Inside Archery Sept/Oct 2021

www.insidearchery.com

®

SEPT / OCT 2021





INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021 | VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 8

People

28 Power of Participation
■ Stephen Greenwood |
Victory Archery
■ Tom Addleman | DirtNap Gear
■ Alex Cameron | Kinsey’s, Inc.
■ Ryan Heuser |
The Outdoor Group
■ Jason Lassiter |
Fuel Outdoor Gear

30 ■ Justus Leimbach |
Allen Company

30 Summit Outdoors
Not Your Average
Ground Blind Company
By Daniel Allred

Market Trends

42 38 Gear Report
44 TreeStand Wingman
Emergency Descender System
64
40 Bow Report
Xpedition Archery X33

42 Gear Report
OPI Rhino Blind R180

40
44 2021 Broadheads

East, West & In Between
By Patrick Meitin

56 Crossbow Report
Bear X Impact

58 High-Tech Bowhunting
Technologies
24
By Daniel Allred

INSIDE ARCHERY (Volume 24, #8) 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 Apollo Creative Inc. PO Box 15827, Colorado Springs,
CO 80935. Periodical postage paid at Colorado Springs, CO 80935 and at additional offices. Postmaster please send address changes to INSIDE ARCHERY, P.O. Box 986, Levittown, PA 19055-9998.

4 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021 | VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 8

IInndsiudsetrtyhe

10 Inside Track
Field Testing

14 Kinsey’s Business
Blueprint

How to Upsell & Cross-Sell
Your Archery Products & Services

28
16 Your ATA Insights

The Three Employees
You Need in Your Business

44 By Kurt Smith / ATA
18 Industry News

Information that keeps you up
to speed on news, events and
people in the archery industry

58 24 ATA Action
The Greater Good:
Why & How ATA Members
Should Work Together
By Cassie Gasaway / ATA
66 Industry 5Q
Five Questions with Antler King

18 38

58 56

6 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021 | VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 8

insidearchery.com Online Exclusives

Arrow School

Making Sense of Arrow Specs

Inside Archery’s Executive Editor takes a deep dive into
the specs and terminology that shape hunting arrow
terminal performance and how those aspects should be
weighed while choosing the best arrow for particular
applications or field conditions.

Shooting Tips Are All Caliper Releases The Same?
Broadheads
Hunting Tips The differences are often subtle and indistinguishable
at a glance, but not all caliper releases are built or
function alike. Patrick Meitin details various design
approaches and how they affect your shooting
accuracy and bowhunting efficiency.

Do Hybrid Broadheads Really
Offer The Best of Both Worlds?

Part fixed-blade design, part mechanical function,
today’s hybrid broadheads can offer unbeatable
reliability combined with wide cutting action.
Inside Archery’s Patrick Meitin discusses the pros
and cons of the hybrid approach.

How Important is Arrow Speed
to Bowhunting Success?

Raw arrow speed is commonly foremost in the minds
of new-bow buyers. But when bowhunting big game,
is speed really all it’s cracked up to be? Executive Edi-
tor Patrick Meitin reveals why shootability, forgive-
ness and shot silence take precedence.

:WebXtras “Gear Report” tries out the Fore Runner Ground Blind,

TreeStand Wingman Emergency Descender System, and OPI Rhino Blind R180;
“Bow Report” takes a look at the Xpedition Archery X33; “Crossow Report”
checks out the Bear X Impact; and “5Q” chats with Antler King.

Inside Archery Digital Edition

Now Inside Archery can be delivered to your door, viewed on your computer,
AND on your smartphone or tablet. VISIT INSIDEARCHERY.COM/DIGITAL

Fresh content daily
on social media!

INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE TRACK

Field Testing

I consider bowhunting a vital part of my job as an archery equipment reviewer,
because I truly believe that actual field experience is a requisite for writing
about—and especially selling—archery and bowhunting equipment. Often-
times, while writing Gear Reports for this publication, due to modern printing-date
deadlines and other extenuating circumstances, I don’t receive the opportunity to
fully test the gear under review in the field—though I generally take the time to “play
with” it long enough to understand how it works (before reading instructions or press
releases) and what makes it tick. Reviewing gear without the opportunity to carry it
into the field even minimally always bothers me just a bit, as
that is where the gear we endorse and sell is meant to serve.
Given a couple days of hard hunting, the real shortcomings
or strengths of that product really begin to reveal themselves.
To this end, I’m constantly telling my wife I must bowhunt at
every opportunity in order to do my job effectively. She doesn’t
always buy it, but I’m pretty sincere in that assessment. In gen-
eral, I try not to develop favorites when it comes to brands and
product models. I do my best to audition as many different equipment brands and
models as time and hunting licenses permit. Should I tag a notable big-game animal,
or a bunch of small game for that matter, with a particular bow or arrow or broad-
head or accessory, I’m most likely to change everything before the next big hunt. My
thinking is: That piece of gear got its chance to prove itself, so another piece of gear de-
serves the same opportunity—even if I’m in love with the original. My single-January-
through-December record included bagging animals with 13 different bows.
Before I was married and could afford to keep myself broke bowhunting, I espe-
cially cherished high-volume African safaris for this very reason. On a month-long
foray, shooting 25 to 35 animals (maybe a dozen of those “trophies,” the remainder
camp meat and bait animals), I was given the opportunity to run a huge array of ar-
rows and broadheads through real-world paces. That kind of volume provided seri-
ous perspective when someone asked, “What’s the best arrow/broadhead for ____?”
I think this mentality also serves pro-shop owners and front-line archery-shop
employees well. Experience is everything in this sport—whether punching paper un-
der intense pressure or filling freezers and trophy rooms. Otherwise, how do you
honestly answer a customer’s query of “What is the best ____ for bowhunting ____?”
The most engaged pro-shop owners/staff I’ve known over the years are also heav-
ily involved in local and regional 3D archery tournaments, and they are usually some
of the better shooters in their respective areas. It is that kind of pressure-cooker ex-
perience that leaves them better equipped to serve their serious target clientele (who
might not fancy bowhunting).
‘Tis the season. Take the time to get out there and make some memories, and

gather some all-important gear-related intel!

Patrick Meitin, Executive Editor

INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



Publisher

Apollo Creative Inc

Executive Editor

Patrick Meitin • [email protected]

Associate Editor

Daniel Allred • [email protected]

Contributors

Kurt Smith | Cassie Gasaway

Sales & Marketing Director

Stephen Mack • [email protected]
(814) 341-9313

Design & Production

ER Graphics / Ed Rother • [email protected]

Graphic Designer

Tara Bondar

Social Media Manager

Jason Ashe

Video Editor

Marc Balisteri

Account Manager

Pam Ludlam • [email protected]

Subscription Services & Change of Address:

Inside Archery® Circulation Department
Inside Archery, PO Box 986, Levittown, PA 19055-9998
Phone: (844) 862-9286 • Fax: (888) 965-9961
[email protected]

Publication Office

Inside Archery® / Apollo Creative Inc
P.O. Box 15827, Colorado Springs, CO 80935
Phone: (719) 495-9999 • www.InsideArchery.com

Inside Archery founded in 1998 by Bill and Sherry Krenz

Inside Archery® Copyright © 2021 Apollo Crreative Inc. All rights re-
served. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permis-
sion from the publisher is prohibited. Inside Archery® is a registered
U.S. trademark of Apollo Creative Inc. Opinions expressed in by-lined
articles or columns are those of the author and do not necessarily
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Submission Guidelines: Apollo Creative Inc and Inside Archery® mag-
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Archery, hunting and bowhunting are inherently dangerous activi-
ties. Improper use of hunting or archery equipment may cause se-
rious injury or death. Always follow state and local hunting safety
rules, and get required permits or licenses before hunting. Apollo
Creative 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
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this magazine at their own risk. Apollo Creative Inc assumes no li-
ability for any errors or omissions in the content of this magazine, or
arising from use by any person of the information in this magazine.

Inside Archery®
is a publication of
Apollo Creative Inc
Printed in the USA.

INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY BUSINESS BLUEPRINT Sponsored by

How to Upsell & Cross-Sell Kinsey’s is the leading distributor to the outdoors and
Your Archery Products & Services archery industry. Carrying items from your favorite
brands, in-stock and ready-to-ship, the company offers
A s with any retail business, it’s package. You could also offer custom domestic and international retailers a wide array of
important to ensure that your arrow and fletching services. If you products and services. Kinsey’s also owns innovative
foundational products and ser- aren’t able to offer those services in consumer brands including BlackHeart, Fin-Finder,
vices offerings are solid. However, the house, you could outsource those ser- Elevation and October Mountain Products.
second thing you want to make sure vices to Kinsey’s. We offer a custom For more information, please visit KinseysInc.com
you offer is relevant upsells and cross- arrow program where we assemble ar-
sells. It is a way to add value to your rows based on you and your customer’s Merchandising
customer’s experience in your store, needs. Again, by offering these upsells Upsells & Cross-Sells
while also increasing their purchase and cross-sells, you’ll be adding to your
size. Incremental sales will help with business’s bottom line, while also tak- Finally, another way to offer upsells and
your business’s bottom line, while also ing care of your customers. cross-sells is how you merchandise your
helping the customer fulfill their wants store. If you are not already taking ad-
and needs. It will be a true win-win for Archery Range Upsell vantage of this, it is one of the easiest
both parties. Here we’ll discuss three ways to offer upsells and cross-sell op-
ways your archery business can offer Another way your archery business can portunities to your customers. Whether
relevant upsells and cross-sells to your offer an upsell is at your archery range. you’re helping them with a purchase, or
customers. For example, you can offer hourly, dai- they come into your store knowing what
ly, monthly or yearly range-time pack- they need, if you merchandise similar
Bow-Tech Services ages at various price tiers. You could products together you can capture incre-
Upsells & Cross-Sell also incentivize the largest, most ex- mental sales. For example, you can mer-
pensive range time package to include chandise socks and foot warmers next
As an archery shop, it is important membership perks. Those perks could to the boots and footwear section. You
to offer your archery customers bow- could also make sure you have SD cards,
tech services. Whether you are include one range guest per month, batteries and trail-cam locks next to the
setting up a brand-new bow exclusive offers and event access, trail camera selection. The possibilities
or conducting routine bow 10 percent off select purchases, are almost endless. In doing so, you’ll
maintenance for a cus- as well as bow-tech ser- also be helping your customers and your
tomer, it is always vice discounts. Again, business at the same time.
good to offer bow- this membership
tech service upsells and package acts as As an archery shop, you first need to
cross-sells. For example, a form of a loyalty perks focus on your foundational products
if a customer comes in program. and services. Once those are taken care
for a new bow string and Unfortunately, we know of, you need to locate and implement
peep sight, you could see this isn’t always an option upsell and cross-sell opportunities. By
if they’d be interested in for all archery businesses implementing upsells and cross-sells
upgrading their arrow if they don’t have an on- at your bow-tech services, archery
rest, sight or stabilizer. You site range. Therefore, if range and merchandising around the
could also offer bow main- your shop doesn’t have an store, you’ll be setting your business up
tenance packages. archery range, you could for success. IA
create your own version
For example, a Basic of an annual loyalty perks
Tune or an upgraded Bow- package that customers
hunter’s Tune and Lube can purchase.

14 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY YOUR ATA INSIGHTS

The Three Employees You Need in Your Business

BY KURT SMITH, COURTESY OF THE ATA

E mployees are the lifeblood of your Customer Service Representative ■ ferings. Without effective marketing,
potential customers may not know
business. Whether you have a staff This is your customers’ direct con-

of two or 200, employees are the face of your nection to the business. Whether what you offer, or that you even exist!
business, and their skills and qualities directly they need assistance selecting a Having these three areas working in
affect the customer experience. product or have an issue with an
order, a customer service represen- unison ensures your customers have a
consistently satisfying experience. But

tative should give them what if you are the only

When speaking with ATA member busi- confidence that they will employee or have only

nesses, it’s easy to see that the most be prioritized and given part-time help? One option

successful are those where three major the right answers. Com- is to get creative. Take an

aspects of business are skillfully con- munication and interper- honest look at your own

ducted—management, customer ser- sonal skills are key for a capability and your capac-

vice and marketing. The following is a CSR to be most effective. ity. Do you have the skills

quick breakdown. While knowledge of prod- and the time to fill all

General Manager ■ If you’re reading ucts and services is important, be- these roles? If not, do any of your staff
ing able to listen to and understand members have skills that aren’t cur-

this article you may already hold this customers is paramount. When the rently being utilized? Maybe a part-

title (officially or in practice). The GM customer service role isn’t being met, time bow technician or warehouse

must know what is going on in every customers may feel disconnected employee also has some social media

aspect of the business in order to en- from your business and less likely to prowess. Or maybe you have a cashier

sure strategies are aligned with the become loyal patrons. who could expand their role to include

overall goals and are being imple- more inventory management tasks.

mented properly. The person in this Marketer ■ I was once told that mar- Perhaps you really do need a general

role also develops relationships with keting is simply creating the environ- manager while you take care of serv-

suppliers, keeps oversight on inventory ment where the sale can take place. ing customers.

levels and sets pricing to hit necessary The person for this vital role in your If none of these examples fit in your

profit margins. Without this role being business is responsible for getting business, it may be time to hire outside

filled, employees may unknowingly be the message out about your product help. Think about the areas in which

selling products that aren’t profitable or or service, and maybe more impor- you, as a manager or owner, are not

find themselves without the inventory tantly, about your brand, to open particularly adept. Those are the skills

needed to complete production or the door for sales. A mar- you should look for in a new employee

stock the shelves. keter tells the story of or maybe a professional who can be

who you are, what you contracted to provide a service—any-

do and why. With thing from preparing taxes to cleaning

social media being the facility. Hiring can be a daunting

an ever-growing process, so the ATA has lined up pro-

and ever-evolving fessional human resources assistance

marketing tool, available to members at no cost. Check

the person in this out the MyATA Learning Center course

role should have a “Let These HR Services Make Your Life

knack for creating Easier” to learn more, or ATA members

community engage- can contact Gallagher Human Resourc-

ment while pro- es for a free consultation by emailing

moting your of- [email protected]. IA

16 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

1Absymt BAoennangrsuAtarMlcAhidrecwrhyeesartynFFIeansmsttiaPlinreetssHeint ted ArcheryFest presented by Bear and the on how you can donate to help organizations
complete line of Bear’s 2021 equipment
Fred Bear, Godfather of modern bow- can be found on the Bear Archery web- like the snipes farm & education center, visit
hunting and founder of Bear Archery, site. | to find this information and other lancasterarcheryfoundation.org.
founded the iconic bow company with insights on the company today, please visit
the goal to make quality archery equip- beararchery.com. WMiantsheIBwOsWTeoarlmd CShhaomotpeiro,nLsehviipMorgan,
ment available to everyone. The com-
pany today holds tight to the same TAALaorwenUaacnradGdssretoeGruprrparAinvrBctirlhietneoggreHyAdeFrlYocphouPeunhrtdyhialatdioenlphia- Team Mathews enjoyed a dominant
principle more than 85 years later, and performance at the recent IBO World
that was particularly clear at the first Lancaster Archery Foundation awarded Championship in Seven Springs, Penn-
annual ArcheryFest presented by Bear a grant to Snipes Farm & Education Cen- sylvania, taking 1st and 2nd place in Pro
Archery on August 14 and 15. More than ter to help launch its brand-new youth Male Release.
750 people from around the Midwest archery program.
gathered at Angel Mounds State Recre- Levi Morgan took top honors as the
ation Area in southern Indiana for a day Located in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, men’s IBO World Champion in the Pro
of archery activities and general enter- just outside Philadelphia, the Snipes Male Release class, while teammate
tainment for this first-ever ArcheryFest. Farm & Education Center provides sum- Dan McCarthy finished 2nd just two
mer camps to underprivileged children points behind.
The successful event featured a wide living in the area.
variety of activities such as an ar- Mathews’ shooter Cara Kelly and
chery range with Bear Archery bows to Lancaster Archery Foundation is pro- teammate Kailey Johnston
shoot, an iron target novelty viding $1,000 to the center for use finished in 2nd and
shot, an inflatable obstacle in buying archery equipment need- 3rd place in the Pro
course, music, free food and ed to start an archery program. Release Female class.
beverages, and more than Snipes works “with the local Mathews’ Senior Pro
$15,000 in giveaway prizes. homeless shelter and other social Jeff Kirkland placed 3rd in
The event was open to the service organizations to provide
general public at no cost participation free of charge to the Pro Senior Release class.
with the goal of allowing needy and homeless children in our “What a way to wrap up the 2021 IBO
the community to explore archery in
a social and noncompetitive environ- community,” a group spokesman said. tournament circuit,” said Derek Phillips,
ment. The archery range allowed men, A goal is to “introduce target archery Mathews’ Pro Staff Manager. “Watch-
women and youth to shoot popular op- ing Morgan and McCarthy battle this
tions in the Bear bow line such as the to children, youth and disad- season has been fun to watch. They are
Royale RTH, Legit RTH, Grizzly, Kodiak vantaged youth that they truly in their own class out there. I’m
and Fred Bear Take Down. might be inspired to ad- proud of how the whole team shot this
vance their skills, build weekend and all season long.” | follow
“The decision to host a free event for self-confidence, enjoy
the public to come and experience ar- fellowship and competitive team mathews through the remainder of the
chery and all that Fred Bear stood for archery interest,” the spokesman said.
was a unanimous and easy one for our 2021 tournament season on mathews facebook,
team,” said Jon Lene, Bear Archery’s “We are well aware of the healing instagram and twitter, or visit their website
General Manager. “All Bear’s current and character-building powers of ar- at mathewsinc.com to see their complete line-
brands hold true to Fred’s aim of de- chery, and are excited to be able to help up of equipment.
veloping and distributing quality bow the Snipes Center offer this opportunity
equipment that appeals to everyone re- to young people who might not other- Continued on Page 20
gardless of age, social status or gender. wise be exposed to archery,” said Rob
We’re grateful for everyone who came Kaufhold, president of the Lancaster Ar-
out to support the event over the week- chery Foundation. | for more information
end. It was a success on all accounts
and our team is hard at work to make it
bigger and better next year.”

Additional information on the 2021

18 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Continued from Page 18 In a separate comment Bentz said, in the U.S. Helping bowhunters be-
“Congratulations to Pope & Young on its come safe and successful hunters
NESudauptipcoaontraitolsnBPoFoowpuehnu&dnaYtteoirounng Club 60th anniversary. NBEF was happy to cel- and stewards of the sport are im-
ebrate this milestone with fellow bow- portant NBEF missions. NBEF pro-
The National Bowhunter Education hunters while planning for the future.” vides the bowhunter certification
Foundation (NBEF) sponsored Pope standards and class content that
& Young Club’s 60th Anniversary “Pope & Young and NBEF share the val- some states and certain circumstances
Convention this July in Reno, Nevada. Bow- ues of promoting bowhunting and pro- require in order to bowhunt. NBEF pro-
hunters celebrated the past and looked for- tecting the future of the sport,” said Pope vides instructor training and certification.
ward to future hunting experiences while & Young Club Executive Director Jason Ro- NBEF oversees the International Bow-
networking and sharing information with unsaville. “We appreciate the support of hunter Education Program and works
fellow bowhunters at this popular event. non-profit organizations like NBEF.” with the International Hunter Education
NBEF sponsored a luncheon featuring Association and state agencies to coordi-
speaker Andrew McKean, a long-time out- NBEF offers bowhunting instructional nate a unified program. States may have
door writer and currently the Hunting and items, books, videos, 3-D models, apparel additional requirements. Europe and oth-
Conservation Editor for Outdoor Life. and more at nbef.org. er countries accept the NBEF (IBEP) certi-
fication and conduct classes.
In her remarks, NBEF’s Executive Direc- The National Bowhunter Education NBEF also oversees the International
tor Marilyn Bentz asked current and for- Foundation offers instructional content Crossbow Education Program and works
mer bowhunter education instructors and and tools for bowhunter education classes with state agencies responsible for cross-
former students to stand and be recog- bow education to develop comprehensive
nized. “It made me so proud to see about online crossbow safety courses that teach
half of the attendees were instructors and
about 75 percent of the audience had par- Continued on Page 22
ticipated in an NBEF course,” said Bentz.



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Continued from Page 20

students important laws and regulations, and refining the manual. and wildlife management programs. In
game identification, and safe, responsi- “Because Boone & Crockett and Pope & addition to its prestigious history and tra-
ble handling of crossbow equipment. dition, Boone & Crockett scoring is strong-
Young both have missions to maintain re- ly associated with the highest tenets of
NBEF is a 501(c)3 corporation that isn’t cords of big game animals for use by wild- fair chase and hunting ethics.
a membership-based organization. Tax- life managers and hunters alike, it just
deductible donations to support this non- made sense that we work to- While the Boone & Crock-
profit are welcome. | learn more at nbef.org. gether to produce one, defin- ett Club accepts entries tak-
itive scoring manual,” said en with any legal weapon,
BPJoooinpotenOe&f&fYicoCiruaonlcgMkeCeltautsbausnredRresleMaasneual Justin Spring, director of Big the Pope & Young Club was
Game Records of the Boone founded in 1961 to maintain
The Boone & Crockett Club and Pope & and Crockett Club. the records of animals taken
Young Club have just released a definitive with only bow and arrow.
250-page scoring manual that will serve Measuring the antlers,
as the guide to the processes and proce- horns and heads of big game “Since the Pope & Young
dures to correctly assign a Boone & Crock- animals and publishing Club began documenting ar-
ett or Pope & Young score to any fair chase those measurements began chery-taken animals more
big game trophy. more than a century ago by than 60 years ago, we have
members of the Boone & Crockett Club. always utilized the Boone & Crockett scor-
The manual, How to Score North Amer- These records were originally developed ing system,” said Roy Grace, records chair-
ican Big Game, is an effort to simplify as a means of recording data on species man of the Pope & Young Club. “While
and streamline the big game scoring thought to be going extinct from habi- there are subtle differences between our
process. Members of both Clubs’ records tat loss and unregulated harvest. Today, two Clubs regarding minimum entry re-
committees spent years collaborating Boone & Crockett Club records remain a quirements, velvet entries and others, our
way to gauge the success of conservation measuring procedures are nearly identi-

cal. This joint manual is long overdue and bump the number to 100.
was a ‘work in progress’ for several years. “Our team has worked hard to develop
Joint measurers will no longer have to re-
fer to two separate manuals when mea- the annual Cajun8 Limited into one of the
suring for either club. I’m fairly certain largest premier bowfishing events in the
that the founder of the Pope & Young Club, United States,” said Alec Wyman, Market-
Glenn St. Charles, would be proud to see ing Manager for Cajun Bowfishing. “It’s
what our two organizations have finally been exciting to see the continued growth
accomplished!” and success of the tournament with new
teams making the journey to compete
The new scoring manuals are avail- each year.”
able at boone-crockett.org for $45. In
addition, scoring instructions and Cajun Bowfishing pays out cash prizes
worksheets for specific categories are to the top eight teams in the tournament.
available as downloadable PDFs for $10 First place earns an inspiring $10,000,
each. | see boone-crockett.org to learn more. with the potential to earn another $6,000
in bonuses for having the heaviest fish
NBSeouvwmefbnisethhrionAfgnBnTouoaautlrsnCataojmuSneo8nutLtBhimeririntngeIdsnRdeiacnoard in the tournament and for shooting Ca-
jun Bowfishing equipment. In addition to
Cajun Bowfishing hosted their 7th Annual the cash prizes for the top eight finish-
Cajun8 Limited Bowfishing Tournament ers, Cajun8 teams had the opportunity to
recently in Southern Indiana. The 100- win more than $15,000 in product give-
team big-8 Tournament aways from partners like YETI, Bass Pro
sees teams from across
the United States come Shops, LaCrosse, Scent-
together for a highly Lok, Browning, Escalade
competitive single night Sports, Leupold, Bear Ar-
of Midwest bowfishing. The 2021 chery, Trophy Ridge and
tournament marks the largest others.
and most successful Cajun8 to The Cajun8 tournament con-
date based on the number of teams, as well tinues to draw and appeal to
as the winning team’s total haul weight. bowfishing teams from across
the country due to its organized
The Cajun8 is a big-8 tournament and engaged layout year after year. This
where teams compete to collect the high- year’s winning team was The Outsid-
est gross weight of eight fish shot during ers from Tennessee with a shocking to-
tournament fishing hours. In past years, tal weight of 391.6 pounds of combined
Cajun Bowfishing has capped the number weight for eight fish. The team took home
of teams at 80. Due to growing interest an additional $3,250 for shooting the
and the tournament selling out early in heaviest fish of the night, a 68.2-pound
the past, the brand made the decision to fish taken with Cajun equipment.
Cajun Bowfishing offers a complete
line of bowfishing bows and accesso-
ries. Bows like the Sucker
Punch, Sucker Punch Jr.
and Shore Runner have
quickly become a popu-
lar choice for fishermen
everywhere due to their
value-packed designs and
class-leading durability.
| For additional information

on the 2021 cajun8 limited

bowfishing tournament, visit
cajunbowfishing.com. IA

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

The Greater Good: Why & How ATA Members Should Work Together

BY CASSIE GASAWAY

F ind common ground with other Find common ground with other ATA members and pool your ideas, funds, resources
ATA members and pool your ideas, and time to accomplish more through collaboration. photo © hunt-n-gear

funds, resources and time to accomplish

more through collaboration.

Ask yourself: Do you want to grow you’re worried about keeping up creased or flatlined until recently,”
archery participation numbers? Do and keeping your customers happy. he said. “I’m worried about elk,
you want your business to flour- It’s always easy to be exceptionally deer, habitat, conservation. If we’re
ish? Do you want others to love ar- busy in the business world and for- not creating more hunters going
chery and bowhunting as much as get to step back and care about those forward, there will be less dollars
you? Do you want to see the bow- things that you value in life. generated through license sales
and-arrow tradition live on? and federal excise tax funds. That’s
“The number of hunters has de- less money available to those peo-
You probably do, and so does ev- ple (DNR folks, biologists, etc.) who
ery other person and company in take care of the parts of the world
the archery and bowhunting in- that I like, which is the woods, wa-
dustry. It’s easy to get so caught up ter and critters.”
in your day-to-day tasks that you
forget about the big picture—we’re That’s why Adee encourages all
all working toward the same goals. ATA members to collaborate on
projects and efforts.
“When business is bad, you’re wor-
ried business is bad,” said Jeff Adee, “It’s like the saying ‘rising water
president of Headhunter Bow Strings lifts all boats,’” Adee said. “If we’re
Inc. and vice chair of the ATA board all doing what we can to grow the
of directors. “When business is good, industry, we’re all going to benefit

Jeff Adee coaches the Milton High School archery team. Continued on Page 26
They practice at Hunt-N-Gear LLC. photo © jeff adee

UNITING THE INDUSTRY ARCHERY TRADE ASSOCIATION
archerytrade.org

24 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

Continued from Page 24

from it, but you can accomplish more archery team at the Milton High thing is to start.
by working together. Everyone in our School. He went through the prin- “Don’t be afraid to knock on the
industry is so passionate and we all cipal and school board and learned
have a passion for the same thing. about athletic codes, parental per- door and walk in, or make a blind
That passion makes it easy to con- missions and club requirements to phone call,” Adee said. “In the begin-
nect and collaborate with people.” make his idea a reality. His team fol- ning you might not even know what
lows the Scholastic 3D Archery model it is you’ll work on, but if you come
Adee said there are many groups and practices at the local archery pro in and you’re genuine and open, peo-
and organizations in the outdoor in- shop, Hunt-N-Gear LLC. He’s work- ple will pick up on that and they’ll
dustry that ATA members can eas- ing on creating three other teams be more willing to share or entertain
ily pair with and support. Retailers, at school systems in the surround- your ideas.”
manufacturers, conservation organi- ing area and hopes the teams will be
zations, distributors, press members, able to compete against one another. Sample collaborative efforts in-
state wildlife agencies, parks and rec- Adee is also talking with other ar- clude co-marketing efforts, men-
reation groups and others are all good chery and bowhunting companies in toring new hunters, creating fun
candidates. Simply look in your sur- Wisconsin to see if they can replicate promotional archery videos, host-
rounding area and start connecting. the effort in other parts of the state. ing a Saturday “battle of the towns”
archery tournament, setting up
Headhunter Bow Strings is in As a business owner, doing things a booth at a local fair or market,
Milton, Wisconsin, and Rinehart outside of your normal daily tasks cleaning up a local community ar-
Targets is in Janesville, Wisconsin, shows you care about the industry chery range or teaching education-
about 10 minutes away. That’s what and sets a good example for your al classes about products, hunting
prompted Adee to speak with Rine- employees. It also improves the com- strategies or shooting tips.
hart’s James McGovern about creat- munity and likely creates opportuni-
ing a community archery range. The ties for individuals to get involved. Adee said the biggest challenge
idea is in its infant stages, but Adee industry members will face when
is excited about the potential and the Get creative as you start conversa- attempting to collaborate is finding
effect it would have on the area and tions about working together. You time and energy. However, he said,
the archery industry. might be surprised by where the col- it’s imperative that you do.
laboration takes you, but the biggest
Adee also created and coaches an “We’re all working 60 hours a
week and I’m forcing myself to go
Shown here is a booth Lancaster Archery set up at the Barnstormers for three hours, once a week, to
baseball game to help promote archery. photo © lancaster archery coach my archery teams,” he said.
“It reminds me why I’m doing what
I’m doing (for my business). It’s fun
to see kids of all shapes and sizes
pick up archery and have a blast. It’s
great for them, but I forgot how good
it is for me to be exposed to that. It’s
invigorating and it gives me a rea-
son to keep going.”

Find something you’re passion-
ate about, and then collaborate with
another person or business that’s
equally passionate. Doing that will
help your business and the archery
industry—and you’ll find that it
helps you, too. IA

26 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



PowerThePEOPLE
of
Participation
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 15827, Colorado Springs, CO 80935.

Jason Lassiter • Ohio Whitetail

Owner, Fuel Outdoor Gear LLC

Justus Leimbach • Colorado Elk Bow: Mathews VXR 28 Sight: Black Gold

Product Development Coordinator, Allen Company Arrow: Black Eagle Zombie Slayer Rest: QAD Integrate

Bow: Hoyt RX-3 Broadhead: SEVR 1.5 Rest: QAD MXT Broadhead: Swhacker #261 Release: TruFire Synapse

Arrow: Gold Tip Airstrike Sight: Black Gold Pro Release: Stan

28 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021

Alex Cameron • Alaska Moose Ryan Heuser • Montana Pronghorn

Director of Purchasing Operations, Kinsey’s, Inc. Assistant Producer, The Outdoor Group

Bow: Elite Remedy Rest: QAD

Bow: Hoyt Broadhead: G5 Release: TruFire Arrow: Victory RIP TKO Release: Scott Archery Sigma

Arrow: Carbon Express Sight: AXCEL Quiver: Hoyt Broadhead: Slick Trick Raptor Trick Stabilizer: CBE Torx Hunt Kit

Maxima RED Rest: QAD Stabilizer: Dead Center Sight: CBE Engage 3-Pin Quiver: CBE MOD5

Stephen Greenwood • California Tule Elk Tom Addleman • Kansas Whitetail

General Manager, Victory Archery President, DirtNap Gear

Bow: Matthews Sight: TRUGLO

Bow: Mathews VXR Broadhead: Grim Reaper Rest: QAD Integrate Arrow: Gold Tip Rest: QAD Integrate

Arrow: Victory VAP-SS 300   Sight: CBE Engage Release: Spot-Hogg Broadhead: DirtNap Gear Hellhound Release: Scott Archery

SEPT/OCT 21 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 29

30 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021

Founded in 1996, Shadow Hunter Blinds is one of the lon- 31
gest running and most trusted makers of hard-sided
ground blinds in the business.
Known for extremely comfortable and high-quality
designs, Shadow Hunter has grown steadily during the past 25
years and built a healthy following of loyal fans. Shadow Hunter
strives to deliver U.S.-made ground blinds that exceed customer
expectations and promote hunting success, and customers keep
coming back for more as a result.

Shadow Hunter’s founder, Jim Bainbridge, sold the company
to new ownership in 2014, but Shadow Hunter’s recipe for suc-
cess has remained fully intact. The company’s new owner, Joel
Harter, is a passionate hunter who started out simply as an avid
fan of the company.

Joel Harter is also the CEO of Summit Brands, a family-owned collection of Ameri-
can brands that got started in 1958. Harter created a new division in his company
called Summit Outdoors, which is dedicated to the continued success of
Shadow Hunter, along with some other specialty and niche outdoor
brands acquired by the company. Sitting on this firm foundation,
Shadow Hunter is poised to continue steadily growing in the fu-
ture, just as the other exciting brands under Summit Outdoors
will continue to grow with it.

The Customer Who
Bought the Company

Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Joel Harter
was introduced to hunting at a young age by his fa-
ther. Hunting became a lifelong passion for Harter,
and this eventually led to him crossing paths with
Shadow Hunter.
“Like so many people, I got introduced to hunt-
ing because my dad was a hunter,” Joel Harter said.

“I remember really enjoying hunting, even though I
didn’t have a lot of success early on. That wasn’t the
point, though. I just enjoyed being outdoors, spending
time with my family and friends, and that just stuck
with me. I kept hunting as I got older, and I became
more acquainted with the industry, and that’s how
I got introduced to Shadow Hunter. According to my
hunting friends, Shadow Hunter was the gold stan-
dard of ground blinds, so that inspired me to get one
of my own. People always ask us: ‘How many blinds
should I have?’ And the answer is that you always want
one more than what you have. You usually can’t just
have one. There’s always another corner of the woods
where you would like to have one, or another piece of

property you’d like to hunt on, and you end up having
multiple. That’s exactly what happened to me.”

Joel Harter’s father was also the founder of Summit
Brands, so he got to see the family business grow and
develop over the years.
“My father created the business back in the mid ‘50s,”

SEPT/OCT 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

top: (From left to right) Joel Harter,
Cindy Teague and Robert Kaleta go over
some of GhostBlind’s accessories, which

make it even easier to transport the
GhostBlind deep into the field.

bottom: Summit Brands, parent
company of Summit Outdoors, is
headquartered in this spacious facility

in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Harter said. “He started out with a single cut my teeth here as it evolved and grew. fering: Shadow Hunter Blinds. With this
product called Iron Out, which is used for Our distribution became larger and more high-quality brand as the springboard,
water treatment and rust removal. He advanced as we continued to reach more Summit Outdoors began to seek other
was able to use that product as a spring- dealers and retailers, and today we are niche brands in the outdoor industry that
board to grow the business and acquire distributing household cleaning prod- would supplement Shadow Hunter.
other small specialty brands that also ucts to most major retailers in the United
primarily made cleaning chemicals. Af- States and Canada.” “I was very confident in Shadow Hunt-
ter college, I knew that I wanted to get er because I used the products a ton and
involved with the family business, so I Much like Summit Brands, Summit believed in them,” Harter said. “We used
Outdoors started out with a single key of- Shadow Hunter as a platform—like we did
with our other business—to acquire oth-
er small specialty brands and add them
to the family. After Shadow Hunter, we
added Elevators, a company that makes
heavy-duty bracket systems for elevated
blinds. After that, we acquired Tail Mate,
a manufacturer of extremely comfortable
gel seat cushions and chairs. We also add-
ed SlotLock, which is a dependable multi-
purpose anchoring system that is both
fast and secure. Shadow Hunter Blinds
is still our flagship brand and what we
are best known for, but all of these other
brands complement Shadow Hunter and
allow us to offer a more complete package
to ground blind hunters.”

It is important to note that Summit

32 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021

top to bottom: Joel Harter is the CEO and Outdoors doesn’t view an acquisition as a
president of Summit Brands, a company takeover, but rather sees it as a partnership
founded by his father in 1958. Cindy Teague, for growth. The goal is to keep the business
national sales manager, has been working operating efficiently and add more talented
with Shadow Hunter since 2004, making professionals to the larger organization.
her extremely familiar with the brand. Just take national sales manager Cindy
Robert Kaleta, a lifelong passionate hunter, Teague as an example of this approach. She
serves as the product and brand director. has worked for Shadow Hunter since 2004,
joining the Summit Outdoors team after the
SEPT/OCT 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM sale of the company in 2014.

“I started with Shadow Hunter back in
January 2004, when the business was still op-
erating out of Jim Bainbridge’s house,” Cindy
Teague said. “Our office was on the front porch
at the time, but we grew steadily and eventu-
ally got a proper office, and that’s around the
time that Joel started buying blinds from us.
He would purchase a new blind from us every
year, until the year he bought the whole busi-
ness. I like to joke that I used to sell blinds
to Joel, and then I sold him the company. It’s
been a great journey, though. Every single
year I have worked for the company—all the
way back to 2004—I have seen it grow. We
have a ton of great dealers, and we truly ap-
preciate them as partners. We continue to
reach new dealers every year, and I see that
growth continuing here on out.”

Another talented and passionate individual
on the Summit Outdoors team is Robert Kale-
ta, product and brand director. Kaleta also
got his start in the outdoor industry in 2004,
when he began doing engineering, product
management and product development for
Zeiss Optics. Kaleta joined the Summit Out-
doors team two years ago, and he firmly be-
lieves in the company’s product offerings.

“For Summit Outdoors, it’s all about qual-
ity and giving customers the most value for
their dollar,” Kaleta said. “I think it’s fair to
say that Shadow Hunter is an industry lead-
er for professional-grade hunting blinds, if
not the industry leader. We continuously
hear from experts like outfitters and guides
about what a game changer Shadow Hunter
is. That’s because we are dedicated to using
the best materials and the best construc-
tion techniques, and we are always looking
for new ways to improve. All of our brands
live by that philosophy, and even though our
brands are always available independently,
they work together with purpose and help
the consumer have the ultimate experience.”

The team at Summit Outdoors deeply val-
ues the legacy that Shadow Hunter built,

33

that. At the same time, though, the phi-
losophy of all our businesses is based on
continual improvement. We are com-
mitted to that commonsense utilitarian
design approach, but we are also always
looking for new technologies, materials
and building techniques that can take
Shadow Hunter to the next level.”

top: The wide offices of Summit Outdoors are and they are dedicated to the same guid- GhostBlind Joins the Family
bustling with a team of passionate experts. ing principles that helped Shadow Hunter
thrive for the past 25 years. The most recent addition to Summit Out-
bottom left: Can you spot the hunter? doors is GhostBlind, which takes a revo-
The GhostBlind seamlessly blends into “Shadow Hunter’s success was built on lutionary approach to the portable ground
its commonsense, utilitarian design ap- blind. Instead of using a camouflage pat-
practically any environment. proach,” Harter said. “Jim Bainbridge was tern to blend with its surroundings, Ghost-
a very early pioneer of the hard-sided Blind uses reflective panels, tilted toward
bottom right: Tail Mate’s extremely com- blind. He had worked in the RV industry, the ground, to mirror its surroundings.
fortable gel seat cushions have great synergy and that’s where a lot of the early com- The effect is incredible and remarkably
ponents and technology came from. We versatile in changing environments.
with Summit Outdoors’ blind offerings. believe that Jim had the right approach,
and we have really tried to stay true to “We kept seeing the GhostBlind again
and again at trade shows, and how could
you not love the concept?” Harter said.
“Every camo pattern is trying to somehow
replicate nature. Well, the GhostBlind lit-
erally replicates nature because it’s using
mirror technology to reflect the nearby en-
vironment. The tagline is: ‘Any hunt, any
season, anywhere,’ and I think that sums
it up well. It’s extremely portable and du-
rable. You can bring it anywhere, and it
will help you blend in perfectly. We are
also extremely excited about how unique
it is. We are always seeking innovative,
niche products, and GhostBlind certainly
fits the bill. There are already tons of pop-
up blinds out there, and we didn’t feel like
the world needed another one of those.
GhostBlind is something different, some-
thing truly unique, so we are very excited

34 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021

(From left to right) Ryan Mann, forecast own reflection, but that’s totally not the
case,” Kaleta said. “The reflective panels
planning analyst, discusses the future are slightly angled downwards, and when
you see one in person, you will notice that
with Joel Harter and Robert Kaleta. you don’t see your own feet in the reflec-
tion until you are about 5 feet away. If a
to have it be part of the family.” deer or turkey is 5 feet away, it should be
Much like Shadow Hunter Blinds, Ghost- laying down on the ground. It’s sort of a
common misconception that it reflects the
Blind is well admired by hunters because animal or reflects sunlight, but it was de-
of its innovative design and dependable signed to prevent that.”
performance.
All considered, Shadow Hunter and
“GhostBlind is just so unique, and it al- GhostBlind make a great pair, and they
ready had an incredible following,” Kaleta are also particularly well-suited for bow-
said. “It doesn’t matter what you’re sur- hunters.
rounded by—whether it’s pure white win-
ter snow, rocks and sand in the desert, “Shadow Hunter is popular among ar-
grasses and grains in a field, or the hard- chers because it helps them get close,”
woods in the fall. You are going to blend in Kaleta said. “It keeps the scent in, and
perfectly, and you don’t need five different it also keeps the cold out, so you are able
camouflage patterns. Portability and quick to hunt longer without freezing your tail
setup are also key to the GhostBlind. It’s off in a treestand. They have totally silent
super lightweight, and you can set it up windows, and there’s no way to see hand
in just a few minutes. It’s so lightweight movement from the outside when you are
that a lot of people assume it’s fragile, but moving your windows. They are available
it’s actually very durable as well. It won’t with vertical windows for bowhunters, and
shatter, and it’s totally waterproof.” you also have the ability to completely black
yourself out, so the animal doesn’t see any
When first learning about it, some movement when you’re drawing your bow.
hunters are also a little skeptical about the
GhostBlind’s use of mirror technology, but “On the GhostBlind side, we have two
this design choice has been proven thor- blinds that perform well in the archery
oughly effective. market. The GhostBlind Predator is the tall-
est one at 46 inches high, so it offers the
“Sometimes, people think that since it’s most concealment for an archer shooting a
a mirror, the animal is going to see its

SEPT/OCT 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 35

traditional or compound bow. The Ghost- ing about those brands every day. They
Blind Phantom is a little shorter at 35 inch- are thinking about hunting and the out-
es high, and it’s great for crossbow users doors, going out and testing the prod-
or things like turkey hunting with a gun.” ucts, and they share that passion with
the customers. Our people, our brands
Good Business 101 and our customers—those are three
key aspects of this enterprise. All three
At its core, Summit Brands is driven by are exceptional, and we could not value
a set of clear philosophies, and these them more than we already do.”
philosophies have kept things running
smoothly since 1958. The company is heavily dedicated to its
customers, and it’s also heavily dedicated
“Our goal here is to be obsessed with to finding high-quality employees that
our customers and dedicated to taking understand the company’s tried-and-true
care of them,” Harter said. “We want mentality.
to delight them every chance we get. It
doesn’t always happen, but we certainly “When you look at our team, it’s very
strive for it, and that is deeply rooted in clear that we are dedicated to hiring ex-
this organization. We have a wide vari- ceptional people,” Harter said. “We are
ety of businesses, and they are all con- obviously looking for general abilities, but
nected by things like accounting and fi- we are also looking for people with great
nance, but the team of people who work attitudes who are really passionate about
on the branding, product development what they’re doing and getting things
and customer service are all specific done. When customers call us, they are
to that industry and market. The team going to talk to a real person who fits that
working on Summit Outdoors is think- model, and we really have an affinity for

36 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021

The entire Summit Outdoors team is highly dedicated to customer satisfaction and care. Here you
can see, clockwise from the left: Amanda Vian, operations specialist; Jay Harter, sales engineer; the
accounting team, which includes Matt Turnwald (accounting specialist), Davis Deane (controller),
Janet Griffin (staff accountant) and Tanya Pittman (accounting specialist); Arleen Wedler, sales
assistant; Lucas Heckert, marketing manager; and Katy De Haven, sales assistant.

customer care in this company. Honestly, Moving Forward
I think it’s really simple. I tell them to
treat customers like they would want to With its unique collection of brands, Sum-
be treated, and you can’t ever go wrong mit Outdoors is positioned for a bright
with that.” future. The company’s products instill
loyalty and trust in consumers, and this
Summit Outdoors is also deeply dedi- will surely help Summit Outdoors’ brands
cated to independent pro-shops. continue to grow and succeed.

“The dealers and pro-shops are still For the leadership team at Summit
the predominant part of our business, Outdoors, the recipe for success is sur-
and we have a specific program just for prisingly straightforward. Simply put,
them,” Harter said. “We try to give them the company is committed to doing the
unique product offerings that help them right thing.
compete with other retail channels, and
we have great margins built in. Our men- “Everything boils down to just doing
tality is that the more they make, the business the right way,” Harter said.
more we make, so we are dedicated to do- “That includes every aspect of the com-
ing everything possible to serve them and pany—from our high-quality, utilitar-
help them succeed. We are also affiliated ian product design to our obsession with
with buying groups like NBS and ARRO be- customer care. We keep things simple
cause we know how much those groups and try not to complicate anything, and
benefit dealers. All in all, we absolutely I think that’s really the secret to our suc-
love working in the outdoor industry. We cess. We just want to bring solid, high-
are 100 percent committed to this indus- quality products to the market, but we
try. We are committed to helping it grow are still strategic about how we do it. We
and thrive, and we know that starts with have a long history of doing business this
the independent shops.” way, and I think it’s going to keep work-
ing out for us.” IA

SEPT/OCT 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 37

MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT

BWliancgkmAasnh EOmutedrogoernPcryoDdeuscctesnTdreeerSStyasntdem

BY PATRICK MEITIN
N o one really believes they will fall from
a stand, but the sharp-stick truth is decision to take him off of life support.
After reading this tragic story, Bogardus

redoubled his focus on a better trees-

that better than half of us eventually will. tand safety system to market with his

new stand and help protect hunters

Upwards of 6,000 hunters every sea- from such tragedy.

son are injured, paralyzed or die while While modern full-body harnesses

hunting from treestands—even while were a huge step forward in treestand manner (even if that hunter is uncon-
scious). The TreeStand Wingman works
wearing a safety harness. safety, Bogardus discovered that many in conjunction with any commercially
produced full-body safety harness and
Journeyman toolmaker Wayne Bo- accident victims were experiencing de- drastically reduces the risk of injury
and even death after a fall. The Tree-
gardus, Jr. of Black Ash, Pennsylvania, bilitating spinal compression injuries as Stand Wingman reduces impact force
by 66 percent, compared to standard
conceived the TreeStand Wingman idea the result of the sudden stops suffered lanyard systems incorporated in most
hunter safety harnesses.
while researching safety options to ac- at the end of a safety harness tether.
The TreeStand Wingman is fully ad-
company a new, lightweight climbing- More troubling, many times these in- justable for descent rate, meets all in-
dustry safety standards and can be
stand prototype. During this time, Bog- juries prevented the hunter from reach- reused after rethreading the descent
system. The system weighs less than 2
ardus read about a 30-year-old hunter ing the stand platform or access ladder,
pounds, includes its own carry gear bag
on life support following a treestand ac- leaving them hanging and at risk for and accommodates hunters weighing
from 70 to 300-plus pounds. The system
cident. The man’s only relative, his sis- orthostatic injuries—which can lead to is easy to install, and once a full body
harness is clipped in at the ground lev-
ter, was faced with the heart-wrenching loss of consciousness or death. Hunt- el it will protect hunters climbing into
and out of stands, for full protection for
ers in such situations must either try to the duration of the hunt. If the hunter
should fall from a stand, the Wingman
employ a PRD strap, or cut the lanyard checks the fall and safely lowers that
person to the ground through an auto-
and slide or fall to the ground. matic cam system with tough Delrin
friction rollers. Learn more by visiting
Bogardus realized there was a real treestandwingman.com. IA

need for a safe and reliable method to

descend to the ground in the event of a

fall, even if the hunter was not in con-

trol of the situation, somehow debilitat-

ed or even unconscious. The TreeStand

Wingman and Black Ash Outdoors Prod-

ucts, LLC was born.

The TreeStand Wingman is designed

to protect from compression injuries

and suspension trauma following trees-

tand falls by safely lowering the hunter

to the ground in a smooth, controlled

WebXtra ■ For a closer look at the

Treestand Wingman, check it out at

insidearchery.com/treestandwingman.

38 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



MARKET TRENDS BOW REPORT

Xpedition Archery X33
BY PATRICK MEITIN

X pedition Archery has made serious and highly forgiving, a pretty rare com- LVR Cam ■ The last Xpedition I tested,
inroads into the compound-bow mar- bination. For 2020 I shot the remark-
the 2020 MX-16 powered by the smooth
ketplace in a relatively short amount of time. able MX-16, another blazing fast and HDS Cam, was one of the most efficient
easy-to-shoot model I carried through bows I have ever run through the test-ar-
row paces. The 2021 patent-pending LVR
elk season. For 2021 Xpedition’s X33 in- (Lever) Cam is said to further boost effi-
ciency levels and energy delivery. Trans-
They make solid bows chock-full of troduces the company’s latest array of lated, this means the system creates im-
pressive speeds and high kinetic energy
cutting-edge technologies, and these technological refinements—three new levels. The X33 was certainly quite effi-
cient, posting KE numbers from around
compound designs have earned the patent-pending technologies—and per- 100 foot-pounds with the heaviest test ar-
rows, to 91 foot-pounds with the lightest.
company many converts and loyal fans. formance upgrades promising lighter This is a 70-pound bow that could safely
tackle African Cape or Australian water
I shot my first Xpedition bow in 2017, weight, more speed and higher energy buffalo, given the right arrow and broad-
head combination. That was once some-
the newly-introduced Denali. That bow efficiency. Let’s dive right in. thing that required dead-minimum draw
weights in the 85- to 90-pound range.
was so far ahead of its time I continue
The dual-bearing equipped LVR Cam
to shoot it today, as it proves easy to tote X Series Risers ■ Xpedition Archery’s includes large profiles that generally
provide increased leverage to break
in the field, well balanced, super-fast 2021 X-Series bows, in development for through startup inertia and start the
draw cycle out on a smooth note. The
the past two years, are centered around cams climb into peak draw weight early
in the draw cycle, afterwards maintain-
risers constructed from a completely ing an even draw-force curve through
the draw before gently dropping into let-
new material that is lighter than many off. The LVR Cam provides a draw cycle
free of surprises, though it requires a bit
100-percent carbon designs on the mar- more muscle up front. The system re-
volves around a rotating module secured
ket (the X33 weighs only 3.7 pounds out by two Torx-head screws, and it holds 10
pin-positioning holes (1 through 10) to
of the box), while proving stronger than set up draw length from 26.5 to 31 inches
in half-inch increments. Hole 1 is the
standard-grade aluminums such as longest draw length, and 10 is the short-
est. Each cam holds a rubberized limb
6065 and 7075 variants. This material is stop on a slot, allowing you to tweak the
system for a harder or softer wall.
known as X-Loy by Magnite, and it’s a
Torque Free Touches ■ The LVR Cam
proprietary alloy blend that is infused
is not only fast, but also remarkably
with carbon. After the material is cre-

ated, it is first forged, and then it is CNC

machined. The alloy is so strong it al-

lows the removal of more material, cre-

Xpedition ETS (Energy Transfer System) buss cable man- ating a sleek and lightweight riser that
agement system reduces both torque and friction, while does not sacrifice structural integrity.
using a very short cable slide to minimize movement.
The riser flats include Xpedition’s

tell-tale massive cutouts and structural

The 2021 Xpedition Archery X33 includes a riser made cross-struts, while edges above the sight
of X-Loy by Magnite material--a proprietary alloy infused window and below the grip include lat-
with carbon to be lighter and stronger. eral cut-throughs, often referred to to-

day as riser bridges. Even the grip area

is hollowed. Accessory taps include a

single set of centered sight taps, dual

arrow-rest taps and standard front sta-

bilizer and lower rear stabilizer/V-bar

taps with blued steel sleeves for added

durability. Two-piece quiver mounts

with recessed bolt and triangle quiver-

stud sockets are included.

The limb-pivot points sit

about 3 ½ inches in front of

the grip throat, creating a

6.5-inch brace height.

40 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021

Specifications Arrow Speed

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Xpedition Archery X33 set at 72.6 pounds at 30 inches.

Axle-to-Axle Length 29-inch Arrows/ Shaft *Finished Kinetic Arrow

32.5 inches (+/- .25-inch) 100-Grain Tips gpi Arrow Wt. Energy Speed

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

Brace Height CX Triad 300 10.9 564 grains 102.5 ft. lbs. 286.0 fps

6.5 inches (+/- .125-inch) –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Easton T64 FMJ 7.9 tapered 528 grains 99.0 ft. lbs. 290.5 fps

Mass Weight –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

3.7 pounds Bloodsport Evidence 300 11.7 518 grains 99.6 ft. lbs. 294.2 fps

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

Let-Off Arrow Tech MT 300 12.2 508 grains 100.1 ft. lbs. 297.9 fps

80 percent (adjustable) –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Victory VAP-SS 300 9.9 473 grains 96.4 ft. lbs. 303.3 fps

Available Draw Lengths –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

26.5 to 31 inches CX Max RED SD 350 9.4 465 grains 97.5 ft. lbs. 307.2 fps

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

Available Draw Weights Black Eagle Spartan 300 9.0 439 grains 97.2 ft. lbs. 315.8 fps

50, 60, 65 and 70 pounds –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Victory VAP 300 8.7 424 grains 97.6 ft. lbs. 322.0 fps

Available Colors –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Xpedition's new LVR Cam offers smooth draw cycles and Realtree Timber, Edge and Excape, Easton Hexx 330 7.9 386 grains 96.0 ft. lbs. 334.6 fps
impressive energy delivery, while proving easy to tune and Molten Black, Tactical Sand, OPS
allowing a wide draw-length span via rotating modules. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Green standard riser colors; Realtree
torque free and self-correcting. The top Edge, Excape and Molten Black Black Eagle Carnivore 350 7.5 363 grains 95.1 ft. lbs. 343.4 fps
cam is slaved to the module take-up of standard limb finishes
the bottom cam, and the bottom cam is –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
slaved to an upper split yoke. This system ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
should remain tuned even after minor Victory RIP XV 300 7.0 355 grains 96.1 ft. lbs. 349.1 fps
buss cable stretch. MSRP
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Also new for 2021 and another patent- $1,399
pending feature is the ETS (Energy Transfer Liberty Archery 320 5.9 292 grains 91.0 ft. lbs. 374.5 fps
System) cable management system. The X
Series ETS enhances cable-system dynam- –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
ics through dual rollers riding on sealed
bearings, staggered to eliminate buss-ca- Arrow speeds established using a Caldwell Shooting Supplies Chronograph G2.
ble contact and tilted inward (toward the
riser) to ease full-draw lateral riser torque. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (605) 260-0159, OR VISIT XPEDITIONARCHERY.COM.
This system rides on rubber-cushioned
rollers, themselves riding on an abbrevi- system is fully adjustable through dual
ated (about 1 ½ inches) carbon cable slide. set screws. Each pair of split limbs is
The slide in turn is anchored on a milled- equipped with an Axion limb damp-
aluminum bracket attached to the riser ener. Other silencing features are de-
with two bolts. The ETS system increases rived from the ultra-stiff riser design,
performance and efficiency by preloading the heavily preloaded quad limbs that
the buss cables and greatly limiting their terminate in past-parallel geometry and
movement following release. the aforementioned ETS buss cable sys-
tem, which holds the buss cables under
The X33’s split limbs are held in mini- tension for less post-shot vibrations.
malist milled-aluminum X-Lock Pockets.
Limb butts are double bolted through and The 2021 Xpedition X33 is a serious bow,
into outboard aluminum caps. Limbs and engineered for serious 3-D shooters or
pockets are bottomed onto a milled-alu- bowhunters. I’d venture to say this bow
minum stud with a standard limb bolt is likely best suited to more experienced
threaded into a pivoting steel barrel. The archers who have refined their shooting
rear portion of the limb pocket cradles form and follow-through habits. The X33
and aligns each limb in polymer-lined is fast and flat shooting, even with the
channels. heaviest hunting arrows, though it main-
tains kinetic energy well with light shafts
Hunt Ready ■ The X33 sports a string and does so without becoming noisy.

stop holding a LimbSaver NAVCOM-rub- I’ve been trying to get to Australia for the
ber bumper held on an aluminum rod past two summers (their winter) to pursue
plugged into the rear of the riser. The the mighty water buffalo. The X33 is the
kind of bow I’d choose for that mission,
if COVID ever loosens its grip. It handles
heavy arrows well and hits like a sledge
hammer, energy that certainly isn’t wast-
ed on standard North American animals
such as deer, black bears and elk. IA

WebXtra ■ Take a closer look at

the Xpedition X33 in action! Please go to
insidearchery.com/XpeditionX33

SEPT/OCT 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 41

MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT

OPI Rhino Blind R180

BY PATRICK MEITIN able climbing into elevated perches.
Many companies have jumped onto
B owhunting my first spring turkeys 37 years
ago, I adopted portable pop-up blinds

early on. They turned something that was once ultra- the pop-up bandwagon since I began tot- can maintain complete situational aware-
ing them on spring gobbler hunts, but it ness and avoid getting caught with their
guard down.
challenging into something much, much easier. is safe to say Outdoor Products Innova-
The 58-by-58-inch (75 inches between
tions’ (OPI) Rhino Blinds have emerged as the hubs), 66-inch high R180 received for
review was shelled in Realtree Edge cam-
Despite years of pop-up blind success on some of the best available. They include ouflage, a pattern that effectively melts
into most environments. The outside
spring turkeys, it took me years to give all-steel hubs for long-term reliability and surface also holds a couple rows of brush
loops, allowing the addition of camouflag-
them a serious try while deer hunting. I smoother set-up, reinforced stress points ing vegetation from around the blind to

believed they were too conspicuous and and triple stitched/reinforced corners to help blend more effectively and cre-
ate a 3D effect that breaks up the
problematic in terms of scent manage- prevent wear and framework rods from blind’s hard edges.
The access door includes
ment. Eventually I would discover just punching through fabric under stress, plus a large quick-disconnect
buckle and two support-
how wrong those notions were, in the durable water repellent and mold/mildew- rod clips top and bottom to

past decade arrowing three of my sea- retarding antimicrobial treatments to pro- thoroughly secure the door against
backlight leakage. Silent-slide windows
son’s best-scoring white-tailed bucks tect blinds during wet periods. The are found on the two see-through pan-
els and across one of the solid-material
while operating from inside pop-ups. I Rhino name proves apt for the walls. The curtains can be manipulated
vertically with a single finger to create any
now consider them a vital hunting tool brand’s indestructible nature. shooting-port configuration wanted. The
huge solid-fabric wall window is backed by
in many bowhunting scenarios, and the Rhino Blind’s newest ad- shoot-through mesh. The solid wall hold-
ing the door also includes a smaller, mesh-
best option for those who are uncomfort- dition is the 2021-released backed viewing window and gear pocket.
OPI says the R180 holds up to three people,
Rhino R180. The 180 stands which I’d call a touch optimistic, though
its 16-pound mass certainly makes it high-
for 180-degree viewing, ly portable, especially given the included
backpack-style carry bag. The R180 is even
made possible by two panels of one- portable enough for backcountry run-and-
gun turkey hunting. Visit opioutdoors.com
way, see-through material allowing oc- to learn more about the complete lineup
of Rhino Blinds and see other proven OPI
cupants to see what’s happening outside, hunting products. IA

but preventing game from seeing inside.

One persistent complaint lodged against

nearly any ground blind is their blinding

or claustrophobic qualities, as opening too

many windows diminishes any model’s

effectiveness. With the R180’s see-through

panels, hunters can keep all but shooting-

lane windows ready for action, but they

WebXtra ■ For a closer look at the

Rhino Blind R180 from OPI, check it out

at insidearchery.com/RhinoBlind180.

42 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021



With archery season 2021 on the ho- BY PATRICK MEITIN
rizon, I find myself sorting through
my broadhead supply, making de- INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021
cisions that will shape my entire season.
I’ve never developed absolute favorites,
though I’ve learned to trust certain design
features for particular tasks. While many
bowhunters become fiercely loyal to sin-
gle brands or models, I prefer to choose
broadhead designs based on specific cri-
teria unique to the animals or conditions
anticipated during any given bowhunt.
For instance, for the opening days of Ida-
ho’s archery season, in my quest to tag a
velvet-antlered white-tailed buck, I look
for maximum cutting diameter (while
adhering to Idaho’s fixed-blade legal re-
quirements). Our whitetails are harassed
year-round by large predators, making
them as jumpy as any I’ve encountered. I
want to inflict maximum damage should
my best shot go awry. Conversely, when
attention turns to bugling elk, my fo-
cus shifts to maximum penetration and
a broadhead’s ability to remain intact
should it encounter punishing bone. Lat-
er, when I make my annual December pil-
grimage to Texas, where on any given day
I might be shooting a sturdy wild boar or
dainty whitetail, I’ll choose a hybrid head
that proves a safe compromise for both.

As an archery retailer, reginal location
largely dictates many of these choices
and what you stock most heavily. East-
ern bowhunters, concentrating mostly
on white-tailed deer—perhaps also wild
hogs, black bear or turkey—are most apt
to choose aggressive, wide-cutting heads.
Western hunters, contemplating sturdier
critters like elk, generally employ more
conservative designs that drive deeper
and/or stand up to abuse. Somewhere in
the middle is the “K.I.S.S.” crowd, hunters
who install a do-it-all head for all bow-
hunting pursuits, preferring to stick to a
single setup and tuning session. That is
the subject here, and these are the broad-
heads that should prove regionally popu-
lar across our great nation.

44

Wide Eastern Slicers SIK
BROADHEADS
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• SK2
RAGE
Punching large, blood-letting holes BROADHEADS
through critters usually requires an ag- X-TREME
gressive mechanical design, broadheads SWAT
producing 1 1/2- to 2-plus inch wound BROADHEADS
channels through vitals. The modern mar- DUAL THREAT
ketplace offers a plethora of options. SERIES MOAB

•SIK BROADHEADS The SK2 from SIK is a CRIMSON
TALON
wide-cutting, two-blade mechanical that BATTLEAXE
offers field-point accuracy and deadly ter-
minal performance. The SK2 uses patented
FliteLoc Technology to ensure the signa-
ture Offset Blade Design deploys on impact
every time. The design produces a 2-inch
Z-shaped entry wound through its 3.625
inches of total cutting surfaces. The one-
piece ferrule is 100 percent stainless steel
and includes a milled-in, three-edged cut-
ting tip to start penetration off on the right
track. Blades pivot on a steel screw running
through the ferrule. See beararchery.com
to learn more.

•RAGE BROADHEADS The super-aggres-

sive Rage X-Treme was introduced in 2012,
featuring a devastating 2.3-inch cutting
diameter, a swept-back blade angle that
sliced instead of chopped for improved
penetration and the revolutionary Shock
Collar blade retention system. Last year,
that design was refined with the intro-
duction of the Rage X-Treme NC, replacing
Shock Collars with a new No Collar (NC)
blade retention system. NC fail-safe blade
retention uses cutting-edge “finger-like”
tabs at each blades’ Slip Cam pivot point.
The system anchors blades in place while
closed and in flight, eliminating the need
for extraneous retention devices. The X-
Treme NC is built around a 1.425-inch-long,
high-strength 6061-T6 aluminum ferrule
holding twin .039-inch-thick blades that
open to 2.3 inches wide on impact to pro-
duce wide blood trails. They are available
in two new 100-grain versions, including
those with cut-on-contact or chisel-tip
leading tips. X-Treme NC two-packs retail
for $34.99. See feradyne.com to learn more.

•SWAT BROADHEADS SWAT’s Dual Threat

Series MOAB mechanical broadhead has
3.6 inches of total cutting edges, producing

SEPT/OCT 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 45

a 2-inch-wide entry wound followed by a G5 retainers accommodate arrow speeds of
1.7-inch secondary cut produced by blades OUTDOORS up to 390 fps, red crossbow retainers al-
with a steeper attack angle. The patented/ MEGAMEAT lowing speeds of 390-plus fps. G5’s BMP
patent-pending two-blade entry and four- VIP (Ballistically Matched Point) practice
blade exit wound causes massive internal VETERAN heads are available. Three packs retail for
damage, but the MOAB is accurate enough $46.95. See g5outdoors.com to learn more.
to be shot from today’s fastest crossbows RAMCAT
or compounds. The ferrule is made from BROADHEADS VETERAN INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS (VIP)
ultra-stout 7075-T6 aluminum. It’s led by CAGE RIPPER
a HEX hardened steel chisel point, and the WASP • The Veteran from VIP is a two-blade
420 stainless steel blades are .036-inches ARCHERY
thick. The 100-grain head can be made JAK-KNIFE mechanical powered by Momentum
into a 125-grain version by adding SWAT’s Management Technology. This inge-
W25/25-grain weight collar (sold sepa- nious system preloads blade-deployment
rately). The front-blade lock can be re- energy inside the head, using unloaded
moved, allowing them to free float and spring tension to deploy blades on con-
roll around bone for straight-line penetra- tact, but also allowing the 2.25-inch-
tion. SWAT is veteran owned and staffed. wide blades to pivot or compress around
See swatbroadheads.com to learn more. bone and then pop back out to full cut-
ting diameter while passing through
•CRIMSON TALON The Battleaxe by Crim- soft tissue. Dependability is ensured by
rugged material such as 7075 aluminum
son Talon is made to punch large wound
channels while also providing depend- in the ferrule, a cutting titanium tip
able penetration. The head features curved and thick stainless steel blades. See
“sickle blade” technology to conserve kinet- veteranip.com to learn more.
ic energy. The Battleaxe is led by a 7/8-inch-
wide true cut-on-contact main blade and •RAMCAT BROADHEADS The 100-grain
backed by 2-inch-wide mechanicals, for a
total of 2 7/8 inches of cutting edges. The Ramcat Cage Ripper Expandable Broad-
inboard center-of-gravity blade geometry head was proven in laboratory testing
keeps blades closed following release and to penetrate deeper than many popular
in flight, deploying only after the front ¾ mechanical broadhead designs. The head
of the broadhead has initiated penetration provides silent in-flight characteristics,
to prevent deflection on angled hits. The the blades riding on Viton oil resistant
four .032-inch-thick, stainless-steel cutting rings for smooth operation. On impact,
edges are secured in a stout 7075 alumi- the two sturdy blades are deployed by a
num ferrule to create a 125-grain broad- piston-driven system featuring a spring
head. See korekut.com to learn more. mechanism to time opening perfectly.
The head’s Posi-Lock Plunger System guar-
•G5 OUTDOORS When looking to slash antees opening and locks blades open to
maximum cutting diameter following im-
big holes in game, G5 Outdoors’ Mega- pact. The head includes 100 percent hard-
Meat is a natural choice. The MegaMeat ened stainless-steel construction to be
is based on the original Deadmeat, but ruggedly dependable, and a patented Con-
now it produces a 2-inch cutting diameter cave-Scoop Technology tip initiates pene-
with three sturdy blades. The MegaMeat tration. A three-pack retails for $34.99. See
is a 100 percent stainless steel mechani- ramcatbroadheads.com to learn more.
cal with a cutting tip milled into the solid
ferrule that aligns with each blade for •WASP ARCHERY Wasp Archery’s two-
easier opening. G5’s SnapLock retaining
collar allows each blade to click into place blade 100-grain Jak-Knife mechanical
and remain secure during flight through broadhead is a real nasty piece of work
a more reliable reversed ball-and-sock- that was based on the proven Wasp Jak-
et design. Look for them in 100- and Hammer design. The Jak-Knife features
125-grain models. Standard blue blade a 2-inch cutting diameter that is guar-
anteed to open. The Jak-Knife was made
46 for bowhunters who prefer an American-
made two-blade mechanical design with

INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021

VIPER .30-06 SIK
ARCHERY OUTDOORS BROADHEADS
SPECTRE MAIN ARTERY SIK F4

huge reliability and the very best materi- •VIPER ARCHERY Viper Archery’s Spectre carbon-steel chisel tip to blast through
als and craftmanship. The stainless-steel hide, flesh and bone. The Spectre holds
tip is pressed on to create a permanent mechanical broadhead includes Magnet- tough .047-inch-thick, razor-sharp swept-
bond, the two .036-inch-thick stainless- ic-Blade-Retention Technology that elimi- back blades, the chisel tip and blades in-
steel blades held in place during flight by nates retaining O-rings, plastic collars and cluding a gold Cerakote finish for lubric-
a foolproof O-ring retention system that rubber bands. The patent-pending technol- ity and wear resistance. They are offered
prevents premature opening but is guar- ogy holds blades closed during launch and in 2-inch-cut 100-grain and 2.25-inch-cut
anteed to open on impact. A three-pack arrow flight, but it allows them to open 125-grain versions, each three-pack (MSRP
of Jak-Knife broadheads retails for $31.99. instantly on impact. The Spectre offers $44.99) including a practice head and
See wasparchery.com to learn more. field-point accuracy, a rugged machined an extra set of hunt-ready blades. Viper
7075-aluminum ferule and a hardened-

SEPT/OCT 2021 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 47

Archery products are made in the U.S.A. DIRT NAP collar). The heavyweight payload proves
See viperarchery.com to learn more. GEAR ideal for traditional archers looking to
TITAN boost F.O.C. for straighter flight and deeper
Deep Western Drivers KUDUPOINT penetration, or those flying to dangerous-
BROADHEADS game destinations like Africa or Austra-
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• CONTOUR+ lia. The TITAN has an MSRP of $54.99 per
PLUS three pack. The Hellhound should prove
Driving deep and standing up to heavy MAGNUS popular with modern compound or cross-
bone is generally the territory of rugged ARCHERY bow shooters looking for a nail-tough,
fixed-blade or true cut-on-contact broad- BLACK deep-driving head for game such as elk
head designs, though there are exceptions HORNET or moose—or for youth, women or physi-
to every rule. Cutting diameters cannot SER cally limited bowhunters operating on the
match that of more aggressive mechani- RAZOR low end of the energy scale. The 100-grain
cals, but most mechanicals cannot match B3 four-blade broadhead includes all-steel
the nail-tough dependability of the best of ARCHERY construction. The Hellhound creates
this class. DESTRUKT blood-letting crosscuts but flies like a field
point. A three pack retails for $44.99. See
•.30-06 OUTDOORS The Main Artery dirtnapgear.com to learn more.

Broadhead from .30-06 Outdoors is a clas- •KUDUPOINT KuduPoint Broadheads
sic replaceable-blade design that includes
three rugged blades, a specially designed are some of the toughest around, offer-
chisel-point tip and an aircraft-grade alu-
minum ferrule, which combine to drive ing contour-profile, 40-degree single-bevel
deep through game and crush bone. The
Main Artery works as well with vertical stainless-steel main blades swaged per-
as horizontal bows. The 100-grain head
includes a 1-inch cutting diameter. They manently into a 416 stainless-steel ferrule.
are offered in blister packs with three
complete heads. See 30-06outdoors.com The contoured design aids in both flight
to learn more.
and penetration through decreased surface
•SIK BROADHEADS The SIK F4 is a true
area and flaring edges that ease into the full
cut-on-contact design engineered for
modern equipment requirements and 1.07-inch cutting diameter. More recently,
built from the latest materials for un-
surpassed reliability. The 100-grain four- KuduPoint introduced the Contour + Plus,
blade head includes a heavy-duty main
blade with a 1.35-inch cutting diameter adding a cross-cutting bleeder blade for
and a cross-cutting bleeder. The compact
design ensures excellent flight, and this added hemorrhaging. The 4-blade head is
100 percent stainless steel broadhead is
laser welded for precision and uncom- offered in 100-, 125- and 150-grain weights,
promising ruggedness. The edges include
27-degree angles and are whetted to a all shipped in hard-cased three packs with
fine razor’s edge to provide a grand to-
tal of 3.350 inches of cutting surface. See an integral broadhead wrench. Bleeders fit
beararchery.com to learn more.
only + Plus model ferrules, which include
•DIRT NAP GEAR Dirt Nap Gear introduced
standard #8-32 threads. The main blade is
two brand-new broadheads for 2021, in-
cluding the traditional-targeted TITAN and .050-inches thick and cut from 420 stain-
modern Hellhound. Both are made to deliv-
er stop-for-nothing results on the biggest, less steel hardened to 50Rc to hold an edge.
toughest game. The TITAN is a 100 percent
steel, cut-on-contact option that weighs The 8-grain bleeder is made from 17-4
200 grains (or 225 grains with a weight
stainless steel, is .625-inches wide and also

holds single-bevel edges. A dark finish is

added to eliminate glare and resist corro-

sion. See kudupoint.com to learn more.

•MAGNUS ARCHERY Magnus Black Hor-

net Ser Razor broadheads, like all Magnus
broadheads, are dialed in so the total tip
runout is less than .003 inches, which
ensures excellent flight out of the fastest
bows made today. Black Hornet Ser Ra-
zors not only fly great, but they penetrate
like crazy and cut big 1 1/4-inch-wide
holes. The main blade is .059 inches thick
and includes partial serration to saw

48 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021

QAD MUZZY TROPHY TAKER
EXODUS ONE A-TAC

through bone and tendons. The cross- and accurate fixed-blade broadhead de- and retails for $44.99. See b3archery.com
cutting bleeder is .040 inches thick. The signed for demanding assignments. to learn more.
mini head is only 1 5/16 inches long. Mag- The curved blades penetrate deeper and
nus heads come with a No Hassle Life- provide exceptional flight characteris- •QUALITY ARCHERY DESIGNS (QAD) QAD’s
time Replacement Guarantee, and they tics. The mini 100-grain head is milled
include an MSRP of $39.99 per three. See from 100 percent stainless steel and in- Exodus Broadhead really deserves “do-
magnusbroadheads.com to learn more.    cludes an integrated bone-smashing tip. it-all” status, but it proves so efficient it
The three razor-sharp blades produce a 1 also serves as a deep-driving large-game
•B3 ARCHERY The Destrukt, part of B3’s 3/16-inch cutting diameter. A three-pack option. They are offered in 85-, 100- and
includes a flight-matched practice point 125-grain versions (plus crossbow and
Exoskeletal Broadheads, is a tank-tough Deep 6 options)—all including 100 percent

WASP COLD STEEL MUSACCHIA
ARCHERY CHEAP SHOT BROADHEADS
HAVALON HV BONE SAW

SST stainless steel construction, 1 1/4-inch single piece of premium stainless steel to •TROPHY TAKER Trophy Taker’s A-TAC
cutting diameters, heavy-duty .040-inch- make it indestructible, and it includes a
thick blades and one of the most reliable cut-on-contact design engineered to fly just might represent the epitome of the
blade-locking systems around. The U.S.- straight and penetrate deep. The one-piece stop-for-nothing large-game broadhead.
made heads retail for $39.99 per three. design allows Muzzy to keep tolerances The design is as tough as they come, in-
The cutting Rockbuster tip, milled into ultra-tight for added accuracy, the hybrid cluding all-stainless-steel construction,
the one-piece .70-inch-long ferrule, aligns chisel/cut-on-contact tip delivering the a one-piece ferrule/leading cut-on-con-
with the three shaving-sharp blades, and trademark Muzzy Bad to the Bone per- tact tip (5/6-inch on 100-grain, ¾-inch on
Blade Over Shaft Technology provides a formance. The smartly positioned blade 125-grain versions), and .080-inch-thick
short profile that produces field-point vents ensure consistent impacts. The cross-cutting blade that is 1 1/8 inches
flight. Every head is precision milled to 100-grain design holds three .046-inch- wide. The head is compact, streamlined,
spin true. Rear blade spurs are encircled thick blades that produce 1 1/8-inch-wide extremely accurate and designed solely
by a robust steel lock collar and thread in- cuts. Muzzy ONE broadheads arrive hunt- for deep penetration and absolute depend-
side the arrow insert to ensure they will ing sharp, and they can easily be resharp- ability following the most punishing hits.
never dislodge, even after hard bone im- ened on a flat stone, representing long- The A-TAC ferrule/cut-on-contact tip is
pacts. See qadinc.com to learn more. lasting use. Both vertical and horizontal machined from stainless steel, so it will
bow models are offered, both including not break or bend. The single piece, stain-
•MUZZY BROADHEADS The Muzzy ONE an MSRP of $44.99 per three pack. See less-steel blade slides through the ferrule
feradyne.com to learn more. and locks into place to produce a four-
is a one-piece broadhead milled from a blade head. All edges arrive razor sharp

50 INSIDE ARCHERY SEPT/OCT 2021