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It’s easy to get carried away by all the groundbreaking technology and hype surrounding the 2011 Hoyt Carbon Element. But beyond all that excitement sits an inescapable question. Is this special bow worth its hefty purchase price?

In 2010 Hoyt shook the bow world right down to its toenails with the introduction of the Hoyt Carbon Matrix, a radical new bow with a revolutionary carbon-tube riser. No one had ever seen anything like it. Inevitably, first reactions were mixed. Some were shocked, although it was difficult to tell if they were more aghast at the bow’s dramatically different riser or at the bow’s $1600 price tag. At the same time what also quickly became apparent was that for every skeptic, there seemed to be 50 or so bowhunters standing in line eager to shoot the new Carbon Matrix. And after just a few shots, a surprising number plunked down their hard-earned cash for this fresh new bow. Price be damned. Genuinely new technology and a sweet shot quickly won bowhunters over.

To be honest, even Hoyt was a bit surprised by how smartly the Carbon Matrix orders rolled in, how quickly the bows disappeared from dealer shelves and how loudly consumers praised their new bows and the brand new technology that they represented.

Encouraged by that 2010 response and fueled by a companywide passion for cutting-edge technology and continuous improvement, Hoyt leaped forward, ratcheting up the technology to develop two new carbon-tube bows for 2011—the enhanced 2011 Hoyt Carbon Matrix Plus and the subject of this bow report, the 2011 Hoyt Carbon Element.

Ahead of the Class

For several decades, machined-aluminum risers have rested atop the bow-design pyramid. Such metal risers are stiff, strong, precise and pleasingly attractive. In other words, they make great bows. But Hoyt, for one, speculated that there had to be an even better way. With efforts spread out over several years and by utilizing ingenious hollow-carbon-tube technology, Hoyt eventually developed a bow riser that was lighter, stronger and more vibration-free than anyone had ever imagined, making it ideal for a next generation of high-
performance bows.

Enter the 2010 Hoyt Carbon Matrix and now the 2011 Carbon Matrix Plus and Carbon Element. The Hoyt Carbon Element is a 32-inch axle-to-axle bow that weighs just 3.6 pounds. That’s ultra-light when compared to the true mass weight of many of the competitor’s top bows. Trust me, while hiking anywhere or while at full draw, the featherweight feel of the 2011 Hoyt Carbon Element is very much appreciated. Lightweight is big for a hunting bow, but there’s more.

This riser is also incredibly stiff and strong. In tests it withstood over 1,500 dry-fires. It’s even been run over by a truck without experiencing damage. Plus, because this riser is meticulously crafted with high-modulus carbon fiber arranged in a series of hollow tubes, it does a simply extraordinary job of dampening shot noise and vibration. One last thing. Unlike metal, this highest-of-tech carbon riser is warm to the touch on cold days. Metal can get bitterly cold.

Lighter, stiffer, stronger, better at dampening vibration, quieter and warmer, Hoyt carbon-tube risers have clearly positioned themselves at the head of the bow-design class.

New Cams and Limbs

A revolutionary carbon riser isn’t the only thing new on the 2011 Hoyt Carbon Element. The bow’s new XTS Pro Arc Limbs feature five-layer lamination technology for unprecedented strength, durability and consistency of flex.

The Carbon Element is driven by Hoyt’s new Fuel Cam & ½ System. The Fuel Cams are power-packed, draw with a reasonable smoothness and feature the convenience of no-bow-press-needed interchangeable draw-length modules. The Fuel Cams also sport an upper control-cable stop that extends off of the upper cam draw-length module and a lower adjustable draw-stop peg located on the body of the lower cam. That dual-stop combination delivers a pleasingly solid back wall for the Hoyt Carbon Element.

Additional Strong Points

The closer you examine the 2011 Hoyt Carbon Element, the more notable features and benefits you uncover. Take, for example, the bow’s innovative Offset Stabilizer Positioning. Rather than locating your stabilizer in the conventional position, the new Hoyt Carbon Element positions it to the left (on a right-hand bow) to counterbalance the weight of such bow-mounted accessories as sights, arrow rests and bowquivers.

Extending back unobtrusively from the bow’s sight window is the Carbon Element’s In-Line Roller Guard. That special cable-guard system minimizes friction and torque while separating and slightly tensioning the cables at full draw for a quieter and more vibration-free shot. Precision rollers and sealed bearings in the system are completely weatherproof. No more plastic-cable-slide squeaks.

String stops are found on most of today’s better bows. Such string stops promote a cleaner release of the arrow from the bowstring and also help dampen bowstring oscillation at the tail end of the shot. The 2011 Hoyt Carbon Element comes factory equipped with an improved Hoyt Stealth Shot string stop. The primary improvement lies in the use of a more cushiony bumper at the end of the Stealth Shot.

Brand new for 2011 on the Hoyt Carbon Element is the Silent Shelf. The Silent Shelf is a soft, rubber-like pad that is integrated right into the shelf of the Carbon Element’s unique riser. That special pad eliminates the game-spooking “clink” of a bobbled arrow in a hunting situation and also makes for a soft and quiet landing pad for the launcher arm of so many of today’s fall-away arrow rests.

No bowquiver connection is as solid, secure, quiet and lightweight as a two-piece bowquiver setup. For those reasons I’m thrilled that the 2011 Hoyt Carbon Element includes provisions for Hoyt’s racy new Pro Series Two-Piece Bowquiver. It mounts at both the top and bottom of the Carbon Element’s riser and is as solid and quiet as a rock.

Enhanced Style

Last year’s Hoyt Carbon Matrix was a showstopper. The new 2011 Hoyt carbon bows are even better. They feature rich bronze metalwork from end to end, two snappy red laminations in the five-layer laminated XTS Pro Arc Limbs, a jet-black thermo-elastomer grip and color-coordinated cables and bowstring. Stylish is the word that comes to mind.

One Sweet Shot

All of the features and glitz in the world aren’t much good unless the bow shoots. At least that’s how I feel. The 2011 Hoyt Carbon Element is one of the best-shooting bows I’ve ever evaluated.

To begin with, the Carbon Element is easy and convenient to adjust for a precise, personal draw length. I like that, as well as the fact that the interchangeable draw-length modules are available in half-inch increments and that a bow press is not required to switch out those modules. All you need do is remove the screws and change the modules. Getting the draw length just right can help anyone’s shooting.

I also find that there is a sizeable shooting benefit from a reasonably solid back wall. The Hoyt Carbon Element utilizes both an upper cam control-cable stop and a lower cam adjustable draw-stop peg to deliver a reassuring and consistent back wall. In fact, the draw-stop peg on the 2011 Fuel Cams is broader than the draw-stop pegs that were on the 2010 Hoyt bows, and that alone delivers an even firmer 2011 Carbon Element back wall.

The Hoyt Carbon Element is fast. Not over-the-top fast, but deadly fast. Fast enough. And that’s with a sensible and forgiving 7-inch brace height. What is over the top is how the Carbon Element handles shot vibration and noise…it practically eliminates both! The 2011 Hoyt Carbon Element, even with its ultra-light 3.6-pound mass weight, is unbelievably quiet and vibration-free. This bow is simply amazing in that regard. It shoots even very light arrows with a dull thump and it just sits there. It’s been my experience that most of us actually shoot better with quiet, vibration-free bows. And with this bow, well, shooting is a pure pleasure.

I set up the Carbon Element with one of today’s better fall-away arrow rests, a top-notch sight and stabilizer, and did just a minimum of paper-tuning. Then I proceeded to drill the center spot on my practice targets both near and far. Each draw was sensibly smooth for such a fast bow. The right draw length and pulling into a firm and consistent stop yielded a precise and encouraging full-draw position and wonderfully steady aiming. The Carbon Element’s ultra-thin, Pro-Fit Thermo Elastomer Grip also helped with that.

I must admit that it took me a while to simply quit smiling with almost every amazingly quiet, vibration-free and accurate shot. Wow, what a shooter. What a sweet shooter.

Worth the money?

As mentioned, last year’s Hoyt Carbon Matrix carried the lofty manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1600. What you should also know is that Hoyt sold every Carbon Matrix they could make in 2010 in spite of ramping up carbon-bow production several times. In much the same manner as with high-end cars and trucks, there is apparently a clear market for a luxury-end bow that genuinely delivers.

Based on that market, Hoyt has significantly increased its carbon-bow production capacity for 2011. But maybe the best news of all is that through economies of manufacturing scale, Hoyt has been able to reduce the cost of its carbon-based bows and pass those savings along to its dealers and their customers. The upshot is that the MSRP for the 2011 Carbon Element is now just $1299 while the Carbon Matrix Plus MSRP has been pegged at $1349.

Quite suddenly the new and improved Hoyt carbon bows for 2011 are even more worth it than they were last year.

So let’s answer the big question. The shooting I’ve done with the Hoyt Carbon Element suggests that it is worth it. It is that good.

Do you need a Hoyt Carbon Element to kill a deer? No, no more than you need a shiny new Chevy Silverado with XM radio and leather seats to go to the grocery store. But it sure is a cool way to get there, and it does ride and perform like a dream both on and off-road. If you can responsibly afford such a vehicle, why not?

The exact same thinking can be applied to the 2011 Hoyt Carbon Element. Its cutting-edge technology is simply remarkable. Its performance is extraordinary. So, why not!

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