(Photo by Tim Kent)
July 29, 2024
By Jace Bauserman
The landscape was pancake flat. The lone pronghorn buck was bedded, but I was out of real estate. The range provided by my Leupold RX-FullDraw 5 rangefinder told me the range was 76.4 yards — a good poke, for sure.
I realize some readers are already rolling their eyes, shaking their fists and shouting, “Bowhunting is a close-range game!” I don’t disagree, and over 25 years of bowhunting, my average shot distance on animals is 32.6 yards. That’s pretty close. However, living in the wide-open West, there are situations when the distance between me and my quarry is further than when hunting from a Midwest treestand.
This antelope buck was a prime example. I couldn’t get any closer. Not only was he bedded; he was quartering away — his binocular-like eyes watching his harem of does like a hawk. I shoot my bow almost every day of the year, and I know my capabilities and my equipment’s capabilities very well. My Hoyt compound is always cloaked in accessory items I believe in, and I knew that if I did my job and let my release execute the shot, my SEVR-tipped Easton arrow would slice through the dry air and hammer the buck right in the lungs.
I was right. The shot broke clean and perfect. The arrow slammed the buck in the back of the lungs and broke off in the front shoulder. The ebony-racked pronghorn could hardly rise from its bed, and the buck’s final sprint was a short one.
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Whether you chase horns or podium finishes, nothing trumps tack-driving accuracy. Although I’ll be the first to admit that great gear doesn’t make the shooter, there’s also no doubt that quality, dependability and precision are the hallmark qualities top shooters demand — and you’ll find those qualities in the products included here.
TruFire TruFire Hardcore 2.0 TruFire incorporated serious upgrades into the Hardcore 2.0 ($89.99-$99.99) index-finger release aid, including improvements to the trigger and head size. Available in two leather wrist-strap models — the FoldBack Buckle and Extreme Buckle with extra padding — both feature a flat-black, anodized head 30 percent smaller than the original. The open-hook design allows for quick attachment to a D-loop, and the hook has a friction-reducing, nickel-boron coating to improve accuracy. True Center Technology on the release head uses a self-centering knuckle to eliminate string torque and provide a comfortable anchor point. The release also makes it easy to achieve a custom fit, thanks to a 360-degree rotating head, nearly an inch of length adjustment and customizable settings for trigger travel and tension. Speaking of the trigger, shooters can choose among the original, swept-back trigger, a curved trigger, knurled trigger or two-finger trigger. The Hardcore 2.0 fits left- and right-handed shooters.
Quality Archery Designs QAD UltraRest Integrate MX2 When you’re closing the distance on prairie-dwelling big game, you want an arrow rest that cradles your arrow, is church-mouse quiet and precisely guides your shot as it leaves the bow. The QAD UltraRest Integrate MX2 ($279.99-$299.99) sports a rugged and stealthy capture bar and bulletproof 7075 aluminum launcher that will take all the punishment you can dish out. The most significant innovation is the replaceable (offered in multiple color options) launcher arm dampers and Berger hole damper. Felt, other than a single piece to be added to the cradle of the launcher arm, is gone, and easily insertable and interchangeable rubber is in. The new dampening system looks great and allows archers to color-customize, but it further thwarts post-shot noise and vibration. Other legendary features of this cable-driven rest remain, including toolless, micro-adjustable windage and elevation, convenient thumbwheel activation lever, full-draw indicator marks to ensure proper tuning and the rock-solid Integrate mounting system that holds the rest on your bow like a vice.
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Redline Redline Bowhunting RL Torch MTN Long Range Sight Some of the best products to hit the archery/bowhunting market each year come from manufacturers that do one crucial thing: listen to loyal customers. That’s the case with Redline Bowhunting’s new-for-2024 RL Torch MTN Long Range Sight ($349.99). This 3-pin (horizontal configuration) bowsight showcases graduated pin sizes (.019 green, .015 red, .010 green) to ensure maximum precision at ranges close and far. Right and left Dual Yardage Tapes ensure you always know exactly where the sight is set, and the Dual Gear Drive is smooth, consistent and exact. The sight is first-, second- and third-axis adjustable, has a bubble level and weighs 14.3 ounces. Tough as nails and ready to handle everything you dish out, the sight comes with metal sight tapes and also features adjustable hard stop sets on the yardage dial to help you quickly adjust for known distances when the pressure is on.
America's Best Bowstrings America's Best Bowstring Compound Bowstring Series When you choose America’s Best Bowstrings , worries about string stretch, serving separation, longevity and peep rotation become a thing of the past. ABB’s build-your-own Compound Bowstring Series includes a “good, better, best” trio of the Force ($119.99), Premium Ultra ($179.99) and Launch ($219.99). The process is simple: pick a string on ABB’s website and start customizing. My 2024 go-to is the Launch. Built for those who traverse gnarly terrain and wander where most won’t, this fully pre-stretched BCY 452XE Fiber promises maximum performance and lasting durability. The Launch has a two-year warranty against peep rotation, serving separation and stretch.
Ripcord Ripcord Ratchet Limb Driver Rest Available in micro-adjust and non-micro models, as well as standard and Integrate mounting options, Ripcord’s new Ratchet Limb Driven Rests ($209.99-$259.99) feature Speed Set Technology that allows you to fine-tune your activation cable length with the click of a dial. And since the rests are limb driven, setup is quick, easy and doesn’t require a bow press. The full-capture design means your arrow will never fall from the rest. The wide, sturdy launcher arm is padded, and the whale tail launcher cradles the arrow and falls quickly out of the way at the shot with no bounce back to ensure total vane clearance. Simple to use but loaded with the technology you need for consistent, shot-to-shot accuracy, this rest is worthy of a spot on your hunting rig.
Easton Easton 4MM X10 Parallel Pro For the past two years, I’ve stocked my quiver with Easton’s 4MM Axis Long Range, which has elevated my taxidermy bill and stocked my freezer. Last season, after piercing the lungs of a 170-inch whitetail, I declared to my wife, “I will never shoot another arrow besides the Long Range.” I lied. While the 4MM Axis Long Range will remain a Bauserman favorite, I can’t express enough praise for Easton’s new-for-2024 4MM X10 Parallel Pro ($249.99 per 12, bare shafts). This easy-to-tune, lightweight, 4MM diameter arrow flies with impressive precision and packs a powerful punch. Crafted with advanced A/C (aluminum/carbon) technology, this arrow is available in 15 spine sizes from 250 to 1150, and weight-coded shafts pair perfectly with Easton’s 4mm nocks, points, pins and collar systems. Easton has also introduced new premier Half-out Components for all its 4MM arrows in 55-grain Aluminum, 75-grain Half-Steel, 100-grain Titanium-Steel and 150-grain Full-Steel.
BCY Fibers BCY Fibers' 24 Loop Rope BCY Fibers’ 24 Loop Rope ($9.99-$40.99) is the top choice for professional shooters and bowhunters who demand accuracy, consistent knots and reduced fray and wear. Available in a 39-inch rope and spool sizes of 50, 100 and 500 feet, this 2mm diameter D-loop cord promises a consistent burn and is available in multiple solid and two-color options.
UltraView UltraView Archery UV Button Your release aid is your critical connection to the bowstring, and if you’re looking for superior precision, super-smooth operation and a zero-creep trigger, you’ll find it in the UltraView Archery UV Button ($299.99-$349.99) handheld release. Available in lightweight aluminum and stainless steel models, both feature UltraGlide — an advanced, self-lubricating, internal bushing system that eliminates unnecessary metal-on-metal contact. Trigger travel and pressure on this three-finger release are easily adjusted to your personal liking, thumb-barrel position settings are nearly limitless, and the entire release features fantastic ergonomics for amazing comfort and shooting consistency. A spring-loaded, D-loop retainer keeps the release locked onto your bow and at the ready, and there’s also a lanyard loop for archers who wish to add a strap. The aluminum version weighs 3.1 ounces, while the stainless version weighs 5.6 ounces.
Pro-Tracker Pro-Tracker Bad Boys Pro-Tracker Archery is an innovative company that offers a game-changing arrow sleeve that slips over your arrow shaft to boost Front of Center balance point and allow your arrow to carry more energy down range for enhanced penetration and more pass-throughs on big-game critters. Known as the Bad Boys ($29.95 per 3), these sleeves are compatible with standard or micro-diameter shafts, in multiple grain weight options and an array of colors. Bad Boys make it easy to experiment with a wide variety of finished arrow weights and FOC configurations without buying and building dozens of arrows. They also make it easy to shoot a single arrow setup but customize performance according to the application, be it lighter and faster for long-range shooting or a beefy heavyweight for big-bodied game such as elk and moose.
Spot Hogg Spot Hogg Boonie Made in the USA with precision engineering, Spot Hogg’s new Boonie ($379.99-$519.99) is a high-end bowsight featuring interchangeable mounting bars (Picatinny, dovetail or standard) and a removable tape wheel that allows shooters to accommodate multiple arrow builds and shooting setups with a single sight. The enhanced pointer adjustment ensures pinpoint accuracy, and improved windage micro-adjust, along with an easier-to-access lock mechanism, means precise aiming. Compact and lightweight, the Boonie delivers unparalleled convenience without compromising durability. Like all Spot Hogg sights, the Boonie is backed by a lifetime warranty.
RangeOMatic RangeOMatic SpinWing XR Archery Vane Crafted from premium, durable material, RangeOMatic’s SpinWing XR Archery Vane ($17.99 per 40) will help you climb the podium and increase your success in the woods. A unique, rear-sloping hook traps air at the shot’s beginning, quickly stabilizing the arrow for increased accuracy without sacrificing kinetic energy. Vane adhesion is simple via double-sided tape. The vanes measure 3 inches from nose to tail, are available in nine colors to match your rig and are quiet in flight, making them ideal for bowhunters.
Axcel Axcel Landslyde Tactical Bowhunter Sight Built to dominate the bowhunting woods, Axcel’s Landslyde Tactical Bowhunter Sight ($389.99-$574.99) is available in a blend-into-any-terrain olive drab with black accents and black oxide finishes on all fasteners and washers. The smooth-as-silk, quick-adjustment knob allows for dial-to-the-yard precision but doubles as a rapid adjustment knob by pressing the elevation knob in and sliding the head of the sight up/down in large gang adjustments. The sight has a removable second- and third-axis block designed only to hold the weight of the scope housing of your choice, and the block changes out quickly for use with multiple housings. The sight accepts Axcel’s top-end, ready-for-any-environment metal sight tapes, and a pair of adjustable red pointers ensures you know where your pins are set, regardless of whether you’re using a single-pin or multi-pin housing.
Trueflight Feathers Trueflight Shield Cut Feathers Crafted from the finest turkey feathers available, Trueflight’s Shield Cut Feathers (Price varies by quantity) are available in lengths of 3, 4, 5 and 5.5 inches in left or right wing, in more colors than we can list. The bright colors and pre-ground quills ensure consistent dozen-to-dozen fletching, and the .625-inch height provides excellent stability in flight without excessive drag.
Vapor Trail Vapor Trail GEN Integrate 8X Rest Compatible with the popular Integrate rest-mounting system, Vapor Trail’s GEN Integrate 8X Rest ($274.99) features a free-floating launcher arm that supports the arrow for 70 percent of the shot cycle, and the removable Side Pulley Arm allows for top or bottom limb activation. Fourteen interchangeable color options allow maximum bow customization, and the Full Capture Cage sports a side gate for efficient arrow loading and is made from rubber-overmolded carbon that squelches noise and vibration. Other highlights include micro-adjustable windage and elevation and a new-for-2024 low-profile design that accommodates Mathews LowPro quivers.
FlexFletch FlexFletch Pro 2.5 A do-all vane that will help you top the podium and punch lungs, FlexFletch touts its all-new Pro 2.5 ($24.99 per 36) as the ultimate, do-it-all vane from 3-D shooting to bowhunting and whether you prefer to fletch your arrows with three vanes or four. The Pro 2.5 measures 2.5 inches long, stands .47-inch tall, weighs 5.6 grains and features an aerodynamic shield cut shape with tapered, clean-cutting edges ideal for high-speed rigs. The Pro 2.5 requires no prep prior to fletching, and this low-profile vane should provide perfect arrow steering without unnecessary drag.