Bowhunt America

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Relentless product innovation has been a Hoyt hallmark for years. Such innovation is driven by two factors. To begin with, there’s the act of listening to your customers in order to stay in touch with what they want and need. That’s important. But innovation requires more. The second key factor is the imagination to create new solutions for old problems. True innovation results when knowledge is combined with imagination.

The 2009 Hoyt AlphaMax is a bow that seems to do just that. It’s a remarkable new compound that embodies exactly what so many bowhunters want today—a lightweight design, much better than average speed, a smooth draw, a wonderfully quiet shot, little or no hand shock and a healthy measure of pizzazz. That’s the knowledge part. Hoyt clearly understands what bowhunters want.

But there’s more. The 2009 Hoyt AlphaMax introduces a host of new technologies and design features. This is a bow that’s been overhauled from end to end and infused with imagination. Most noticeable is the bow’s all-new TEC LITE riser. This imaginative new riser’s radical flying-bridge design and maximum machining yields a bow that is almost a full pound lighter than previous Hoyt TEC compounds. At just 3.9 pounds, the 2009 AlphaMax is perfectly primed for long treks and straight shots.

On top of that, the 2009 Hoyt AlphaMax features new limbs, new limb pockets and a brand-new cam system. The limbs are Hoyt’s new-for-2009 narrower, lighter, tougher XTS 5-Layer Laminated Parallel Split Limbs. The pockets are Hoyt’s all-new, extended, quieter and more precise ZT LOCK limb pockets. The cam system is the brand-new, optimized, smooth, fast and modular XTR Cam & ½ Performance System.

Every major component on the 2009 Hoyt AlphaMax has been reworked, re-engineered and dramatically improved. This is an all-new Hoyt bow, derived squarely from customer input and steeped in imaginative engineering and problem solving.

How It Shoots

I could hardly wait to shoot the new 2009 Hoyt AlphaMax because it held such promise. And I certainly wasn’t disappointed. If anything, I was overwhelmed with just how well this new Hoyt handled and shot.

Its draw is smooth, seemingly smoother than any bow this fast has a right to be, and a rubber-coated draw-stop peg located on the bottom cam delivers a superb solid back wall. That back wall seems to me to be particularly conducive to a comfortable and very consistent draw length, which in turn enhances accuracy.

I’ve long theorized that a quieter, more shock-free bow could be shot better by most archers. It’s easier to focus on proper aiming, release and follow-through when the bow doesn’t zap you. The 2009 Hoyt AlphaMax is decidedly zap-free. In fact, the new AlphaMax is a surprisingly quiet bow. And for such a lightweight design, it’s also remarkably free of handshock. This bow is ready right out of the box for the field or the competition line.

Arrow speed has always been something of a mixed blessing. Yes, maximum arrow speed is fun and exciting, and a flat trajectory can be an advantage when the distance is unknown. But to get the utmost in arrow speed, a bow’s draw pattern often goes stiff and harsh, brace height drops alarmingly and some degree of criticalness creeps into the equation. The brand-new Hoyt AlphaMax delivers much better than average arrow speed with a generous 7-inch brace height, a silky smooth draw and a forgiving nature. The 28-inch carbon hunting arrows that I typically use for everything from the smallest deer to the biggest moose generally weigh 380 to 400 grains, and with the new Hoyt AlphaMax set at 29 inches and 70 pounds, those deadly arrows are zipping out at very near or just over 300 feet per second. That’s wonderful speed.

All in all, the brand-new Hoyt AlphaMax seems a bow that is especially easy to shoot well. I love its light mass weight, its smooth draw and solid back wall, its quiet and vibration-free shot and its deadly speed.

A clear understanding of exactly what bowhunters want, blended with Hoyt’s imagination for cutting-edge design is all found in the 2009 Hoyt AlphaMax.

Key New Features and Benefits

New TEC LITE Riser

The brand-new riser on the 2009 Hoyt AlphaMax is the lightest, airiest Hoyt TEC riser ever. And yet it’s incredibly stiff, strong and stable. In lab tests, the new TEC LITE riser has withstood well over 1,500 dry fires. Maybe best of all, it enables the 2009 AlphaMax to tip the scales at just 3.9 pounds.

New ZT LOCK Pocket System

Working in conjunction with the airy TEC LITE riser is the AlphaMax’s equally new ZT LOCK (Zero Tolerance) Locking Pocket System. This new, extended pocket system is ultra-precise to hold the AlphaMax’s limbs in perfect shooting alignment. And like the new riser, it’s also feather light.

New XTS Split Limbs

The all-new limbs on the 2009 Hoyt AlphaMax are narrower, tougher and lighter than ever before. They feature 5-layer-laminated construction for maximum strength and durability and a split, parallel configuration to dampen shot vibration and increase arrow speed.

New XTR Modular Cam & ½ System

I think this is the best Hoyt Cam & ½ System ever. It’s a premier eccentric system that’s optimized for peak performance and a well-balanced shot. Because it’s a Hoyt Cam & ½ System, there are little or no synchronization concerns. Both the top and bottom cams are slaved together with a control cable so that the cams move in sync. This new cam system is also conveniently draw-length adjustable with interchangeable modules. That’s great news. On top of that, there are timing marks on the lower cam to guarantee proper cam orientation and a positive draw-stop peg to ensure a consistent draw length with every shot.

New Hoyt Stealth Shot

Below the grip on the AlphaMax is Hoyt’s newly re-designed Stealth Shot, a string stop that quiets the bow and promotes a cleaner release of the arrow from the bowstring.

New Hoyt Pro-Fit Custom Grip System

The 2009 AlphaMax comes standard with a medium-height laminated wood grip, but three additional Pro-Fit grips are also available: wood high-wrist, wood side plates and a new 180 Dampening Grip.

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