Petersen's Bowhunting is the source for the tactics, tools, and techniques necessary for successful bowhunting. Get practical shooting tips and useful information on archery, equipment tests, clothing, and product evaluations.
No matter how long you’ve been bowhunting, I bet you remember your first bow. Mine was a used PSE Mach 8 bought from Archery @ the Glenn in Allentown, Pa. That rig was my most prized possession, and I loved it with the kind of irrational affection men typically reserve for such trivial things as boats and pickup trucks. Back in the late 90s, the Mach 8 was among the finest hunting bows ever built. I actually dug a March 1997 issue of BOWHUNTING from the company archives to refresh my memory on some of the particulars, including 80 percent letoff (quite notable for the time), a 40-inch axle-to-axle length (highly maneuverable!) and an advertised “speed” rating (if you can call it that) of 230 fps. Clearly, this was before…
For the last 25 years, my life has been spent at archery tournaments and in hunting camps all over the world. There is no doubt in my mind that the most misused piece of archery equipment is the release aid. Most people have been taught to put their pin on the target and hit the trigger. While that may work well enough to hit a pie plate at 20 yards, it is far from the correct way to execute your shot. The goal should be a surprise release, meaning you don’t know when that release is going to fire. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to get on the right track. In the early part of any archer’s shooting career, punching the trigger normally isn’t caused by…
The Best They’ve Built HOYT At the heart of the REDWRX Carbon RX-1 is Hoyt’s hollow carbon tube riser, built with more than 50 carbon layers for a lightweight design and the durability to survive 1,500 dry fires and 1 million shot cycles. The new Zero Torque Hyper Cam is fast, smooth and Hoyt’s highest letoff cam ever at 85 percent. It uses a Split-Cable System to create a balanced side-to-side load for dead-center accuracy while eliminating the need for a flexing cable guard. New ¾-inch QuadFlex Limbs increase torsional stability to eliminate limb twist, while the new Bi-Ax Pocket System ensures precision at the critical limb/riser interface. Hoyt innovated a wider pocket and limb stance on the bottom of the bow to lower the center of gravity, allowing for…
Long-Range Accuracy MISSION CROSSBOWS Mission has completely revamped its crossbow division for 2018 with an all-new Mission Crossbows brand separate from the company’s compound bows and a remarkable new flagship model in the SUB-1 — so named for its ability to shoot sub-1-inch groups at 100 yards. One key to the SUB-1’s outstanding accuracy is the patented, high-letoff Synch X cam system that eliminates horizontal nock travel and creates controlled acceleration for smoother, more consistent shooting. The SUB-1’s accuracy is also enhanced by a patented, CNC-machined, aluminum rail that eliminates vertical nock travel and the crisp, 3.4-pound, match-grade Benchmark Fire Control Trigger. Fit and feel on the SUB-1 are first-rate thanks to the rifle-inspired stock that allows for six length-of-pull adjustments and 1 ¼ inches of adjustment in the comb…
The Next Level of Lethal RAGE BROADHEADS Rage has long been known for producing some of the world’s most deadly broadheads, and for 2018, the company is taking lethality to the next level with the all-new X-Treme Four Blade. This hybrid fixed/mechanical design features a surgically sharp fixed blade at the front end and two wicked, rear-deploying mechanical blades at the rear. The result is a devastating, criss-cross cutting pattern that measures 7/8-inch wide via the front blade and a massive 2 3/8 inches via the rear blades that also feature a swept-back angle to help maintain kinetic energy for maximum penetration. All blades are made from tough, .035-inch stainless steel, and the mechanical blades are held securely in flight by Rage’s exclusive Shock Collar that also ensures optimal deployment…
New Rendition Range Rover TRUGLO Outdoor TV greats Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo put their stamp of approval on TRUGLO’s RANGE•ROVER PRO Duo, which utilizes LED pins that adjust to the shooter’s desired brightness, making it accurate in full daylight or complete darkness. The Duo’s second dot features a red LED inside the lens for a long-range aiming point. This 2018 model features digital pushbutton controls for faster and easier brightness adjustment as well as an automatic-off feature that powers the LED down after four hours of inactivity. When powered on, the new brightness-control system intuitively remembers the last-used setting. Other features include the geared ZERO-IN adjustment dial for smooth elevation/range adjustment, micro-adjustable windage control and 80-plus multi-colored sight tapes for precise calibration with any bow. The sight housing accepts a…
