When choosing a great bow for whitetail hunting, you need a few basic qualities, and the rest is up to your individual sense of taste and feel. A quiet bow will buy you a few bucks over the lifetime of the bow, permitting second shots in some cases and reducing string jumping for better shot placement.

It should have a comfortable draw, but especially an ample let-off valley. High let-off is also an advantage so that you can draw early and hold long while a buck approaches. The ample valley lets you get into awkward positions without fear that the string will suddenly pull your arm forward prematurely.

The ideal whitetail bow should also produce good penetration energy (IBO speed is an indirect measurement of energy) so that you can make a clean kill with an exit hole when shooting downward from a tree stand. Granted, this is as much a broadhead and arrow issue as it is a bow issue, but the available penetration energy always starts with the bow's stored energy.

There are several great new hunting bows on the market for 2005. Quality and hands-free maintainability have never been better. Each year, bow designs evolve, and like a broken record, I continue to say that this is the best year ever to upgrade to a new whitetail bow. Here are the features and the bows that you should consider when selecting a new widow maker.

HOYT
Hoyt's Tec compound bows feature the new AlphaShox limb-vibration dampening system, a joint effort between Hoyt and Sims Vibration Laboratory. I have shot the new VTec, and it is a very quiet-shooting bow -- one of the quietest.

There is also a new grip this year. This comfortable wood grip fits the hand well. Hoyt compounds still benefit from the tremendously popular Cam and 1/2 Performance System, the hybrid cam that Hoyt introduced in 2003.

Hoyt RinTec

The VTec uses the same longer riser as the UltraTec but carries shorter XT 1000 USD split limbs for a slightly reduced length of 35 1/2 inches and a brace height of 7 inches. The bow has great balance and, as stated, is very quiet. It is one of the sweetest-shooting bows on the market. Triax pockets ensure that the limbs will always remain square to the path of the string. IBO speed for this 4-pound bow is 305 fps. The approximate retail price is $799.

The new RinTec is the best youth bow that Hoyt has ever made. It is little different from an adult Hoyt bow. It has a machined Tec riser, split limbs, AlphaShox limb silencers, short-drawing Versa Cam & 1/2, and a comfortable narrow grip, all in a short draw length, low draw weight package. The Versa Cam And 1/2 permits an unbelievable 8 inches of draw length adjustability from 18 to 26 inches so the bow can grow with the child, and you can adjust it to fit other siblings.

The RinTec achieves excellent performance (270 fps at 50 pounds of draw weight, a 250-grain arrow), in part due to its 6 3/8-inch brace height. The RinTec is 33 1/4 inches long and weighs 2 3/4 pounds. The approximate retail price is $329.

The SaberTec is Hoyt's version of the short forgiving bow. It features all the Tec goodies and is 33 1/2 inches long with a brace height of 8 inches. It features ZR 100 composite fiber-glass split limbs. This new bow is reasonably fast for its high brace height, with an IBO speed rating of 300 fps. The approximate retail price is $639.

The TurboTec is the fastest bow in the 2005 Hoyt line. The IBO speed for the TurboTec is 330 fps. It has a 6-inch brace height and the aggressive Spiral Cam & 1/2. The bow is 35 1/2 inches long and uses the laminated XT 2000 limbs. This bow is only for accomplished archers who want raw speed. The approximate retail price is $859.

With its machined aluminum Tec riser, the Gamemaster is a modern-looking "traditional" bow. Hoyt de-signed the recurve so that you can use a conventional rest and sight or you can shoot the arrow right off the full-radius arrow shelf. You can take the limbs off using a standard hex wrench. The Gamemaster is solid, quiet and smooth without stack even out past 30 inches of draw. This is a worthy bow for anyone who loves the stick and string. The approximate retail price is $459. Contact: (801) 363-2990; www.hoyt.com.

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