33 the new nicest compound bow I’ve ever shot.

I know, I know.

“You just said last year’s bow was the best, and now you want us to believe this year’s bow is the best?”

At Lancaster Archery Supply, I review flagship hunting bows for our YouTube channel every year. I’ve shot every Mathews for the past decade and nearly every other flagship from all the major brands. That experience gives me a pretty solid baseline for making comparisons. I don’t expect Mathews to produce my favorite new bow each year. But when they do, I have to call it as I see it.

The realization that Mathews indeed did improve upon the V3X 33 this year by reducing noise and vibration that I didn’t even know existed blew me away after spending just a couple of days with the Phase 4 33. I wasn’t expecting much from Mathews for 2023 after such a stellar offering in 2022. But once bowhunters take a couple of shots with the Phase 4 33 at their local pro shops over the coming months, I think Mathews will sell a pile of them. It’s that good.

Phase 4 33 Specs and Features

SEE IT

• Axle to Axle: 33 inches long
• Brace Height: 6.5 inches
• IBO Speed: 336 fps 
• Weight: 4.68 pounds
• Let Off: 80 or 85 percent
• MSRP: $1,399

What’s New 

The specs for the Phase 4 33 are identical to last year’s V3X 33. (There’s a 29-inch Phase 4 just like the V3X 29 as well.) It even has the same cam, grip, and SwitchWeight mod system. Hold the two bows side by side, so you only see the limb profiles, and you’d swear they’re the same bow. But they’re not.

Limbs

The chief difference between the two is in the limbs. Where the V3X 33 has the typical four limbs employed by a split-limb bow, the Phase 4 33 has eight. They’re assembled in pairs, and each sandwiches a rubber strip that Mathews says is part of its “Resistance Phase Damping.” Think of it as limb dampers built into the limbs.

We’ve never seen anything like this, so I can’t speak to the durability over time. The limbs certainly seem like they’ll hold up. We’ll find out over the coming year. But there’s no doubting their impact on the shooting experience. This bow is whisper quiet and barely produces any hand shock.

Mathews is attacking vibration at the spot where much of it is created—in the limbs. It doesn’t look like much, but the difference is noticeable. (I’ll describe the comparison shooting I did with the Phase 4 33 and the V3X 33 in just a bit.)

Bridge-Lock Stabilizer

Also new this year is the Bridge-Lock stabilizer system. Continuing the Bridge-Lock accessory system initiated last year with a dovetail cutout in the riser above the shelf to hold a sight, Mathews created another dovetail slot below the standard 5/16-24 stabilizer bushing. That slot can be filled with one of the new Bridge-Lock Stabilizers Mathews is launching as part of its 2023 hunting lineup.

Like the Bridge-Lock sight mount, the stabilizer mount is a more secure way to connect your stabilizer to your bow. Instead of employing a short bolt to carry the load of the stabilizer at the riser connection, the Bridge-Lock slot allows the stabilizer to slid into the center of the riser, where it’s fastened in place with a compression knob. 

And no matter what length Bridge-Lock stabilizer you choose, you can customize its length by adjusting its position in the slot. Spaced divots in the stabilizer bar allow adjustments to be made in half-inch increments to get the right balance for you.

Each stabilizer has one of Mathews’ harmonic dampeners in the end, which helps to further kill vibration and noise that the bow might produce. And they carry stackable weights so the bar can be weighted to your specifications. In keeping with the Bridge-Lock design, Mathews also came out with a siderod connection explicitly built to carry the Bridge-Lock stabilizers.

Read Next: The Best Compound Bows of 2022

What’s the Same

Riser

Like the V3X 33, the Phase 4 33 features a huge riser. The axle-to-axle length of this bow is 33 inches, and the riser is just a tick less than that. It’s longer than the riser employed by the Mathews TRX 36 target compound.

By having a riser that’s nearly as long as the axle-to-axle length, Mathews is creating a bow that’s super steady to aim. That big riser wants to stay vertical.

Cable Guard

Also carried over to the Phase 4 is the angled Centerguard cable containment arm. It’s angled down, so the cables slide through the rollers at precisely the halfway point between the cams during the draw cycle. This ensures that the loads put on both cams by the cables are identical, which helps with level nock travel and just ensures consistent performance.

Grip

he Engage grip Mathews has employed the last couple of years is on the Phase 4. It’s a rubber grip that sure feels nice on cold days. It’s a bit rounded on the edge that sits against your hand, though. I don’t like that, so I always take off the Engage and put on a set of Mathews side plates. And you can do that with the Phase 4. The side plates sit on either side of the grip, while your hand sits on a finished portion of the riser. It’s perfectly flat, which I find to be more stable. The rounded ridge down the center of the Engage can cause the bow to torque left or right if your hand rolls.

Cams

The cams once again incorporate special posts that allow use of the Mathews Stay Afield System. This is a simple length of rope that you can attach to a post on each cam, which then allows you to work on the string and cables. It’s basically a portable bow press that weighs nothing, but can be worth ten times its weight if you need to make a repair or adjustment in the field.

Testing the Mathews Phase 4 

For my review, I borrowed a Phase 4 33 from Lancaster Archery Supply. I set it up to shoot 70 pounds at a 29.5-inch draw length with 85 percent let off. At those specs shooting a 477-grain arrow, I got a speed of 283 fps from the shop chronograph—exactly the same as the V3X 33.

That’s not screaming fast, but it’s fast enough for me. My pin gaps are pretty small on a five-pin sight, with pins set for 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards. This bow is built for accuracy. It’s not a speed bow. I’m okay with that.

V3X 33 vs Phase 4

The very first shot I took with the Phase 4 33, I thought something went wrong. It was so quiet, and I barely felt anything in my bow hand when the string released. It just didn’t seem right. So I shot again. Same thing. The bow’s reaction to the shot was so soft I instantly wondered if my V3X 33 felt like that. I knew that bow was pretty quiet, and I thought it was dead in the hand. So I took a shot with it and then followed with a shot from the Phase 4 33.

As I said earlier, the difference is noticeable. And I never thought of the V3X 33 as a loud or hand-shocky bow. I didn’t think there was that much noise and vibration to drain out. It’s like having beer run down your chin from a glass you thought was empty.

Noise

So what’s the benefit of making a quiet bow even quieter? Ask the deer. Anytime you can cut bow noise, it’s better for minimizing animal reactions at the shot. And for quelling vibration that you didn’t even realize was there. The best shot with a bow is one where you’re relaxed because anticipating the thump of the bow string can cause you to tighten your hand and/or arm. The less hand shock there is, the easier it is to keep your body calm until after the arrow is long gone.

Taking that example to the extreme just for illustration, think about how tense you are shooting a .300 Win. Mag. as compared to a .22 LR. You know that big thump is coming from the .300 and your body braces itself. When you shoot the .22, you’re much more relaxed.

Draw Cycle

While the reduced noise and hand shock surprised me, what didn’t was everything else about shooting the Phase 4 33. The big cam makes for a pleasant draw cycle—effort at the front end, followed by a downhill glide to the back wall. It’s got that super long riser just like the V3X 33, which means it holds on target super steady.

Tuning

Tuning the Phase 4 33 was a snap. Set the rest so the center of my arrow was 13/16 inches from the riser, and eyeballed the nock height to get it level. My first shot through paper was perfect—a bullet hole in the center framed by three evenly spaced vane slices.

For advanced tuning, the bow has the Mathews Tophat system, which employs a series of spacer tubes on either side of the cams. If you need to clean up a paper tear, you just change tubes, so the cam moves left or right. Mathews has been using Tophats for several years, so it’s a system I’m familiar and comfortable with. It works. I didn’t need to make any adjustments to the Tophats for my test bow, but I knew what to do if I did.

Accuracy

I busted a few nocks shooting the Phase 4 33 at 20 yards. Tight groups were easy to produce. But where I feel the Phase 4 33 really excels is shooting at distance. It’s just so steady. My pins locked on target at 50 and 60 yards, and the arrows looked like lasers as they bee-lined for the bull’s-eye.

As mentioned earlier, there is a 29-inch version for bowhunters who prefer a shorter bow. I don’t think I would ever choose a shorter bow simply because bows in the 33-35-inch range feel so good to me. I’ve never had an issue maneuvering with one on the ground or in a tree stand, so that’s not an issue I’ve experienced.

Where the Phase 4 is Lacking

Because Mathews added the Bridge-Lock technology to stabilizers this year, which includes a whole line of stabilizers and associated amenities, I’m going to repeat what I stated last year for the V3X 33. Mathews wants you to buy their gear for their bow. No question their stuff is cool and will help you put together a sweet-looking rig that shoots great. But the accessory line means Mathews gets you coming and going.

And those accessories aren’t cheap. The MSRP for the stabilizers is up to $270, depending on length. The siderod mount is $200. Last year, Mathews introduced its low-profile quivers, which take advantage of moving the sight and rest from the side of the riser to the middle to allow a bowhunter to create a bow with the slimmest profile I’ve ever seen. Those quivers will work for the Phase 4 bows, and cost up to $250.

While the Phase 4 33 is expected to cost $1,400, when you add two of the best stabilizers, siderod mount, low-profile quiver, Bridge-Lock sight, and Mathews-branded QAD Integrate rest, you’re looking at a rig that could cost $2,500.

You can indeed transfer all of your old gear from whatever bow you’re upgrading from to the Phase 4. The bow will accept all traditional accessories. But when bowhunters see how cool a Phase 4 can look kitted out with all the Mathews gear, the temptation to spend will hit.

What the Phase 4 Does Best

The Phase 4 33 is simply a pleasure to shoot. It draws nice, it holds nice, it’s quiet, and it has virtually no hand shock. The shooting experience is nicer than any bow I’ve ever shot. I haven’t had months behind this bow like I have with the V3X 33 to gauge its reliability and performance in various settings and conditions. But given the similarities between the two bows, I will be wildly shocked if the Phase 4 33 doesn’t perform equally as well.

That’s not how bows are sold, however. They’re sold to buyers who take a bare bow with a rest and maybe a sight and shoot a couple times at a target 5 yards away. All they’re doing is feeling the draw cycle and the shot. In that arena, I can’t think of another compound bow that can hang with the Phase 4 33.

Final Thoughts

There are several bows on the market right now that are quiet and have minimal hand shock. For my money, the Mathews Phase 4 33 leads the pack in that category. All I can say is, you’ve got to shoot one to experience it for yourself. When you do, I think you’ll be as surprised as I was, and move the bar for what a smooth-shooting bow ought to feel like.

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