|
It's not a men's bow, or a ladies' bow, or a youth bow.
It's a HALAC Bow. |
BOW CLASSIFICATION: The
idea of a one-size-fits-all compound bow seems rather
strange and implausible to archery enthusiasts. Most of us
have a pretty good understanding that compound bows are
first classified (and sized) as youth bows, or ladies' bows,
or men's bows - based largely on available draw length and
draw weight ranges. Bows capable of adjusting to shorter
draw lengths and lighter draw weights are for smaller
people. Bows capable of adjusting for longer draw lengths
and heavier draw weights are for larger people. Simple
enough.
 OPTIONS
LIMITED: When you begin shopping for a compound
bow, you begin by ruling out all the bows which don't fit -
much like you would when shopping for clothes or shoes.
Unfortunately, this sizing system limits your options
considerably - especially if you're not a "standard" size
person. For example, tall lanky teenagers can be
particularly tough to fit, as they often require longer draw
lengths but lighter draw weights. Typical youth bows are too
short and men's bows are too heavy.
We also find that most of the mainline bows, engineered
primarily to fit men, won't quite fit women shooters. They
get close, but they often do not adjust below 50# of draw
weight or 26" of draw length - which is just out-of-range
for most adult women. Most women have to choose from a very
short-list of specialty "lady" bows - instead of just
picking the bows they like best. And it gets worse ...
SPLITTING HAIRS: Even if
you do find the right "class" of bow (kid's, youth, ladies',
men's), you still have more hairs to split. Most compound
bows are offered with a narrow 10 pound range of draw weight
adjustment. If you buy a 60-70# bow, for example, you can
adjust the bow's peak draw weight (by turning the limb bolts
in or out) down to a minimum of 60# and up to a maximum of
70#. If you decide later that you want to adjust the bow
down to 50#, you must purchase additional limbs (about
$120-150 installed) to convert the bow to another range -
not so convenient or economical. That's assuming that
replacement limbs will still be available when you want
them.
The
same mechanical limitation is true of cams (which control
the draw length settings). A typical single or hybrid cam
bow has roughly 3-6" of draw length adjustability. For men's
bows, 26-30" is very common. For ladies' bows, 23-27" is
similarly common. This can vary from bow to bow and cam to
cam, but the same fundamental limitation exists. If you have
a bow that only adjusts from 26-30" draw length, and you
decide you want to hand the bow down to your son who needs a
24" draw length, you're out of luck. It won't fit.
Be advised, changing draw lengths - even within a bow's
mechanical range - may or may not be so easy. Some bows have
draw length specific cams, so changing draw lengths means
actually replacing the entire cam (another expensive
conversion). There's even one brand of bow that requires
changing both cams and installing different strings and
cables when changing from one draw length to another.
 MODULE
MADNESS:
Fortunately, most bows use an interchangeable cam "module,"
a little elliptical metal insert inside the cam, to control
the draw lengths. Each module is a slightly different size
and shape to make a given draw length on the bow. Modules
are usually inexpensive and easy to change, but not always.
On a few bows, changing modules is major surgery that must
be done in a bow press. It just depends.
To make matters worse, draw length modules aren't universal.
They are almost always specific to a particular bow and type
of cam. They don't interchange from brand to brand, and
seldom interchange from model to model. Sometimes
there are even different modules for RH and LH bows.
Argh! Since cam designs
are always being tweaked and reinvented from year to year,
the cam modules constantly change too. If you decide you
want to change the draw length on your 5 year-old bow, the
draw modules will likely be out-of-production - and may be
difficult to find. And if you can't find the correct module
for your old bow, you can't change the draw length.
 We've been playing the cam module scramble for a decade -
buying whole module sets - trading these modules for those
modules - this size module for that size - trying to stay
ahead of the changes. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it
doesn't. At the end of a module run, it seems we're always
left holding a bag full. In our production office, we
literally have thousands upon thousands of obsolete modules
which we've collected over the years. I sometimes joke that
when I retire, I'm going to remodel my bathroom entirely
with cam modules and grout them all into the walls.
Module mayhem aside, here's the unfortunate truth (for bows
anyway). When you buy a new bow, you better make sure it
fits you well. If you want to dramatically change the bow's
draw length and draw weight settings later, it's probably
going to be expensive, impractical, or impossible. You'll be
more likely to just take the bow out of service, sell it on
eBay, or make it the featured item at your next garage sale.
HALAC BOW CHALLENGE: Why can't we make bows that adjust to fit
most anybody? Why does the engineering have to be so cumbersome
and inconvenient? If we can put a man on the moon, surely we
can make a bow that adjusts properly, right? One small step
for man? I digress. It's not quite that simple. There are a
few obstacles to overcome when designing a one-size-fits-all
bow, chiefly: limb pocket design, overcoming the stereotype
of dual/twin cams, and retail economics.
So let's start at the top. The bow's limbs control the bow's
draw weight. The stiffer the limbs, the more draw weight you
get, and the more preload (prebend) the limbs have, the
stiffer they will act. The bow's limb bolts hold the limbs
to the handle (riser) section of the bow. Fortunately, these
limbs bolts aren't just a fixed fastener that stays torqued down.
The limb bolts function as the bow's draw weight adjuster.
When a bow's limb bolts are cranked all the way down, the
limbs are under maximum (at brace) preload. If you loosen
the limb bolts, the limbs begin to straighten out, reducing
the preload. As the preload is relieved, the draw weight of
the bow is reduced. It's simple righty-tighty lefty-loosey.
Easy enough.
 LIMITED
MOTION: With the old cup-style limb pocket designs, you could only
loosen the bolts so far (about 4 turns) before the edges of
the limbs began to lift up and out of the limb pockets.
Without the limb pockets to keep the edges of the limbs
aligned, the limbs would start to swivel on their pivot
points - making the entire bow seem to come "unhinged." If
the limb bolts were loosened even more, the limb assembly
could literally separate from the riser - sometimes
explosively. So if you were trying to get a 60-70# bow down
to 50#, you were playing with fire.
To keep the limbs seated in their pockets and to discourage
customers from trying to adjust bows beyond their specified
ranges, bow manufacturers offered stiff warnings against
turning limb bolts more than 3-4 turns from their
bottomed-down positions. This meant that 8-10# of
adjustability was the absolute safe maximum adjustment for
any given bow. If you wanted another draw weight range, you
needed different (lighter/heavier) limbs installed on the
bow. Albeit good or bad, this was the system we all knew and
worked with.
 RAZOR
EDGE REDEFINES YOUTH BOW MARKET: That started to change in 2009 when Bowtech/Diamond
challenged the status quo with the introduction of their new
Razor Edge youth bow. While the bow looked pretty normal
otherwise, its limb pockets were enormous. They were like
limb buckets - with triple the depth of a regular limb
pocket. The bow also came with extra-long limb bolts. This
meant you could turn the limb bolts out a full 12 turns. The
result was a youth bow that adjusted from 30-60# of draw
weight, without a limb change. Bow buyers went berserk, and
within a year the Razor Edge had practically annihilated
every other youth bow on the market. Buyers made no
bones about it, the Razor Edge's adjustability was the
feature they wanted most.
The Razor Edge design was, and still is, a darling of the
industry. But the deep-dish limb pocket idea had some
limitations. As you loosened the limb bolts and the limbs
lifted higher in the pocket, the edge of the limbs moved
slightly forward, eventually making contact with the lip of
the pocket. So even on the Razor Edge, at some point you
just couldn't reasonably go any lower (usually 32-33# in our
experience).
Although 30-60# was a fantastic range of adjustment, it
still didn't cover all shooters. In fact, to this day the
Razor Edge is also offered in a 15-29# version to hit those
other draw weights. Of course, you must pick one or the
other when you buy the bow. One bow doesn't do-all. But for
a fee the factory offers a limb exchange program to convert
the 15-29# bows to the 30-60# range later. While not ideal,
compared to the old ten-pound system, the Razor Edge system
is still a better choice. Clearly the Razor Edge has been a
big step in the right direction, but it's not quite a HALAC
bow.
 PIVOTAL
MOMENT: To get more adjustment, you simply need a limb pocket with
more range of motion. As it turns out, there was already a
solution in every bow manufacturer's tool bag - the pivoting
limb pocket. Many of today's top performance bows already
feature limbs which don't pivot up and down inside the limb
pocket. Instead, the limbs stay fixed in the limb pocket,
and the entire limb pocket assembly hinges on the riser. If
the bolts are long enough to allow the full range of motion,
this kind of system gives limbs all the room they need to
fully relax. Theoretically, a pivoting limb pocket bow could
go from 0-70# with the right hardware.
So the stage was set. All the bow manufacturers needed to do
was connect the dots ... install a pivoting limb pocket and
an extra long limb bolt. Then practically any bow could be
adjusted from full peak weight down to full relaxation. The
HALAC ['hā-lak] bow was about to be born.
Of course, we still had to contend with draw length
adjustability. The old module and cam swap system had to be
changed. A HALAC bow has to be easy and free to adjust - all
the way from top to bottom - no games allowed. But the only
cam systems which can mechanically achieve 10-15" of draw
length adjustment are twin cams. Singles and hybrids just
don't have the geometry to muster it, but twin cams do. Yet,
this presents an awkward perception pickle. Everybody knows
that single and hybrid cams are better than twin cams. Twin
cams are old-school ... yesterday's technology. Right?
 TWIN
CAM STIGMA: Well, hold on there, not necessarily. Much of the twin cam
prejudice has faded away in recent years - for two reasons.
Twin cams got a dirty name, not because they were so bad,
but because early single cams got so much press as a step
forward. In the 90's, bows like High Country's Machine
Supreme were dominating the market and kicking butt on the
ranges, but owners struggled to keep those hot little twin
cams in-synch. So when single cam bows really hit their
stride just before the turn of the century, twin cams became
the anti-cams. Archers in-the-know shot single cams. Twin
cams were out.
SHUT UP AND SHOOT:
Of course, it didn't take long until the success of emerging
hybrid and binary cam technologies (and the persistence of
the single cam nock-travel issue) made many of us rethink
the wisdom of a single cam deity. So the debate raged for
years. From 2002-2006, bow manufacturers just couldn't
shut-up about their cams - each spouting how their designs
were superior to the other. Some consumers were simply
confused. Others copied and pasted force draw charts and
technical drawings into the forums to make their case. Was
it best to have one cam, or a cam & 1/2, or maybe two cams
and 5/8th? Ridiculous. Fortunately, the sound of reality
eventually drowned out the my cam is better than your cam
yammer.
What we all came to realize is that in spite of all the
hyperbole and marketing gibberish, most of the modern cam
systems perform similarly. Which type of cams a bow
manufacturer uses today is more about patents and royalties
than anything else. When engineered properly, any of them
shoot brilliantly ... including the once disavowed twin
cams. It turns out that twin cam designs weren't so
second-rate at all. The problem was poor quality string
materials that stretched unevenly causing the tuning
headaches - a problem that's largely
extinct today thanks to modern Dyneema and Vectran string
fibers.
 WHAT'S
THE DIFFERENCE AGAIN?: The other reason twin cams have returned from eccentric
purgatory is just general confusion with Bowtech's
symmetrical Binary™ cam system, which many consumers
celebrated as a technological leap forward often without
clearly understanding the technical difference from
conventional twin cams. So some of the twin cam stigma
simply washed out in the contrails of another technology.
Either way, today twin cams are enjoying a return of market
acceptance, even among some of the old single cam
aristocrats.
Best of all, since twin cams are simple two-track
eccentrics, there's plenty of room for large rotating
modules. This means no more module exchanges. No extra parts
to buy. One rotating module does it all - the entire draw
length range. A couple of socket head cap screws hold them
in place, and the user can set them to any draw length in a
matter of seconds.
When you combine a hyper-adjustable draw weight system (via
a pivoting limb pocket and an extra long limb bolt) with a
hyper-adjustable cam system (via a rotating module twin
setup), you get the birth of a HALAC Bow (Hyper Adjustable
Limbs and Cams). Simple. Let's do it!
TOO SIMPLE FOR A COMPLICATED MARKET:
HALAC bows are the do-it-all bows we've been hoping to see.
There's just one final problem - economics. They're too
simple. A typical men's compound bow will have at least six
SKUs: RH/60-70, RH/50-60, RH/40-50, LH/60-70, LH/50-60, and
LH/40-50. That's a lot of bows to keep in stock if you're a
small retailer - and that's just for one model. We all know
that customers like having more choices, but for an archery
shop to stock all available sizes of 10 or 20 different bow
models is a huge financial investment. We suspect bow
companies count on that.
With a HALAC bow, it can be as simple as two simple SKU's:
RH and LH. A dealer can buy two bows and fit 98% of the
customers that walk through the door. There are no modules
or cams to buy separately - no limb sets to exchange or
sell. And better still, HALAC bows are relatively cheap.
Since the HALAC bow penetrates into the youth market, they
simply won't fetch classic men's bow prices.
PLEASE SPEND MORE: Remember, the bread-n-butter of bow manufacturing is the
high-end bow - typically the en-vogue men's models
selling for $749 and up. Bow manufacturers would greatly
prefer you ignore the value-priced bows and buy up the
scale, but youth and ladies' bows seldom command more than
$499 in the market. Twin cam bows don't command premium cash
either. So a HALAC bow, regardless of how great the bow
might be, is destined for entry/mid level pricing.
This leaves bow manufacturers with a tough decision. If the
lesson of the Razor Edge is any indication of how buyers
will respond, a HALAC bow is sure to gobble sales from
higher-dollar units and render other bows in their line-ups
irrelevant. Shooting one's own foot with a broadhead comes
to mind, yet it's hard to ignore obvious
consumer demand. Why would someone buy their kid a
conventional 30-40# youth bow (which will only fit for a few
seasons) when a HALAC bow will fit the same kid until he's a
grown man?
AN END TO CLASS BOWFARE:
The HALAC bow fills all the gaps between the bow classes and
lays waste to the concept of youth, ladies', and men's bows.
A well designed HALAC bow can be used as a primary hunting
bow, a youth trainer, a back-up bow, a bow to share, a bow
to pass down, and they're immensely useful for camps or
clubs where people share equipment. What other men's bow
does that? To put it simply, HALAC bows are going to change
the bow market. 2012 is just the beginning.
We're thrilled to see HALAC bows emerging. Let's face it,
bow prices are getting out of hand with premium models now commonly
tickling the $1,000 mark. We can't help but worry about the
future of our sport - the future of our industry. When
people can no longer afford to participate in the sport, our
industry will surely decline - and that's bad business. We
hate to whine, but archery shouldn't be an elitist sport and
setting up the equipment shouldn't be a constant headache. We heard
this sport is supposed to be fun.
That's why we think HALAC bows are going to put the fun back
into family archery and ultimately turn the market on its
ear.
ANYONE? ANYONE?:
Are we ready? Which bow manufacturer is brave enough to go
first? Step right up! Among the bow lines we carry here at
Hunter's Friend, we already have some takers for 2012: PSE's
Rally and Bear's Outbreak. But there are already others
(mainly the Mission Riot & Craze which are also true HALAC
bows). Our first shipments of Rallys and
Outbreaks arrived only a few short weeks ago, and almost
overnight they became the hottest selling bows in the store.
|
|
2012 Bear Outbreak
$299
Bare Bow, $499 Ready-to-Hunt |
2012 PSE Rally
$299 Bare Bow,
$499 Ready-to-Hunt |
OUTBREAK: New for 2012,
the Outbreak has a classic D-shaped riser and limb configuration (short
riser with longer limbs), almost reminiscent of the famous Buckmaster G2.
We asked why the Outbreak didn't get the standard parallel-limb treatment
like most other Bear Bows. The answer was simple ... weight.
Bear wanted to keep the bow extra strong and rugged, but without the added
bulk of long riser setups. The Outbreak tips the scales at a very
svelte 3.5 lbs, so it's easy for smaller shooters to handle. Of
course, a light physical weight is a bonus for bowhunters too.
|
OUTBREAK BOW SPECIFICATIONS: |
|
IBO SPEED: |
308 FPS |
|
A2A LENGTH: |
29.25" |
|
BRACE HEIGHT: |
7.25" |
|
DRAW WEIGHTS: |
15-70# |
|
DRAW LENGTHS: |
16-30" |
|
BOW MASS: |
3.5 LBS. |
|
BOW FINISH: |
REALTREE APG |
|
ECCENTRICS: |
TWIN CAMS |
|
LET-OFF: |
80% |
|
WARRANTY: |
LIFETIME |
|
PROGRESSIVE SIZING: The
Outbreak can be adjusted from a full 30"@70# down to just 16"@15#.
That covers practically anyone from 3'6" to about 6'3" tall. But it's
not quite as simple as just selecting two numbers. The draw weights
and draw lengths are interdependent. So as you select a longer draw
length on the cam module, the bow's peak weight increases.
Fortunately, the progressive sizing is engineered with some thoughtful
biometrics in mind. For example, when set for 23" draw length, the
Outbreak has a peak draw weight of 56# and a minimum draw weight of 35#
(limb bolts turned 8 full turns out). But if you change the module setting
to make a 28" draw length to fit a taller/bigger person, the peak draw
weight goes up to 68# and the minimum draw weight goes up to 47#.
So chances are, the draw weights available at any given draw length will be
appropriate to your physical strength (see
chart). If you're considering the Outbreak for a growing young
shooter, this is a fantastic advantage. A kid cannot outgrow the
Outbreak. The bigger and stronger he gets, the longer and heavier the
Outbreak can go. This one bow will take a kid to adulthood.
Learn More/Purchase a Bear Outbreak
|
RALLY: New for 2012, the
Rally features a new X-Force styled riser which serves triple duty on the
Rally, Stinger 3G, and Brute X. This gives the bow a very attractive
modern profile and exceptionally good shooting manners. Considering
the amount machine work in this bow, we're amazed it's priced at only $299.
Although the Rally can adjust to fit very small shooters, there's simply
nothing "youth like" about this bow. It's full scale, with no plastic
parts or short-cuts. This is a fully-machined parallel limb performer.
The only thing PSE didn't include standard was a string-stop.
|
RALLY BOW SPECIFICATIONS: |
|
IBO SPEED: |
308 FPS |
|
A2A LENGTH: |
33.75" |
|
BRACE HEIGHT: |
7.50" |
|
DRAW WEIGHTS: |
18-70# |
|
DRAW LENGTHS: |
18-31" |
|
BOW MASS: |
4.5 LBS. |
|
BOW FINISH: |
MOSSY OAK
INFINITY |
|
ECCENTRICS: |
TWIN CAMS |
|
LET-OFF: |
70% |
|
WARRANTY: |
LIFETIME |
|
WE ADMIT,
IT'S COMPLICATED: The
Rally adjusts via a combination of module settings, limb bolt adjustments,
and an optional cable boss routing. It's not rocket science, but we
suggest you read the manual on the Rally - as the system isn't exactly
self-explanatory. If you're the engineering techy type, you're going
to love this. Check out the PSE
technical bulletin on the Rally.
The 70# Rally can muster a huge range of settings, all the way from 31"@70#,
down to 18.5"@21#. The adjustments are independent on the fixed-peak
setting, and progressive when the cables are routed behind the bosses.
So you can get almost any combination of draw weight and draw length.
To hit some of the even smaller/lighter settings, the bow is available as a
50# or 60# peak, but that seems a bit redundant to us.
The standard 70# peak Rally is going to cover virtually any shooter from
about 4' tall up to a big burly dude of 6'4". Since the Rally can hit
the full 70# peak weight at almost every draw length, it's an outstanding
choice for stocky kids and short stature men as well. The Rally does
it all. Whatever kind of bow you want it to be - whatever the mission
- the Rally can do it.
Learn More/Purchase a PSE Rally |
|
WHY DIDN'T THEY THINK OF THIS SOONER?:
They did, but market conditions weren't right for this kind of bow.
Why make an inexpensive bow with universal appeal when buyers are willing to
pay top-dollar for the status quo? You don't ... unless the status quo
changes. Over the past few seasons, a few smart bow manufacturers have
actually noticed that our economy is struggling. Many families simply
don't have as much disposable income for recreation. So when folks do
make a purchase, it needs to be for a product that will last. We hate
to say it, but buying a new bow every year or two just isn't smart.
That's why HALAC bows are getting so much attention. It's the classic
example of getting more for your money.
|
LIMB EFFICIENCY HOKUM:
For years we've all been fed the same engineering hokum
about limb efficiencies being compromised near the bow's
minimum draw weight. We've been told that a 60-70# bow
set for 60# will underperform compared to a 50-60# bow set
for its peak draw weight. Technically that's
absolutely true. As a matter of obtaining optimal
performance, more limb preload is better. But to what
degree?
Over the past 10 years, we've chronographed over 23,000 bows
- at every imaginable setting. If we sort the data for
any particular bow model and compare the maxed vs. minimized
scores, it's clear that limbs at peak perform better
than limbs partially unloaded - but the difference is almost
negligible (1-2%). So a men's 60-70# bow set for 60#
might shoot 3-6 fps slower than the same bow as a maxed-out
50-60#.
For the men's market, that may be a hair worth splitting.
For the youth market, it's generally not. The idea of
buying youth bows in the classic sizes (10-20#, 20-30#,
30-40#, 40-50#) for the purposes of maintaining the best
limb efficiencies is just silly. Whether a youth bow
shoots 200 fps or 205 fps is really inconsequential.
However, the need to keep replacing perfectly good bows
is consequential - because it's expensive and wasteful.
Fortunately, those days are over. With the new HALAC
bows, you buy one bow and you're done. Whatever is
lost to limb preloading, you'll surely make up for in long
term utility and enjoyment of the sport.
|
Questions or comments about this article can be directed to
mike@huntersfriend.com
Thanks for visiting HuntersFriend.COM |
|
|
