Our picks for the best compound gear on the market
It’s the beginning of a new year, and you’re super fired up about it. This is the year: you’re going to shoot like never before. Nothing is going to stand in your way, so let’s look at the latest and greatest archery kit on the market right now that will get you to where you want to be, or just make you really excited to get behind a bow. This time, we’re looking at the ultimate list of compound gear.
PSE Dominator Duo
The 2023 Dominator Duo takes target bows to the next level. From its ambidextrous design to its unparalleled adjustability, this bow promises to be the fastest, most advanced target bow ever. Available in three axle lengths and with three cam options, the Dominator Duo has the versatility to fit almost any archer without compromise, and comes packed with new technologies and tuning options.
From PSE’s Full Draw Stability system, which boosts your accuracy by resisting torque, to its innovative new EZ 220 Snap Spacer system that allows for super-quick and accurate cam tuning, the Dominator Duo is engineered for accuracy. Why just win when you can dominate?
Price: Around £1,500
Website: www.psearchery.com
Hoyt Stratos
Coming off the back of the internationally successful Invicta, Hoyt has once again raised its game with its new flagship bow. The Stratos has a newly designed Shoot-Thru TEC riser and a more neutral geometry that gives it a rock solid hold on the target. Designed to be the most forgiving bow Hoyt has ever created, the Stratos is available in two axle lengths and fully loaded with the usual refinements you’ve come to expect from the Hoyt brand.
The super-comfortable modular grip system and the ever-popular SVX cam feature, but the biggest development for this model is the new HBT cam. Offering an incredible amount of adjustment and customisation, the HBT cam system gives you next-level performance while allowing you to completely personalise the feel of your bow. The Stratos has become Hoyt’s new benchmark in compound bows.
Price: Around £1,600
Website: www.hoyttarget.com
Darton Vegas-E-T
With over 70 years in the archery business, Darton has long been at the forefront of compound bow design. The 2023 Vegas-E-T builds on this expertise to deliver Darton’s most advanced target bow yet. Boasting a host of new technologies, the 38.5in Vegas-E-T is easy to tune and adjust, giving you ultimate control over the fit and feel of your bow.
Darton’s redesigned riser and limb pockets allow for better limb alignment and deliver a more controlled shot, and their new Equaliser Cable System promises to be the closest thing you can get to a totally balanced shooting system. Its clever axle-mounted split-yoke system perfectly equalises the limbs, while reducing load on the cam bearings – now you can enjoy over-the-top forgiveness and shootabilty, without the shooter fatigue.
Price: £1,350
Website: www.dartonarchery.com
Bowtech Reckoning Gen2
Bowtech’s next generation of Reckoning was designed in conjunction with top professional archers who wanted an easy, no-press tuning bow driven by the Quad Lock accuracy technology Bowtech has become known for.
This four-way lock system allows archers to fine-tune their string directly behind the arrow and lock it in; the Deadlock, TimeLock, Dual Lock limb pockets and Grip Lock technologies promise unrivalled accuracy and stability that is easy tune. The Reckoning Gen2 is also available with a long cam option that pushes its draw-length range to a whopping 33.5in – this truly is a bow to be reckoned with.
Price: Around £1,600
Website: www.bowtecharchery.com
Black Eagle Revelation Arrows
Black Eagle designed its Revelation arrows for long-range accuracy; they’re made from high-quality, high-modulus carbon, and with unmatched tolerances they are easily one of the best micro-diameter target shafts on the market today. The Revelation’s heavy grains-per-inch and surface-area-to-mass ratio help the shafts to slice through the wind with ease. Available in a wide range of spines to cater for every shooter, and with over-fit bushing included to provide extra protection, the Revelations offer a winning combination. If standing on the top of the podium is your goal, the Revelation is the arrow that will help get you there.
Price: Around £325 per dozen
Website www.blackeaglearrows.com
Truball Trident Flex Pro
The Trident Flex Pro is the very latest handle release aid from TRUBall, and it’s just that little bit different from other models. Instead of a traditional jaw mechanism, the Trident features an innovative new hook system that is designed to dramatically reduce shooter inconsistency and make setting up for the next shot quick and easy.
The new and unique Tri-Star sear sets this release apart from its competitors; when it’s activated the hook rotates to release the string cleanly while automatically re-cocking itself – removing the need for a separate cocking button.
Similar in fit to the ever-popular Blade Pro, the Trident Flex Pro’s handle promises the perfect blend of comfort and customisability thanks to TRUBall’s innovative Flex handle technology and brass construction.
Price: £344.99
Website: www.truball.com
Axcel Achieve XP 1.5 & 2.0
The Axcel Achieve XP just got lighter. To further cut down the weight of their already svelte target sight, Axcel has released two new models in the XP range with smaller elevation tracks; a 2in or 1.5in option. The reduction in the length of the sight track shaves around an ounce off the total weight of the sight.
This helps to improve the balance of your bow, but it also reduces the amount of vibration in the sight. To compensate for the shortened track, Axcel has designed a lightweight and secure Variable Range mounting system, which allows you to adjust the position of the sight on the bow so you can make larger changes to your sight setting.
Both the XP 1.5 and 2.0 come packed with the usual refinements and innovations that make this one of the best and most premium sights money can buy.
Price: Around £545
Website: www.truball.com
Gold Tip Pierce Tour Arrows
Famous for their seemingly indestructible arrows, Gold Tip’s all-carbon Pierce Tour shafts boast high-performance, long-range accuracy for target and field shooting. Designed to minimise wind drift while maximising your scores, Pierce Tours have incredibly tight manufacturing tolerances; each dozen shafts are perfectly spine- and weight-matched, with an incredible .001in straightness margin.
Thanks to Gold Tip’s Smart Carbon technology, Pierce Tours have unparalleled straightness retention; no matter how tough your target or how much they are flexed, you can be sure your arrows will remain as straight as when you first shot them. Perfectly complemented by Gold Tip’s range of high-quality components, Pierce Tours firmly set themselves as the gold standard in precision tournament arrows.
Price: Around £240 per dozen
Website: www.goldtip.com
Reign Bowstrings Supreme Edition
Featured in last year’s Ultimate Gear list, Reign’s Supreme Edition bowstrings are still some of the best. Supreme bowstrings are built from Bloodline material, and its Next-Gen coating replaces wax to give better protection. It’s low-maintenance, making Supreme bowstrings the longest-lasting and most stable, easy-care bowstring you’ll find. Compound strings come with the Bloodline BOA technical cam serving – a game changer for compound archers everywhere.
Price: From £106 per set
Website: www.reign-bowstrings.com
Conquest Archery Smacdown .500 Pro Stabilisers
Conquest Archery has taken its original Smacdown .500 and made the MOAB – the mother of all bars. Made with 100% ultra-high and ultra-high modulus pitch fibre, the Smacdown .500 Pro has the best stiffness-to-weight ratio of any true half-inch bar.
20% stiffer than the original Smacdown and most of its rivals, the Pro uses a unique composite dampening material called Smacwrap that offers the ultimate in vibration dampening and shot recovery. The Smacdown .500 Pro is available as a front bar and a side bar; lightweight and with little to no hand resonance, it promises to be the best half-inch bar on the market today.
Price: From £430
Website: www.conquestarchery.com
Hamskea Waypoint Arrow Level
The Waypoint Arrow Level is the latest addition to the Hamskea line of professional grade archery tools; used either during initial bow set-up or when tuning, the Waypoint Arrow Level takes the guesswork out of setting your arrow rest. Now you can easily measure the exact vertical and horizontal position of your arrow in relation to the riser shelf, to achieve perfect downrange arrow flight.
Machined out of billeted aluminium, the Waypoint arrow level is built to survive years of abuse while providing accurate information to the archer. The two laser-engraved rulers measure both your centre-shot and arrow height at the same time, in minuscule increments of 0.05in.
Designed to fit any riser and be used with any style of launcher or blade, the Waypoint Arrow level is the perfect alignment tool for both right- and left-handed archers alike.
Price: $89.99
Website: www.hamskeaarchery.com
Ultraview UV3 Target Scope
Driven by a passion to help every archer improve their shooting, Ultraview’s products are designed to be the perfect blend of form and functionality, and the UV3 Target Scope is no different. Considered to be the pinnacle of competitive archery scopes, the UV3 is made from lightweight aircraft-grade aluminium and mounts to almost any current sight.
Its unique cartridge-based design makes swapping between different configurations quick and simple. From lenses and fibres to an advanced LED light system, every accessory on the UV3 can be clipped on and off seamlessly, making the UV3 one of the most versatile and user-friendly scopes on the market – and it’s even available in an XL size.
Price: Around £325
Website: www.ultraviewarchery.com
Rinehart Velociraptor Target
Turn a walk in the woods into a harrowing hunt for dangerous prey with Rinehart’s 3D Velociraptor target. Made from solid, self-healing foam that stops even the fastest arrows, Rinehart targets are also weatherproof and UV resistant.
Designed with IBO scoring and replaceable inserts for an extended lifespan, this frightfully fun target adds a bit of excitement to your usual archery experience and is great for getting the kids interested in archery.
Price: From £800
Website: www.rinehart3d.com
Last Chance Archery Limb Lock Kit
Past parallel bows have increased in popularity in recent years, but have continued to be a struggle to press, until now. The Last Chance Archery Limb Lock Kit is a perfect addition to any LCA bow press, and is designed specifically for pressing beyond parallel limb bows.
The Limb Locks are adjustable foam-covered rollers that act as a safety to hold the bow from slipping; the Limb Lock Fingers use a rotating head design that keeps the limbs of your bow fully enclosed as you press the bow, no matter the angle of the limbs. Each finger is rubber-coated to protect the bow limbs from being scratched, and you can adjust all four fingers to match any limb angle or design – genius.
Price: $285
Website: www.lastchancearchery.com