Bowhunt America

Article Topics

A good number of bow companies are seemingly content to make but minor changes to their bows from year to year. In direct contrast, BowTech appears to march to a much faster drummer. They seem driven to leap their bows ahead whenever possible.

In 2007, BowTech stunned the archery world with the introduction of the Center Pivot riser on their Guardian and Commander bow models. That brand new and innovative riser concept––which was specifically designed to make a bow more forgiving and quieter with much less hand shock––proved a huge hit. In 2008, BowTech debuted the compact General bow model, another Center Pivot wonder. Legions of archers called the Center Pivot General the quietest, most vibration-free bow they had ever shot.

For 2009, BowTech has taken all of that startling technology and leaped it ahead once more. Is anyone surprised?

I recently had the great fortune to handle, shoot and thoroughly test the 2009 BowTech Admiral. This is a bow that takes the BowTech Center Pivot riser concept to all new heights. Actually, it’s a bow that’s new and fresh almost from end to end. Its next-generation Center Pivot riser is light years ahead of the original Center Pivot risers. Its re-engineered Center Track Binary Cam system is more stable and more user-adjustable than ever before. Its new roller cable guard is pleasingly trim and effective. And its brand-new carbon-rod string suppressor is out of the way and works like a charm.

In spite of the highly desirable shooting characteristics, there were those who didn’t especially like the angular, radical looks of BowTech’s original Center Pivot Risers. Nor did they like the mass weight. Well, hold onto your hat. The new 2009 Admiral changes everything. While the original Center Pivot risers were simply machined aluminum and made up of a center piece and two add-on struts, the new risers are a single, flowing unit of forged-and-then-machined aluminum alloy. That makes them stronger, stiffer and lighter in weight. It also makes them airier and infinitely more pleasing to the eye. If I were making a visual comparison of the two generations of risers, I would have to say that it would be like going from an introductory Model T to a Lamborghini sports car in one fell swoop. The new BowTech Admiral looks that good.

How It Shoots

BowTech has done a lot that’s right with the shootability of its bows in the last few years, including an improved
accuracy-oriented grip, shelf area and lowered rest-mount holes. Those things are evident on the new Admiral and
contribute to its overall shootability.

Throughout a battery of tests, I found the 2009 Admiral to be one of the most pleasing bows I’ve ever shot. Instantly noticeable is an almost complete lack of shot vibration. When an arrow is released, this bow just doesn’t move. I suspect that’s largely the result of its Center Pivot riser. It’s also a wonderfully quiet bow, even with fast arrows. Again, there’s the presence of that innovative riser and how it captures and dampens the limbs, but there’s also a new carbon-rod string suppressor. That suppressor, which is located below the grip and out of the way, is designed to instantly squelch residual bowstring noise and vibration.

The bow’s new Center Track Binary Cams are packed with power. That’s apparent in the way the Admiral draws—smooth and even but with a quick build-up of weight that is maintained through most of the draw cycle. Both letoff and draw length are adjustable (without need of a bow press) by utilizing a combination of the cam system’s single rotating module and adjustable draw stop. The draw stop is located on the upper cam. It features an oblong-shaped rubber bumper that pivots around when the bow is drawn to firmly contact the inside cable. I absolutely loved the solid and positive back wall that uniquely shaped stop created. It seemed much more positive than a simple round peg. And the fact that it’s conveniently adjustable means that I was able to custom tune it so that the bow’s draw length felt just right for me. The ability to fit a bow that well to any archer is a big plus toward shooting comfort and repeatability.

On top of all that, the 2009 BowTech Admiral delivers excellent arrow speed. It’s a good bit faster than the 2008 General and on par with the 2008 Guardian.

Key Features and Benefits

Next-Generation Center Pivot Riser

The Admiral’s Center Pivot riser is all new. It’s forged to a rough shape and then precisely machined to its final shape. The result is an unusually sleek and yet strong riser. There are other benefits. BowTech’s Center Pivot riser technology seems to almost magically dampen shot noise and vibration. That’s very apparent with the quiet, no-shock Admiral. A conventional riser secures the bow’s limbs at the butt end with a limb bolt and at the other end with an axle and the cables that link the bow’s eccentric system. That works but imagine an even more advanced riser system that also grabs the bow limbs in the center to further stabilize limb flex and dampen limb vibration. There’s also the matter of the BowTech Center Pivot riser being essentially a deflex riser. That means that the pressure point of the grip is set forward of a line drawn between where the limb pockets (in this case the center strut of the riser) first contact the limbs, and that helps alleviate horizontal bow torque at full draw and markedly improves forgiveness and accuracy. All in all, this is an exceptional riser.

New Center Track Binary Cam

Like the riser, the cam system on the 2009 Admiral is a next-generation system. It’s a binary system that mitigates cam-timing issues and so makes bow tuning a snap. This system is also unique in that it’s a center-track system. Each cable attaches to opposite sides of the cam, while the bowstring tracks down the middle. That distinctive configuration perfectly balances the cam. Brand-new on the Admiral’s cam system is a single rotating draw-length module. I really like such rotating modules as they allow draw length to be adjusted without the need for additional modules. The module on the Admiral allows for a full 7 inches of adjustability in half-inch increments. In addition, an adjustable draw stop on the upper cam further allows draw length to be fine-tuned and an ultra-solid back-wall feel to be developed.

Cable Roller Guard

Cable guards are going through an evolutionary process within the archery industry with tensioned roller guards leading the way. The brand-new roller guard on the new BowTech Admiral is among the sleekest, most unobtrusive cable guards available anywhere today. It’s small, silent and effective.

Carbon-Rod String Suppressor

The new carbon-rod string suppressor on the Admiral is located below the grip and directly opposite the stabilizer. As the bowstring races forward, it’s grabbed and dampened by the string stop, and excess vibration is transferred directly through the riser to the stabilizer where it is dissipated.

Enjoy this article? Share it!