June 04, 2013
By Jon E. Silks
What you may not know is that the same company with this impressive string of top-end stars also offers one of the best "bang for your buck" bows on the market - the Charger.
Hoyt 's Charger features the popular TEC LITE riser design, Charger Cam & ½, ZRX limbs, Pro-Lock limb pockets, Pro Fit grip and multi-layer lamination limbs. Parallel Split Limb technology, Alpha Shox, cable dampeners and a Stealth Shot String Suppressor all work together to tame the shot of this ultra-light budget bow.
Instant Recognition If you have been bowhunting a while then you are well aware of the instant brand recognition afforded Hoyt through the TEC (Total Engineering Concept) riser design. The Charger is outfitted with the company's LITE version of the TEC family, which incorporates an open format with large cutouts and a network of recessed cross bridging. The truss in this design acts as a shock absorber as it channels shot vibration away from the shooter's hand.
Hoyt's Charger is compatible with the Pro-Fit Grip system, which includes four grip styles that share a common mounting platform. Other riser features include a Stealth Shot string suppression system and stainless steel stabilizer mount.
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The Charger is available in Realtree Xtra , Realtree Max-1 , Black Out, Half & Half, Bone Collector, Vicxen, Realtree Snow and Realtree Pink finish options. Five custom target colors also are available.
Speeding Permitted You will not pay a heavy price for speed with the Charger, as it produces advertised ATA/IBO speeds reaching 325 fps. The muscle behind the performance is Hoyt's Charger Cam & ½, which is a hybrid cam system. This means it uses two elliptical shaped cams, a control cable, a split harness power cable and an evenly placed string. The Charger Cam & ½ was designed with a forgiving valley so the archer can relax into the sho - no surprise takeoffs!
Another plus built into this cam system is a comfortable let-down for those times you decide to hold off on your shot. This all translates into a pleasant shooting experience. Cams ride on steel axles and sealed inner-race bearings for smooth, reliable performance, minimum friction and increased efficiency. A total draw-length range is covered by two base cams and a series of interchangeable modules that do not require a bow press to switch out. Cam 1 covers from 24-26 - 2 inches and Cam 2 from 27-30 inches. System letoff is advertised at approximately 75 percent. Hoyt uses Fuse string and cables for the Charger.
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Limbs, Layers and Alignment The Charger is home to the ZRX Multi-Layer Lamination split limbs, which are contoured and pre-loaded using uniform stress distribution (USD) designed to eliminate potential failure areas. The past-parallel position of the limbs at full draw cause them to act in opposition to one another at the shot, significantly nullifying unused energy.
AlphaShox limb dampers are attached to each set of split limbs for even more vibration reduction. A set of Pro-Lock pivoting limb pockets provide a precise limb-to-riser interface with six, hard-locking contact points. Limb sets are vigorously tested, precisely matched based on deflection values for uniformity and are available in the following weights: 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 55-65, 60-70 and 70-80 pounds.
Impressions Even without considering the excellent price of the Charger, I would give it two thumbs up for all-around performance. Throw in the fact that it retails at only $599.99 and you have a bow that is off the charts in terms of value.
While there is a measure of vibration and a quick bump felt in the grip at the shot, a quality stabilizer almost eliminates the vibration altogether. Hoyt is known for its smooth-drawing bows, and the Charger keeps that tradition alive with its well-rounded transitions through out the draw cycle. In testing, the Charger also proved to be pin-drop quiet.
Archery Accessory Box ols, you'll realize that they are easy to misplace, which is why a storage system like the
Archery Accessory Box from
Plano Molding is a good idea. The Archery Accessory Box is designed with a see-through top, one lift-out tray, up to 16 adjustable compartments, and is compact enough to throw in your vehicle when you hit the road in the fall.
Price: $ 20
Archers Allen Wrench Set If you want to boil down tool needs to a granular level, the jumping-off point for all bow work involves a quality set of Allen wrenches. I emphasize the word quality because I've had sets completely explode on me the first time I've used them. I don't know why it's so hard to make a set of Allen wrenches that will last, but a lot of companies seem to have trouble with the task. Fortunately,
Pine Ridge Archery has it figured out with their
Archers Allen Wrench Set . This set has all of the wrenches you're likely to need, and it contains them with a bolt and nut assembly that doesn't allow them to flop all over the place like lesser-quality sets. I keep a set in my shop, my truck and my daypack, so I'm covered no matter where or when I hunt.
Price: $ 10
Bowsmith Another tool that has found its way into my shop is the
Bowsmith from
Real Avid . The Bowsmith contains needle-nose pliers, a string spreader, knife blade, fletching stripper, nock crimp, string loop setter, and a bevy of other tools (28 in total). This handy tool set is small enough to stow away in a pack as well, and it can be invaluable in bow camp when the nearest pro shop is far away.
Price: $ 50
Allen Company Compact Bow Tuning Kit I also used my
Allen Company Compact Bow Tuning Kit . Since I had to redo my center serving, I also needed to tie on a new string loop, which necessitated the use of the contained bow square. Although I didn't use a nock set, the Compact Bow Tuning Kit comes with nock pliers and three nock sets.
Price: $ 15
Digital Bow Scale An often-overlooked tool that is simple and can be used by every bow owner is a bow scale. I like
Cabela's Digital Bow Scale , which features a backlit LCD screen and automatic weight lock, and is accurate up to 110 pounds in case you plan to shoot deer hiding behind concrete walls. It amazes me how often I talk to bowhunters who simply guess at their draw weight after cranking their limbs in or out a few turns. It's much better to know exactly what your bow is set at, especially if you're getting close to either end of your bow's recommended weight spectrum.
Price: $ 20
Pro Archery Pliers If you're in the market for a pair of pliers that will last longer than any bow you're likely to buy and features a nock set crimper and remover, a D-loop stretcher and scary sharp side-cutters, look no further than the
Pro Archery Pliers from
Easton Technical Products . These needle-nose pliers are extremely durable and can make home bow fixes a breeze.
Price: $ 22
Bohning Mini Server Considering potential bow fixes, it would be wise to not ignore serving issues. Last fall I was sitting in a treestand in north-central Wisconsin, when I happened to glance down at my nocked arrow. The angle looked off, and upon closer inspection I realized that my center serving had slipped and my entire string loop had crept up my string, throwing my entire bow tune out of alignment. Back at the cabin, I busted out my
Bohning Mini Server and re-served my string. The Mini Server is perfect for the home bow mechanic because it eliminates the need for a cable spreader and is extremely easy to use. However, that wasn't the only tool I used to get back to shooting.
Price: $ 19
Economy Vise After putting the above tools to good use at home or in deer camp, it's inevitable that you'll realize something is missing — a vise. The option to clamp your bow into a quality vise and work on it with both hands free is important, which is why I've started using an
Economy Vise from
Apple Archery . Plastic-coated jaws provide a secure grip on your bow's limb without causing any damage to the finish, while the Economy Vise allows for 360 degrees of left-to-right and front-to-back rotation. Just like using a lineman's belt to hang a treestand for the first time, when you use a vise like this to work on your bow, you'll wonder how you ever functioned without it.
Price: $ 81
