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It’s almost hard to grasp the fact that BowTech is only ten years old, primarily because they’ve risen up through the bow ranks so rapidly and have had such a lasting impact on the overall archery scene. In just a decade, BowTech has clearly carved out a top-level niche with aggressive marketing and superlative bows packed with genuine innovation.

For 2010, BowTech fronts that theme once again with the startling introduction of the 2010 Destroyer 340 and Destroyer 350. These are the the most advanced bows that BowTech has ever offered. Some are already saying that they may be the most advanced bows that anyone has ever offered.

There are two sides to any bow––the performance side and the aesthetics side. From the standpoint of performance, today’s archers typically judge a bow based on how it draws, how quietly it shoots, how much shot vibration it exhibits and the arrow speed it delivers. Many also look at the mass weight of the bow. On the aesthetics side, archers are deeply concerned with the overall appearance of a bow. The best bows look hot, which is to say they look high-tech and exciting. They also look reasonably light and trim, and every piece and part seems to flow with the overall system. BowTech has been one of the very best at blending high bow performance with awe-inspiring bow aesthetics…and that is certainly the case with the new Destroyer 340 and 350 bows.

My test Destroyer 340 proved a simply stunning bow. The riser on any bow kicks off that bow’s aesthetics. The Destroyer’s riser is all new, all high-tech and projects a flowing grid system that seems exciting, lightweight and strong all at the same time. That flowing design transfers easily into the bow’s artful limb pockets, carbon-core laminated limbs, OverDrive Binary Cam System, new grip and innovative flex cable guard. However, those aesthetics are simply the start of the Destroyer’s mystique. What closes the deal is the bow’s outstanding performance. This bow is amazingly fast, and yet it shoots so quietly and with so little shot vibration as to be simply astonishing.

The 2010 BowTech Destroyer 340 seems one of the best-looking, best-performing bows the archery industry has ever developed.

How It Shoots

The new OverDrive Binary System on the 2010 Destroyer bows is a large, synchronized dual-cam arrangement. To deliver the sort of arrow speed that the Destroyers produce, the draw-force curve on this new cam is surprisingly smooth when directly compared to other bows in this same speed arena. Draw weight builds quickly, but smoothly, and is maintained well into the draw cycle. The system is also equipped with an adjustable draw-stop peg for a reassuring, rigid back wall.

At the shot, three things surprised me with the new BowTech Destroyer 340. The first was how quietly this bow shot. Even with very light arrows, the Destroyer proved super quiet. Next was the bow’s almost complete lack of handshock. “Dead in the hand” is the term and the ultimate bow-design goal most often cited. The Destroyer 340 is DOA when it comes to shot vibration. Compared to most other bows, there just isn’t any handshock with the Destroyer 340. It’s so noticeable that it’s initially almost startling. The Destroyer just sits there, unmoving upon release. No jump. No aftershock. Just dead still. What a great feel.

The third thing that surprised me was the bow’s speed. The Destroyer 340, with its forgiving 7-inch brace height, is unexpectedly fast. See the included Arrow Speed Chart. Its brother bow, the Destroyer 350 with a performance-boosting 6-inch brace height, is even faster. Wow.

Both 2010 Destroyer models also feature a brand new grip, new limbs and an ingenious new cable guard. The new grip is made of a synthetic, is thin-throated and seems perfectly shaped to enhance accuracy. It has a slightly flat back for comfortable and consistent bowhand positioning and feels great before and after the shot. The Destroyer’s new HardCore Limbs feature unique carbon-core construction blended with a metal-reinforced tip to reportedly store more energy, reduce limb stress and boost limb durability. Also very interesting is the bow’s new FLX-Guard cable containment system. That system actually flexes inward slightly as the bow is drawn to help eliminate cable-guard torque.

An exciting new look, loads of high-tech innovation, an even draw, a quiet shot, near-zero handshock and loads of arrow speed all characterize the BowTech Destroyer 340. Initial indications are that this will be one of 2010’s very best new bows.

Key Features and Benefits

Exciting New Destroyer Riser

This riser is all new and beautifully designed. Its flowing grid system offers an exciting high-tech look while delivering a super strong and reasonably lightweight shooting platform.
A bolt-on safety shelf helps protect your bowhand, and the bulk of the riser is covered in BowTech’s superb InVelvet soft-coat finish.

New OverDrive Binary Cam System

This is the next evolutionary step in BowTech’s remarkable, synchronized Binary Cam System. The original Binary System achieved synchronization by using a cable let-out groove mounted on each cam. The new OverDrive Binary System replaces the let-out grooves with a pair of eccentric posts mounted on both ends of the cam axle. This unique axle arrangement rotates as the cam rotates, letting out cable as the bow is drawn to provide the same proven cam synchronization. It also allows for the attachment of a tunable, split buss-cable system to either end of the cam axles for added limb-tip and cam stability and balance. With this new system, cam lean and oscillation after the shot are dramatically reduced. Draw length is adjusted with a simple two-screw module change on each cam.

New HardCore Limbs

This is a unique, laminated limb system. At its center is a stiff, lightweight carbon core. Surrounding that core are heavier laminations of high-strength fiberglass and a metal reinforcing strip strategically positioned just under the surface of the limb tip. That advanced configuration is designed to store more energy and enhance limb stability and durability while improving limb responsiveness, thereby reducing shot vibration and noise.

New FLX-Guard Cable Containment System

Stiff, inflexible cable guards can impart unwanted cable tension and torque into any bow, causing tuning and shooting problems. The bold new BowTech FLX-Guard eliminates those potential problems. As the Destroyer 340 is drawn, the FLX-Guard flexes slightly inward, absorbing much of the guard torque that would otherwise transfer to the riser. The design goal is a substantial reduction in side-to-side nock travel, yielding easier bow tune-ability and more shooting forgiveness.

Carbon Rod String Stop

The Destroyer’s string stop is constructed of high modulus carbon to be especially lightweight and capable of effective vibration dampening. It’s also carefully positioned directly in line with the stabilizer. This positioning optimizes bow balance and transfers shot vibration directly to the stabilizer.