April 2019

www.insidearchery.com

®

APRIL 2019





INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 3

People
30 Power of Participation
■ Todd Williams, X-Factor
Outdoor Products
■ Mickey O’Kane, GEM Sport Supply
■ Tanner Morrell, Morrell Targets
■ Mark Bonales, Bonales Archery
■ Ryan Weber, Stic-N-Pic
Trail Camera Mounts
■ Ralph Harris, American Whitetail Inc.

32 32 America’s Best Bowstrings:
The Name Says it All

By Daniel Allred

Market Trends
14 New & Notable
Archery products with
strong sales potential.

42 Bow Report
APA Archery Mamba 28 XR
By Patrick Meitin

44 Today’s Top Crossbows
Stay up to date on the latest
and most advanced crossbows.
By Patrick Meitin

42 18 58 Bow shing roducts hat
re ure to ake a plash

Stay informed on the best

bowfishing gear of the year.

By nside rchery taff

58 14

INSIDE ARCHERY (Volume 22, #3) ISSN #1940-3879, USPS #024-412 is published 10 times per year (Jan / Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep / Oct, Nov, Dec)
by Zebra Publishing Inc. PO Box 25007, Colorado Springs, CO 80936. Periodical postage paid at Colorado Springs, CO 80936 and at additional offices.
Postmaster please send address changes to INSIDE ARCHERY, P.O. Box 986, Levittown, PA 19058-9902.

4 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 5





INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 3

44 IInndsiudsetrtyhe
12 Inside Track
Bowhunting Lost a Good
Friend in John Dingell

16 Kinsey’s Business
Blueprint

Managing Your

Credit and Taking

Advantage of Terms

18 Inside Retailing
Jim-Bows Archery
By Daniel Allred

22 ATA Retail Growth Insight
Are You Telling Your Story?
By Kurt Smith / ATA

24 Industry News
Information that keeps you up

52 to speed on news, events and
people in the archery industry.
28 ATA Action
Jump-Start Your Spring Cleaning

By Jackie Holbrook

52 2019 Kinsey’s Dealer
Show Recap

Check out the highlights of the

2019 Kinsey’s Dealer Show at

Hershey Lodge in Pennsylvania.

By Inside Archery taff

58 66 Industry 5Q
Five Questions on Victory Archery

with Steve Greenwood

66 and Devin O’Dea

30 14
8 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 9

INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 3

insidearchery.com Online Exclusives

Bowhunting

Spring Turkey Hunting Tips

Spring turkey season is here, and hunters are
searching for their perfect strutting gobbler. If
you’re just beginning or you’d like to reconsid-
er your own methods, read about some turkey
hunting tips to help improve your tactics.

Tournament Archery

2019 NFAA Indoor Nationals

The NFAA Indoor Nationals is a champion
tournament open to all NFAA and USA Archery
members. This event took place on March 15-
17 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Learn more about this
year’s event and champions.

Industry Introducing MyATA Login and
Products Resource Website

MyATA Login integrates a member dashboard
with new features and benefits that can be
directly linked to the new Resources Website. Learn
about these e clusive benefits for members.

Hot Turkey Hunting Gear

n the midst of spring-cleaning, you may find
that you need to update your turkey hunting
gear. Prepare for the spring season and gear
up with the top turkey hunting gear in the
industry.

WebXtras: In this issue: “Inside Retailing” examines success at Jim-Bows

Archery; “Bow Report” tests the APA Archery Mamba 28 XR; Kinsey’s Dealer Show
Highlights; and “Industry 5Q” examines Victory Archery’s VXT Target Arrow.

Inside Archery App

Now Inside Archery can be delivered to your door, viewed on your computer,
AND downloaded onto your smartphone or tablet.

Fresh content daily
on social media!

10 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE TRACK

Bowhunting Lost a Good Friend in John Dingell Publisher & Founder

M any great innovators helped build a foundation for the archery and bowhunting Sherry Krenz • [email protected]
industry from the 1930s through early 1970s. Names like Fred Bear, Howard Hill,
Doug Easton, Ben Pearson, Rollin Bohning, Tom Jennings, and Earl and Ann Founding Editor
Hoyt come to mind.
Bill Krenz • 1952–2010
One man seldom mentioned in those discussions is Congressman John Dingell,
D-Michigan, who served a record 59 years (1955-2014) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Editor
Dingell died Feb. 7 at age 92. He was a lifelong hunter
and angler, and routinely helped our industry during his Daniel Allred • [email protected]
nearly six decades on Capitol Hill. He encouraged every-
one from Bear, to Dick Lattimer to Jay McAninch to call Editor-at-Large
on him whenever archery/bowhunting needed help.
Patrick Durkin • [email protected]
Dingell understood that Michigan is home to
hundreds of thousands of bowhunters and archers. It’s Equipment Editor
also the historical home of manufacturers like Bear
Archery, The Bohning Company, Buck Stop Lures, and Patrick Meitin • [email protected]
GameTracker/Carbon Express, to name a few.
Editorial Assistant
In his 2005 book “I Remember Papa Bear,” Lattimer
recalled Dingell’s work in the 1960s to include bows, arrows, arrowheads and bow-mounted Rachael Reginek-Krenz • [email protected]
accessories in the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act. Lattimer said early efforts
to amend the P-R Act failed repeatedly until Dingell got involved. Dingell was chairman Contributors
of the House Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation at the time.
Kurt Smith | Jackie Holbrook
While Dingell worked in Congress to help archery and bowhunting, Bear persuaded
members of the Archery Manufacturers Organization—forerunner of the Archery Trade Associate Publisher
Association—to support the P-R Act’s 11 percent excise tax. Their teamwork prevailed, and
President Nixon signed the amendment into law in October 1972. Stephen Mack • [email protected]

From 2007 through 2016 alone, sales of archery equipment in the United States gener- Art Director
ated over $441.4 million—an average of $44.1 million annually—for wildlife management,
hunter education, range construction, and conservation programs nationwide. Ed Rother • [email protected]

Dingell understood the importance of hunting and fishing to wildlife conservation. e Associate Art Director
adorned his office with ta idermy and other outdoors artwork, and once wrote Wild
species are like a library of books still unread. Our heedless destruction of them is akin Tara Bondar • [email protected]
to burning the library without having read its books.”
Account Executive
Dingell also distinguished himself as a nonpartisan hunter-conservationist. As he
recently told a critic on witter o matter our party affiliation, we are all in the same boat. David Beckler • [email protected]
We cannot turn to our neighbor and say, ‘I’m sorry, but your end of the boat is sinking.’”
Accounting Manager
And he never quit working. When inadvertent loopholes in that 1972 amendment
caused unfair taxation for archery retailers in the 1990s, and domestic archery manufac- Pam Ludlam • [email protected]
turers in the early 000s, Dingell helped the industry fi the problems.
Circulation Director
“John Dingell heard our issues and addressed them,” said Jay McAninch, president/
CEO of the Archery Trade Association from 2000 to 2017. “He stepped up to help us from Greg Wolfe • [email protected]
2002 to 2004 to stop the loss of P-R funds from imported arrows that entered the country
tax-free. He worked with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to Senior Circulation Manager
end that problem.”
Mark Rosen • [email protected]
When reflecting on Dingell’s life and work, ’m reminded that no matter our skills,
workforce or manufacturing output, our industry can’t go it alone. We need colleagues and Subscription Services & Change of Address:
expertise elsewhere, too. We were blessed to have John Dingell as our friend in Washington
while this industry boomed the past 45 years. Congressman Dingell, you’ll be missed. Inside Archery® Circulation Department
Inside Archery, PO Box 986, Levittown, PA 19058-9902
Sherry Krenz
Publisher hone (8 ) 86 - 86 a (888) 65- 61
[email protected]
12
ublication ce

Inside Archery® / Zebra Publishing Inc.

P.O. Box 25007, Colorado Springs, CO 80936

hone (71 ) 5- a (71 ) 5-88

[email protected] • www.InsideArchery.com

Inside Archery® Copyright © 2019 Zebra Publishing Inc. All rights
reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission
from the publisher is prohibited. Inside Archery® is a registered U.S.
trademark of Zebra Publishing Inc. Opinions expressed in by-lined
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reflect the views of the publisher, the maga ine or its staff.

ubmission uidelines ebra ublishing nc. and Inside Archery® mag-
azine assume no responsibility for unsolicited editorial, photography or
art submissions. Contributors submitting articles, photos or art do so at
their own risk. Material will not be returned without a self-addressed
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dition provided by any contributor shall be binding on Zebra Publishing
Inc. unless it is signed and returned by the Editor.

Archery, hunting and bowhunting are inherently dangerous activities.
Improper use of hunting or archery equipment may cause serious
injury or death. Always follow state and local hunting safety rules, and
get required permits or licenses before hunting. Zebra Publishing Inc.
uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-to-date information
in our publications; however, we do not make any warranties or
representations as to accuracy or completeness. All information in
this magazine is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Zebra
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this magazine. Readers use the information in this magazine at their
own risk. Zebra Publishing Inc. assumes no liability for any errors or
omissions in the content of this magazine, or arising from use by any
person of the information in this magazine.

z Inside Archery®
is a publication of
Zebra Publishing Inc.
Printed in the USA.

INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019



MARKET TRENDS NEW & NOTABLE

Browning Trail Cameras Custom Bow Equipment Engage Hybrid
Dark Ops HD Pro X
The Engage Hybrid has a dovetail mounting system and hybrid elevation adjustments with
The ark ps ro is a hard to detect second- and third-axis adjustments. The Quad Track Design utilizes a four-track stability
trail camera that’s perfect for capturing footage of adjustment system to eliminate rocking and noise. The machined Rapid Drive elevation
easily spooked animals or trespassers. This camera ad ustment system offers uick tool less high precision ad ustments. his sight is available in one
uses powerful Invisible Infrared LED illumination and
lluma mart technology which ad usts the ash for three and ve pin models with . or . inch
perfect photos at night. he ark ps ro can pins. t includes a uiver attachment enclosed
shoot p video with sound has a . second rheostat light uorescent peep alignment ring
trigger speed, and is compatible with SD Cards up to and rear-facing sight tape. ■ Learn more at
custombowequipment.com.
B. his camera has an foot detection and ash
range and comes with an all-steel adjustable tree mount
bracket to achieve the perfect angle. ■ Learn more at
browningtrailcameras.com.

TightSpot Rise Heated Hunts
Quiver Heated Scent Dispenser

The Rise Quiver has a The Heated Scent Dispenser has no dangerous chemicals or open
compact and maneu- ames and you ll never have to worry about messy hands.
verable design that his mechanism is very simple to operate and re uires little to
measures 4 inches shorter than the no maintenance once it’s in place. Simply press the LED button and
original. t weighs ounces and is position it in a desired spot. he scent is heated to e actly degrees
½ inches in length. There’s a loop on which is the approximate body temperature of big game.
the hood to easily hang the uiver in The wicks are positioned so the wind can pick up the heated
a tree, and it comes standard with scent. his conserves the li uid and battery power
a secondary gripper attached and also allows powerful scent to reach distant
to the carbon rods near the game. ■ Learn more at heatedhunts.com.

hood. This allows X-Factor Outdoors Xtreme Side Bar Mount
users to secure and Xtreme Balance Stabilizer
their arrows in
two places while The Xtreme Side Bar Mount has Roller Ball technology and is the only single adjust 365-degree
protecting the tip side bar mount in the industry. There aren’t any teeth to lock it in place. Instead, it is locked by
inside the hood. his uni ue a single setscrew, making this side bar mount micro-adjustable. The Xtreme Balance Stabiliz-
design lets the broadheads oat ers feature A-Tech Rubber SBT END to minimize vibration and sound. It’s made of a Thermosetting
in the hood without touching
anything, ensuring consistently Polymer Epoxy for extreme durability. It comes standard
sharp blades. ■ Learn more with 3.5 ounces of end weight, and additional weight can
at tightspotquiver.com. be added. ■ Learn more at xfactoroutdoors.com.

14 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

Trophy Taker SmackDown LockUp Rest Slash Arrows
EXPRESS 300 Arrows
The Trophy Taker SD LockUp is a limb-driven fall-away rest with integrated
roller bearings for smooth operation. This full containment rest is extremely Slash Arrows is home of the revolutionary
adjustable. The fully over-molded containment ring has a built-in sound INsetBlade Deployable Technology with
dampening system for stealthy shots. This rest is constructed with blades on the sha of the arrow that open
precision machined aircra grade aluminum alloy with stainless steel and e pand internally a er entry. he lash
hardened components to provide long-lasting durability, and the three- EXPRESS 300 Arrows come in a pack of three:
point mounting system achieves two contact points on the mounting two with the INsetBlade outsert and one stan-
bracket for improved stability. The SD LockUp Rest also comes with an dard arrow that weighs the same
unconditional lifetime warranty. ■ Learn more at trophytaker.com. as the other two. These
are small diameter
Hawke Sport Optics Frontier ED X 10x42 Binocular 300 spine arrows
with a standard
Hawke Sport Optics’ new Frontier ED X 10x42 Binocular features extra-low insert that accepts any
dispersion glass, dielectric coatings and multi-coated optics to produce broadhead. They are
e tremely sharp clarity with increased light re ectivity. he high resolution constructed with High
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chassis and stay-on lens covers. ■ Learn more at hawkeoptics.com.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY BUSINESS BLUEPRINT Sponsored by

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E ver hear the saying, “Credit is and archery industry. Carrying items from your favor-
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extremely helpful. offers domestic and international retailers a wide
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your credit card, you are using short- offered to those who have proven they are good credit history, it still needs to be
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tempting to “load up” when you don’t
as using credit. If you buy inventory on why it is extremely important to make have to worry about paying until a later
date, but you can easily get in trouble
a “Net 30” program, you are using credit. sure your bills are paid on time. Small this way. Inventory bought on terms
can sneak up on people, and they forget
Many people know about personal credit business owners usually do not have the about the balance due. Money gets spent
elsewhere. hen when the bill is finally
and how it can negatively affect your luxury of having a dedicated accounting due, the money produced from the sale
is already gone. lthough purchasing on
ability to buy a house or a car if you have department. This means the owner is in terms can help a business, it can also
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he power of good credit can signifi- other necessary tasks. Sometimes, paying card, or open a few vendor
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cantly increase your business’s cash bills just falls lower on the priority roster. Get comfortable and build
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of great deals. prime e ample of this your business has suffered a loss. It is not to over extend yourself.
Businesses that learn how
is the insey’s Dealer how. t the 01 important for owners to consider their to balance this often find
the most success.
show, ualified dealers received et business’s credit as important as their

eptember 1 dating on all ship- personal credit.

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16 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 17

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE RETAILING

Serious Training for Bowhunters and Young Shooters

Jim-Bows Archery ■ Arrow Lines: Gold Tip and Victory high-income industry, so we have other
perks like free equipment and time off
Store Profile ■ Inside Numbers: Around 75 percent of for tournaments and hunting trips. We
the shop’s annual revenue is generated also pay them quite a bit better than the
■ Headquarters: Calgary, Alberta by bowhunting gear. Services and lessons industry standard around here because
■ Owners: Jim Johnson and Joey Mungo account for the other 25 percent. they do so well for us. Many of them are
■ Store Facts: Jim-Bows Archery opened pushing 12 years with me, which is a long
in 1999. A second location in Edmonton, Retailing Q & A time in this industry.
Alberta, was opened in 2014. The Calgary
store is housed in an 8,000-square-foot Inside Archery: You’ve been in business Bowhunting is
building. A 4,000-square-foot range on for 20 years. What have been the keys to still a big source of
the upper floor houses lanes that go your success? income, but most of
out to 20 yards. today’s bowhunters
■ Staffing: The shop employs four full- Johnson: Excellent customer service has are now getting more
time and three part-time workers. always been No. 1. I just treat customers involved in target
■ Bow Lines: Mathews, Bowtech and Hoyt right, and I’m not afraid to charge for archery and shooting
■ Crossbow Lines: Excalibur service. We all sell the same equipment year round.
these days, so the only thing that makes
Jim Johnson established the shop in 1999. my store different from another shop is Inside Archery: You opened a second
the service that my staff and I provide. My shop in Edmonton five years ago. What
staff is also awesome, and I’ve been very factors contributed to the expansion, and
fortunate in that regard. I think I have the what was the experience like?
best staff in the industry right now. The
service we provide is what keeps people Johnson: I’m from the Edmonton area,
coming back. and I worked at a different pro-shop there
for about 10 years. I moved to Calgary
Inside Archery: Is your staff the product and opened my own shop because I saw a
of good training, or did you manage to need for it here, but I still had customers
find naturally gifted employees from Edmonton contact us and want to
do business with us. We saw that there
Johnson: t’s definitely a mi of both. was also a need for a pro-shop with the
set very high standards for my staff, and same quality service up there, so we
’ve also been really fortunate to find the decided to open that second location. One
right people for the right positions. I also of my younger employees, Carson Toy,
do my best to treat them well and keep worked here when he was in college,
them around. As time goes on, there and I ended up giving him the oppor-
are advancements for them. This isn’t a tunity to buy-in as a partner of the
Edmonton store, so he moved up there to
Bowhunting gear is still the main source of revenue for Jim-Bows run the shop. The other co-owner is Dave
Archery, but the shop also places a lot of focus on its classes.

18 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

Sponsored by

Plano Synergy

Participating retailers will receive $1,000 in products
generously donated by Plano Synergy.

The shop carries bows from Mathews, Bowtech and Hoyt.

Schlottke, who’s been one of my hunting the Hunt Weiser Program, and it’s a physi- Excellent customer
buddies since we were in high school. cal workout combined with shooting. For service and a reat sta
Both of them have done a fantastic job. the advanced class, they can get penalties have been the key factors
They follow the same game plan—with added to their workout if they don’t shoot to this shop’s success.
customer service as No. 1—and it’s gone their average score. They might have to do
really well. an extra 20 push ups, or do an extra 250 Jim Johnson helps a customer at the service desk.
meters on the rowing machine for every
Inside Archery: How do you try to appeal penalty they acquire during the shooting
to new archers? aspect. The guys who participate in it really
enjoy it. They’re working hard, but they’re
Johnson: We have all kinds of programs having a good time. t also keeps them fit
in place. We have things like junior pro- and accurate throughout the whole year.
grams, a kids’ summer camp, and we
have a course that we do in conjunction Inside Archery: How did the Hunt Weiser
with the CrossFit gym next door, which Program come about?
has been really well received. We call it
Johnson: My other business partner, Joey
Mungo, worked with the CrossFit gym to
come up with it. It’s popular enough that
we pretty much run it all year long now.
We have a different program for spring,
summer and winter. The spring program is

Jim-Bows Archery is located in Calgary, Alberta. There’s also a second location in Edmonton, Alberta.

Jim-Bows Archery has a variety of youth programs, 19
and also works closely with the local school district.

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE RETAILING

When people
actually get taught how
to shoot properly, they
simply enjoy it more.

Jim-Bows Archery has a selection of high-end gear for serious bowhunters. just about to start, and shooting ability when they have an elevat-
The shop places an incredible amount of value on training young archers correctly. we have them all show ed heart rate and shaking arms. It keeps
up with backpacks. them in really good shape for hunting.
Based on their ability,
they have either a 35-, Inside Archery: What offerings do you
50- or 70-pound weight have for youth shooters?
in their pack, and they
have to wear it while Johnson: We work with a lot of differ-
they do their work- ent schools because archery is part of the
out. Then they have curriculum up here. So we’ll have a lot of
to shoot with the pack grade 10 or 11 classes come in for a two-
still on. In the winter, hour long session with instruction. We
we do an indoor also have junior programs all through the
biathlon event where winter. We run the advanced classes on
we challenge their Friday nights and the intermediate and
beginner classes all day Saturday. We have
great volunteers who help with those, too.
They come in and donate time every Friday
and Saturday, which is needed because we
have close to 85 kids in each session now.
It’s hectic sometimes.

Inside Archery: What’s your approach to
keeping younger archers engaged?

Johnson: Everything kids do nowadays has
instant gratification instant success. he
first time they play a video game, they get
the high score. So if they don’t see instant
results and instant success, all the sudden

The shop is housed in an 8,000-square-foot building. INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

20

they think archery isn’t fun and they 21
don’t want to do it anymore. They watch
the movies, and the hero picks up a bow
for the first time and they never miss.
Then they try it out in real life, and if
they’re not taught correctly, then they’re
hurting their arm and not able to hit a
target. If that happens, they decided it’s
not their thing and they’d rather go back to
the video game with instant gratification.
Because of all that, we put a lot of effort
into making sure that they’re taught
properly: They’re not hitting their arm;
they have the proper form and draw
length; and they’re shooting with their
dominant eye. That makes them enjoy
the experience, so they want to come
back and keep doing it.

Inside Archery: Have you seen your
younger shooters get involved with
bowhunting?

Johnson: We have some really good
archers coming out of our programs,
and I would say that probably 35 or 40
percent of them end up bowhunting.
t’s difficult to take them outdoors and
actually show them stuff, but we do a
lot in terms of preparation. Our kids’
summer camp has fitness aspects like
our CrossFit program for adults. We also
have them shooting from sitting and
leaning positions, and we’ll have them
shoot with one foot on a box and one
foot on the ground to simulate different
terrain. Then in our six-week course,
one week we will set up an indoor 3-D
course so we can show them where
they should aim in a hunting situation.
A lot of parents are looking for things that
their kids can do that aren’t video games,
so all in all, it’s worked out really well
for us.

WebXtra ■ For more informa-

tion on Jim-Bows Archery please visit us
at insidearchery.com/jim-bowsarchery

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA RETAIL GROWTH INSIGHT

Are You Telling Your Story?

BY KURT SMITH, COURTESY OF THE ATA

I f you want more customers, Do you tell your story in ways that The Guide – Here’s where you really
you must market effectively. reach people? To understand this con-
cept, read “Building a StoryBrand” by come into the story. Your heroes (your
customers) are trying to reach their

But how do you know if your Donald Miller. This book outlines a goal and possibly overcome obstacles

marketing is effective? Understanding framework for businesses to effective- along the way. But how do they get

ly deliver their message to customers. there? You guide them. You and your

how businesses relay messages that Here’s the catch: Your story isn’t about staff must come alongside customers

turn potential customers into patrons you. It’s about your customers, what they to share your knowledge, services and
achieve, and how you make it possible. skills to help them succeed.
is a skill few possess.
This framework has more pieces, but the hink of yourself as an outfitter

following three themes will make you taking a bowhunter on the big-game

I’m not one of those talented few, and think differently about your messaging. hunt of a lifetime. You’ll achieve your

it appears most archery business own- goals by putting them in the best pos-

ers aren’t either. Because we might not The Hero – You’re telling your business’ sible position to succeed. Don’t just

know how this all works, it’s natural to story, so the obvious heroes are you and tell people about your vast experience

try a little of everything. But no matter your staff, right? Wrong. Humans are and how knowledgeable you are. Show

the medium—radio, websites or social egocentric. We don’t like to admit it, but them how those attributes guide cus-

media—we usually focus allotted mar- we love to hear and talk about ourselves. tomers to becoming lifelong archers or

keting budgets on getting the message So do your customers. When they walk accomplished bowhunters. Your skills

out in as many ways as possible to reach into your store or visit your and expertise are vital, but

as many people as possible. website, they want to see it’s how those attributes

That’s a scattergun approach. The themselves as the lead char- benefit your customers

story of your business—the content— acter in your story. Let them that makes your business

falls through the cracks. The details of be the hero! special.

who you are and what you can do for Don’t focus your message Although those three

customers tells them why you’re the on your highly skilled bow technician. items are important puzzle pieces, only

obvious choice to meet their needs. Focus on how well your customers shoot one theme ties them together: Your story

after getting their bow tuned. Don’t focus must deliver a clear message. If poten-

on the fact you’re the area’s largest tial customers visit your website and

dealer. Talk about how your customers don’t uickly see where they fit in, you

love the large selection of quality prod- might lose them. People won’t burn lots

ucts you offer. The more clearly potential of energy wading through pictures and

customers see themselves as the hero text that don’t directly apply to them.

of your story, the more they’ll want to They want to see and read about them-

become part of what you’re doing. selves. ell a story that clearly identifies

your heroes.

The Goal – Your obvious business goal is To discuss these tips and other mar-

serving customers and making profits keting strategies with your peers, join

while doing so. Great, but what’s their ATA Connect, our online member com-

goal? What can they achieve by shop- munity. You can also reach this com-

ping at your store? Is it shooting a per- munity on your mobile device. Just

sonal best score for an indoor round, or download the MemberCentric app, and

becoming confident in hunting safely search for ATA to get logged in with

from a treestand? Their goals might dif- your member credentials.

fer greatly from yours. Whatever your To discuss ways the ATA can help

customers are trying to accomplish, your your business, please contact me via

marketing efforts should show how your email at [email protected]

business can help them achieve it. or by phone at (717) 478-5919.

22 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

RUySaAlsArIcVhaesryPaWreallcyommpeicsHGeeaodrgCeoach cation initiatives. in our current team and I look forward
“I am thankful for this opportunity and to working with the athletes to build on
George Ryals IV joined USA Archery as the their successes. We will grow awareness,
new Paralympic Head Coach. Coach Ryals am very excited to work with the incred- innovate technology and work together
has over 25 years of experience in teach- to adapt, overcome and create a lasting
ing and coaching archery, extensive ex- George Royals IV dynasty.” | LEARN MORE AT TEAMUSA.ORG/USA-
perience in archery product design and ibly passionate and dedicated archers of ARCHERY.
exceptional skills in team building. the U.S. Para Archery Team,” Ryals said.
“We are fortunate to have great talent S2Cap0lo1l9innsNgoWrCeThFdaGmbrypaMinodonsNsshayitpiOosankal
Ryals was named USA Archery’s and the
US Olympic Committee’s Developmental The best turkey callers in the world
Coach of the Year in 2014, and recently gathered in Nashville, Tennessee, at the
worked with the USA Archery Para team Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention
as a coach at the 2018 Para Pan American Center for the National Wildlife Turkey
Championships. As the Paralympic Head Federation (NWTF) Grand National Call-
Coach, Ryals will focus on competitive ex- ing Championships. Mossy Oak is proud
cellence and growing a deep pool of talent
through recruitment, outreach and edu-

The Outdoor Group Growth Prompts Promotions and a New Hire

The Outdoor Group has seen unprecedented growth in the past year and over the world,” Jipson said.
a half, which has prompted promotion and growth within the company. dditionall , e outhall has een promoted to the position of art

Paul Guillot has been promoted to the position of VP of sales. He re- director a er ein with the compan for 4 ears as a senior raphic
cently served as the director of sales and regional sales manager. desi ner n his role, e will e responsi le for overseein and creatin
the visual identity for all the brands within The Outdoor Group.
“Paul does an excellent job organizing and motivating the sales
team,” said Anthony Steil, CEO of The Outdoor Group. “He’s fantastic “Our goal is to take each brand’s identity to the next level, and estab-
in terms of working with our dealer partners. He’s going to continue to lish a cohesive, recognizable persona that spans traditional and digital
push for improvement, growth, and record setting in this new position.” mediums, outhall said  

Katie Bates-Jipson has been promoted to the position of customer The Outdoor Group also announced the recent hire of Riley Arnold as
e perience mana er a er ein with the utdoor roup for over ears re ional sales mana er ile has ears of e perience in the outdoor
in customer service. In her role, Katie will be responsible for improving industry, and in his new role, Riley will be responsible for servicing exist-
the overall customer experience and fostering an engaged customer ing customers in the Northwest region.
base by overseeing the customer service team.
“I’m excited to join the TOG family and continue expanding the company’s
“I’m looking forward to strengthening the customer service team and footprint across the United States,” Arnold said. “I look forward to growing exist-
providing the best service to our customers, dealers and distributors all ing relationships and building new relationships.” | LEARN MORE AT TO LLC.COM.

Paul Guillot Katie Bates-Jipson Jeff Southall Riley Arnold
VP of Sales Customer Experience Manager Art Director Regional Sales Manager

24 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

to be the official convention sponsor and
the official camouflage of the W .

allers of all ages competed for more
than 5,000 in cash and pri es in eight
divisions. fter performing a call-off, aleb

ayton was announced champion of the
wl ooting division. obbling hampion
erry Elliot won after a call-off by ust
points. he winners of eam ir and ric-
tion hallenge were erence Williamson
and unter Wallis after a call-off. Matthew
an ise won the riction hampionship,
and esse Martin dominated the enior Di-
vision. outh Division champions include
o artlebaugh in the oult Division, racie
erman in the unior division and Dylan
unter in the ntermediate Division. LEARN
MORE AT NWTF.ORG.

A20n1n9oRuinnceehdart R100 Schedule
ll are welcome to e perience the si teenth
year of the Rinehart R100 traveling archery
tournament hosted by Rinehart argets.

pen to adults and kids of all ages, the
R100 is two days of archery fun and shoot-
ing competitions.

Events include fun games, novelty
shoots, raffles and a tournament awards
ceremony where archers can win pri es.
articipants will have the opportunity to
take shots at 100 of the most uni ue tar-
gets on the market, such as life-si ed gi-
raffes, hippos, ebras, elephants and -Re
dinosaurs.

articipants can pre-register for events
at r100.org to save 10, and you can use

R100shoot on event photos posted to

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

Mathews and Xpedition Archery Return as
Whitetails Unlimited National Sponsors

Whitetails Unlimited has declared that Mathews and Whitetails Unlimited National sponsors in-
Xpedition Archery will be continuing as Whitetails Un- clude other industry icons such as Elite Archery,
limited National Sponsors.
With more than 475 chap- CamX Crossbows, Cud-
ters, 113,000-plus members, deback, Banks Outdoors
chapter volunteers, and cor- and many others. White-
porate sponsors, Whitetails tails Unlimited has raised
Unlimited has earned the over $94 million  for proj-
reputation of being a pre- ects including research,
mier organization that dedi- wildlife agency assistance,
cates its resources to the betterment of white-tailed habitat enhancement/
deer and its environment. They raise funds in support acquisition, scholarships, educational materials,
of educational programs, wildlife habitat enhance- hunter safety/education, anti-poaching mea-
ment and acquisition, and preservation of the shooting sures, and cooperative projects with other
sports and hunting tradition for future generations. conservation organizations. | LEARN MORE AT
WHITETAILSUNLIMITED.COM.

Facebook (@RinehartR100) or Instagram (@ • Pavilion, New York
Rinehart_R100) to participate in R100 give- 7/5/2019 - 7/7/2019
aways. This year’s R100 events will take Pavilion Motocross Park
place in the following locations:
• Wabash, Indiana
• Fresno, California 7/19/2019 - 7/21/2019
4/13/2019 - 4/14/2019 Bass and Bucks
Break the Barriers
• Sparta Wisconsin
• Palmyra, Missouri 7/26/2019 - 7/28/2019
4/27/2019 - 4/28/2019 Sparta Rod & Gun
Smokey Hollow Archers
• Fayette, Iowa
• Conway, Arkansas 8/9/2019 - 8/11/2019
5/4/2019 - 5/5/2019 Echo Valley Archers
Central Arkansas Bowhunters
• Saginaw, Michigan
• Coshocton, Ohio 8/24/2019 - 8/25/2019
5/18/2019 - 5/19/2019 Saginaw Field and Stream
Coshocton County Sportmen’s Club
| LEARN MORE AT R100.ORG.
• Staunton, Virginia
5/24/2019 - 5/26/2019 CPoonpseearnvadtYioonunFugnAdnHnuounnt cDeraswing
Augusta Archers
Win the hunt of a lifetime, great gear,
• Lindsborg, Kansas and support a cause by entering the Pope
6/7/2019 - 6/9/2019 and Young Club Conservation Hunt Draw-
Smoky Valley Archers ing. All of the proceeds raised through
donations for hunt draw tickets will go
• Meeker, Colorado directly to the Pope and Young Club Con-
6/15/2019 - 6/16/2019 servation, Education and Outreach Fund
Meeker Sportsmens Club to support wildlife conservation, educa-
tion, and pro-bowhunting projects.
• Sturbridge, Massachusetts
6/28/2019 - 6/30/2019 he first-pri e winner will receive
Hamilton Rod and Gun

26 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

an all-inclusive 5-6 day barren ground hey will work together to make archers
muskox hunt with Canada North Out- and instructors aware of opportunities
fitting, a 1 ,000 value.
Second prize consists of like the unior lympic r-
a combo hunt for elk, white- chery Development program,
tail or mule deer, and black college scholarships, the start-
bear with Crow Creek Out- up of college or university
fitters, a ,500 value. he archery teams, and honors
third-prize winner will take programs and awards such
home an Xpedition Denali as ll- merican titles and a-
60-pound com- tional eam hampionships.
pound bow. he
fourth-prize LEARN MORE AT
winner gets a TEAMUSA.ORG/USA-
ope and oung branded E undra aul, ARCHERY.
and the fifth-pri e winner will receive a
ope and oung ifetime Membership. oNfaSticoennwt iidseNSocwenRtAsWCoFnroszuemneSrcLeinntes

o enter, you must be 18 years or older Nationwide Scents recently introduced a
and purchase a hunt draw ticket online or new line of consumer scents that are sold
by mail. he drawing will be held on pril fro en in supplied mini-free ers. n order
15, and all mail-in ticket orders must be re- to draw attention to this unique feature
ceived by pril 5. here is no limit to the and avoid confusion, ationwide has opt-
number of tickets per individual, and you ed to re-brand this consumer line as R W
don’t need to be present to win. LEARN MORE
AT POPE-YOUNG.ORG. ro en cents effective immediately.
R W ro en cents are flash fro en im-
iGUnrSotAhwAetrhSchcInheiortyoialastnivPdeasOrtlnymerpshicipArwchitehry
rchery and lympic rchery in the mediately after collection using Flash Freeze
chools ( ) created by Easton ports echnology to stop natural decomposition
Development Foundation recently an- and decay. ll R W ro en cents are col-
nounced their new partnership. heir goal lected from the Nationwide deer farm that
is to increase awareness within each orga- is part of the Deer rotection rogram
ni ation about state championship events, and has been certified WD free since 00 .
memberships, programming and other e - LEARN MORE AT RAWFROZENSCENTS.COM.
citing opportunities.

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 27

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

Jump-Start Your Spring Cleaning

BY JACKIE HOLBROOK

A s winter weather walloped Do a Deep Clean customers most of the year.
the country, everyone thought or a cleaning checklist read pring
spring couldn’t come soon enough. our first step in the spring-cleaning
ritual is to try seeing your shop with leaning Don’t orget our hop on
fresh eyes icture what your custom- archerytrade.org.

On the other hand, in two months or ers see when they walk through your Inventories and Price Adjustments

lessyou’ll be trading your snow shovel door. irst impressions are everything roper inventory management is
for a garden trowel. in retailing. clean shop will boost another key to success. oint-of-sales
your sales and improve customers’ systems help track what’s going in and
out of the shop daily. ut you must still
o ensure you in ect a little fresh air e periences. onsider asking a friend do physical counts. nventory num-
bers are often low in anuary in retail
into your life in the days ahead, try or family member to give a frank shops, so that’s a good time to count. f
you can’t do a physical count, at least
spring-cleaning your bow shop this opinion about your shop’s looks. conduct a cyclic, periodic or seasonal
count. Review the prices on your prod-
week or ne t. pring-cleaning isn’t about your ucts and make ad ustments. hat task
helps you make room for new inven-
rade-show season is fading fast and routines. t’s about tackling aspects of tory and increase sales.

winter indoor leagues are almost over. your shop that you typically overlook.

t won’t be long before your shop refills When was the last time you dusted

with customers preparing to shoot out- the ta idermy, washed the walls, or

side while stocking up on turkey and vacuumed the vents t’s easy to for-

spring bear-hunting supplies. sake those details when catering to

Has winter weather trapped you inside? Seize the opportunity to spring-clean your shop. Refresh Your Merchandising

howcase all the awesome products

you picked up for your customers at

the 01 rade how. ighlight

that merchandise with eye-catching

displays. Window, rack and end-cap

displays should be organi ed, appeal-

ing and well lighted. our signage

should convey important information

and answer obvious uestions.

Display merchandise that’s season-

ally relevant. With spring nearing,

it’s a good time to feature supplies for

bowhunting turkeys and bears. se

PHOTO © ATA the Rule of 3’s. hat is, you’ll engage

more people by displaying products in

groups of three. or an in-depth look

at how to rock in-shop merchandising,

UNITING THE INDUSTRY ARCHERY TRADE ASSOCIATION
archerytrade.org

28 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

read “What is Merchandising? Draw Make sure your software is up to Display some of the new inventory
in Customers with These 4 Tips” on date, and includes the latest anti- you purchased at #ATA2019.
archerytrade.org. virus software.

Make sure your merchandising set- Refresh your website and social-
ups don’t interfere with your shop’s media pages. Delete old events and
traffic flow. Walk through the aisles sales information. Make sure your
to ensure they’re roomy, and look for contact information is current. If
ways to group similar items together. you haven’t posted to social media
in weeks, post photos of the shop
Tech Tidy-Up after your spring-clean. Encourage
customers to swing by for a sneak
While you’re at it, include your com- peek at your new displays.
puter in the cleanup to make it faster
and more efficient for you, your staff If you have questions about how
and your customers. Delete unused to improve your shop’s appearance
files that simply eat up storage space. and organization, contact Kurt
If your computer’s “background” is Smith, ATA’s director of indus-
littered with files, create folders that try relations, at (717) 578-0736, or
organize them for easy reference. [email protected].

PEOPLE

PowerTheofParticipation
Archery Industry Members Participating in the Sport

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO: Visit insidearchery.com/pop or mail a color image with your name,
address, where the animal was taken, and archery gear used—both manufacturer and model—
to Inside Archery Power of Participation, P.O. Box 25007, Colorado Springs, CO 80936.

Mark Bonales • California Mule Deer

Bonales Archery, Owner

Ralph Harris • Louisiana Alligator Bow: Hoyt REDWRX Broadhead: Vortex Release: Scott Freedom

American Whitetail Inc., CEO Rest: QAD Arrow: PSE Carbon Sight: HHA Other: ASAT Camo,

Bow: PSE Carbon Air Broadhead: Steel Force Release: Tru-Fire Force X-Weave Rest: Whisker Biscuit TightSpot Quiver

Arrow: Easton Axis Sight: Trophy Ridge Chicken Wing

30 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

Tanner Morrell • Texas Whitetail Todd Williams • Texas Axis Deer

Morrell Targets, Marketing Director X-Factor Outdoor Products, Owner

Bow: Mathews Drenalin Sight: Trophy Ridge Other: Morrell Bow: Mathews Chill Sight: HHA Optimizer King Pin

Arrow: Victory Rip XV React Pro High Roller, Arrow: Victory RIP TKO Rest: Ripcord Ace

Broadhead: Grim Reaper Rest: QAD Ultrarest Yellow Jacket Broadhead: Innerloc Stabilizer (and Dampening):

Razortip Whitetail Edition Release: Scott Caliper Supreme 3 EXP 3-Blade X-Factor Outdoor Products

Mickey O’Kane • New York Whitetail Ryan Weber • Wisconsin Whitetail

GEM Sport Supply, Manager Stic-N-Pic Trail Camera Mounts, Social Media Manager

Bow: Mathews Triax Sight: HHA Optimizer King Pin

Crossbow: Excalibur Matrix 310 Broadhead: Rage Other: Bob Kirschner’s Arrow: Victory VAP Rest: QAD Ultrarest

Bolt: Gold Tip Sight: Excalibur Rutting Type Deer Lure Broadhead: Rage Hypodermic Release: Tru-Fire Hardcore

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 31

32 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

hat’s what Jerry Mullet said to himself back in 2006

when he was the owner of an archery pro-shop in Mill-

ersburg, Ohio. Some of his customers were dedicated

tournament shooters, and they were unhappy with the per-

formance of their bowstrings. Mullet’s notion that “maybe

t ere etter to o t te o e

America’s Best Bowstrings was the avalanche it created.

It turns out there was a better way to make bowstrings,
and Mullet figured it out. oday, merica’s est ow-
strings is a well-loved industry fi ture with a solid reputa-
tion. he company has done a lot to live up to its name,
and the results are clear. merica’s est owstrings is a
leading source of uality strings for archery dealers both
in orth merica and around the globe.

he company is steadfast in its mission to continue de-
livering the e cellent strings it promises, and at the same
time, merica’s est owstrings is pushing the envelope
of customer service by going above and beyond to support
the pro-shops and archers that made it all possible.

Living Up to the Name

ooking back, Mullet reflects on the nature of the name he
chose for his company.

ou start with nothing and you choose a name, he
said. merica’s est owstrings that name says a lot,
but ’m glad chose it because wanted people to know
e actly what we were about when they saw the name. t
gave them the whole picture, and it worked.

t took an immense amount of hard work to bring
merica’s est owstrings to its current glory. n addition
to owning and operating a pro-shop, Mullet also had a day
ob at a furniture store. tring building essentially became
Mullet’s third ob.

My wife would open the shop around noon, he said.
would get home at 5 and run the shop until 8. hen would
build strings until 1 or in the morning. My initial goal
was to ust build strings for the shop, but after saw how
ecstatic some of my customers were with the uality of the
product, knew could turn it into something bigger.

Mullet ended up uitting his ob at the furniture store in
007 so he could run his shop and build strings full time.
he performance of his product uickly created a lot of
fans, and Mullet’s notion that he could build better strings
was further confirmed when he was contacted by ete
hepley of E in 008. merica’s est owstrings became
standard on E’s 80-pound - orce bows, meaning that
in less than two short years, merica’s est owstrings
went from a side pro ect to the trusted manufacturing

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 33

partner of one of the world’s most notable TOP TO BOTTOM:
bow companies.
I Josh Sparks of Midwest
Naturally, Mullet had some help along Whitetail (sponsored by
the way. Tim Hostettler, the company’s na- America’s Best Bowstrings)
tional sales manager, was one of the avid with an impressive buck.
target shooters who frequented Mullet’s
pro-shop. Once America’s Best Bowstrings I Longtime ABB pro-staffer Bill
was established, it was common for Hostet- Epeards with a Texas whitetail.
tler to work side-by-side with Mullet during
those late nights of string building. Hostet- I ABB pro-staffer
tler recalled the satisfying and surreal ex- Greg Bokash with
perience of watching America’s Best Bow- a fantastic
strings succeed and grow. caribou.

“We thought we could make a better
string, and it turns out we could,” Hostettler
said. “It was really cool how it happened, and
it didn’t seem real. Jerry’s knowledge as a
bow-tuner was a huge part of it all. He knew
exactly what he needed that string to do, and
after working on formulas and learning a
lot, we made it happen. Making strings for
PSE was a big milestone for us. They tested
our strings out on an 80-pound bow. If the
strings were going to fail, that would be the
bow they failed on, but they didn’t, so we
started getting our strings on some of PSE’s
high-end bows. It was a big pat on the back,

34 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

I The Platinum Series is the best-in-class offering from
America’s Best Bowstring. It’s loaded with the company’s
top features and available in a variety of colors.

and it told us that we were doing things right.”
The techniques and processes used by America’s Best

Bowstrings are understandably company secrets, but
there’s no denying that the final product is truly special.
Mullet e plains the uni ue flavor of his company’s
strings with an interesting comparison.

“It wasn’t really the case when we started in 2006, but
there are a lot of string builders these days, Mullet said.
We all basically buy fiber from the same source, but ev-
eryone has their own method. use the analogy of oke
and epsi. oke had a great soft drink. epsi came along
and tried to do the same thing, but they don’t taste the
same. Why ecause they don’t have the same recipe. We
don’t go out and show the world what we’re doing, and
we don’t come up with fancy names for all of our tech-
nology, but we have our own method to the madness
our own recipe for success.

Dealer-Driven Service

he company’s pursuit for uality e tends far beyond
its unique string-building techniques. As an experienced
pro-shop owner, Mullet knew that a uality product had
to also be backed up by e cellent customer service. n
fact, customer service has always been one of
his main focuses as a business owner.

ike a lot of shops, started out really
small, Mullet said. ustomer service was

RIGHT COLUMN, TOP TO BOTTOM:

I Christine Davis, HR/administrative assistant
for America’s Best Bowstrings.

I Darrell Nolen, production manager, works
o t e l ro t o e le o fi e

I Bryant Lyon, marketing manager, performs

o eo l ofi e te

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 35

RIGHT: my main focus. I always tried really
hard to take care of all my custom-
I Tim Hostettler (left), ers. I didn’t care if someone came in
Jerry Mullet (center) and for a D-loop or if they wanted to buy
ABB pro-staffer Bill Epeards a new bow—everyone was an equally
important customer, and we still adhere to
meet up to discuss the that principle today.”
intricacies of bowstrings. Mullet continued running his pro-shop
in tandem with America’s Best Bowstrings
BOTTOM: until 2014, when he sold it to another local
shop owner. His knowledge from that side of
I America’s Best Bowstrings the business has contributed to a lot of other
built its reputation on dealer-oriented benefits.
“One of the best qualities of our strings is that
extreme quality. It’s easy they don’t waste time,” Hostettler explained.
to see how that happened “I talk to dealers all the time, and a lot of
when one takes a closer look them have told me that our strings
at the company’s products. have cut their set up time
by 50 to 75 percent.

36 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

They can put it on a bow and have it tuned “Our products cut down set up time be- not making money and their customers
in 15 minutes, when before it was taking cause of how they function from a con- aren’t having a quality experience, then it
them about an hour.” sistency standpoint,” he said. “Dealers won’t work in the long run.”
can put our strings on a bow in minutes,
Mullet expanded on this point, and and they can install five or si sets of A quick turnaround is another key aspect
highlighted the inherent consistency of strings in an hour. Time is money, and of the company’s customer service. Ameri-
the company’s strings. it’s easy to see how much a pro-shop is ca’s Best Bowstrings ships standard orders
profiting by saving time. f they’re using in three days or less, and the company also
a lower-quality product, they also might offers a program that makes orders
have to retune the customer’s bow ev- even speedier.
ery 50 or 100 shots. There’s a big differ-
ence with our strings. We bring high-end “A few years ago, we introduced a really
quality to the table.” cool program for dealers, said ryant
Lyon, marketing manager for America’s
The team at America’s Best Bowstrings
also recogni es the importance of profit
margins for independent pro-shops.

“We understand what
dealers are looking for,
and we know they need
to make a certain margin,”
Mullet said. “That’s why our
programs and pricing structure were
set up to help dealers. nstead of
saying ‘this is what we have and
this is how you have to buy it,’ we
work with dealers to make them
successful. We’re thinking about
long-term relationships. f they’re

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 37

I After more than a decade of growth,
America’s Best Bowstrings relocated to
state-of-the-art facility in Millersburg,

Ohio, last December.

Best Bowstrings. “Basically, we make a Bowstrings backs its incredible products I The tight-knit team at America’s Best
commitment to the dealers who make a up with a simple and down-to-earth war- Bowstrings includes the following:
commitment to us with a certain sales ranty policy.
level, and we guarantee that their string FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT:
orders will be built and shipped within “Our warranty is pretty simple,” Mul- Sara Varnes, Kayla Hendershott, Kristina Miller,
just two days—all year round. The major- let said. “It covers peep rotation, creep and Rita Troyer and Andrea Shedrick.
ity of our business, especially last year, serving separation—pretty much every-
came from VIP dealers. It gets pretty crazy thing that can go wrong—and it’s literally MIDDLE ROW, FROM LEFT:
around here in the summer, but we live hassle free. If someone has a problem, we Arlen Mullet, Molly Frantz, Maizie Frantz, Katie
up to that commitment. That’s also not to fi it. We don’t ask people to send them Detweiler, Verna Hershberger and Anita Raber.
say that we have more focus on the VIP in for an inspection or have them jump
program; we want to take care of every through other hoops. We ust fi it. hat’s BACK ROW, FROM LEFT:
dealer, but the program has worked very who we are. We also trust our dealers. We Darrell Nolen, Jerry Mullet, Tim Hostettler,
well, and everyone has an equal opportu- know they won’t take advantage of it be- Bryant Lyon and Christine Davis.
nity to get into it.” cause we’re partners.”

Even more impressive, America’s Best

38 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

Ready for the Future TOP: I Here you can see bins of custom-colored heat
shrink, which is optional on all of ABB’s custom strings.
The company’s customer service princi-
ples—combined with its high-quality prod- BOTTOM: I Brandon Warhurst and Cody Jones of Wilde
ucts—have created clear results. America’s Arrow in Centerville, Utah, accept the 2018 Dealer of
Best Bowstrings has continued to grow the Year award from Bryant Lyon (center).
over the years and is a trusted name on
both the national and international stage.
In fact, the company has established part-
nerships with dealers in Norway, Japan,
Argentina, Germany and Australia—to
name just a few.

“It’s great to see dealers from other coun-
tries who support us and understand that
we are building a very high-quality prod-
uct,” Hostettler said. “It’s growing more
and more, and it’s been amazing to watch.
We’re just in a little shop in a little town,
and we are sending bowstrings worldwide.
It’s really humbling when we sit back and
think about it.”

Accordingly, the company has upgraded
to larger facilities from time to time. Last
year, America’s Best Bowstrings moved
into its latest and greatest facility, which
has further streamlined the company’s
processes.

“The new facility has changed the cul-
ture and overall feel of the company,”
Lyon said. “We have a lot more room for
production and more open space in gen-
eral. The last building was starting to feel a
little cramped, so it’s been fantastic to have
more breathing room. It’s also improved
the flow of our production. We’re constant-
ly trying to improve little things, and the
new facility has actually helped make our
strings even better.”

ostettler outlined the specific nature of
how the company’s strings have been en-
hanced in recent years.

“We’ve managed to really improve
the performance and reliability of the
strings,” he said. “They just last longer,
holding true from start to finish. We have
some people testing our strings who have
taken more than 20,000 shots, and those
strings are still going strong. That kind of
performance was unheard of five or si
years ago.”

Despite how far the company and
its products have come in the past doz-
en years, the team at America’s Best

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 39

TOP: I Sara Varnes installs speed Bowstrings has no intention of slowing They test every little thing and make sure
nocks on a string. America’s Best down any time soon. there aren’t any issues in terms of weight,
Bowstrings installs an average of length, serving—everything. In general, we
250,000 speed nocks each year. “In the last couple years, we’ve focused have the right people in the right spot, and
heavily on taking things that’s what makes us successful.”
BOTTOM: I America’s Best Bowstrings a step further and mak-
is heavily involved in the bowhunting ing our strings even better One Big Happy Family
industry. For example, ABB sponsors than they were in the pre-
vious decade,” Mullet said. America’s Best Bowstrings is clearly wor-
Todd Graf and Justin Zarr of “We’ve made a lot of strides thy of admiration. The company manages
Bowhunt or Die. in terms of quality and to not only deliver a high-quality product
improving our processes. in a short amount of time, but also pro-
Another great thing about vide dealers with peace of mind and the
our new facility is our R&D consideration they deserve. The reason at
room. We had some custom the heart of it all is simple: The team at
equipment built that allows America’s Best Bowstrings doesn’t view its
us to test things we were customers in terms of dollars and cents.
never able to test before. In Rather, it sees them as partners, friends
a sense, we’re really just get- and part of the family.
ting started.”
Quality control has al- “I would say our dealers are part of our
team—part of our company, even,” Mullet
ways been an important aspect of Ameri- said. “It’s more than just customer service.
ca’s Best Bowstrings, and this is yet anoth- We know our dealers personally and have
er facet that the company has improved full conversations with them. Everything
and will continue improving. we do is built around that family atmo-
sphere. That’s why it’s common for our
“We have an excellent production staff dealers to recommend us to other shops.
in place,” Lyon said. “Everyone is very well hey know firsthand that our products
trained for their position, and our produc- are awesome and that we will take care of
tion manager does a very good job of help- them. Solid relationships and open com-
ing them along. The girls we have in qual- munication are just huge for us.”
ity control are also very efficient and great
at knowing where everything should be. The company’s candid dialogues with

40 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

its dealers also produce ample feedback company’s relationship with quality when
that often helps point America’s Best Bow- he wrote about America’s Best Bowstrings
strings in the right direction. back in 2009:

“There’s a lot of collaboration between “Quality is never an accident. It is al-
us and our customers,” Lyon said. “They go ways the result of higher intentions, sin-
out of their way to tell us what they think cere effort, intelligent direction and skill-
about our products, especially because ful execution. It represents a choice among
they’re the ones paying for them. For the alternatives.”
most part, it’s overwhelmingly positive,
but we also listen carefully to feedback that For the team at America’s Best
might not be so positive. That’s because we Bowstrings, those alternatives clearly
want to take care of that customer and get aren’t an option. Just as the name im-
to the bottom of their problem. Once we plies, the company intends to be the best
correct that issue, we can also make sure in the business.
it doesn’t happen again.”
TOP TO BOTTOM:
Ultimately, America’s Best Bowstrings is
simply trying to live up to its name. I America’s Best Bowstrings has three amaz-
ing string options: Pursuit, Premium
“We truly are what we say we are,” and Platinum. Here you can see
Hostettler said. “Every company out there the company’s high-end Platinum
says they have the best thing since sliced strings on a Mathews Vertix.
bread, but our products and customer ser-
vice genuinely set us apart. If that wasn’t I Jerry Mullet, owner of America’s
the case, we wouldn’t say it was. We’re Best Bowstrings, prepares to
also the first to admit that we’re still hu- personally test a set of ABB strings.
man. We can make a mistake—everyone
can—but we’re honest, and we’re dead-set I The ABB management team
on solving any problems that arise. At the gathers for its weekly meeting.
end of the day, our dealers are our family. Included are: Jerry Mullet, Bryant
There’s no other way to put it. We want to Lyon, Christine Davis, Darrell Nolen
help their businesses grow because they’re and Tim Hostettler
part of our family.”

Conclusion

“Anything worth doing is worth
doing right.”

America’s Best Bowstrings em-
bodies this tried and true idiom.
Indeed, there are no smoke and
mirrors to be found here—no
false promises. The company
simply wants to get the job done
correctly, and support its custom-
ers along the way.

The word “quality” is often
overused in the manufacturing
world, but there’s no better way to
summarize the nature of Ameri-
ca’s Best Bowstrings. Quality isn’t
a buzzword for this company—it’s
a way of life.

Bill Krenz, founding editor of
Inside Archery, summed up the

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 41

MARKET TRENDS BOW REPORT

APA Archery Mamba 28 XR
BY PATRICK MEITIN

A Acouple aspects immediately to stiffen the riser and introduce forward
stick out on Canadian-made weight for excellent balance. APA’s Tool
Center (located just below the grip) is also

APA Archery bows. They are fast, pretty nifty. It includes a Canadian maple APA Archery’s 2019 Mamba 28 XR is powered by
the M1 Cam, a true dual-cam design that generates
and they are packed with an array leaf cutout broadhead wrench, carbide sizzling arrow speeds, provides a solid rear wall
and relinquishes a smooth draw cycle.
knife/broadhead sharpener, nock-indexing
pretty ingenious. But beyond the func-
of useful features not found on any tool and secured Cam Lock Pin, which tionality of these value-adding additions,
less conspicuous design features include
other bow brand. APA speed is legendary, allows users to replace worn or nicked the Ultra Slim Riser, which contributes
to its feathery mass, and the Thin Grip
driven by—as far as I know—the only bowstrings/buss cables without tools or design, which is comfortably contoured
and offers a highly repeatable interface
true dual-cam system in the industry a press. APA risers also include the inte- that aids in assembling tighter groups.
The overall design creates a bow that
today. Arrow speeds of 350 to 360 fps are grated Riser Fang, which allows a hunt- is exceptionally balanced in the hand
and allows archers to dedicate complete
commonplace with APA Mamba models. er to hang their bow from convenient concentration on aiming and executing a
perfect shot.
Unique features include the iconic branches. Further, there’s an upper POV
The Mamba 28 XR comes with a stan-
Carrying Handle, which not only provides camera mount tap (requires optional dard stabilizer mount with a stainless
steel insert, and it’s located in front of
a highly comfortable way to tote bows mount kit) and integral Direct Mount the grip for improved balance. Below the
grip is a rear stabilizer mount tapped
while hiking and stalking, but also serves Sling wrist sling anchor. directly into the milled-aluminum riser.
This is perfect for adding a stubby rear
None of this really surprises me, stabilizer or V-bar for customized balance
with added accessories. The entire riser is
knowing APA Archery CEO Nibal Achkar. covered in a soft-touch rubberi ed finish.
On release, the powerful Mamba 28 XR
Nibal is a passionate bowhunter who remains dead in the hand.

has put in his time and conceived these Dual Powerhouse

ideas to improve his own efforts afield. APA’s M1 Cams are a true dual-cam
system that generates industry-leading
Get Nibal talking about stalking mon- speed. They provide a consistent, solid
back wall via a rubber-cushioned limb-
ster Saskatchewan mule deer and watch stop system and 7 inches of draw-length

his face light up. APA’s exclusive features

were conceived during hardcore bowhunts

APA Archery’s Twin Flex Limbs, found to make bowhunting more efficient and
on the 2019 Mamba 28 XR, are some enjoyable.

of the narrowest in the industry. For 2019, APA Archery has gone shorter

and lighter to better serve the whitetail

One of the most distinctive traits of every APA fanatic who spends a lot of time operating

Archery bow is its convenient Carrying Handle, from stands or inside portable blinds—or
which also adds balance and stiffness to risers. those who simply want something lighter

to carry on rough-and-tumble mountain

hunts. The new Mamba 28 XR measures

only 28 inches between the axles, making

it extremely compact, and it weighs only

3.6 pounds bare for easier toting. Despite

this, the Mamba 28 XR provides APA speed

and performance in a package that shoots

super sweet and keeps shots to hushed

tones.

APA Style & Function

I have touched on APA’s exclusive riser
features above, but it bears repeating
that no other bow company offers such
features, which add value for real bow-
hunters chasing real game. It’s really

42 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

S e fi to Arrow Speed

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– APA Archery Mamba 28 XR set at 72.4 pounds at 30 inches

Axle-to-Axle Length S

inches S

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Brace Height . . .. . .

range through EZ Tune Modules. The cams inches –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
are set in sealed ball bearings, and they
offer dead-level nock travel and comfort- –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– B . . ... .
able 80 percent let-off. For all its speed, M1
Cams also provide a remarkably smooth Mass Weight –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
draw cycle. There’s just a slight bump into
let-off and then a positive valley. Archers . pounds . ... .
with a 30-inch draw length should use
proper back tension while settling in and –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
aiming, but the draw cycle and back wall
are quite pleasant for archers with shorter L . . ... .
draw lengths, like the more common
28- and 29-inches. The M1 also includes a Up to percent –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
row of round holes on its forward edge to
deploy the Cam Lock Pin. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– . . ... .

Silencing Features Available Draw Lengths –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

he Mamba 8 R is definitely a perfor- to inches B . . .. . .
mance bow, but it’s also hunt-ready and
loaded with silencing features. Bowstring –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
and buss cables are equipped with Speed
Silencers combination speed button/string Available Draw Weights B . . ... .
dampeners. Four longer sections (two
each top and bottom) on the bow- to pounds pound increments –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
string and two shorter sections on
the buss cables prove quite effective. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– B . . ... .
I’ve always thought combining these
functions was smart thinking. The limbs Available Colors –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
each hold a proven LimbSaver Broadband
Solid Limb Dampener. ing amo atte Black optional . . ... .
uiu erde . Buckskin tealth
The bow also includes a standard string nakeskin tealth and ve solid colors –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
stop: a carbon rod holding a LimbSaver
NAVCOM rubber bumper. It is adjustable –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– B . . ... .
for string-contact tension. A new addition
is the patent-pending APA Mass Transfer MSRP –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Module (MTM). This optional addition is
simple but effective. It consists of a bracket . . ... .
that clamps to the string-stop rod, and it
provides additional vibration dampening –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
and customizable balance.
. . ... .
Rounding out the Mamba 28 XR’s silenc-
ing features is the Carbon Roller Guide. Set –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
on a carbon rod, the system includes bear-
ing-equipped rollers for the buss cables rrow speeds established using a aldwell hooting upplies hronograph . enotes steel insert outsert
to ride on, set at an angle to elimi-
nate lateral torque at full draw. It’s Note: t the time of testing the amba was out tted for a hunting scenario.
simple yet highly effective, and it t was e uipped with a cable driven rest loop and peep sight.
decreases cable friction and wear.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (866) 353-7378, OR VISIT APAARCHERY.COM.
Hunt Ready
he rchery amba is e uipped with
The Mamba 28 XR is an essentially hunt- a standard string stop but it also has the new optional
ready package—once you install your
ass ransfer odule or which s uelches
vibration and noise and adds balance to any bow setup.

preferred accessories, of course. Our test
Mamba 28 XR arrived with an APA Twister
CDX drop-away arrow rest installed—a
simple design that captures the arrow
while waiting, stalking or drawing, but
allows fletching to pass cleanly on release. t
makes a welcomed addition to any APA bow.

This bow is hunt ready because it requires
no additional silencing accessories to help
it pass muster from the jumpiest game. It
is also hunt ready because it offers a forgiv-
ing shooting demeanor through a 7 1/8-inch
brace height and speed to burn, even with

heavyweight hunting arrows.

WebXtra ■ Take a look at the

APA Archery Mamba 28 XR in action today
at insidearchery.com/apamamba28xr

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 43

Crossbows have evolved at a meteoric pace since their widespread acceptance by both legions of hunters
and wildlife-management agencies. he first modern crossbow shot maybe 0 years ago was heavy,
unwieldy and a noisy rattletrap that could easily outshoot to 0 or 50 yards with the average vertical
compound bow of the day. oday crossbows are way faster, impressively accurate at ranges well beyond ethical
vertical-bow ranges and maybe most importantly much, much uieter and vibration free. hey are also
easier to shoot, thanks to vastly improved trigger technologies and more ergonomic stocks that are generally
highly ad ustable to fit a wide variety of shooters. urther, they’re noticeably lighter, which is made possible by
space-age materials. ccordingly, crossbows are more popular than ever, and in some regions, they keep cash
registers ringing steadily. ome along as we unpack the latest batch.

Barnett Crossbows

Barnett unveiled the new HyperGhost rossbows at the 01 how. he lineup includes the y-

per host 05 and 5, which are touted as arnett’s hardest-hitting hunting crossbows to date. The

yper host 05 includes an updated stock that incorporates the company’s step-through riser. he

crossbow comes complete with three yper lite bolts that were designed e clusively for yper eries

crossbows. hey have a . 0 -inch diameter for improved penetration. The Retraceable Underarm Counter Balance

upport hooks under the shooter’s arm to offer added steadiness during the shot. ther features include oft

ok floating bristle bolt retainer, anti-vibration technology limbs, rigger ech rictionless Release echnology

with anti-dry-fire mechanism, -milled aluminum flight track, four icatinny rails, factory-installed string

dampeners and more. he 05 wears a Mossy ak Monochrome kulls finish. t pushes 380-grain bolts to 05

fps via a 16 1 3-inch power stroke and 185-pound draw weight. he 05 includes 36. 5-by- 0 3 8-inch dimensions

and weighs 7.7 pounds.

44 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 45

Barnett The high-performance HyperGhost 425
HyperGhost also uses Barnett’s micro .204-inch-diam-
eter HyperFlite bolts. Combined with its
425 16 1/3-inch power stroke, 206-pound draw
BearX weight and 425 fps speed, it promotes ul-
Saga tra-deep penetration on the biggest game.
405 The 425 comes with premium accesso-
CAMX A4 ries, including a 1.5-5x32mm illuminated
Carbon scope, and all the features of the 405. The
Express 425 measures 36.25-by-20 3/8 inches and
PileDriver weighs 7.7 pounds. Learn more at barnett-
390 crossbows.com.

Bear X

Bear Archery’s Bear X division recently
launched the 2019 Saga 405 Crossbow.
This high-performance crossbow offers
excellent speed, extreme accuracy and a
lot of versatility at a reasonable price—
retailing for around $350. The Saga 405
is Bear X’s fastest model to date, mea-
suring only 14 inches wide when cocked
(18 inches un-cocked) and weighing an
easy-toting 7.5 pounds. Dave Parker, Bear
Archery’s archery general manager, says
the Saga 405 disrupts the price-to-perfor-
mance ratio, and that will make it popu-
lar with budget-conscious customers.
The Saga 405 comes with all the acces-
sories needed to get started, including a
4x32mm scope with multi-crosshair ret-
icle, carry sling, four-bolt quiver, cocking
rope, three carbon bolts with field points
and rail lube/string wax. Silencing comes
via dual string stops and stirrup dampen-
ers. Comfort is afforded through the Pica-
tinny multi-positioned fore-end, as well
as a click-stop, indexed AR-style butt-
stock. Learn more at beararchery.com.

CAMX Crossbows

The CAMX A4 Crossbow has become a steady
seller by offering speed, silence and deadly
accuracy. The A4 Suspension System uses
a patent-pending inboard cam design that
rides on a unique swing arm and four ax-
les. This ensures zero shock to the shooter
and more consistent accuracy. The system
also delivers bolt speeds of 370 fps through

46 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

ultra-compact 10.5-inch axle-to-axle HeliCoil technology, CNC-machined cams
dimensions. Three-layered laminated split and compressed fiberglass uad limbs.
limbs with nylon tips are nail tough. The The custom-designed milled-aluminum
Pivoting Arrow Retention System provides riser and composite stock add speed and
optimal and consistent pressure on the bolt shooting comfort to this new model, as
to prevent dislodging, and it also functions well as compact lines for shooting in
as part of the anti-dry-fire mechanism. he tight spaces. The CP400 measures just 6
crossbow can be fired only when a bolt is inches between the axles when cocked
properly loaded, and patented Thumbsaver and is 31.75 inches from the front to
echnology keeps shooters’ fingers safe. rear. The 200-pound draw weight helps
The A4 is offered in Realtree Xtra, Mossy propel bolts to 400 fps. The adjustable
Oak Treestand or Ninja Black. Learn more tactical-style stock is ambidextrous and
at camxcrossbows.com. holds a folding stirrup and aluminum
rail for accuracy. t includes anti-dry-fire
Carbon Express technology, auto-engaging safety, wide
finger protectors and modern silencing
The Carbon Express PileDriver 390 isn’t technologies. t also comes with a 5-year
new, but it proved to be a top seller in 2018. warranty. Learn more at crosman.com.
The PileDriver 390 is fast, but also accurate
and comfortable to shoot, and it comes Cold Steel
with a free QuietCrank (a $100 value). The
390 in its name obviously represents 390 Cold Steel’s 5.75-pound Cheap Shot 130
fps bolt speeds. Meanwhile, an adjustable Crossbow was designed as an affordable
fore-grip and buttstock help create a per- survival or recreational crossbow. Most no-
fect fit for a wide array of shooters. t also tably, the Cheap Shot 130 is lightning-fast
has an overall lightweight design. Safety to load, and it does not require a stirrup,
features include anti-dry-fire technology rope or crank cocker to get the ob done. t
and finger protection from the flight rail. is also quick and easy to disassemble, and
Bolts are driven by compression-molded it fits into an average daypack for easy stor-
limbs, tunable synthetic string and cables, age and transport. The AR-style butt-stock
and premium alloy cams. Every crossbow telescopes to provide adjustable length of
trigger is rigorously tested before leav- pull. Other features include a Picatinny rail
ing the factory. The Piledriver 390 arrives that holds an included red-dot sight and a
ready to hunt, with a rope cocker, quick- detachable fore-grip. The crossbow push-
detachable three-bolt quiver, three Pile- es bolts to 226 fps with a 130-pound draw
Driver 20-inch crossbolts with practice weight. t also comes in a tactical D green
points, rail lube and 3 mm scope. t finish. Learn more at coldsteel.com.
measures 18.5-by-35.5/37.5 inches, and its
length of pull measures 15.25 to 17.25 inch- Excalibur Crossbow
es. t weighs 7. pounds, includes a 13.5-
inch power stroke, and has a 185-pound he groundbreaking 01 M R 360 D ro
draw weight. The PileDriver 390 also fea- from E calibur is a take-down crossbow. t
tures an MSRP of $399.99. Learn more at includes E ompact Recurve echnol-
carbonexpresscrossbow.com. ogy, 25-inch tip-to-tip span (20.75 cocked)
and 360 fps bolt speeds. The Pro Stock is
CenterPoint Archery made from a rugged, lightweight compos-
by Crosman ite, and it was skeletonized to minimize
weight, meaning this crossbow weighs
The 2019 CenterPoint CP400 is an evolu- only 5.6 pounds. t also has oversi ed fin-
tion in the company’s affordable cross- ger guards and a comfortable, ambidex-
bow designs. t’s powered by licensed trous cheek/comb piece. The stock accepts

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 47

CenterPoint the silent Charger EXT cocking mecha-
CP400 nism, which reduces cocking effort to just
Cold Steel 12 pounds. Quick Loc Technology allows
Cheap Shot it to be broken down and reassembled in
130 seconds, without altering the point of im-
pact. Silence comes through dual R.E.D.S
Excalibur string stops, Air Brake limb dampeners,
MICRO 360 R.A.D. limb wedges, BoxJax limb silencers,
bowstring silencers, rubber-over-molded
TD Pro foot stirrup and bolt-retention spring. The
Gearhead Guardian Anti-Dry-Fire System will not
Archery X16 allow it to trigger without a bolt firmly in
place. The MICRO 360 TD Pro comes with
Target a Tact-100 Illuminated Scope, and the Pro-
Shot SCP Trigger offers light, crisp trigger-
ing. Also included are four Excalibur Quill
carbon bolts by Black Eagle Arrows, a quick-
detach quiver and standard rope cocker.
Learn more at excaliburcrossbow.com.

Gearhead Archery

The X16 Target from Gearhead Archery was
inspired by ultra-competitive ASA cross-
bow-class tournament shooting. Gearhead

rchery took the proven 16 and reconfig-
ured its design to accept the unsurpassed
TriggerTech trigger box, as well as a tunable
arrow rest. n top of these refinements,
the Gearhead design team added the abil-
ity to add any AR-style grip and butt stock
to provide true custom fit and feel. he 16
Target—like Gearhead’s other crossbows—
shoots a standard-nocked arrow. The
overall design is easy to cock, lightweight
and exceptionally well balanced. The Trig-
gerTech trigger provides a sweet 2-pound,
6-ounce trigger pull. The tunable rest allows
users to paper tune for pinpoint accuracy,
which is essential for competitive shooting.
The X16 can be ordered with draw weights
of 75, 90 or 125 pounds. It includes an axle-
to-axle measurement of 18.5 inches at rest
and 14.75 inches while cocked. It weighs 6.25
pounds and includes a 16-inch power stroke
that pushes a 325-grain arrow to 350 fps.
Learn more at gearheadarchery.com.

Killer Instinct

he 01 urious ro .5 is a low-profile,

48 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019

compact model that was designed for tight three R olts with field points and rail
spaces. t includes a iller nstinct R - lube. Learn more at killercrossbows.com.
eries rigger that breaks at 3 pounds, and
its refined ergonomics include a ogue Mission Crossbows

R-style grip, ltra tealth heek Weld Mission’s 1 R offers hard-hitting
and enhanced, precision aluminum flight accuracy and e ceptional stealth. arg-
rail which all work together to improve est among its uni ue, industry-first fea-
accuracy. he urious ro .5 pushes bolts tures is enchmark ire ontrol ech-
to 00 fps through a 15.1 5-inch power nology, which allows shooters to safely
stroke and 185-pound draw weight. With de-cock the crossbow with the push of a
a le-to-a le dimensions of .5 inches button without pulling the trigger or
cocked and 1 . 5 inches un-cocked, this shooting a bolt. he compact frame in-
crossbow is a perfect companion in a pop- cludes a precision stock with si length-
up blind or treestand. he urious ro .5 of-pull ad ustments and 1. 5 inches of
weighs only 7 pounds and includes a M comb-height ad ustment to fit any shooter
ootpad tirrup that makes it easier to cock or shooting style. he crossbow mea-
when hunters are wearing bulky insulat- sures .1-by-30.5 inches (1 .5 inches un-
ed boots. he iller nstinct ro ackage cocked) and weighs 7.6 pounds. t is con-
includes umi 3 mm -E cope, rope trolled by a fully contained, match-grade
cocker, string suppressors, five-bolt uiver, two-stage trigger with a rolling sear that

Killer
Instinct
Furious
Pro 9.5

Mission 49
SUB1 XR

APRIL 2019 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

PSE breaks crisply at 3 pounds. The Synced
Thrive Cams include an 80 percent let-off, and
when combined with a 14.625-inch power
400 stroke, the crossbow propels bolts to 410
Ravin fps. The Easy Load Arrow Retention Arm
R26 offers smooth and effortless loading. It
TenPoint also provides optimal downward pres-
Turbo M1 sure, and when combined with the pat-
Wicked Ridge ented flight deck, it helps create a super-
Ranger X2 accurate platform. The stock accepts any
non-beavertail AR-style pistol grip, and
the Removable Silent Draw System cock-
ing mechanism with an ambidextrous
reel applies equal tension during cocking
for further accuracy enhancement. Learn
more at missioncrossbows.com.

PSE-Archery

PSE-Archery’s all-new Thrive 400 elevates
the proven Thrive platform to the next
level. The crossbow is engineered around
reverse-cam technology to produce
screaming 400 fps bolt speeds. It also in-
cludes an upgraded accessory package to
boost shooting enjoyment and success in
the field. he comfortable stock has a soft-
touch grip and cheek piece for more com-
fortable shooting. The Thrive 400 package
includes a five-bolt uiver, four -inch
Carbon Thunder Bolts with 100-grain
bullet points, a handy 22-inch discharge
bolt, silencing string stops, Limb Bands,
rubber-over-molded/folding foot stirrup,
illuminated 4x32mm multi-reticle scope,
cocking rope device and rail lube. It is cov-
ered in effective Kryptek Highlander cam-
ouflage. Learn more at pse-archery.com.

Ravin Crossbows

Ravin’s new R26 is the most compact and
lightweight crossbow made by the com-
pany so far. This little dynamo weighs 6.5
pounds and measures just 26 inches from
front to back. It’s 5.75 inches wide when
fully drawn and 9.25 inches at rest. Despite
these compact lines, the R26 generates bolt
speeds of 400 fps with a 9.5-inch power
stroke. The R26 is covered in new Predator
Dusk Camo, an exclusive to Ravin Cross-

50 INSIDE ARCHERY APRIL 2019