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More than just a few archers, dealers and sales reps from all across the archery industry told me that they felt that last year’s most outstanding new bow was the Hoyt AlphaMax. Hoyt’s long offered good bows, but the 2009 AlphaMax was simply outstanding. It was lighter, smoother, quieter, more vibration-free and just plain cool.

Imagine for just one minute that you’re a Hoyt engineer. How in the world do you top the much-acclaimed 2009 Hoyt AlphaMax?

Well, how about reworking the riser so that it’s even trimmer, completely redesigning the limbs so that they’re now past-parallel to further squelch shot vibration and noise, adding an innovative new enclosed roller cable-guard system to reduce friction, incorporating Hoyt’s most popular grip and then tagging the end result with a brand new name that emphasizes the fact that you’ve maximized your efforts to make this new bow look, feel and shoot even better?

Apparently, deep within the bowels of Hoyt, that’s exactly what happened. No one rested on their laurels. No one sat back and said let’s simply ride the AlphaMax for another year. Instead, the mantra became let’s leap ahead…again.

That leap is the all-new-for-2010 Hoyt Maxxis. It’s last year’s best bow made even better, if you can imagine that.

Right out of the box, the new Maxxis appears sleeker and almost seems lighter than the AlphaMax. And with but a few arrows it proved itself faster, quieter and even more composed than its lauded predecessor. The 2009 Hoyt AlphaMax was cool. The 2010 Hoyt Maxxis, with all its improvements, is ultra-cool.

How It Shoots

Following so close on the heels of the much-praised AlphaMax, the 2010 Maxxis has a lot to live up to. That bothered me a bit as I initially set the bow up for testing. I need not have worried.

To begin with, the 2010 Maxxis draws with an uncommon smoothness for a bow this fast. That’s most welcome anytime. At full draw, a rubber-coated draw-stop peg, which is located on the lower cam, pivots around to squarely contact the bow’s inside cable to deliver a rock-solid back wall. Such a definitive stop at full draw, I feel, contributes in multiple ways to enhanced accuracy. First, it ensures consistent draw length with each shot, something that’s not always easy to do in the field with shots from treestands or up and down hills. Second, it provides a supportive feel that helps me establish a precisely repeatable anchor point with every arrow. And third, that reassuring draw-stop helps calm my mind, allowing it to concentrate on aiming, shot timing and follow-through. The net result is that I generally shoot a bow with a draw-stop better than a bow lacking such a seemingly minor device. The draw-stop peg on the Maxxis works very well.

The whole idea behind the redesign of the limbs on the Maxxis was to create a limb configuration that was past-parallel. What that does is further decrease shot vibration in the bow. Here’s how that works. With a more conventional bow sporting more upright limbs, the limbs rebound forward at the shot, which combines their forward movement to pulse and vibrate the bow. With the past-parallel limb configuration of the Maxxis, the top limb rebounds upward and the bottom limb rebounds downward at the shot, thereby effectively canceling each other out and significantly reducing shot vibration and noise. My 2010 test Hoyt Maxxis shot with barely a whisper and with very little shot vibration.

Arrow speed is a plus everywhere, and the new Hoyt Maxxis is indeed a fast bow. See the Arrow Speed chart for an idea of just how fast it may be with your particular arrows (you will need to adjust your estimates for your draw length). Yes, there are faster bows out there. But to get more speed you’ll generally have to put up with a much harsher draw, a lower brace height and quite possibly a more critical nature. The 2010 Hoyt Maxxis delivers much better than average arrow speed with a generous 7-inch brace height, a smooth draw and a forgiving nature.

A gentle draw, a reassuringly solid wall, a quiet and composed shot and excellent arrow speed are the hallmarks of the 2010 Hoyt Maxxis.

Key Features and Benefits

New, Sleeker TEC LITE Riser

Last year’s TEC LITE riser was sleek. This year’s Maxxis TEC LITE riser is even sleeker. It’s wonderfully lightweight and airy, and yet stiff and strong as can be, delivering plenty of high-tech pizzazz and an ultra-stable shooting platform.

New XTS ARC Limb System

This is an all-new limb system that is state of the art. It’s specifically engineered to be past-parallel to deliver an exceptionally quiet and shock-free shot. It’s five-layer laminated to provide unprecedented strength and reliability. It’s split to reduce weight and enhance torsional stability. It’s light, fast, quiet and tough as nails. It is among today’s most advanced limb systems.

New In-Line Roller Cable Guard

System friction plagues most compound bows, reducing bow efficiency. The all-new, patent-pending In-Line Roller Cable Guard on the 2010 Maxxis reduces system friction for boosted efficiency, better arrow speed and whisper-quiet performance. It’s also smaller, lighter and less obtrusive on the bow. I like it.

XTR Modular Cam & ½ System

I wrote last year that this was Hoyt’s best Cam & ½ System ever. It’s smooth-drawing, fast and quiet. 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 thatthe cams move in sync. It’s also conveniently draw-length adjustable with interchangeable modules.

Hoyt Stealth Shot

Located just below the grip is Hoyt’s Stealth Shot, a bumpered string stop that effectively quiets each shot and also encourages a cleaner release of the arrow from the bowstring.

Hoyt 180 Grip

Small grips tend to promote enhanced accuracy. The popular Hoyt 180 Grip is just that. It’s small, accurate and very comfortable. I’ll let you in on a secret. I quietly stripped the wood grip off of my AlphaMax last year and replaced it with a 180 Grip because the 180 Grip shot so much better for me. This is a great grip.

Length and Dangerous Game Options

The 2010 Hoyt Maxxis is available in either a 31- or a 35-inch model to best fit your shooting style and draw length. Both are also available in a new Hoyt Dangerous Game configuration with draw weights of 80 and 90 pounds. Cape buffalo, anyone?