New Hunting Bows for 2021

The biggest day of the new year for bowhunters is here. Here's your first look at the latest batch of hunting rigs.

January 13, 2021 By Tony J. Peterson

Hoyt RX-5

Hoyt loyalists need worry no more, because the company has released its flagship bow lineup — the RX-5. Shooters looking for a longer axle-to-axle bow should check out the 34” Ultra, while speed demons would be better served looking at the 31” Turbo in order to register really impressive chrono readings. Everyone else should look at the 30” Alpha, which weighs in at 4.4 pounds and promises arrow speeds up to 342 fps. This is achieved through a 6-inch brace height, the Hybrid 11-inch EXT Limbs, and the ZTR + CAM. The RX-5 Alpha is offered in draw lengths of 25-30 inches and draw weights ranging from 30-80 pounds.

MSRP: $1699+; hoyt.com

Bear Archery Redemption EKO

New to the Legend Series lineup, the 31” Redemption EKO is built for bowhunters looking for performance and a customizable shooting experience. The latter is made possible via EKO Technology, which allows for four different letoff options ranging from 75- to 90-percent. Further customization is made possible thanks to a pair of custom grips. On the performance front, this 4.1lb bow will send arrows downrange at 342fps while stacking them in there thanks to the Align Lok Technology, which works with your sight to aid in second- and third-axis alignment.

MSRP: $1000; beararchery.com

BOWTECH Solution SD

The folks at Bowtech recognized a problem with most bow offerings - they weren’t optimized for shorter-draw-length shooters. Put another way, if you aren’t pulling 30” you might not be experiencing the best shooting that you could. Enter the Solution SD, which is optimized for anyone drawing 23.5 to 28.5” and is built with the DeadLock Cam System. This results in bows built for the masses that are also incredibly easy to tune (and keep tuned). This 30” rig is a dream to shoot with its 7” brace height and mass weight that comes in at just a shade under 4lbs. With arrow speeds up to 323fps, the Solution SD is an excellent choice for anyone looking to skewer critters ranging from turkeys to moose.

MSRP: $1100; bowtecharchery.com

Elite EnKore

It wasn’t that long ago where if you wanted to see chronograph readings of 340fps, you had to risk the important anatomical stuff that keeps your shoulders held together. Today, those speeds are possible on smooth, joy-to-shoot rigs like Elite’s new EnKore. With its S.E.T. Technology (Simplified. Exact. Tuning.) you can achieve perfect arrow flight without a bow press. The EnKore weighs in at just over 4.5lbs, measures 33” between axles, and can accommodate shooters who need anywhere from 23 to 30” of draw length.

MSRP: $1099; elitearchery.com

Gearhead Archery Disrupter Pro Series

Containing bows of two different axle-to-axle lengths — 20 and 24” — the new Disrupter Pro Series from Gearhead is undoubtedly the most unique of the ’21 offerings. The Disrupter 24 Pro is built with cams that have an adjustment range of 26 to 30” (in .5” increments) and utilizes Zero Gap limb pockets to offer 10lbs of draw weight adjustment. Weighing just over 4lbs and featuring a 6.5” brace height, this ground-blind and tight-spot friendly rig is cable of generating KE of 84.5ft/lbs and IBO arrow speeds up to 330fps.

MSRP: $824; gearheadarchery.com

Mathews V3

Choose between the V3 31 or 27 depending on your axle-to-axle preference when you’re shopping for a brand new Mathews. Take a close look at these bows and you’ll notice the cable guard looks a little different, which is of course, by design. Their new Centerguard Cable Containment system is built to equalize the angle of the cables throughout the draw cycle, which results in optimal cam timing and vane clearance. Or in other words, a higher level of accuracy. The V3 31 tips the scales at 4.5lbs, shoots up to 342fps, features a 6” brace height, and is offered in a variety of finishes including First Lite’s new Specter pattern.

MSRP: $1199; mathewsinc.com

Prime Nexus

Prime is billing their 2021 flagship offering as a blending of worlds between innovators and hunters, which is no more evident than their new Nanogrip. This new-age, 360-degree-wrapped grip utilizes Aerogel, a NASA-designed technology that will keep your hand warm no matter how cold it is. The Nexus also boasts a 50-percent reduction in overall vibration compared to last year’s Black Series thanks to the pairing of a cable splitter weight and lighter cams. Three models are available in different axle-to-axle lengths, with the Nexus 2 measuring 32” between pins, weighing only 4.4lbs, and generating arrow speeds that top out at 341fps.

MSRP: $999; g5prime.com

PSE Xpedite NXT

PSE always releases a slew of new bows and this year is no exception. Mixed amongst their quality offerings is the new 33” Xpedite NXT, which if it isn’t the fastest bow of the year, is definitely in the running. Advertised IBO speeds of up to 360fps make this bow a no-brainer for anyone looking for flat-arrow trajectory and tight pin gaps. The Xpedite NXT weighs 4.74lbs, can be had in peak draw weights of 60, 70 and 80lbs, and ships with the company’s 90-percent letoff modules. To ensure your groups are consistently tight, this rig features the ComfortGrip system, allowing shooters the opportunity to choose PSE’s traditional riser grip technology or their molded overlay grip.

MSRP: $1099+; psearchery.com

Three bows are available in the new X Series from Xpedition. Of particular interest to hardcore bowhunters is the shortest in the group — the X30. This bow offers 80-percent letoff, a 6.25” brace height, and arrow speeds north of 350fps. It’s also feathery light, tipping the scales at 3.6lbs thanks to the X-Loy material used in the riser construction. To ensure a high level of efficiency — a metric that doesn’t get as much love in compound bows as it should — the X30 is built with the ETS (Energy Transfer System). This enhances cable system dynamics to increase performance and efficiency by pre-loading the cables (and limiting cable movement). In layman’s terms, this allows more of the stored energy to make it directly to your arrow during the shot, which results in increased downrange performance.

MSRP: $1399; xpeditionarchery.com

APX — The Newest Pattern From Realtree

Gear

APX — The Newest Pattern From Realtree

Jim McGinn, VP of Marketing at Realtree, shows off the latest camouflage pattern from this industry giant. The new APX pattern is an all-purpose pattern that will help you blend into your surroundings whether you're in a treestand hunting whitetails, or bellycrawling your way into range of a mule deer out West. It took years to develop APX, a pattern that met the strict standards of Realtree Founder, Bill Jordan, and it will meet your standards as well.

Gear

Buck Commander Releases New Buk Ops Technology

Gear

Buck Commander Releases New Buk Ops Technology

Ryan Busbice from Buck Commander introduces a brand-new technology they call Buk Ops. This is an optical viewing device that does not use infra-red or thermal technology. It maximizes available light to give the user an enhanced view of their surroundings. It's not a targeting device either, but a tool for scanning fields in low light, or even walking into your stand or blind without a flashlight. This is one-of-a-kind technology that holds many uses for all types of hunters.

Gear

Easton's Sonic 6.0 a Versatile Arrow Shaft

Gear

Easton's Sonic 6.0 a Versatile Arrow Shaft

Bowhunter TV Host, Curt Wells, talks to Easton Marketing Director, Gary Cornum, about the Sonic 6.0, a highly versatile arrow shaft that gives the bowhunter multiple options. Wells explains how he's able to convert his Sonic 6.0 arrows to different weights based on the species of big game he's hunting.

Gear

Easton Introduces the Match Grade Pro Series Arrow

Gear

Easton Introduces the Match Grade Pro Series Arrow

Gary Cornum, Marketing Director at Easton, explains to Bowhunter TV Host, Curt Wells, the virtues of Easton's newly released Match Grade Pro Series Arrows. From front to back, Easton has built their latest technologies into these arrows, which are only available from Easton dealers. Everything from high-end inserts and vanes combine with a five-point straightness standard to make the Pro Series arrows the best a bowhunter can buy. It's no longer necessary to build-your-own to achieve the highest quality arrow you demand.

Gear

Primos Double Bull Delivers New Raised Hunting Ground Blind

Gear

Primos Double Bull Delivers New Raised Hunting Ground Blind

On the surface, it would seem almost impossible to keep improving the Double Bull ground blinds manufactured by Primos. But as Raised Hunting founder and television show host David Holder explained to OSG's Lynn Burkhead, this year's new Raised Hunting Double Bull blind raises the standard of ground blind excellence even higher, whether you're chasing elk, mule deer or pronghorn antelope out west in Montana or big record book whitetails living in the Midwestern whitetail paradise of Iowa.

Gear

Primos Delivers Steady Shooting With Edge Tripod System

Gear

Primos Delivers Steady Shooting With Edge Tripod System

For big game hunters on the move out West, or a whitetail hunter looking to spot and stalk into range with a rifle or crossbow, keeping the scope's crosshairs steady can be a challenge. But not anymore according to Primos Hunting's Jason Harris, who recently showed OSG's Lynn Burkhead all of the versatility of the new Primos Edge Tripod, a carbon-fiber, magnetic head support system that provides a quick, rock solid shooting platform when a pressure packed hunt's moment of truth arrives.

Gear

The QAD Ultrarest Gets Better

Gear

The QAD Ultrarest Gets Better

Kevin Fry, Vice President at Quality Archery Design, lays out the improvements made to the newest Ultrarest Integrate MX arrow rest. The new MX2 is stronger, lighter, more compact, and includes a refined capture bar. The machined launcher is now fitted with a damper system to reduce noise and it can be color matched to your other accessories. The MX2 still features the “precision click micro adjust” to help you fine tune your setup.

Gear

A QAD Ultrarest For Everyone

Gear

A QAD Ultrarest For Everyone

No matter your budget or standard, QAD has an arrow rest for you. Kevin Fry, VP at QAD, goes through their line of arrow rests that range from the high-end $300 MX2 to their economy model that retails for just $75. Every model of arrow rest is made entirely in the U.S.A. and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Gear

Primos Legacy Grows With Icon Call Series

Gear

Primos Legacy Grows With Icon Call Series

Primos Game Calls is one of America's most iconic call makers, and according to Eric Hughes, that's the whole idea behind a brand new call lineup. In an ongoing introduction through a variety of game call styles, including deer calls, elk calls, predator calls, and of course, turkey calls. With that call-making DNA, Hughes spent some time telling OSG's Lynn Burkhead about the new Icon call line-up being unveiled by Will Primos and his Mississippi call making company and how it will take call making to the next level.

Gear

Going Light With Dryshod Boots

Gear

Going Light With Dryshod Boots

Steven Fuller, Marketing Director at Dryshod boots, goes through their line, from hunting boots to chore boots to knock-around shoes, they have it all, and the focus is on ultralight construction. The hunting line of knee-high boots have neoprene that is treated to be extra waterproof, and the outsole material is noticeably lighter than most boots of this type, making them good for hiking and packing when weight is a concern.

Gear

Tactical Bowhunting from T.R.U. Ball and Axcel

Gear

Tactical Bowhunting from T.R.U. Ball and Axcel

T.R.U. Ball/Axcel has taken some of its most popular release aids and bow sights and created the new-for-2024 Tactical Bowhunting Series, a collection of products optimized for the field where stealth and performance under pressure are keys to success.

Gear

Trophyline Venatic Specter

Gear

Trophyline Venatic Specter

Trophyline is following up on the success of its Venatic tree saddle with a new-for-2024 model featuring First Lite Specter camouflage, available this summer.