September 02, 2014
By Tracy Breen
Based on what's been introduced in recent months , 2014 will be another great year for archery gear junkies. Many manufacturers continue to raise the bar, and all of us stand to benefit from it.
Describing every piece of gear that might prove useful to a whitetail bowhunter is an impossible goal. There are countless variations in some categories, and in many cases the differences are subtle. But the arrows and broadheads featured below are all worth a look as you narrow down what you'll be carrying into the field this fall.
Carbon Express Maxima Red Lost Camo The tough, accurate
Maxima Red is extremely popular, and its new Mathews edition should add to that, thanks to a Lost camo logo and a red version of that company's pattern. Like the original, the Lost camo version features stiffer ends than previous arrows, for a more controlled dynamic spine for less oscillation in flight and more accuracy. Shafts are laser checked for straightness of +/- .0025.
Price: $ 84.99 per 6
Alaska Bowhunting Momentum U-FOC Nano Alaska Bowhunting is a company is known for high-end arrows built to penetrate even the largest, toughest game. The
Momentum U-FOC Nano is made with Nano carbon, which is lighter and stiffer than normal carbon and offers a flatter trajectory. The shaft is tapered, giving it plenty of front-of-center weight for great flight and penetration.
Price: $ 149.99 per 6
Beman Patriot Looking for a shaft that flies like a dart and makes a strong statement? Then check out the
Patriot . This lightweight carbon arrow comes with a straightness tolerance of +/- .003, has bright-red H nocks and is built to penetrate. The U.S.-made shaft has red, white and blue graphics.
Price: $ 54.99
PSE Carbon Force EXT Hunter When most bowhunters think of
PSE , the first thing that comes to mind is bows. But the company also makes a variety of high-end accessories, including arrows. This year's new arrow is the
Carbon Force EXT Hunter , a small-diameter, thick-walled shaft that's as tough as nails. The EXT shaft has a straightness tolerance of +/- .001. They're spine-matched for consistency and have a spine alignment mark for easy vane and broadhead alignment.
Price: $ 199.99 per 12
Easton Bowfire Bowhunters wanting an arrow that performs and looks great, whether in the woods or on the tournament line, should check out the
BowFire . White Hot graphics make it extremely easy to see in flight. The shaft has a micro-smooth finish and a straightness of +/- .003. It comes with a pre-installed S-nock.
Price: $ 69.99
Gold Tip Pro Hunter One of the top arrows out there is the
Gold Tip Pro Hunter . Known to be extra tough and accurate, it has a straightness of +/- .001. Smart Carbon technology ensures the arrow retains its straightness for an extremely long time. Gold Tip also offers a less expensive XT Hunter shaft offering great performance at the right price.
Price: $ 159.99-
$ 189.99
Victory VAP The
Victory Amour Piercing (VAP) arrow has quickly become well known to bowhunters. This small-diameter, lightweight shaft comes with Penetrator II broadhead adapters for increased penetration and power. The shaft also is coated in Victory's exclusive ICE coating, which makes pulling arrows from a target effortless.
Price: $ 165 per 12
G5 Havoc Years ago
G5 broke onto the archery scene with the Montec, and the company has been bringing innovative heads to market almost every year since. For 2014 there's a new one called the
Havoc . It's a 2-blade mechanical that comes with a Dual Trap retention system to ensure the blades stay locked and loaded until impact. This 100-grain head has extra-sharp German Lutz blades and a 2 ' cutting diameter.
Price: $ 49.99 per 3
Grim Reaper Hybrid Grim Reaper's slogan is 'Watch 'Em Drop, ' and that's likely what will happen when an archer hits a deer with the new
Hybrid . Engineers blended Grim Reaper's mechanical design with their Hades fixed-blade head. The 100-grain 2-blade part has a 1.375 ' cutting diameter; on impact, two rear blades also deploy with a 1.5 ' cut. The fixed blades' back edges are sharpened to cause still more internal damage.
Price: $ 39.99
Innerloc Shape Shifter The
Shape Shifter is unlike any other head out there. This 3-blade mechanical has an Exo-Cover that makes the head extremely aerodynamic. Upon impact, the cover breaks away and the .040 ' stainless steel blades deploy. Cutting diameter is 1.25 '.
Price: $ 34.99
Muzzy Phantom SC The
Phantom SC 4-Blade is a
compact powerhouse built to fly well out of today's speed bows. This solid-steel head is razor-sharp .050 ' blades from stem to stern. The Phantom has a 1.125 ' cutting diameter.
Price: $ 39.99 per 3
NAP Killzone Maxx The 100-grain, 2-blade
Killzone is a rear-deploying head with a 2.375 ' cutting diameter for the hunter who likes easy trailing. There are no O-rings — rather, the design uses a patented Spring Clip system to keep the razor-sharp .035 ' blades securely in their proper position.
Price: $ 44.99
Quality Archery Design Exodus Quality Archery Design is best known for its drop-away arrow rests, but it also has a unique head called the
Exodus . The blades sweep back over the arrow shaft, creating a compact head that offers great flight characteristics. The Exodus is available in a standard version, an Xbow version and a Deep Six arrow version. Each of these features three .040 ' blades and a hardened stainless steel tip. The Exodus has a 1.25 ' cutting diameter and is available in 85-, 100- and 125-grain models.
Price: $ 39.99
Rage 3-Blade Kore Each year,
Rage pushes the engineering envelope — and 2014 is no exception, with a head unlike any other. The
3-Blade Kore reportedly creates devastating wound channels resulting in short blood trails. This 100-grain head is made of stainless steel and has CNC-machined cavities. The .035 ' blades provide a cut 1.6 ' across. In total there are six cutting surfaces.
Price: $ 44.99
Ramcat What differentiates this head from others is a unique chisel tip that scoops away at bone and flesh for great penetration. An Easton Deep Six version is now available. The 100-grain
Ramcat has a 1.375 ' cut; the 125-grain model bumps that up to 1.5 '. The design's .032 ' offset blades help it fly true even out of today's super-fast bows.
Price: $ 38.99 per 3
Slick Trick Magnum Relying on Lutz blades said to be as sharp as a scalpel, Slick Trick has built a solid following. In 2014 bowhunters can purchase the
Magnum fixed-blade head in a version to accommodate Easton Deep Six arrows. The 4-blade Magnum is known for devastating entrance and exit wounds. The head has a 1.125 ' cutting diameter and .035 ' blades. There are 100- and 125-grain versions.
Price: $ 30 per 3
Trophy Ridge Ultimate Steel Bowhunters looking for a super-compact head that's as tough as nails should check out the 100-grain
Ultimate Steel . This powerhouse has a 1 ' cutting diameter, is equipped with Bacon Skinner blades and has a titanium nitride coating. Made for anything from bears to bulls, it's great out of high-speed bows and crossbows.
Price: $ 29.99
Vantage Point 3-Blade Because Vantage Point's heads are extra-tough fixed-blades built for really big game, they'll definitely do the job on deer. One popular model is the
3-Blade . It has Teflon coating that makes it extra-strong and long-lasting; you can easily resharpen the blades and use again. Cutting diameter is 1.125 ', and blade thickness is .040 '. The product line includes heads from 85-300 grains.
Price: $ 39.95 per 3
Wasp Drone The new
Drone 3-blade head from Wasp will be stinging plenty of whitetails come fall. It's built like a tank. The 100-grain Drone has a solid-steel ferrule and a stainless steel tip built to blow through bone. The blades are .027 ' thick, and they create a 1.125 ' cut.
Price: $ 29.99 per 3
