MATHEWS ARCHERY
This year Mathews offers just one new hunting bow, and it is the first from Mathews to take advantage of all the innovation the company has produced in the last 10 years.

Mathews Switchback

Switchback: Mathews representatives told me that the company's owner and single-cam mastermind, Matt McPherson, calls the Switch-back his best bow to date. Here's why. The bow has a 7-inch brace height that combines speed and punch with forgiveness. It also has parallel limbs to cancel the shock and recoil that come from accelerating and decelerating the limbs. Mathews pioneered that concept six years ago. The bow's new Straightline Cobra Cam is super smooth and produces level nock travel. The cam and idler are the same size, so you can set tiller measurements identically. Though perimeter weighted, the cam weighs nearly the same as the idler wheel, so both limb tips create approximately the same amount of momentum, for a balanced feel.

String vibration suppressors eliminate string noise, and the Roller cable guard is silent and efficient. While the Switchback doesn't debut any brand new concepts, it is highly praised because it has everything. It is fast, stable, portable and loaded with every useful Mathews feature. I shot it recently and feel that it is at least as good as the very popular Outback from 2004. The new cam, with a bit longer valley, is certainly welcome. The Switchback is one of the fastest bows on the market, with an IBO speed of 318 fps and an axle-to-axle length of just 33 inches. The suggested retail price is $769. Contact: (608) 269-2728; www.mathews-inc.com.

ARCHERY RESEARCH
Archery Research (AR) keeps things simple with only three basic bow styles. They are the AR-31, AR-34 and AR-37. For 2005, AR offers a new cam for each of the three bows. I tested it recently and like it.

AR Ram Plus bows: The original Ram Cam had a short let-off valley that was a bit hard to hold at times when faced with awkward shots. It was great on the range, where you can use your perfect form, but in a tree I worried about my ability to maintain those same positions for long seconds (even minutes) without breaking down. AR replaced their original Ram Cam (which they no longer offer) with the Ram Plus. It is smoother overall and has more generous valley at full draw.

AR Ram Plus

Specifications for the Ram Plus bows are as follows. The AR-31 is 31 inches long and has an 8 3/8-inch brace height and an IBO speed rating of 292-300 fps. The AR-34 is 34 inches long and has a brace height of 7 3/4 inches and an IBO rating of 297-305 fps. The AR-37 is 37 inches long and has a brace height of 6 3/4 inches and an IBO speed rating of 303-311 fps. Suggested retail prices on the AR Ram Plus line range from $649.99 to $699.99. Contact: (520) 884-9065; www.archery-research.com.

PARKER COMPOUND BOWS
Parker didn't introduce any new adult bows for 2005, but they did come out with a great new addition to their broad Phoenix family -- a youth model. Now they can truly say that there is a Phoenix for everyone.

Micro-Phoenix

Micro Phoenix: The Micro Phoenix is 31 inches long, weighs just 2.9 pounds and has a 7 1/2-inch brace height. It features the company's new Mini-Phoenix cam, which they de-signed to produce fast arrow speeds with a short draw and low poundage. Like adult Phoenix bows, the Micro Phoenix's riser permits perfect alignment between the pressure point of the grip, the center of the limbs, the bow's center shot and the sight pins. Everything is in line, the best indication of zero-torque shooting. It is a great bow for small-framed arch-ers and youth archers. The bow has a comfortably small grip and unique appearance resulting from both the cam and idler being film-dipped in bow-matching Mossy Oak camouflage. The suggested retail price is $409.95. Contact: (540) 337-5426; www.parkerbows.com.

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