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Inside Archery • Volume 13 Number 4
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28 Power of Participation Brad Treu, Mathews Inc.
Craig Stawiarski, Xtreme Scents
Art Heinze, Trophy Hunter Products
Bill Henneman, Wildcat Archery
Walter Makowski, Archery Pro Shop
52
Jim Litmer, Third Hand Archery
30 Cover Story: APA Innovations Inc. Bill and Sherry Krenz By offering outstanding service and unique products, Nibal Achkar has turned a passion for archery into a thriving bow-and-accessory manufacturing company.
M a r k e t
38
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26 New and Notable
Archery products with strong sales potential.
38 Bow Report: PSE X-Force Axe 6 44 Field Test: Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity
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46 How to Sell More Carbon Arrows Bill Krenz
Get your sales technique and your expertise lined up to sell more carbon arrows.
Explore with each customer what they expect from a new set of arrows. Match
that customer with the proper carbon arrows to meet and exceed those expectations.
52 Bow Report: Parker Inferno 26
54 Which Arrow Rests Will Sell Best in 2010? Trevon Stoltzfus
Few archery product categories continue to change as much as arrow rests.
Not all that long ago archers mostly used spring-loaded, double-prong arrow
rests. And before that it was fingers-oriented flipper rests. Today all that’s
changed…and it keeps changing.
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Inside Archery 5 March 2009
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8 Inside Track Consumers Feeling Better
12 Industry News Information that will keep you up to speed on the latest news, events and people in the archery industry.
16 Inside Archery Dealer School
54
Develop a Merchandise Plan
20 ATA Action
ATA Working Hard to Get You to Indy
40 SPECIAL SECTION: 2010 Kinsey’s Dealer Show 51 Archery Industry Calendar 65 Marketplace 46
66 Solutions Greg Staggs Consultative Selling 40
Inside Archery ( Vol.13, No. 4) USPS #024-412 is published ten times per year by Zebra Publishing Inc., 2960 N. Academy Blvd, Ste. 101, Colorado Springs, CO 80917. Periodicals postage paid at Colorado Springs, CO 80917 and at additional offices. Postmaster please send address changes to: Inside Archery, P.O. Box 9010, Maple Shade, NJ 08052.
Inside Archery 6 May 2010
Inside Archery 7 March 2009
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Inside Track
Consumers Feeling Better Tracking the economic recovery just became easier. Retail analysts are now reporting surprising first-quarter gains in sales at the retail level. On average, same-store sales jumped up 8.7 percent in March according to an index of 29 American retailers tracked by Retail Metrics Inc. of Swampscott, Massachusetts. Gains of around 6 precent had been forecast, but the nearly 9-percent jump was welcome news. “It’s a blowout month,” said Retail Metrics President Ken Perkins in an article in The Wall Street Journal, “the biggest monthly increase we’ve seen since we began tracking monthly retail sales in 2000. Consumers are beginning to feel better about their plight, evidenced by their spending on more discretionary items like apparel, accessories and home furnishings.” For many consumers, archery and hunting gear fall into that same discretionary category. Last year, Target stores, which sell large amounts of discretionary merchandise as opposed to must-have essentials, saw their March sales tumble 6.5 percent. This year, Target’s March sales jumped up a remarkable 10.3 percent, with sales of upscale clothing rising by an even larger percentage. Gregg Steinhafel is the chief executive for Target. His view of 2010 sales is that “the general trend line will be up. We’re definitely celebrating the strength of the first quarter.” Retail shoppers nationwide opening up their wallets even wider than expected early in 2010 bodes well for the rest of the sales year for everything from mega-retailers to small archery shops. Everyone is heartened by the more upbeat consumer mood.
Bill and Sherry Krenz Editor and Publisher Inside Archery 8 May 2010
I
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Publisher & Founder
Sherry Krenz • sherry@insidearchery.com
Editor & Founder
Bill Krenz • bill@insidearchery.com
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Inside Archery® / Zebra Publishing Inc. 2960 N. Academy Boulevard, Suite 101 Colorado Springs, CO 80917 Phone: (719) 495-9999 • Fax: (719) 495-8899 info@insidearchery.com www.insidearchery.com Inside Archery® Copyright © 2010. All Rights Reserved by Zebra Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. Zebra Publishing Inc. is not responsible for researching and investigating the accuracy of the contents of stories published in Inside Archery® magazine. Readers are advised that use of the information contained in Inside Archery® magazine is with the understanding that it is at their own risk. Zebra Publishing Inc. assumes no liability for this information or its use. Zebra Publishing Inc. and Inside Archery® magazine assume no responsibility for unsolicited editorial, photography, or art submissions. In addition, no Terms and Conditions agreements for either unsolicited or solicited photography submissions are recognized by Zebra Publishing Inc. without being signed and returned by the Editor.
z Inside Archery® is a publication of Zebra Publishing Inc. Printed In The USA.
Inside Archery 10 May 2010
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Industry News S4 Gear Arrives on the Outdoor Product Scene
After founding and running the extremely successful BowTech brand, John Strasheim has now moved on to launch another outdoor products company. The former president and CEO of BowTech—which includes the Diamond Archery, Stryker and Octane brand names—has created S4Gear.
Strasheim and his three partners will compete in the high-end outdoor equipment market by focusing on superior quality, expert craftsmanship and advanced technology. S4Gear is launching the company with a single product called the Sidewinder Retractable Tether System and plans to expand by introducing a number of additional outdoor products by the end of 2010. The Sidewinder is a convenient way for recreational enthusiasts to secure their electronic devices including rangefinders, GPS units, radios, cell phones and more. The Sidewinder provides instant access and transport; it is currently available for purchase at the S4Gear website and will be expanding its availability to hunting and outdoor retail locations. “We started S4Gear with the knowledge and passion to provide general outdoor and hunting products that meet the demands of both the outdoor enthusiast and the outdoors,” Strasheim said from his headquarters in Eugene, Oregon. “I am equally enthused with the opportunity to remain in the industry and continue the relationships with the many friends we have been blessed to have.” For more information, log onto s4gear.com or call (541) 998-8800.
Primos Will Shoot Mathews Bows Exclusively
It’s official: Primos will exclusively shoot Mathews bows according to an agreement between the two companies. “We are thrilled that Mathews has chosen to utilize the Primos Team to help promote bowhunting and the Mathews brand. Mathews as a company has been great to work with. Their vision, leadership and innovation are second to none. It is fun to work with a company that is so driven to continually raise the bar. With Primos’ intense focus on always pushing ourselves to make innovative products that improve the hunter’s experiences, it is wonderful to be linked with another proven innovative company that puts quality first,” said Primos founder Will Primos. Primos will feature the Mathews bows in their television and video productions. “This fall and winter as the Primos Team hunted with Mathews bows we became even more impressed with the quality that Mathews bows provide,” said Brad Farris, head of the Primos Video Team.
“We are extremely pleased to be associated with Primos,” said Mathews Media Relations Coordinator Ron Cormier. “Primos’ commitment to quality and their drive towards genuine excellence mirrors our own, and that makes this TV partnership a perfect fit.”
For more information, log onto primos.com or call (800) 523-2395.
DAS Kinetic Joins 3Rivers Archery
3Rivers Archery has announced the induction of DAS Kinetic into the 3Rivers family. They will be joining the ranks of Woodsman Broadheads, Tomahawk Bows, Tred Barta and others. Due to streamlined productivity, DAS Bows will pass the savings on to customers by offering a new low price. Nevertheless, archers can still expect the same quality and advanced
technology. In conjunction with founder David Soza, the DAS Bows line will continue to be developed for additional options and accessories. For information about 3Rivers Archery, log onto 3riversarchery.com or call (866) 732-8783.
VaneTec Launches Give-A-Way Promotion
This spring, VaneTec launched a unique marketing promotion called the VaneTec Give-A-Way. It is an online promotion to motivate consumers and build sales. With every purchase of a set of 36 or more VaneTec vanes, customers receive a unique PIN code, along with their receipt invoice number, that they use to enter online at the VaneTec website to win great archery and outdoor products. Purchase must be of any size VaneTec HP, Super Spine or V-Max standardprofile vanes. Drawings will be held at the beginning of October 2010. “The Give-A-Way provides the Continued on page 14
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opportunity to introduce our products to the archer not already familiar with VaneTec,” stated Chris Metzgus, president of VaneTec. “Additionally, the archery dealer benefits through additional business created by giving the customer another reason to visit their store.”
Prizes include a BowTech Destroyer bow, Leupold Rangefinders, Spot-Hogg sights and releases, Gold Tip arrows and S4Gear Retractable Tether Systems. VaneTec has also initiated an aggressive media program to coincide with the Give-A-Way that includes
web, print and point-of-purchase advertising. For more information, log onto vanetec.com or call (541) 572-5251.
Fulton Precision Archery to be Promoted by PSE
Fulton Precision Archery has signed a contract with PSE, whereby PSE’s regional sales managers will be representing the Ramcat Broadhead to archery pro shops, distributors, sporting goods stores and buying groups nationwide and internationally. PSE is the largest privately owned archery equipment manufacturing company in the country.
PSE’s Pete Shepley (right) with Fulton Precision Archery’s Brett and Chris Fulton (left). PSE’s regional sales managers will be representing the Ramcat Broadhead to archery pro shops, distributors, sporting goods stores and buying groups.
In addition, Fulton Precision Archery debuted their new Ramcat Fixed Blade Broadhead at the Archery Trade Association’s 2010 Trade Show in Columbus, Ohio. Fulton Precision Archery owner Brett Fulton held a penetration demonstration in the Ramcat shooting lane at the Show. The Ramcat was shot along with many top-selling broadheads on the market into ballistic gelatin. Each demonstration showed that the Ramcat Broadhead was superior in penetration when compared to the other broadheads that were shot.
Inside Archery 14 May 2010
The broadhead has a Hydroshock Self-Centering Chisel Tip with patented deep lobes that create an airfoil which drafts wind over the blades and prohibits windplaning. Once in the animal, the lobes create a hydrofoil forcing body mass outward and thus removing friction down the arrow shaft. This results in the deep penetration that was exhibited at the Show. For more information, log onto ramcatbroadheads.com.
Moon Shine Attitude Attire Introduces New Clothing Lines
Moon Shine, LP, a premium designer of Moon Shine Attitude Attire, introduces four new lines of lifestyleoriented outdoor-themed casual wear, consisting of SWAT Wired Wear, Heartland Wired Wear, Legendary Essentials and the Bone Collection. Each line incorporates the unique attitude and styling found only in Moon Shine Attitude Attire. “Moon Shine Attitude Attire was established on the recognition and appreciation of our ancestors’ heritage,” stated General Manager John Hummel. “With this in mind, we evolve typical clothing to a new level of self-expression.” Each line of Moon Shine Attitude Attire uses comfort and quality as its foundation, and then weaves attitude into the apparel that conveys the traditional values of true American sportsmen and women. Utilizing Moon Shine’s exclusive Outshine Camouflage pattern, the Heartland Wired Wear series incorporates an aggressive approach to the classic camo appeal with barbed wire accents for a distinctive look that clearly communicates one’s love for the outdoors. The SWAT Wired Wear collection offers the same great look, attitude and feel in the exclusive Harvest Moon Camouflage pattern camo. “The camo patterns we have incorporated into our apparel are designed to mimic extreme hunting environments while expressing a bold cultural style,” stated Moon Shine president Travis Mattern. “These patterns and garments represent a new attitude in casual wear for the outdoor enthusiast.” For more information about Moon Shine, LP, log onto shineattire.com or call (800) 466-667-4463.
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Inside Archery 15 May 2010
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Dealer School My niece recently had a birthday, and I knew exactly what to get her. She’s been dreaming about elk hunting for months, watching videos and reading everything about elk she can get her hands on. So I thought she might enjoy an elk cow call so she can practice for her eventual hunt (and, better yet, drive her mother crazy).
Develop a Merchandise Plan
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With limited shelf space and the crippling cost of excess inventory, it simply isn’t possible to stock everything all the time.
”
I visited a few archery shops looking for the call I wanted, but since it was nearly turkey season, most didn’t have elk calls available. I eventually found what I was looking for, but it wasn’t easy. Did the archery shops who did not stock elk calls in early spring miss out on a sale? Yes. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. After all, most people are looking forward to their turkey hunts at that time, and the larger the selection of turkey products you can offer, the better. With limited shelf space and the crippling cost of excess inventory, it simply isn’t possible to stock everything all the time. So how do you decide what to stock and when to stock it? A smart merchandising plan will help you answer those questions and ensure that you stay as profitable as possible.
Forecasts
There are a number of factors to consider when developing your merchandise
Inside Archery 16 May 2010
plan. First, you need to figure out what your sales will look like for a given period of time. This involves estimating future sales for your shop as a whole, for each product category and for each product. Sales forecasts for your shop as a whole will be based on the sales from previous years, the number of archers and bowhunters who live within driving distance, whether or not you have major competitors nearby, the local economy and the time of year. Product category sales forecasts will also be based on your location and the time of year. Shops located in the West may want to stock a large selection of packs, while shops whose customers mainly hunt backyard whitetails might stock seed for food plots. Product category sales forecasts should also reflect trends in the archery industry. Scouting cameras are hot in many parts of the country right now. So are bows geared towards women and young archers. Specific product forecasts will be based on what your customers are looking for. Some of your customers want to have the very latest in archery gear, while others prefer tried-and-true products. If most of your customers fit into the former category, you’ll need to experiment with a variety of hot new products. If more of your customers fit into the latter category, you’ll want to stock up on solid, reliable favorites.
purchase familiar products, and you don’t have to worry about ending up with tons of overstock at the end of the season. But by not taking risks, you could also be missing out on potentially huge rewards. Keep an eye out for products that might appeal to your customers. Bowfishing is becoming increasingly popular, and stocking bowfishing gear is a great
way to maintain strong sales during the off-season. The ATA Trade Show, the SHOT Show and other trade shows are great places to see and learn about a wide variety of products you could add to your inventory. You might also consider stocking products that your customers wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in an archery shop. Local flea markets and craft fairs might help you find
Dealer Survey Questions Archery dealer input is sought for the next Inside
Archery Dealer School. Your comments are invited on a variety of specific Dealer School topics. All you need to do is fill out and send in the easy-to-use Dealer School Response Card found between pages 18 & 19. Selected comments will be published in an upcoming issue of Inside Archery’s Dealer School. Your shop and location will be listed. In every issue a participating dealer will win a new Hoyt bow! To have a chance at this bow, all you have to do is participate.
Win!
a MAXXIS bow from
Innovations
It’s easy to continue to stock the same old merchandise. Consumers like to
Inside Archery 17 May 2010
Th Montis Winn h’s er! R
on H
Hale’s Har ale Dowagiacd, ware MI
How do you estimate how many bows you’ll sell (and need to stock) in the coming months? Dealer
The following are selected responses from the Inside Archery Dealer School Survey presented in our January 2010 issue. Are you interested in participating and possibly winning a FREE 2010 Hoyt bow in the process? See page 17 of this issue for more information. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----With the growing interest in archery among young people, we always keep a dozen adjustable youth bows on hand at all times. For high-end bows and mid-grade bows, we study the previous year’s sales. We also compare the new bows to the previous year’s models. If major changes have occurred, we raise our order quantities.
Comment
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Darron McDougal • J’s Archery Pro Shop - Antigo, WI
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----We base our bow orders on last year’s sales, economic conditions, advertising and Internet growth. Our business grew by 30 percent from the previous year.
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Bill Lay • Lay’s Archery - Coffeyville, KS
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----For the last six years, I have kept detailed notes on a month-by-month basis to track bow sales. This helps me predict how many bows we should sell in any given month.
Mickey O’Kane • Gem Sport Supply, Inc. - Syracuse, NY
”
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----We usually start with a selection of new model year bows and gauge future stock levels by interest in and sales of those bows.
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Ian Brucker • Lillies Country Complements - Holland Patent, NY
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----We look at the previous year’s sales and at how many phone calls we’ve gotten from customers asking to shoot a certain bow. We also look at the bow itself—is it fast, smooth, lightweight, appealing to look at, etc.?
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Ron Hale • Hale’s Hardware - Dowagiac, MI
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----We look at past averages and estimate future growth to determine the number of bows we’ll likely sell.
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Elvis Robertson • Robertson Ammo & Gun Sales - West Newton, PA
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----We test-shoot new bows to see if there is enough of an upgrade in performance that customers will want to upgrade their bows. With the advertising and new upgrades, you can estimate roughly how many bows you’ll sell.
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Ronda McDougal • J’s Archery Pro Shop - Antigo, WI
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----We stock bows based on how far away hunting season is. We tend to sell more bows about one to two months before the season than any other time. Also, we look at how many bowstrings we sell. The guys that come in to buy new strings probably won’t be buying a new bow.
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Jeremy Sell • Boomer’s Archery - Amarillo, TX
Inside Archery 18 May 2010
unique, unexpected products like handmade birdhouses or metal crafts. Not only will this set you apart from your competition, but if you’re successful at selecting the right products, it will encourage your customers to make more frequent visits to your shop just to see what you have on your shelves.
Assortment
Your assortment is the mix of product categories you carry, as well as the number of products in each category. Stocking a broad range of product categories will help you fill the needs of most of your customers, but the more products you stock, the less you’re likely to know about each product. Focusing on just a handful of product categories allows you to become an expert on your products, but given the time constraints most people have these days, you’ll likely lose a lot of sales to places that can offer one-stop shopping. You’ll probably find that you need to stock a number of products in some product categories while limiting the number of products in other categories to just a handful. When limiting the number of products in a given category, it frequently makes sense to stock a low-cost model, a mid-priced model and a high-end model unless you find that your customers skew toward one end of the price spectrum.
Brands
When you go to the grocery store, there are rarely salespeople lurking in the aisles ready to sell you on Kraft macaroni & cheese or Jell-O pudding cups. And yet we keep buying these products even when there are lower-cost options available. The advertisements we’ve seen promoting these products have done most of the selling already. When selecting the brands you want to stock, consider how familiar your customers are with each brand. The more promotion a company does for its brands, the more familiar your customers will be with them. You’ll have to do a lot more work and spend a lot more time selling products your customers have never heard of.
What’s the proper number of bow brands to carry? Why that number?
Timing
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----It depends on how many bows you can sell. We sell two main lines. That way we can try to get them at the lowest cost. If we add extra lines, we would dilute our sales for each line. Then we might fall below guidelines and not get the best prices.
The last factor to consider in your merchandise plan is timing. You want to ensure that you have products on your shelves when your customers want them, so be sure to factor in order processing and delivery times when placing orders or scheduling reorders. Ordering based on your sales forecasts will help ensure that you have the right number of products in stock at any given time. A solid merchandise plan is a key step in keeping your shop profitable.
Dealer
Comment
The following are selected responses from the Inside Archery Dealer School Survey presented in our January 2010 issue. Are you interested in participating and possibly winning a FREE 2010 Hoyt bow in the process? See page 17 of this issue for more information. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----We carry five brands. We try to carry the top five in our area based on popularity, general consumer demand and advertising. It would be hard to carry more and keep on top of parts, prices, draw modules, etc.
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”
Morgan Dugger • Xpert Archery - Farmington, NM
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----We carry three bow brands. You don’t want to have too many choices—that makes it hard for the customer. So we stock two hot workhorse brands and then a good price-point brand for new archers.
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Scott Oney • Goschinski’s Fin-Feather-Fur Outfitters - Ashland, OH
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----Three. You need to carry at least one of the top lines, and you also need a low-price line for entry-level and budget archers. Plus I like to have a third line that spans both markets.
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Doug Williams • Nichols Store - Rock Hill, SC
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----As many as possible to cater to all your customers’ needs and wants, but you must be knowledgeable enough to work on all the brands you carry. Our store carries three lines of new bows and a variety of used bows.
”
Paul Folbre • Southtown Sporting Goods - Joplin, MO
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Jim Yost • Clarence Archery - Snow Shoe, PA
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----The proper number of bow brands to carry is as many as are feasibly possible. We choose our brands based on which companies spend the most on advertising and who offers the best dealer packages.
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”
Michael J. McDonald • Performance Shooting Inc. - Constable, NY
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----No more than three. If you carry too many lines then you find out real quick that you don’t know anything at all about what you’re selling.
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Jim Hasty • Deer Track Archery - Anderson, IN
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----I carry four brands to try to fit everyone’s budget. Not everyone can afford the high-end bows, so I carry a lower-price brand along with the top-of-the-line brands. That way my customers can upgrade when they have extra money.
”
Steve Rodgers • Steve’s Archery & Guns - Shenandoah, VA
Inside Archery 19 May 2010
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Action ATA Working Hard to Get You to Indy
By reorganizing its staff and negotiating aggressively with Show contractors and Indy’s key players, the ATA makes the Trade Show increasingly cost-effective. Shortly after leaving the 2010 Trade Show in Columbus, Ohio, the ATA’s management team reexamined its staff and key business partnerships to ensure the 2011 Trade Show in Indianapolis attracts as many exhibitors and dealers as possible. “You could say we hit the reset button after the 2010 Show,” said Jay McAninch, ATA CEO/president. “We wanted to assure our members we’re producing the most cost-effective show possible. The Trade Show has become an increasingly large, important and complex part of the industry, so it requires a more committed, diversified team internally and externally to ensure success. I’m happy to report our efforts are already paying off.” The “reset” effort began with an internal review during several strategic meetings which culminated in realigned duties for many ATA staff. “The bottom line is that we’re working hard to drive down costs to make sure the Show is affordable and profitable for dealers and exhibitors,” McAninch said. “We have a talented staff, but we want to maximize their talents and efficiencies, sometimes with help from new internal and online technologies. Many people attending the Show might not notice the changes until they examine their expenses after the 2011 Show. Once they do, I’m confident they’ll see a difference.” For the past decade, the ATA typically had one person leading its Show effort. But that’s no longer possible because the Show has grown so large. Here’s a look at the ATA’s revamped Trade Show team: • Maria Lewis, director of exhibitor and member services: Starting March 1, Lewis took over all exhibitor-related duties for the Show. In addition to helping exhibitors book
Maria Lewis
Kelly Kelly
booth space on the Show floor, she helps them coordinate Show events and programs. She also manages the associa tion’s membership rolls, ensuring all data remain current and accurate. Contact Lewis at (507) 233-8133 or by e-mail at marialewis@archerytrade.org. • Kelly Kelly, manager of support services and operations: Kelly will work extensively with the Show’s hotels. She will also work with Show catering and food services to ensure costs are kept low, fair and consistent. Contact Kelly at (507) 233-8131 or by e-mail at kellykelly@archerytrade.org. • Kurt Weber, director of marketing: Weber directs the Trade Show’s marketing and promotion programs, manages its brand and explores ways to expand sponsorships so exhibitors can reach dealers more efficiently and increase their brand visibility. Contact Weber at (717) 858-2451 or by e-mail at kurtweber@archerytrade.org. • Melinda Gable, director of business development and strategy integration: Gable coordinates most of the ATA’s Internet based platforms and services. She helped design and launch the Trade Show’s online registration system in 2009, which saved ATA members time and trouble before and during the Show. Contact Gable at (202) 302-4794 or by e-mail at melindagable@archerytrade.org. • Lisa Roeder, business manager: Roeder oversees Trade Show registration by handling all business transactions associated with the event. She also handles day-to-day accounting for the ATA, including bill-paying, accounts-receivable and general ledger work. Contact Roeder at (507) 233-8135 or by e-mail at lisaroeder@archerytrade.org.
Kurt Weber
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Melinda Gable
Lisa Roeder
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Beneficial Technologies
Amy Hatfield
Emily Beach
Mitch King
• Amy Hatfield, communications manager: Hatfield plans and coordinates all communications, public relations and media relations for the Trade Show. One of her priorities is finding new media opportunities that benefit ATA members. Contact Hatfield at (803) 275-2257 or by e-mail at amyhatfield@archerytrade.org. • Emily Beach, education and research manager/Trade Show security: Beach coordinates Trade Show security, which has been her primary Show duty for several years. In that role, she oversees parking and loading and unloading for exhibitors at the rear docks, as well as other logistical responsibilities. She also coordinates the “Archery Trade Academy,” the Show’s popular morning seminar series. Contact Beach at (571) 970-3302 or by e-mail at emilybeach@archerytrade.org. • Mitch King, director of government relations: King coordinates VIP visits to the Show by state and federal wildlife agencies. King works with agency pros to help them understand how the archery industry and Trade Show benefit bowhunting and the federal-excise tax programs. Contact King at (303) 585-0377 or by e-mail at mitchking@archerytrade.org. • Michelle Doerr, director of archery and bowhunting programs: Doerr works with nonprofit organizations attending or exhibiting at the Show. She also coordinates the Show reception for internationals. In addition, she works with agency profes sionals during the Show, enhancing their efforts to develop staff and programs to recruit and retain archers and bowhunters. Contact Doerr at (320) 562-2680 or by e-mail at michelledoerr@archerytrade.org. “These are the ATA’s key Show people,” McAninch said. “We want ATA members to learn their names and responsibilities, and contact them with any questions they might have.” Correction: In last month’s column, the ATA referenced an incorrect business name for an archery shop based in Minnesota. The correct business name is Twin Rivers Archery & Outdoors. The archery shop is located in New Ulm, Minnesota, and can be reached by logging onto twinriversarchery.com or calling (507) 359-8946.
Among the technologies the ATA is employing to increase staff effectiveness and customer satisfaction is a software program that shows the Trade Show floor as it takes shape for 2011. Lewis helped the ATA implement “MyExpoBooth,” which upgrades and streamlines Michelle Doerr the Show’s booth-registration process for exhibitors. She describes MyExpoBooth as an online booth-sales application with many benefits for Show exhibitors. “We’ll be using it for the 2011 Trade Show,” Lewis said. “I’m positive our exhibitors will like what they see. This will be the most streamlined process we’ve ever had for the ATA Show. Both exhibitors and attendees will have access to a live, interactive floor plan that supplies a lot of information. And it will be easy to navigate on your computer.” Weber and Lewis are also exploring ways for exhibitors to incorporate shooting lanes into their booths. “By setting up a shooting box in their booths, exhibitors would save time for their staff and dealers because they won’t have to walk across the Show floor to use or demonstrate a product,” Weber said. “Whenever possible, we’re exploring ideas that deliver value to both parties. Even though it’s a three-day show, the ATA Show is large enough that time is always a key factor. We want to help dealers and exhibitors maximize every minute of the day.” Time will be even more valuable at future Trade Shows if the ATA delivers the incentives that entice more dealers to travel to Indianapolis. “We’re focused on doing everything possible to increase quality attendance,” Weber said. “Exhibitors want to see as many qualified dealers as they can. They want to conduct business and write orders with serious dealers. That means we have to explore ways to make everyone’s attendance more valuable for business.”
Good Partners, Bigger Savings
While the economy struggles to recover, Show attendees remain concerned about the costs of hotels, parking, food and services. That means the ATA must look at every possible Show expense and identify areas to drive costs down. This effort included “reorganizing” the ATA’s relationships with its contractors and the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Bureau (ICVB). “We’ve been renegotiating contracts during February and March and resetting our business relationships so both sides can deal with the realities of this economy,” McAninch said. Here are some savings already negotiated for the 2011 Trade Show, including a new 3-year contract with Shepard Exposition Services: Continued on page 24
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• New labor rates with Shepard mean exhibitors will pay less for shipping, handling and drayage. “Those rates will be substantially less than they were in 2010,” McAninch said. “The exact percentage of those savings isn’t final, but it’s a significant amount.” • Labor rates through Shepard will remain modest beyond 2011. McAninch said they will increase only 1.5 percent in 2012 and 2013. • Shepard is providing the ATA $50,000 to work on branding the Show through continued marketing and promotions programs. • Shepard is also providing the ATA $5,000 in discounts on signage and graphics for the Show. • Shepard added an additional experienced manager to assist the ATA on all aspects of the account, thus ensuring exhibitors receive prompt attention during all phases of the Show. • Shepard gave the ATA about $25,000 in rebates on invoices from the 2010 Trade Show. • Shepard agreed to work with the ATA to help capitalize on additional marketing software exhibitors can use to build Show attendance. The ICVB also demonstrated its willingness to work with the ATA to ensure the Show’s success in Indianapolis. “We need their complete support, and they’ve been very responsive,” said McAninch. “They helped facilitate our discussions with key hotel owners, property owners and sports-team owners to develop more benefits our members will experience and appreciate.” The ATA expects its members to enjoy more convenient, affordable access to hotels near the Convention Center. “Hotels always play a key role in the Show’s success at Indy,” McAninch said. “Many of our attendees enjoy being able to get into hotels that are attached to the Convention Center through walkways. That’s going to be even better in 2011.” The ATA is also negotiating such amenities as free breakfasts, free Internet access,
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reduced room rates and reduced parking fees for ATA members. Here’s some other important news regarding nearby hotels: • Several new hotels have been built across the street from the Convention Center, where walkways will connect the hotels to the Convention Center. • Indianapolis added new walkways to some of the older nearby hotels, creating even more sheltered access to the Convention Center. • ATA is working on an aggressive package with six hotels near the Convention Center to offer rooms costing less than $100 per night. “So far we’ve had terrific responses from several hotels offering attractive packages for attendees on a tight budget,” McAninch said. “Some of the older, existing hotels that have been with us for many years are adding services to their packages. That’s why we think there will be more than enough rooms for everyone if they continue working with us. They’ve been renewing our relationship in such a way that our attendees, no matter how many years we’ve come to Indy, will be very excited about coming to the Show again in January.”
Meanwhile, at the Show…
The ATA is also working to expand and improve popular programs that debuted during the 2010 Trade Show, such as online preregistration and the Innovation Zone for fledgling manufacturers. “The Innovation Zone was a hit this year, and we expect a sizable increase in its size for 2011,” Weber said. “That was a very successful debut.” He was equally upbeat about the ATA’s preregistration system, which worked almost flawlessly during its debut. “Advance registration and an integrated online registration made a huge difference,” Weber said. “There were never any long lines at the onsite registration desk. The entire process was very simple and quick, which is what we want. The faster we can get folks onto the Show floor, the faster they can interact with exhibitors and start writing orders.”
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New&Notable New & Innovative Products to Watch
Woodsman Elite 1
If you demand a higher level of durability in your broadhead, look no further. The Woodsman Elite from 3Rivers Archery is machined from a solid piece of tool-grade steel. Its Pyramid tip provides bone-smashing strength, and the Teflon-coated blades provide deep-seated penetration into flesh and bone. The blades are heat-treated to 50 on a Rockwell hardness scale, and not only will they hold an edge, but they can also be re-sharpened in the field with ease. This strong and deadly broadhead has a 1-inch cutting diameter and is backed up by a lifetime guarantee. The Woodsman Elite puts an end to broken blades for good. For more information, log onto woodsman.com or call (866) 587-9501.
2 B.U.P. Consumer Archery Backstop
B.U.P. launched their unique Classic Industrial Archery Backstop last year, and the backstop’s ability to handle arrows cruising at extremely high speeds won many fans. Now B.U.P. is offering a lightweight version of their hanging stop. The new Consumer Archery Backstop version is, like the original, gentle on arrows, lightweight and foldable for easy storage, but now it comes in smaller size selections for an expanded range of uses. The impressive Heavy Duty model of the B.U.P Backstop can handle arrows flying at up to 363 feet per second. The ease of arrow removal makes practicing an absolute pleasure with B.U.P. Backstops, and they make a perfect addition to a 3D-target setup. For more information, log onto bupsports.com or call (877) 855-0094.
Gorilla Treestands Greyback Stealth HX Climber 1
You are always safe in the arms of a Gorilla. Gorilla Treestands weaves remarkable levels of silence, comfort and stability into the new Greyback Stealth HX Climber. An oversized platform with XT-6 nylon washers ensures a whisper-quiet hunt, while the ultra-comfortable XPE zero-G dual density foam seat will lead to more hours in the woods and, ultimately, more success. With the Stealth HX Climber’s ability to climb trees that range from 8 to 20 inches in diameter, its functionality is limitless. The Gorilla-strong steel construction is rated for 300 pounds and the Stealth HX comes with fully adjustable padded backpack straps. For more information, log onto gorillatreestands.com or call (877) 685-7817.
2 Countrymen Innovations Jake Intimidator
Some say that turkeys are getting wise to a lot of the decoy styles on the market today. Flat or unmoving setups can garner suspicion from the highly coveted long-beards. But that scenario is a thing of the past with the Countrymen Innovations Jake Intimidator decoy. What makes the Jake Intimidator special is that it moves with an easy-to-use hand-control device. The movement, along with the realistic fan and lifelike feather pattern on the Jake Intimidator, will bring a hung-up bird rushing within range. The lightweight and foldable design means this ultra-effective decoy can be brought to even the most distant of hunting grounds with ease. For more information, log onto jakeintimidator.com or call (800) 267-3136.
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Tactical Archery Systems SABO Sight 1
The Tactical Archery Systems SABO Sight was inspired by US military technology for rapid target- and aiming-point acquisition. The SABO (Superimposed Ambient Ballistic Optic) delivers superimposed aiming dots generated only by natural light gathered through fiber optics. There are no electronics whatsoever in this sight, making it legal everywhere. The dots are projected into a concave lens with a special coating. This magnifies the fiber intensity and generates the superimposed holographic dot images into the archer’s headsup sight picture. Utilizing a patent-pending design, the fibers are held in a ballistic configuration which allows for independent adjustment of the projected aiming points. Regardless of the angle that the dots are viewed from, they will always show the arrow alignment with the impact point. That means that no peep sight is required. Just aim and shoot. For more information, log onto tacticalarcherysystems.com or call (877) 686-7226.
2 Lakewood Double Bow Case
When you are heading to that bowhunt of a lifetime you’ve been planning for years, you are going to need a backup bow, but you don’t want to squander all that room with a second bow case. The Lakewood Products C-276 Double Bow Case solves this dilemma in spades. By utilizing its popular drop-in style case with space for two, Lakewood Products has created a unique product that is airline approved and ready for travel. The C-276 is lockable and sports an ergonomic shoulder strap for comfortable carrying. Whether you are traveling with a hunting partner or are carrying two bows, the Lakewood Products C-276 Double Bow Case delivers unparalleled functionality. For more information, log onto lakewoodproducts.com or call (800) 872-8458.
Firefly Electronic Wind Detector 1
Knowing is half the battle when it comes to wind direction—shifting breezes and thermals can prove tricky to judge when you are out in the field and the success of your hunt often relies on approaching game from the proper direction. The Firefly electronic wind detector ends uncertainty. By taking and analyzing 512 readings per second, the Firefly gives you precise information about wind direction and thermal variation, even if you can’t feel it. Using the Firefly is easy—simply press the button, wait three seconds and the LED lights will tell you the wind direction every second for five seconds. Powder puffers require a perceptible breeze and daylight to use. The Firefly can pick up even the most minimal breeze and be used in any lighting conditions. The Firefly will provide the confidence you need when chasing game through the western mountains or choosing stand sites in the northern woods. For more information, log onto huntfirefly.com or call (303) 408-0250.
2 C.W. Erickson’s Manufacturing 2-Tier 24-Bow Floor Display
It’s simple really—the more bows you can display, the more bows you can sell. The new C.W. Erickson’s Manufacturing 2-Tier 24-Bow Floor Display will help any retailer take advantage of this obvious fact. This impressive display includes eight independent adjustable arms that hold three bows each. This display is extremely flexible and can be adjusted to accommodate any limb style, so your selection of standard, parallel, beyond-parallel and recurve bows can all be housed on this heavy-duty rack. This stable and durable display is powder coated, stands 90 inches tall and has a 36-inch footprint. You can maximize your showroom space and maximize profits with the 2-Tier 24-Bow Floor Display. For more information, log onto archerhunter.com or call (763) 682-3665.
Inside Archery 27 May 2010
P E OP L E
Archery Industry Members Participating in the Sport SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO: Send a color photo with your name, address, where animal was taken, camo worn and archery gear used to Inside Archery Power of Participation, 2960 N. Academy Blvd., Suite 101, Colorado Springs, CO 80917 or email to popphoto@insidearchery.com.
Walter Makowski • Wyoming Bison Owner—Archery Pro Shop Bow: Hoyt X Tec Arrow: Easton Broadhead: Muzzy
Sight: Hoyt Rest: Hoyt Release: Cobra Caliper
Jim Litmer (right) • Canada Black Bear Vice President of Sales—Third Hand Archery Bow: Hickory Creek Arrow: High Country Speed Pro Broadhead: Grim Reaper Rest: Trophy Ridge
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Release: Scott Outfitter: Lawrence Dyer and Sons Outfitters, www.dyersoutfitters.com
Art Heinze • New Mexico Elk President—Trophy Hunter Products Bow: High Country Archery Broadhead: Rocky Mountain Razor Sight: None
Rest: Golden Key Futura Huntmaster 2000 Release: None Stabilizer: Sims
Bill Henneman • S. Carolina Whitetail President—Wildcat Archery Bow: Mathews Switchback Arrow: Easton Broadhead: Muzzy 3-Blade
Craig Stawiarski • Texas Dall Sheep Vice President—Xtreme Scents
Brad Treu • Wisconsin Whitetail
Bow: Wheeler Arcodus Arrow: Easton Axis Sight: TruGlo Release: T.R.U. Ball
Bow: Mathews Outback Arrow: Beman ICS Hunter Broadhead: Rocket Wolverine
Rest: Trophy Ridge Whisker Biscuit Scent Elimination: Xtreme Scents Scent Eliminator Body and Hair Wash
Sight: Vital Bow Gear Star Track Release: Scott Quiver: Fuse
Sales Representative—Mathews Inc.
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Sight: Trophy Taker Top Pin Release: Scott Treestand: Gorilla
Business, it is said, is the science of service. He profits most who serves best. What that means in the real world is that solid businesses aren’t built and maintained by getting the better of someone else. They prosper by providing goods and/or services that are worth more to their customers than the amount those customers pay for those things. That’s how businesses get ahead. “When I was very young,” says APA Innovations CEO Nibal Achkar, “I saw just how important customer service and good food was in the restaurants my family owned. I saw how difficult it was to gain new customers and yet how easy it was to lose them. Only if we offered the sort of food our customers enjoyed and the sort of service they expected did we thrive and grow. That revelation made a huge impression on me.” Nibal Achkar immigrated to Canada with his family from Lebanon when he was only eight years old. His industrious family, which had been educators in Lebanon, turned to business in their new country, focusing on a series of widespread restaurants. By age ten, Nibal was helping in those restaurants. “About that same time, I also discovered that I was fascinated by archery,” says Nibal. “My first bows were willow switches and string, although by age ten I had made a more lasting bow from the lower, stiffer section of an old fiberglass fishing rod. No one else in my family was involved in archery, but something about bows and arrows attracted me. Oddly enough, my first name, Nibal, means arrow in Arabic. “One of the things I really enjoyed was simply seeing how far I could shoot an arrow. I was forever launching arrows in some open field to see how far those arrows would go.” As the years progressed, Nibal’s interest in archery grew. “I began bowhunting and also shot a bit competitively,” Nibal reveals. “The area where we live in Saskatchewan offers excellent deer hunting, for both mule deer and very big whitetails. I had the pleasure of doing some of the taxidermy
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work on the famous Hanson Buck (the world record typical whitetail), which was taken only ten minutes from here. And within a two-hour drive we’re also in the midst of good elk, moose and bear country. “Having always been the sort of person that would pick something up, hold it in my hand and then try to figure out how to make that item better, I quickly became the sort of archer that went through a lot of bows. Every year I upgraded to a new model. That eventually provided me with a good understanding of what was available in the way of archery equipment. It also taught me a great deal about setting up, tuning and getting the best performance out of a wide variety of bows. “Eventually I began using that knowledge to help friends set up and tune their bows. That snowballed to the point where I was helping friends of friends, and eventually I came to the realization that there was a real demand in our area for someone who could do this work and provide this service.” In 1999, Nibal Achkar opened a small part-time archery shop in his home in Biggar, Saskatchewan. The idea behind the dealership was to have access to factory parts for service work and a small selection of chosen bows and accessories to recommend to customers. Expert service and the right gear was the credo. “Within two years, however, my sideline was taking over our house and my time,” Nibal remembers. “I had reached the point where I had to make a decision––do I cut back or do I jump into it full time and move the business out of the house? “Although I did have some hesitation about opening a fullscale archery pro shop, with the support and encouragement of my wife Caty, the decision was made to go forward. In 2001 we erected a building, brought in more equipment, offered even more services and opened Al’s Precision Archery for full-time business.
Al is what many of my customers called me. “Al’s Precision Archery was an archery-only pro shop offering the highest-quality gear and expertise services. We also provided an indoor range as well as a virtual hunting simulator. Our bow lines included Mathews, Hoyt, BowTech, PSE and Martin. “Biggar, Saskatchewan, is a small town. Its population at that time was less than 3,000 people. I knew that to be successful we would have to draw archery customers from as far away as possible, and that meant offering what wasn’t readily available everywhere else. We really built that business on the customer service aspect. Yes, we had the right equipment, and that was crucial as well. But it was the expert archery service that attracted customers from hours away, endeared them to us and kept them and their friends coming back time and time again. The formula was simple. We had to be the best.” About the same time that Nibal opened Al’s Precision Archery he was also making a change in his own shooting style. That change led to an even greater involvement in the archery industry. “I had long been a finger shooter,” Nibal relates. “I liked shooting with my fingers, but I could see the writing on the wall. The vast majority of my customers shot their bows with a release, and I needed to do the same. “As I made the switch from fingers to release, one of the things I discovered was that the release-oriented arrow rests of the day were troublesome, particularly in hunting situations. At the time, dual-prong rests were the most popular, but it was always a challenge to keep your hunting arrow on those rests while in a stand or when stalking. There had to be a better way.
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“I was actually trying to modify an existing arrow holder when I came up with an idea for a much improved arrow rest. Rather than delicately prop the arrow up from below, why not support it more fully from above? In that moment, the overhead arrow-rest concept was born, and in no time I created a prototype of the rest we came to call the Ultimate Arrow Rest. “The Ultimate Arrow Rest fully enclosed the arrow so that there was no possible way it could become dislodged or fall from the rest. It also offered minimal fletch contact for excellent arrow flight, proved to be pinpoint accurate and had no moving parts so it was magnificently reliable.” Quite suddenly Al’s Precision Archery was flirting with the idea of also becoming an arrow-rest manufacturer. But to keep the pro shop separate from the manufacturing business, Nibal decided to form a new, additional company called APA Innovations, the “APA” moniker coming from the archery shop. “To start the manufacturing operation on the right foot,” says Nibal, “I sought out the help of a number of local and provincial business-development firms. As we fleshed out APA Innovations, we worked closely with Bear Hill Development, Midsask REDA and Meridian Community Futures Development Corporation to help us orchestrate our initial manufacturing-business plans and financing. All three of those firms proved invaluable in helping us properly launch our new company.” A big part of that launch was exhibiting for the very first time
at the big AMO Trade Show in Nashville, Tennessee, in January of 2002. “We had never done a trade show before, but we knew that show was where dealers went to see and buy new archery products. It proved a huge effort for us to make it to that show. I remember we worked right up to the last minute to prepare prototypes of our arrow rest for display. “Fortunately, the APA Ultimate Arrow Rest received a great reception at the show. People were astonished. Many dealers brought other dealers to our booth to show them our revolutionary new arrow rest. Most were simply amazed by how simple and effective our new concept was. And just like that we were in the archery-equipment manufacturing business.” In the next couple of years, Nibal Achkar and APA Innovations continued to improve and expand their arrow-rest lineup. They improved the cosmetics of the rests, covered the cradle with a rubber coating to silence the rest, added a micro-adjustable version and developed different styles of the Ultimate Rest for release shooters, fingers shooters and even for
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young and beginning archers. By 2004 the arrow-rest business was booming. “Bowhunters loved the simplicity, durability and arrow security that the APA Ultimate Arrow Rests provided. In 2004 we also introduced our Safari Series of Ultimate Rests as well as the drop-away-style APA Twister Rest. In addition, we introduced a totally unique new product called the APA Bow Carrying Handle. “Let’s face it––bows are typically awkward to carry for hours in the field. That’s because they were meant to shoot well and not necessarily carry well. Most archers resort to one of two carry methods. They either grab the bow by the bowstring or they grab the bow by its grip. Neither works well for long. The former has the bow swinging annoyingly from side to side. The latter just isn’t comfortable. In 2004 we solved the carry problem by introducing a bolt-on Bow Carrying Handle. The APA Carrying Handle projected out in front of the bow slightly and made it very easy for any archer to comfortably carry any bow for hours on end.” That same year, APA Innovations qualified for the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce ABEX Awards. The ABEX (Achieving Business Excellence) Awards were created to honor outstanding achievements in business excellence. APA Innovations placed in the top five honorees in the province. Outstanding products and service remained the watchwords at APA Innovations, but gradually a new revelation began to dawn. “By 2005 we had concluded that accessories alone were not enough to sustain the sort of growth we envisioned for our company,” Nibal explains. “We had to do more. Our first attempt to further expand our business scope was to offer to license some of our innovations to a number of the most respected and successful bow companies. That proved generally unsuccessful. So we simply decided to create our own bow line to exploit our ideas on how bows could be made better. “As that plan moved forward we focused on the idea that to be successful in the bow industry, we would have to be truly unique.
Otherwise it would be a very tough road as the bow marketplace was highly competitive and had been so for decades. In other words, APA bows would have to stand out in the crowd both in terms of cosmetics and performance. “We began designing bows by looking closely at the riser and figuring out how we could make that key component much more user-friendly. To do that, we incorporated the distinctive APA carrying-handle concept directly into the riser. That Bow Carrying System delivered three distinct advantages. First, it once and for all created a comfortable carrying handle for the bow. That riser-integrated handle perfectly balanced and controlled the bow for extended carry. It also had the effect of making the bow feel almost half of its actual mass weight. Second, the integrated carrying handle helped stiffen the riser, allowing us to go with a thinner, more torque-free grip, and at the same time helped further stabilize the riser for improved shooting performance and a more dampened shot. And lastly, the riser-integrated carrying handle became an instant APA identifier for our bows. Nothing else looks like an APA riser. “I suppose we could have stopped there, but we didn’t. Below the riser’s grip we created what we called the APA Utility Tool Center. That unique Tool Center includes a nock-turning tool, a broadhead wrench
and a carbide sharpener built directly into the bow. As a result, with an APA bow there is no need in the field or at the range to dig through your tackle box or pack to find those commonly used tools. With an APA bow, they rest conveniently right at your fingertips.” Late in 2005 APA Innovations introduced their very first bows, the APA Black Mamba and the APA Taipan. Both bows featured the unique APA riser with Carrying Handle System and Utility Tool Center. The dual-cam APA Black Mamba was touted as the world’s fastest bow. The single-cam APA Taipan was designed for more moderate performance. Those two very distinctive and userfriendly new bows quickly put APA Innovations on the bow map. Within a year APA Innovations had expanded its unique bow lineup to six models. “We did that based on the outstanding initial success of the Black Mamba and the Taipan, but also to better satisfy the needs of different types of archers. Some want faster bows. Some want longer axle-to-axle lengths. Some want an easy-drawing, quieter bow. And the only way to achieve all that and to reach out to and satisfy even more customers was to intelligently expand the line.” In 2008, Nibal added yet another ingenious user-friendly
design feature to the already distinctive APA bow line—the APA Fang. “We envisioned the APA Fang based on practicality, insight in the field and our continuing drive to make our bows better. While in the field or at the range, archers are always seemingly looking for somewhere to safely hang their bow. This is a particular problem in any treestand. The APA Fang is a series of two fang-like hooks machined into the top of the bow’s riser. With that attractive fang, the bow can be hung securely and safely almost anywhere. The APA Fang also allows the bowhunter to hang their bow on almost any branch without cutting the end off that branch, and it makes removing the bow from the branch (or bow hook) much easier and quieter than from most bow holders. It is, essentially, a better bow-hanging system.” To keep the innovations coming, the company introduced the APA Cam Lock System in 2009. This inventive system allows archers to service their APA bows in the field without a bow press in the event that an emergency pops up with the bow’s cables or bowstring. “Let’s say you wear or cut a couple strands in your bowstring,” offers Nibal, “or your peep sight is rotating improperly or a string silencer just flew off into the trees and you want to quickly install another. The APA Cam Lock System allows you to remove a special pin from the riser’s Utility Tool Center, step on the bow’s bowstring, slightly pull the bow upward and then insert the pin into special holes in the bow’s cams to lock the bow
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in a slightly compressed manner. In that slightly compressed manner, you can then work on the bow’s bowstring, cables or any of the accessories attached to those components. And you can do all of this in just seconds without having to back out your limb bolts.” For this year, Nibal is offering an APA option that in effect turns an APA bow into the handiest of flashlights. The newfor-2010 APA Walkout Light is an LED light that attaches to the bow near the Tool Center. “When you need it, as when gathering your gear at the base of a tree in the dark or when walking out or in to a stand in the pitch dark, the APA Walkout Light can be switched on to softly and conveniently illuminate the way. There’s nothing extra to carry but your bow, and the light can be turned to point down, forward or backwards as the need may be. The APA Walkout Light represents a more convenient and safer way to travel in the dark.” Today, APA Innovations and the still-operating Al’s Precision Archery occupy the same expanded building on Main Street in Biggar, Saskatchewan. The front portion of the building holds
the archery pro shop. The back portion and upper level of the building houses the offices, manufacturing, assembly and warehousing operations of APA Innovations. APA Innovations’ unique accessories and distinctive bows are sold around the world only through carefully qualified archery pro shops. “It’s been a fast ride,” concedes Nibal, “from a part-time archery shop in our house, to a full-time archery pro shop in its own building, to accessory manufacturer, to bow company. We’ve been blessed all along with a dependable, hard-working staff, with equipment insights that came from our own countless hours in the field and with a sense of business responsibility that pushed us to develop and provide unique goods and services that our customers needed, wanted and came to highly value.” Business, it is said, is the science of service. APA Innovations is doing well because it’s serving well. For more information on APA Innovations and its unique products, please log onto apaarchery.com or call APA Innovations at (866) 353-7378.
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M a r k e t
T r e n d s
Bow Report By Bill Krenz
PSE X-Force Axe 6 N
o one does fast quite like PSE. Three years ago PSE rocked the archery world with the introduction of a revolutionary new bow, the PSE X-Force. The X-Force singlehandedly launched a whole new era of compound bow performance that blended unprecedented arrow speed with a surpassingly quiet, shock-free and accurate shot. The PSE X-Force did that with a radical new slant on bow design that incorporated a long and only slightly reflexed (backset) riser coupled with shockingly short, massively preloaded limbs and oversized aggressive cams. The shape was that of a relatively narrow upright rectangle and the resulting performance was nothing short of spectacular. Since that time PSE has greatly expanded its X-Force Integrated into the Axe Hybrid Cam System is the Axe Inner Cam, a bow lineup, capitalizing on the rotating-module arrangement that enables the bow’s draw length to advantages of X-Force design be adjusted over a 6-inch range. technology to develop a warrior fleet of X-Force bow models for today’s broad range of archers. Among the newest in that lineup is the 2010 PSE X-Force Axe 6. The new PSE Axe 6 merges X-Force performance with extraordinary versatility. At the heart of the Axe 6 are all the design elements that we’ve come to value in an X-Force bow, like Located below the grip on the PSE X-Force Axe 6 is a Vibracheck Backa long and forgiving riser, masStop. With every shot, the BackStop stops bowstring vibration cold. sively preloaded 12-inch split limbs, Slim Low-Torque Grip, Vibracheck BackStop and premium America’s Best Bowstrings. On top of that, the new X-Force Axe 6 features an innovative new high-performance cam system that offers an amazing 6 inches of draw-length adjustability without modules. Just imagine the versatility in that system. A dealer with a sensible PSE X-Force Axe 6 inventory can perfectly fit any archer who walks in the door. All that dealer has to do is quickly adjust the bow’s revolutionary Axe Inner Cam System to the desired draw length. That adjustment is simple, fast and accomplished without a bow press. Consumers will also appreciate and value that tremendous versatility. Draw length with the 2010
Inside Archery 38 May 2010
Axe 6 can be user-fine-tuned in half-inch increments for a truly custom fit and feel. That boosts shootability. But it does more. Down the road, when new PSE bows become available, the remarkable adjustability of the Axe 6 actually elevates the bow’s resale value because it can be quickly and easily custom-fitted to almost anyone. That short brother-in-law or that tall new friend all become potential buyers. In today’s frugal world, that can become yet another strong selling point for the 2010 PSE X-Force Axe 6. Of course the biggest selling point for the new PSE X-Force Axe 6 is the bow’s performance. In typical X-Force style, the 2010 Axe 6 is very fast. But this new bow, and its ingenious Axe Hybrid Cam System, is also surprisingly smooth to draw for such a fast bow, and delivers a wonderfully quiet and shock-free shot. Superb performance and remarkable versatility make the 2010 PSE X-Force Axe 6 a bow to reckon with.
How It Shoots
Conventional archery wisdom suggests that the faster the bow, the harsher it will draw, the noisier it will shoot and the more critical it will be of even small shooting errors. But the new PSE X-Force Axe 6 is anything but conventional. Its X-Force technology and new Axe Hybrid Cam System seem to handily deal with all of those things. I was surprised by how smoothly the new Axe 6 draws. Yes, the weight builds quickly, as it must with a fast bow, but the Axe 6 then transitions into letoff with a pleasing gentleness that makes drawing and letting down this new PSE bow much easier than with many fast bows. Even with light arrows, the 2010 PSE Axe 6 is an amazingly quiet bow with very little hand shock. Chalk that up to X-Force technology, those massively preloaded, past-parallel limbs, a stiff riser and the new Axe Hybrid Cam System. There are some who still claim that especially fast bows are never particularly accurate. I can only
Specifications
Arrow Speed
Axle-to-Axle Length
32.5 inches
28-inch Arrows
Brace Height
6 inches
Riser Geometry
3.12 inches reflex
Mass Weight
4.0 pounds
Letoff
75 percent
Draw Lengths
25.5 to 30.5 inches
Draw Weights
60#, 70#
Color
Mossy Oak Treestand, Satin Black
PSE X-Force Axe 6 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
PSE X-Force Axe 6 set at 29 inches (by factory) and adjusted to 70 pounds ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Shaft Arrow Kinetic Arrow Grains/In Weight Energy Speed
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Easton XX78 Alloy 2512 Easton Full Metal Jacket 400 Carbon Express Aramid KV 350 Carbon Tech Whitetail 65/80 Carbon Express Maxima Hunter 350 Easton ST Axis N-Fused 400 Beman ICS Hunter Elite 400 Gold Tip XT Hunter 55/75 PSE Radial X Weave Hunter 300 Gold Tip Ultralight Pro 400 Carbon Tech Cheetah 400 Easton FlatLine 400 High Country Speed Pro Max
10.3 10.2 9.8 9.5 8.9 9.0 8.4 8.2 8.1 7.4 6.4 7.4 5.5
448 gr. 426 gr. 415 gr. 411 gr. 398 gr. 392 gr. 390 gr. 385 gr. 376 gr. 361 gr. 346 gr. 344 gr. 303 gr.
90.1 89.8 89.7 89.4 89.4 89.2 89.2 89.2 88.7 88.9 87.8 87.8 86.2
301 fps 308 fps 312 fps 313 fps 318 fps 320 fps 321 fps 323 fps 326 fps 333 fps 338 fps 339 fps 358 fps
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For more information, log onto pse-archery.com or call PSE at (520) 884-9065.
Bow weighed with an Easton Bow Force Digital Scale. All tests conducted with a Spot-Hogg Hooter Shooter Portable Shooting Machine and a Competition Electronics Pro Chronograph.
that enables the bow’s draw length to be quickly and easily changed over a full 6-inch range in half-inch increments.
Massively Preloaded Limbs The dramatically preloaded 12-inch split limbs on the new PSE Axe 6 boost bow performance while also effectively dampening every shot. Those past-parallel limbs actually cancel out residual bow jar and vibration with remarkable efficiency. Massively preloaded 12-inch split limbs are among the distinguishing features of the 2010 PSE Axe 6. Those dramatic limbs boost bow performance and dampen shot vibration.
surmise that they haven’t yet shot the PSE X-Force bows. In my hands PSE X-Force bows have proved astonishingly accurate shooters. I think a good part of that is the reasonably forgiving nature of the X-Force risers. While plenty of bow companies utilize excessive reflex in their risers to coax additional speed from their bows, PSE’s X-Force risers feature relatively little reflex. Everything else being equal, a straighter riser generally feels more forgiving than a more reflexed riser. The straighter riser on the new PSE X-Force Axe 6 feels and shoots great. The new Axe 6 is one fast bow that delivers outstanding accuracy. Grouping hunting arrows at 60 yards and beyond on my test range proved no problem at all.
Key Features and Benefits Axe Hybrid Cam System
Smoother to draw and more readily adjustable, the new Axe Hybrid Cam System on the Axe 6 feels and shoots extremely well. At the core of the new system is the Axe Inner Cam, a rotating-module arrangement
Mildly Reflexed Riser Most fast bows sport more riser reflex than the PSE X-Force bows, including the new Axe 6. With less reflex, the Axe 6 aims more naturally and is less affected by grip torque, both of which contribute to increased forgiveness and accuracy.
Slim Low-Torque Grip Along with less reflex, the Axe 6 riser features a Slim Low-Torque Grip. That grip, with its narrow throat and reassuring flat back, encourages consistent bow-hand placement, and that too boosts accuracy.
Vibracheck BackStop The bow’s Vibracheck BackStop instantly terminates bowstring vibration during the shot, effectively dampening bowstring vibration and noise.
America’s Best Bowstrings The Axe 6 is factory-equipped with premium America’s Best Bowstrings utilizing Equalized Strand Technology to ensure minimal shoot-in time and no peep rotation.
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Inside Archery 39 May 2010
Attendees consistently remarked on how well-run the Kinsey’s Dealer Show was. Responsible for ensuring the success of the show are Toni DiRuscio, Rick Kinsey and Dave Parker (right), shown here with Inside Archery’s Travis Reginek. Few people know archery adhesives like Jerry Smith of Goat Tuff Products. For 2010, Goat Tuff has also introduced the Opti-Vane, which delivers unmatched adhesion, durability and performance.
2010 Kinsey’s Dealer Show By Michaelean Pike
T
The new-for-2010 Muzzy Xtreme Duty Bowfishing Kit promises to be a best-seller this summer. Chris James was on hand to take orders from dealers looking to profit off of the growing interest in bowfishing.
he eighth annual Kinsey’s Dealer Show was held February 26-28 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Although a major snowstorm blasted the Northeast that weekend, show attendance was strong and the mood was notably upbeat. “The Kinsey’s Dealer Show was designed to give our customers the opportunity to see new products and buy them at the best pricing available,” explains Kinsey’s Keith Arnold. “Qualified dealers are given extended dating, allowing them to move through the product before the bill is due. For 2010, the Hot Show Room, featuring popular items at huge discounts, was even bigger than in years past. The Mathews Hot Show Room, where Mathews dealers could find incredible discounts on Mathews Exclusive and Lost Camo products, was also expanded. And dealers could test-shoot the latest bows and
Gene and Michelle Price of Trophy Rock were available to explain how Trophy Rock helps grow bigger, healthier deer. Last year, Norway introduced the revolutionary Fusion vane to rave reviews from bowhunters everywhere. With three sizes of Fusion vanes to choose from in 2010, the Norway booth, staffed by Jill Halliburton, was busy throughout the Kinsey’s Show.
JJ and Shelby Dilworth of Spot-Hogg hold up just a couple of the products that had dealers writing orders.
Inside Archery 40 May 2010
crossbows in the bow testing room sponsored by Field Logic.” The archery manufacturers who exhibited at the 2010 Kinsey’s Dealer Show found that the dealers in attendance were eager to take advantage of the special show discounts. “Obviously, the weather was terrible,” says Stacy Randall of The Bohning Company. “But our booth was still busy, and we had lots of dealers writing orders. It was a very profitable show for us.” “Kinsey’s is always a great show,” says Ripcord’s Keith Dvoroznak. “I have the chance to meet my dealers face to face instead of just talking to them over the phone. Everyone was excited about the new Ripcord CodeRed, and we wrote a lot of orders. As long as Kinsey’s keeps having their show, I’ll be there.” “The Kinsey’s Show is a great opportunity for us to meet our dealers, especially those who did not attend the ATA Show,” says Jason Fuller of G5. “We were able to explain the features and benefits of our new products. The more dealers know about our products, the more effectively they can sell them.”
l ia ec rt Sp epo R
With more and more states easing restrictions on crossbow use, horizontal bows are a major money-maker for archery dealers. Some of the best crossbows are manufactured by Parker, represented by Paul Vaicunas (left), Michelle Griffith and Gordon Griffith.
“We see the Kinsey’s Show as an opportunity to gather dealer feedback as well as addressing changing customer trends,” says Jennifer Toepper of Barnett. “This year also offered an excellent opportunity to educate dealers with pending or recent state crossbow regulation changes on how this will affect them. Kinsey’s is a terrific account to work with. They take exceptional care of their dealer base which is reflected by dealer satisfaction and, in turn, sales.” With the economy looking brighter for 2010, many dealers were looking to stock up on the hottest new archery gear. “I came to the Kinsey’s Show to learn more about new products,” explains Robert Lavigne of The Hunting & Fishing Store in Ontario, Canada. “It was the perfect chance to see everything for myself, and I was able to talk to my suppliers about the products. I learned a lot.” Kelly Racz of Shorts Marine in Millsboro, Delaware, also appreciated the chance to examine new products in person. “I got to play with all the new products, which makes it easier for me to decide what to sell in my store. It was a phenomenal show. Kinsey’s always treats us right, and they know how to put on a good show.” Doug Dulaney of The Trading Post in Pine Grove, West Virginia, thoroughly
Inside Archery’s Brandon Johnson (left) and Matt Smith of October Mountain Products discuss the new Light Stryke Laser Bowfishing Sight, which diffracts in water for pinpoint accuracy.
enjoyed the show. “My wife attended with me, and we had a great time. There were a lot of great deals, and I love that Kinsey’s lets me program my orders for the whole year. I’ve been dealing with Kinsey’s for 12 years and I really benefit from working with them.” Show discounts and the opportunity to learn about the latest products weren’t all the Kinsey’s Show had to offer. A number of special events further added to the experience for dealers and manufacturers alike. On Friday, February 26, a free dealer seminar entitled “Crossbows—History & Future” helped dealers learn more about this growing product category. The Saturday Dealer Appreciation Night sponsored by LimbSaver, Carbon Express and Realtree featured great food and a performance by country music star Jason Michael Carroll. And one lucky archery shop, Tim’s Arrow Shop in Wolcott, New York, won a free Polaris Sportsman 300 ATV given away by William Gartland & Associates. Participating manufacturers include Victory Arrows, Winner’s Choice Custom Bowstrings/ HECS Clothing, Hunter Safety System, Tru-Fire, Extreme Sights, KutMaster, LimbSaver, TenPoint, Covert Cameras, Kwikee Kwiver, Predator i-Kams and Field Logic. Next year’s Kinsey’s Dealer Show is scheduled for February 18-20, 2011.
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Ben Summers of T.R.U. Ball (left) got some help from his children, Grant and Lindsay, in showcasing the latest offerings from T.R.U. Ball and Axcel Sights. The Pole Mountain Hardcase BII, shown off here by Jedediah Forrest, ensures that traveling archers will find their bows in one piece when they arrive at their destination.
Inside Archery 41 May 2010
SpyderWeb Targets’ Kelly Branch (right) was on hand to show off SpyderWeb’s line of super-tough targets.
James McGovern of Rinehart (left) answers questions about the innovative Rinehart Rhinoblock practice target. Made of Rinehart’s self-healing foam, the Rhinoblock is as durable as it is versatile.
M a r k e t
T r e n d s
Field Test By Bill Krenz
Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity Tl he best companies seem eternally on a tear to improve things. You see that with today’s leading bow and archery accessory companies, and you see it with Mossy Oak. Nearly 25 years ago Mossy Oak shook up the hunting industry with the release of its first camo pattern, a pattern that used natural elements and colors from the woods to enable hunters to better blend in with their surroundings. That was in 1986, and Mossy Oak has been improving camouflage ever since. A significant improvement came in 1996 when Mossy Oak introduced Break-Up, which became one of the most successful new camo patterns ever developed. The secret to Mossy Oak Break-Up was a revolutionary use of shadows to enhance the natural look of the pattern and create the appearance of depth like never before. Serious hunters flocked to Mossy Oak Break-Up, and the pattern became an instant bestseller. Not a company to coast, Mossy Oak continued to quietly push forward, searching for even better ways to enhance its camouflage. By 2002 it had developed new technologies that allowed it to create two startling new elements: ultra-realistic bark patterns and ghost shadows. The bark patterns were created from digital scans of actual tree bark. The ghost shadows replicated the effects of indistinct shadows cast by branches situated between the viewer and the pattern. When those innovative elements were applied to the basic configuration of Break-Up, the result was stunning and a whole new and significantly more advanced camo pattern emerged. That fresh pattern was called New Break-Up,
Inside Archery 44 May 2010
and like original Break-Up, New Break-Up took the camouflage world by storm. By now hunters were sold on the legacy of Mossy Oak’s evolving Break-Up pattern. In subsequent years the Mossy Oak development team introduced additional camouflage patterns, including New Shadow Grass (2003), Obsession (2004), Brush (2005), Duck Blind (2007) and Mossy Oak Treestand (2008). But always Mossy Oak continued to work on further improving, if possible, its hugely popular Break-Up line “The challenge we faced was in how to take the wildly popular New Break-Up pattern concept to a much higher level,” says Mossy Oak’s Director of Research and Development Larry Moore. “New Break-Up was so popular because its lights, darks and forest elements worked so well to break up the human outline in the woods. The task was not easy. We poured three years into the creation of a startling solution. “Up to that point the very best camo patterns, like New Break-Up, had all offered fairly realistic hunting-country elements (sticks, limbs, bark, leaves, etc.) with some measure of reasonable depth. Our goal became to create the most detailed natural elements ever produced and combine them with dramatically more depth than anyone had ever seen in a camo pattern. Most camo patterns feature only moderate depth. That is, your eye travels only so far into the pattern before it’s halted by some sort of indistinct base layer. We wanted something that enabled you to continue looking into
the pattern without pause, essentially into infinity, which is exactly the view you get in the real woods. No one had ever truly captured that effect before.” The result of all of that thinking and all of that work is a brand new camo pattern from Mossy Oak for 2010 called Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity. Break-Up Infinity has electrified the hunting world. “We threw convention out the window and went with a revolutionary new look and effectiveness,” Moore explains. “To begin with, we created unprecedented depth in the pattern. With Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity there simply is no base layer to stop the eye. The startling background truly does continue into infinity with layer on layer of detail that dissolves into the distance. On top of that we added incredibly detailed natural elements plucked straight from the woods. At the same time we maintained the crucial light-and-dark contrast that has long been the hallmark of Mossy Oak Break-Up patterns. The net effect is astonishing––unprecedented depth, unmatched detail and extraordinary contrast. Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity is the most advanced and effective camouflage pattern ever developed. It not only breaks up the human outline, it also merges perfectly into the forest. “It’s a pattern that we kept working and working on. We finally realized we had achieved every one of our goals when the photographers who were shooting pictures in the woods of early samples of the pattern came back saying that their cameras had difficulty focusing on the swatches of Break-Up Infinity. Apparently their auto focus kept jumping from element to element and layer to layer deeper and deeper into the pattern.” The initial reaction to Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity has been, as can be expected, outstanding. “Mossy Oak licensees have been jumping on Break-Up Infinity in a very big way,” admits Moore. “Their clothing and hard-good offerings are going to be spectacular. It’s also been interesting to note
that even though our planned ad campaigns for the new pattern haven’t yet hit, consumers are already calling daily wanting to know when product in Break-Up Infinity will be available. That’s the sort of almost unbelievable stir that Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity is creating.”
Inside Archery 45 May 2010
Unprecedented depth. Unequaled detail. Remarkable contrast. Extraordinary effectiveness in the field. That’s the newfor-2010 Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity. For information on Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity, log onto mossyoak.com or call Mossy Oak at (662) 494-8859.
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Inside Archery 46 May 2010
The key, obviously, is to match the right carbon shafts with the right customer. Of course you can only do that if you’ve first asked the right qualifying questions of each customer, listened carefully to his or her responses, have an adequate selection of different carbon arrows in stock and know and can clearly explain the features and benefits of each of those shafts. To help you with that and to help you gain a better understanding of what’s now available in standout carbon arrow shafts for this new year, we’ve already talked with today’s leading carbon-arrow producers and have assembled the following discussion about what’s new and especially interesting in carbon arrows for 2010. Author’s Note—After each shaft you’ll find a number in parentheses. That number is the factory-reported straightness of that particular shaft. Shaft straightness is a clear contributor to proper arrow flight and accuracy, but has also become a fair measure of the ranking of particular carbon arrow shafts within a supplier’s lineup. A lower number indicates a straighter and probably more expensive arrow shaft. A higher number generally indicates a more affordable arrow shaft.
Easton Technical Products
An arrow is essential. Even a high-priced bow is not much without an arrow. An arrow makes things happen, creates excitement and ultimately produces shooting results. Arrows should be as easy to sell as gasoline to car owners. But arrows are not gas. Arrows are reusable. In addition, today’s carbon arrows are remarkably durable. They last and last, even when subject to mild abuse. So why would anyone buy new arrows? The answer to that question will enable you to sell more carbon arrows. Bowhunters typically buy new arrows for at least five reasons. First, they want an arrow that is lighter and therefore faster than their old arrows. Second, they crave an arrow that they feel will help make them shoot more accurately. Third, they desire even more arrow durability than they’re used to. Fourth, they yearn for better arrow flight. Fifth, they may just simply want to try some new arrows, arrows with pizzazz and flash. To sell more arrows, you’ll need to listen closely to each potential new-arrows customer to discover what that customer’s arrow-buying reasons might be. I suggest you cut right to the chase with a simple question: “What do you want and expect these new arrows to do for you?” Then listen carefully to what each customer has to say. One might offer up increased arrow speed as the big motivator. Show them fast carbon arrows. Another might suggest that price is a huge consideration. Walk that customer over to a good selection of economical carbon shafts. A third customer might cite improved accuracy and/or arrow flight. Talk to them about those carbon arrows with proven consistency in spine, weight and straightness. If toughness get talked about at length, grab and flex the most rugged carbon arrow shafts in the shop.
Long a leader in manufacturing quality hunting arrows, Easton knows carbon inside and out. In fact, it knows the material so well that it’s able to produce and offer an amazing variety of the very latest in carbon arrow technology, including conventional carbon arrows, N-Fused carbon arrows, Alloy/Carbon arrows and Carbon Core arrows. Within its 2010 conventional carbon arrow lineup are a number of standouts. The Easton ST Carbon Excel (.005) is a small-diameter carbon shaft that’s tough, penetrates extremely well and is also amazingly affordable. If the desire for maximum arrow speed is tugging at your elbow, consider the Easton FlatLine (.003), an especially lightweight and fast carbon shaft with MicroLite nocks and inserts. Among the toughest, more durable carbon arrow shafts designed are the Easton ST Axis (.003) arrow shafts. These unique shafts utilize molecularly bonded carbon nanotubes to boost shaft strength and also dampen vibration. They fly like darts, penetrate straight through and tend to last and last. Easton was the pioneer in combining aluminum and carbon into a single high-performance arrow shaft. The Easton A/C/C Pro Hunting Series
Inside Archery 47 May 2010
(.002) shafts feature a precise aluminum core tube surrounded by layers of bonded, unidirectional carbon fibers. The result is a strong and especially accurate shaft. Combining a deep-penetrating small diameter with a slick aluminum surface backed up by a stiff and tough carbon-fiber core is the Easton Full Metal Jacket (.002) arrow shaft. These carbon shafts, because of their micro-smooth alloy surface, are especially easy to remove from high-density foam targets. For more information, log onto eastonarchery.com.
Built-In Weight Forward Technology to dramatically improve arrow flight and accuracy. For Mathews Lost Camo fans, Carbon Express serves up the stylish and deadly Mathews Edition Maxima Hunter (.0025) and Terminator Lite Hunter (.0035) carbon arrows shafts. The Mathews Edition Maxima Hunter is cloaked in popular Lost Camo while utilizing Built-In Weight Forward Technology and BullDog Nock Collars. The Mathews Edition Terminator Lite Hunters feature much of the same advanced technology but at a more economical price. For more information, log onto carbonexpressarrows.com.
Carbon Express
Gold Tip
Plenty of bowhunters will explain that they shoot better with Carbon Express arrows. Carbon Express is known for innovative, tough arrow shafts that deliver the performance you need in the field. Brand new from Carbon Express for 2010 is the Carbon Express Mayhem (.0035), a superb all-around arrow shaft that blends excellent arrow speed with accuracy and penetration. Its proprietary K-360 Weave Technology delivers remarkable shaft strength. Also new is the Carbon Express PileDriver (.005). The PileDriver was expressly designed for the bowhunter who wants the ultimate in penetration. It’s the heaviest carbon arrow in the Carbon Express lineup and features innovative
Gold Tip offers only premium quality arrows, and its arrows are among the fastest available today. The Gold Tip XT Hunter (.003) is the first choice of many discriminating bowhunters. It’s a particularly tough and fast carbon arrow shaft that’s available in black, camo and crested. The Gold Tip Expedition Hunter (.006) is equally tough and just as fast but carries a more affordable price tag. At the other end of the spectrum is the ultra-precise Gold Tip Pro Hunter (.001). Gold Tip calls it the best carbon arrow ever constructed. The Pro Hunter blends exceptional straightness with an amazingly tough and fast nature. If you want to go even faster, the amazing Gold Tip Velocity XT (.003) is 25 to 30 grains lighter than a comparably spined Gold Tip XT Hunter shaft. That makes it significantly faster, flattening your trajectory like never before. The Gold Tip Velocity Hunter (.006) is made the same way, is just as lightweight and strong and yet is available at a pleasingly reduced cost. For more information, log onto goldtip.com.
Beman
Beman builds the sort of dependable, accurate carbon arrows that bowhunters love. Long popular are the Beman ICS Hunter (.003) shafts. These are tough and precise carbon shafts that come with Beman’s ingenious ViBrake dampening inserts and nocks. Those very special inserts and nocks feature LimbSaver Navcom internal add-ons that effectively dampen arrow vibration and shot noise. With less arrow vibration, each shaft stabilizes in flight quicker, and the reported result is improved accuracy. New from Beman for 2010 are the Beman MFX Bone Collector (.003) arrows. The MFX Bone Collectors feature a small diameter for easy tuning and maximum penetration and innovative HIT Inserts for better broadhead alignment. Join the Bone Collector Brotherhood with Michael Waddell and friends! If you’re afflicted with traditional bowhunting-gear leanings but still want a better, tougher, straighter and more accurate arrow than old-school cedar typically provides, grab a handful of Beman MFX Classic (.003) shafts. These Classic carbon arrow shafts are reasonably heavy, small in diameter for superb penetration, tough as nails, accurate as an Olympic medalist and topped off with a wood-grain PhotoFusion finish that looks right at home with your best recurve or longbow. For more information, log onto beman.com.
Carbon Tech
Carbon Tech is well known for its lineup of super high quality arrows. Leading that lineup is the Carbon Tech Whitetail (.005), a carbon shaft that blends speed with ruggedness and is big-buck accurate. The Whitetail’s multi-directional carbon-layering technology delivers an especially
Inside Archery 48 May 2010
Three basic Carbon Force Radial X Weave hunting shafts are offered. The Carbon Force Radial X Weave Pro (.001) is the ultimate carbon arrow shaft, exceptionally straight and fast. The new-for-2010 Carbon Force X Weave Bow Madness (.003) shafts combine high quality with a practical price. Carbon Force Radial X Weave STL Hunters (.006) deliver a workhorse carbon shaft that is surprisingly affordable. Also available is a specialty carbon shaft, the Carbon Force Radial X Weave Black Mamba (.003). The Black Mamba comes complete with stainless-steel shaft collars and inserts, and a 10.5-grains-per-inch kinetic-energy tube. Those special components are designed to increase arrow weight for maximum penetration on the world’s biggest game. For more information, log onto pse-archery.com.
Trophy Ridge
consistent and accurate arrow. The Carbon Tech Cheetah (.005) is a thin-walled quality carbon arrow created expressly for maximum speed. This light yet wonderfully stiff and durable arrow shaft will burn up the distance between you and any target. Fast as a cheetah! Brand new this year is the Carbon Tech Cougar (.005). The CT Cougar is a quality carbon arrow shaft that won’t drain your wallet. It’s a wrapped carbon shaft with the strength, consistency and accuracy you want, all at a price you can afford. For more information, log onto carbontecharrows.com.
Victory Archery
Victory Archery’s V-Force carbon arrows have been specifically designed for today’s bowhunters. They offer tighter tolerances in the crucial areas of weight, spine and straightness. The Victory V-Force V3 Series of carbon arrows (.003) features a standard shaft diameter and quality construction. New from Victory Archery for 2010 is the Victory Nano Force V3 (.003), a small-diameter carbon arrow shaft for flatter shooting, less side-wind resistance and deeper penetration. For more information, log onto victoryarchery.com.
PSE Carbon Force
PSE Carbon Force arrows utilize a unique Radial X Weave construction method that delivers an extremely strong, straight and fast carbon arrow.
Most carbon arrows feature wrapped-sheet construction, and that leaves a seam. Trophy Ridge carbon arrows are made with a unique, seamless filamentwinding method that sets them apart. That filament-winding process creates a carbon arrow shaft of extremely uniform spine, weight and straightness. It’s also amazingly strong. Trophy Ridge then adds Armor Tough Inserts to dramatically increase shaft-end strength and finishes each arrow with Silent Slide Coating, making Trophy Ridge arrows among the quietest as they are drawn over an arrow rest. The Trophy Ridge Blast (.002) is exceedingly straight and precise. The Trophy Ridge Hailfire (.004) and the Trophy Ridge Wrath (.006) blend filament-wound quality with affordability, while the Trophy Ridge Crush (.008) plows new ground for low-price carbon arrows. For more information, log onto trophyridge.com.
AMG
AMG GT20 Smart Shafts are tapered carbon arrow shafts that are structurally and ballistically superior. AMG Smart Shafts are thinner at the back end and larger at the front end. That weightforward taper promotes quicker arrow recovery during the shot and improves downrange accuracy. AMG GT20 Smart Shafts (.003) are also stronger, due to the use of highmodus nano carbon materials and additional cross laminating. AMG Smart Shafts are especially well-suited for use with relatively lightweight broadheads in the 75- to 100-grain range. The reason for that is that even with such light broadheads, the weight-forward taper of
Inside Archery 49 May 2010
the Smart Shaft maintains excellent frontof-center balance in the arrow, and that weight-forward balance significantly enhances accuracy. In other words, a lighter AMG tapered Smart Shaft may fly faster, better and more accurately than a heavier parallel shaft. For more information, call AMG at (734) 529-5269.
Mega Thrust
The unique slotted nature of Mega Thrust
Carbon Arrows (.003) provides for almost instant fletching or refletching. Each Mega Thrust arrow is surgically slotted at the nock end to receive unique Mega Thrust Fletch Stabilizers. The stabilizers merely slip inside the slotted shafts, centering with the inside diameter of the shafts for an accurate and snug fit. A Sure-Lock Nock Sleeve is then slipped over the nock end of the arrow to lock the Fletch Stabilizer in place and receive the shaft’s Fletch-Lock Nock. Re-fletching is as
easy as pulling out the old Fletch Stabilizer and inserting a new one. For more information, log onto megathrustarchery.com.
Lumen-Arrow
The Lumen-Arrow (.003) is a relatively new quality carbon arrow shaft specifically designed to optimize the performance of a Lumenok. Popular, lighted Lumenok Blazers work the very best when nock fit and shaft conductivity are just right. Some carbon shafts deliver less than ideal nock fit and a fair number of carbon shafts are constructed with cheaper additives, like non-conductive fiberglass. Lumen-Arrows are made with 100percent quality carbon fibers for maximum conductivity and offer perfect nock fit. Three spine weights of Lumen-Arrows are available in 3-packs fletched with Bohning Blazer Vanes and equipped with either red or green Lumenok Blazer nocks. The new Lumenok Blazers allow for easy battery replacement, are built to withstand the rigors of bowhunting and weigh only 24.5 grains. For more information, log onto lumenok.net.
.30-06 Outdoors
Smart Weave Technology is rolled into every .30-06 Outdoors carbon arrow shaft, making them among the strongest, straightest and most consistent arrow shafts available anywhere today. The .30-06 Outdoors Ti-Tra Flex (.001) is an ultra-precise carbon arrow shaft designed to make the heart of even the most discriminating bowhunter beat faster. The all-new American Archer Arrow (.003) is an especially lightweight and therefore fast carbon arrow also renowned for its durability. The .30-06 Dead Stick (.004) represents a superb do-it-all arrow at a sensible price. The .30-06 Black Mesa (.005) is the company’s least expensive carbon arrow. It’s among the lightest and fastest carbon arrow shafts in its price class. For more information, log onto 30-06outdoors.com.
Sell More Carbon Arrows!
Get your sales technique and your expertise lined up to sell more carbon arrows. Explore with each customer what they expect from a new set of arrows. Match that customer with the proper carbon arrows to meet and exceed those expectations. Do that and you’ll sell more carbon arrows and have more satisfied arrow customers.
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Inside Archery 50 May 2010
Archery Industry Calendar –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
By organization: –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
ATA ARCHERY TRADE SHOW PHONE: 866-266-2776 FAX: 801-261-2389 WEBSITE: www.archerytrade.org
ASA Mathews Solo Cam Pro/Am June 25-27, 2010 • Metropolis, IL ASA McKenzie ASA Classic July 29-August 1, 2010 • West Monroe, LA –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
INT’L BOWHUNTING ORG. / I.B.O. PHONE: 440-967-2137
2011 ATA TRADE SHOW Thursday – Saturday, January 6-8, 2011 • Indianapolis, IN
FAX: 440-967-2052
2012 ATA TRADE SHOW Thursday – Saturday, January 12-14, 2012 • Columbus, OH
I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—1st Leg May 14-16, 2010 • Bedford, IN
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MATHEWS RETAILER BUSINESS SHOW PHONE: 608-269-2728 WEBSITE: www.mathewsinc.com
2011 Mathews Retailer Business Show December 2010 • Wisconsin Dells, WI –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
KINSEY’S DEALER SHOW PHONE: 800-366-4269 FAX: 800-366-4126 WEBSITE: www.kinseyarchery.com
2011 KINSEY’S DEALER SHOW February 18-20, 2011 • Hershey, PA –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
SHOT SHOW PHONE: 203-840-5600 FAX: 203-840-9600 WEBSITE: www.shotshow.org
2011 SHOT SHOW January 18-21, 2011 • Las Vegas, NV 2012 SHOT SHOW January 24-27, 2012 • Las Vegas, NV –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
ELLETT BROTHERS PHONE: 800-845-3711 FAX: 803-932-5105 WEBSITE: www.ellettbrothers.com
2011 ELLETT BROTHERS DEALER SHOW January 5-8, 2011 • Columbia, SC –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
ARCHERY SHOOTER’S ASSOCIATION / ASA PHONE: 770-765-0232 FAX: 770-795-0953 WEBSITE: www.asaarchery.com
ASA LimbSaver Pro/Am June 4-6, 2010 • London, KY
WEBSITE: www.ibo.net
I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—2nd Leg June 11-13, 2010 • McKean, PA
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
By Date: –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
MAY
May 14-16, 2010 • Bedford, IN I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—1st Leg May 22-23, 2010 • Yankton, SD NFAA Dakota Archery Classic May 22-23, 2010 • Yankton, SD NFAA Unmarked 3D Championship May 29-30, 2010 • Various Locations NFAA Southeast Outdoor Sectional –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
JUNE
I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—3rd Leg July 9-11, 2010 • Nelsonville, OH
June 4-6, 2010 • London, KY ASA LimbSaver Pro/Am
I.B.O. Traditional World Championship July 16-18, 2010 • Chapmansboro, TN
June 11-13, 2010 • McKean, PA I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—2nd Leg
I.B.O. World Championship August 12-14, 2010 • Ellicottville, NY
June 21-22, 2010 • Various Locations NFAA Mid-Atlantic Outdoor Sectional
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NATIONAL FIELD ARCHERY ASSOC. / NFAA PHONE: 909-794-2133 FAX: 909-794-8512 WEBSITE: www.nfaaarchery.org
NFAA Dakota Archery Classic May 22-23, 2010 • Yankton, SD
June 25-27, 2010 • Metropolis, IL ASA Mathews Solo Cam Pro/Am June 26-27, 2010 • Colorado Springs, CO NFAA Southwest Outdoor Sectional June 26-27, 2010 • Bradford, MA NFAA New England Outdoor Sectional –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
JULY
NFAA Unmarked 3D Championship May 22-23, 2010 • Yankton, SD
July 9-11, 2010 • Nelsonville, OH I.B.O. National Championship Triple Crown—3rd Leg
NFAA Southeast Outdoor Sectional May 29-30, 2010 • Various Locations
July 10-11, 2010 • Various Locations NFAA Southwest Marked 3D Sectional
NFAA Mid-Atlantic Outdoor Sectional June 21-22, 2010 • Various Locations
July 16-18, 2010 • Chapmansboro, TN I.B.O. Traditional World Championship
NFAA Southwest Outdoor Sectional June 26-27, 2010 • Colorado Springs, CO
July 28-August 1, 2010 • Darrington, WA NFAA Outdoor National Field Championships
NFAA New England Outdoor Sectional June 26-27, 2010 • Bradford, MA
July 29-August 1, 2010 • West Monroe, LA McKenzie ASA Classic
NFAA Southwest Marked 3D Sectional July 10-11, 2010 • Various Locations NFAA Outdoor National Field Championships July 28-August 1, 2010 • Darrington, WA
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AUGUST
August 12-14, 2010 • Ellicottville, NY I.B.O. World Championship –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DECEMBER
NFAA North American Field Archery Championships December 10-12, 2010 • Homestead, FL
December 10-12, 2010 • Homestead, FL NFAA North American Field Archery Championships
NFAA Vegas Shoot / World Archery Festival 2011 February 11-13, 2011 • Las Vegas, NV
December 2010 • Wisconsin Dells, WI 2011 Mathews Retailer Business Show
Inside Archery 51 May 2010
M a r k e t
T r e n d s
Bow Report By Bill Krenz
Parker Inferno “
T
he battered American economy continues its convalescence,” recently said The Wall Street Journal. In that process, “the stock market just completed its best first quarter since 1999, the Dow industrials gained 428.58 points and corporate earnings came in stronger than expected.” That’s great news from the financial market. Things are indeed looking up. However, the question we’re wondering about is have those rays of economic sunshine drifted all the way down to the guys in mid-America who buy new bows? The answer to that is debatable. Most reports still show that American consumers are skeptical. They’re playing their finances close to the vest, holding back, and when they do spend, are looking for indisputable value. One-inch draw-length changes are easily made with an interchangeFor many bow buyers that able, pivoting draw module. This module delivers draw lengths from means they’re looking for a 29 to 31inches. A second module, included with the bow, goes from 26 to 28 inches. Parker bow. Over the years, Parker Compound Bows has earned a reputation for agreeably priced compounds that are lightweight, smooth and as dependable as the day is long. Those are the sorts of things that even a skeptical new-bow buyer can begin to wrap his wallet around. For 2010 Parker is offering all that and more in its new The advanced Roller Cable Guard on the Parker Inferno captures the bows. The perfect case in point bow’s cables to reduce system friction and boost bow efficiency. is the brand new 2010 Parker Inferno. The Inferno is a surprising bow in that it offers so much for little. The company’s catalog pegs the price on the new Inferno as “from $499.95.” That’s welcome relief in rocky economic times. And there’s more. The 2010 Parker Inferno is unexpectedly packed with top-end features. For that agreeable price, the Inferno delivers an extreme parallel-limb design, an advanced roller-style cable guard, a deluxe spring suppressor, a two-piece walnut finish grip, an integrated bowsling, the new Inferno
Inside Archery 52 May 2010
Single-Cam System with convenient draw-length adjustability and a tune-able draw stop and premium Stone Mountain strings. In other words, the 2010 Parker Inferno delivers indisputable value.
How It Shoots
The Parker Inferno seems exactly the sort of bow that many grassroots bowhunters want right now. It merges a strong dose of glitzy high-tech elements with smooth, reliable and commendable performance. The 2010 Inferno is a smooth-drawing bow. Its transition into letoff is especially gradual. That’s important during those long hours of summer practice and as a big buck approaches. It’s also especially welcome should you need to let the bow down. At full draw, the Inferno delivers a wonderfully solid back wall. That’s because the Inferno Cam System sports a draw stop that pivots around to quietly contact the bow’s lower limb. No other type of draw stop produces such a firm back wall. Also advantageous is the fact that the Inferno’s draw stop is infinitely adjustable, which means that the bow can be fine-tuned for a draw length that is absolutely perfect for each archer. Should even larger draw-length changes be needed, the Inferno’s cam system also features a series of two interchangeable modules, both of which are included with the bow. One module takes the Inferno from 26 to 28 inches, depending on how it is installed. The second module goes from 29 to 31 inches. Those interchangeable, pivoting modules make Inferno draw-length adjustments ultra-convenient. I set my test Inferno to 29 inches and then tweaked the position of the draw stop just slightly for an absolutely perfect feel, something that is not all that common with bows in this price range. Set up that precisely, the 2010 Parker Inferno shot very well for me. In fact, what’s not to
Specifications
Arrow Speed
Axle-to-Axle Length
30.4 inches
28-inch Arrows
Brace Height
7.5 inches
Riser Geometry
3.1 inches reflex
Mass Weight
3.75 pounds
Letoff
80 percent
Draw Lengths
26 to 31 inches
Draw Weights
60#, 70#
Color
Next G-1 Vista Camo
Parker Inferno ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Parker Inferno set at 29 inches (by factory) and adjusted to 70 pounds ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Shaft Arrow Kinetic Arrow Grains/In Weight Energy Speed
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Easton XX78 Alloy 2512 Easton Full Metal Jacket 400 Carbon Express Aramid KV 350 Carbon Tech Whitetail 65/80 Carbon Express Maxima Hunter 350 Easton ST Axis N-Fused 400 Beman ICS Hunter Elite 400 Gold Tip XT Hunter 55/75 PSE Radial X Weave Hunter 300 Gold Tip Ultralight Pro 400 Carbon Tech Cheetah 400 Easton FlatLine 400 High Country Speed Pro Max
10.3 10.2 9.8 9.5 8.9 9.0 8.4 8.2 8.1 7.4 6.4 7.4 5.5
448 gr. 426 gr. 415 gr. 411 gr. 398 gr. 392 gr. 390 gr. 385 gr. 376 gr. 361 gr. 346 gr. 344 gr. 303 gr.
74.7 74.7 74.3 74.1 73.8 73.7 73.8 73.4 73.2 72.6 72.4 72.4 70.6
274 fps 281 fps 284 fps 285 fps 289 fps 291 fps 292 fps 293 fps 296 fps 301 fps 307 fps 308 fps 324 fps
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
For more information, log onto parkerbows.com or call Parker at (540) 337-5426.
Bow weighed with an Easton Bow Force Digital Scale. All tests conducted with a Spot-Hogg Hooter Shooter Portable Shooting Machine and a Competition Electronics Pro Chronograph.
directly into both versatility and the ability to custom fit any bow to almost any archer. The Inferno’s highly adjustable single-cam system is easily and quickly adjusted (without a bow press) for draw length in one-inch increments from 26 inches all the way up to 31 inches. That’s accomplished with two interchangeable, pivoting modules which are included with the bow. In addition, Factory installed on the 2010 Parker Inferno is an attractive, braided bowsling. the Inferno’s draw-stop peg Below that is the bow’s Deluxe String Suppressor. is infinitely adjustable for a like—nice torque-free grip, smooth draw, perfect, custom-fit feel. 80-percent letoff, solid and reassuring back wall (in precisely the right place) Roller Cable Guard followed by a sensibly quiet and shock- Brand new from Parker on the 2010 free shot? Inferno is an advanced roller-style cable The Parker Inferno is definitely a guard. It captures the bow’s cables comwhole lot of bow for the price. pletely and reduces system friction to boost bow efficiency.
Key Features and Benefits Agreeable Price
Deluxe String Suppressor
With a retail price that typically begins at just $499.95, the 2010 Parker Inferno, with all its high-end features, represents obvious value.
Just below the Inferno’s two-piece grip is a Deluxe String Suppressor. That suppressor is easily adjusted for optimum bowstring contact. The Parker Deluxe String Suppressor install stops residual bowstring vibration.
Light Mass Weight A light mass-weight bow is a good thing. The Parker Inferno weighs just 3.75 pounds and that’s something that every bowhunter will appreciate.
Adjustable Inferno Cam System Convenient cam adjustability translates
Premium Stone Mountain Strings High-grade Premium Stone Mountain strings dress up the 2010 Parker Inferno and help to ensure consistent shot-to-shot performance.
z
Inside Archery 53 May 2010
Today, we can divide popular arrow rests into three distinct categories: total-containment arrow rests, open drop-away arrow rests and containment drop-away arrow rests. Who knows what’s down the road in terms of even more evolved arrow rests? While speculating on future arrow rests is interesting, most retailers would probably rather know which arrow rests will sell best in 2010. Bowhunters are likely to decide that as the year unfolds. Bowhunting arrow rests have come a long way in recent years. They’re easy to set up and tune. They provide better arrow flight and improved accuracy. Some even hold an arrow with complete security. Let’s look closely at the potential best-selling arrow rests of 2010.
Total-Containment Arrow Rests
Brilliant. Ingenious. Those are apt words to describe today’s hugely popular totalcontainment arrow rests. Whether your customer is perched in a whitetail treestand, belly-crawling through brush to close in on a bedded mule deer or yanking back an arrow to take a shot at a big bull elk, today’s total-containment arrow rests will hold their arrows in place as securely as if it were in a bank. The Trophy Ridge Whisker Biscuit Sure Shot Pro can be summed up in one word—rugged. In 2010 the aluminum-encased Whisker Biscuits are 300-percent stronger than previous models, and they have added a rock-solid, dual-bolt mount and a set screw for even more secure, “locked-down” mounting. The Whisker Biscuit’s design makes setup easier than ever before. Attach the Whisker Biscuit to your riser
Inside Archery 55 May 2010
DoubleTake Archery Air-Rest
Fuse Whisker Biscuit
Trophy Ridge Drop Slide
Cobra Diamondback Drop-Away
mounting holes, and it automatically lines up the arrow rest. Its lightweight, compact design provides maximum clearance around quivered arrows and includes micro-windage and elevation adjustment with nylon bushings to ease adjustments and prevent binding over time from dust and dirt. This remarkable offering from Trophy Ridge screams bowhunting success. The QuikTune 360 CaptureRest from New Archery Products is easy to load, easy to tune and holds a hunting arrow with comforting security. This rest is perfect for the beginner or the expert bowhunter. To load the rest, the arrow fits in an opening at the top of the rest and slides by two small brushes. Once the arrow is loaded, the brushes keep the arrow centered and ready to go. Those brushes completely contain the arrow but don’t come in contact with the fletching upon release. The rest also features independent windage and elevation adjustments. The Twister from APA Innovations, as their name states, is just one example of innovative total-containment arrow rest design. The new and improved APA Twister should prove to be a popular choice for archers in 2010. This rugged, quiet and reliable rest is now easier to tune and install and will surely fulfill any bowhunter’s expectations. The beauty of this product lies in that it maintains its pinpoint accuracy while still retaining all of the great benefits of a true full-containment arrow rest. Octane’s Hostage Pro is another exciting total-containment rest that allows for the appropriate amount of brush tension for all arrow sizes. Fletch damage and noise, as well as speed loss, are eliminated. Arrow fletchings pass freely through the Hostage Pro without vane contact during the launch to deliver enhanced accuracy. Along with a large capture area for use with large arrows and
NAP QuikTune SmartRest
Sims LimbSaver Fall-Away Arrow Rest
Inside Archery 56 May 2010
extended-height vanes without any fletch contact, the Hostage Pro increases the life of the arrow, enhances accuracy and drastically decreases noise. The opening at the top of the rest allows for easy arrow insertion, and the Hostage Pro features target quality tuning for vertical and horizontal center shot adjustment. The Hostage Pro can be tuned as accurately as any target rest, allowing for perfect arrow flight. The DoubleTake Archery Air-Rest is truly magical in its design. The Air-Rest literally suspends your arrow in the air using powerful magnetic levitation technology so there is no shaft contact, no fletching contact, no friction, no noise and no moving parts to maintain or wear out. This is a rest that a bowhunter has to see to believe. In 2010 DoubleTake Archery believes that the only way to achieve perfect arrow flight every time is to keep your arrow from touching anything except the bowstring, and this unique design does just that. Wrapping up our total-containment arrow rest category is another bowhunting arrow rest, the Fuse Archery Whisker Biscuit. This whisper-quiet, consistent and easy-to-use total-containment rest is one that rookies and veteran bowhunters alike can definitely count on. Shock Rod Technology assures an ultra-consistent launch, and the Quick Shot design guarantees fast, snag-free arrow loading whether you shoot aluminum or carbon arrows. As Fuse Archery states, “With this rest you can focus on the hunt, not your equipment.”
Open Drop-Away Arrow Rests
Drop-away arrow rests drop or fall away from the arrow during the shot. That unique action provides total fletch clearance as the arrow Continued on page 58
Fuse AccuLaunch Fall-Away
Continued from page 56
Sure-Loc BearTrap
AAE Avalanche Extreme
Spot-Hogg Whammy
Specialty Archery Bodoodle Pro-Lite II
passes and that, in turn, delivers improved arrow flight and accuracy. While somewhat more intricate in design, drop-aways have proven very popular with bowhunters. The slight downside to the open-style drop-away is that an arrow can become dislodged before or during the drawing process. It’s rare, but it can happen. Still, these accuracy-oriented rests are an exceptional choice for serious archers. Trophy Ridge has come to the market in 2010 with their most serious commitment to vertical drop-away rests ever with the Drop Slide. The Drop Slide has a stainless-steel re-circulating ball-bearing slide that is not only super fast but also super quiet. Trophy Ridge even went so far as to leave one outside for a year’s worth of rain, sun, dirt and dust. It was as quick, smooth and quiet after one year as it was the day they put it out there. The secret is the re-circulating track of ball bearings, not to mention their rubber dampeners, which translates to no metal-to-metal contact to the launcher arm. The Drop Slide is also ultra-compact for less weight and maximum clearance around quivered arrows. This is definitely a rest that any hardcore bowhunter can trust. The Diamondback Drop Away from Cobra is a full-featured drop-away design. With adjustable vane clearance, prong height and spring tension, this open drop-away rest is perfect for the meticulous archer who thrives on getting his or her setup just right. The all-metal launcher has laser-etched windage scales and independent windage adjustment so you don’t lose other settings. On the Diamondback Drop Away the draw cord is mounted to the down bow cable and has a mounting slot on the arrow rest that is wide enough for single-bolt or dual-bolt mounting
Trophy Taker Pronghorn
G5 Outdoors Expert II
Inside Archery 58 May 2010
systems. Cobra has definitely put their best foot forward with this compact beauty. A leader in innovation and quality design, Sims Vibration Laboratory offers the LimbSaver Fall-Away Arrow Rest. This smooth, fast and quiet open drop-away rest has a sealed twin ball-bearing system and two cord-attachment-point options. With its allweather construction, the LimbSaver FallAway Arrow Rest incorporates Navcom technology for the reduction of noise and vibration and precision index marks, which are new for 2010. This arrow rest is yet another quality offering from Sims Vibration Laboratory and sure to be a popular seller. NAP’s QuikTune SmartRest is a revolutionary drop-away arrow rest. The SmartRest’s micro-adjustability makes tuning easy, including drop speed. The rest’s launcher head has a built-in cushion feature that stabilizes your arrow upon launch and a built-in arrow holder. Say goodbye to fletching clearance issues and inconsistent shots with Fuse Archery’s AccuLaunch Fall-Away. This user-friendly, precision-mounted design means hassle-free function and amazingly accurate groups. The AccuLaunch Fall-Away attaches to your bow quickly and is easily adjusted in the woods or on the range. Another quality company, Sure-Loc Archery, brings the BearTrap to the open drop-away arrow rest market in 2010. The BearTrap, with its own exclusive flat-delay spring, is a superbly accurate and forgiving drop-away rest that clears your arrow at an amazing speed. Archers are sure to appreciate the BearTrap’s heavy-duty launcher and builtin arrow holder. It also boasts a cable slide with a locking activation cord adjuster and vertical and horizontal micro-adjustments. Continued on page 60
Mathews DownForce Power Retract Arrow Rest
Continued from page 58
Alpine Whisperflite
Octane TripWire
Vapor Trail LimbDriver Arrow Rest Schaffer Performance Archery E-2 Gen-II
Arizona Archery Enterprises (AAE) in 2010 showcases the Avalanche Extreme, which has all the features of the popular Avalanche Fall-Away rest and a few more. The Extreme incorporates both micro-vertical and horizontal adjustments and integrates an impressive flat delay spring system that makes the Extreme easy to set up and tune. Each Avalanche Extreme comes standard with an arrow holder and with a price to match its ease-of-use. This is definitely a rest that will fly off the shelves of the local bowshops. For the curious archer wondering if there is any way to improve the current drop-away rest offerings, Spot-Hogg says absolutely, and answers that call with a rest that addresses all the negative stigmas that come with shooting a drop-away. The Whammy from Spot-Hogg is a hybrid arrow rest that combines the guidance and support of traditional prong-style rests and the fletch-clearing forgiveness of a drop-away. Its launchers are spring-loaded at all times and never rigid, giving archers added forgiveness. This rest does not just fall out of the way, it jerks out of the way, and with such speed it allows nine times more arrow support and still gives maximum vane clearance. Bodoodle, a name that is very familiar to any archer who has been involved in competitive archery, is now owned by Specialty Archery. The good folks at Specialty have already improved the hugely popular Bodoodle Pro-Lite Arrow Rest, renaming it the Bodoodle Pro-Lite II. The new Bodoodle Pro-Lite II launching system compensates for all the forces exerted on an arrow when it is released and speeds the arrow on its way without interference of any kind. The new rest also offers a full inch of vertical elevation adjustment. It will mount on any compound bow and will accommodate all arrow sizes and
materials. Every Bodoodle Pro-Lite II is designed to launch perfect arrows with the kind of arrow flight the pros depend on and bowhunters love. Another company known for its “out of the box” research and development is G5 Outdoors, and this year they have once again shown their strength in the market with the Expert II. With the Expert II’s unique polymer over-molded launcher spool design, its micro-adjustability for center shot and no metal-to-metal contact, this rest is extremely quiet and accurate. The Expert II also incorporates 100-percent corrosion-free components, adjustable spring tension and a cord-lock system that can be pulled from a buss cable or cable slide. G5 Outdoors didn’t hold anything back when designing this efficient and easy-totune open drop-away arrow rest. The Trophy Taker Pronghorn is a cableactivated rest and is one of the most popular out today. With its spring-loaded mediumsized launcher blade, the Pronghorn is the happy medium between its cousins the broadbladed Shakey Hunter or the narrow-bladed Trophy Taker Original. Its all-metal construction makes this rest especially durable, and windage and elevation marks make adjustments quick and easy. The Buss Stop Cable Clamp provides for perfect tuning. The features and benefits of the Mathews DownForce Power Retract Arrow Rest read unlike other conventional drop-away rests. The Power Retract Arrow Rest guides arrows longer and retracts faster. The triggering cable on the DownForce attaches to the lower half of the bowstring, not the cable. The spring-loaded cradle retracts extremely fast, and a Harmonic Damper absorbs vibration and noise. This means the cradle stays with the arrow longer to provide the ultimate amount of guidance during release. The Power Retract mechanism pulls away up to
NAP Apache Capture ArrowRest
Trophy Taker Xtreme FC Angled Slot Fall Away Arrow Rest
Muzzy X-Celerator
Inside Archery 60 May 2010
five times faster than previous models. Mathews has taken a rest that was fast and accurate to begin with and given it a shot of nitrous. When the engineers at Alpine Archery sat down back in 2006 and brainstormed to design a better open drop-away arrow rest, it appears they hit a home run. The legacy continues today with their Whisperflite drop-away arrow rest. This innovative rest is a “no bones about it” product, and Alpine has achieved this by taking into account every possible feature. With a built-in arrow holder on the launcher, independent windage and vertical adjustment, universal mounting holes, buss cable or cable slide pull options, sealed ball bearing or bushing versions and black anodize or class III hard coat you can see Alpine Archery really did their homework. When you stop and look at the many features in contrast to the low price, the phrase “best bang for your buck” quickly comes to mind. Octane Archery once again lives up to its slogan “fuel the hunt” with its open drop-away arrow rest, the TripWire. The TripWire drops at blinding speed, allowing for crisp, clean forgiveness as well as optimum fletching clearance. This new arrow rest can be drawn and let down while the launcher stays in the up position, allowing for a quieter, easier draw with less arrow jump and movement. Octane Archery’s TripWire is not rigidly coupled to the power cable, which ensures that the rest will not affect the draw cycle or letoff of the bow which results in quick-tune ability and better accuracy. This piece of precision technology comes to you ready to go. No more arrow holders, fleece pads or rubber dampening strips.
For More Arrow Rest Information
For more information on today’s best arrow rests, log onto the websites of these leading arrow rest manufacturers. AAE Alpine Archery
arizonaarchery.com alpinearchery.com
APA Innovations
apaarchery.com
Athens Archery
athensarchery.com
Cobra DoubleTake Archery
cobraarchery.com doubletakearchery.com
Fuse
fusearchery.com
G5 Outdoors
g5outdoors.com
LimbSaver Mathews MidAtlantic Archery Products
limbsaver.com mathewsinc.com midatlanticarchery.com
Muzzy Products Corp.
muzzy.com
New Archery Products
newarchery.com
Octane
fuelthehunt.com
PSE Archery
pse-archery.com
Quality Archery Design Ripcord Schaffer Performance Archery Specialty Archery Spot-Hogg Archery Sure-Loc Archery Trophy Ridge Trophy Taker Vapor Trail Archery Vital Gear
Inside Archery 61 May 2010
qadinc.com ripcordarrowrest.com schafferarchery.com specialtyarch.com spot-hogg.com sureloc.com trophyridge.com trophytaker.com vaportrailarchery.com vitalgear.net
Athens Archery Omega Elite
MidAtlantic Tri-Van Multi-Adjust Pro
Ripcord CodeRed
In 2010, Vapor Trail Archery, the designer of Limb Driven technology, presents the LimbDriver Arrow Rest to simplify rest set-up and bow tuning. The 70-percent arrow-shaft-cycle support provides full fletching clearance. The free-floating launcher blade at full draw allows the initial arrow shock to be absorbed, resulting in truer arrow flight and more accuracy which transfers more energy to the arrow. An archer simply attaches the cord to the upper limb, not the cables. Putting the cord to the cables puts pressure on the cables, which can affect synchronization of the bow’s cams and cause tuning problems. With a perfect fit for both split-limb and solid-limb bows, the LimbDriver continues to cause quite a buzz in local bow shops, on tournament courses and in the field. Schaffer Performance Archery’s E-2 Gen-II open drop-away arrow rest is engineered to be tough, quiet and accurate. Gen-II arrow rests are configured as drop-away arrow rests out of the package. However, a bowhunter can easily change the configuration to a conventional twoprong arrow rest or a lizard-tongue arrow rest. The Gen-II is available in right-hand or left-hand models and in the choice of ninja black anodized or camo anodized finishes. From the backwoods to the backcountry, Schaffer Performance Archery’s E-2 Gen-II open drop-away arrow rest
Inside Archery 62 May 2010
helps archers put meat in the freezer and horns on the wall.
Containment Drop-Away Arrow Rests
For the bowhunter who wants it all—the reassuring security of a total-containment arrow rest and the accuracy-orientation of a drop-away arrow rest—the newest style of arrow rest may be just the ticket. That new style is the containment drop-away arrow rest. You best have plenty in stock for the 2010 selling season. The Trophy Taker Xtreme FC Angled Slot Fall Away Arrow Rest offers total containment with fall-away performance. Trophy Taker has done their homework, and this rest allows for the quick and easy loading of an arrow in the angled slot of the Xtreme FC Arrow Rest. Once nocked, the arrow will remain contained within the capture ring. An archer can draw their bow from any angle or any position with 100-percent certainty that the arrow will be ready for the shot. Muzzy, for many years, has been a leader in innovation and design in razor-sharp broadheads and bowfishing products. Muzzy was also a pioneer in the containment dropaway rest arena when they came to the market with their Zero Effect rest. This year is no different, as Muzzy comes out of the gate in 2010 strong with the X-Celerator. This rest is not a “me too” copycat and utilizes a rigid
attachment to the bow’s down-cable. That rigid attachment then brings the rest up as the archer comes to full draw and forces it out of the way when the arrow is released. With the X-Celerator, the archer can control the precise speed at which the rest drops, along with the distance the rest travels. This revolutionary design provides for maximum fletching clearance. An exciting new offering from New Archery Products is the Apache Capture ArrowRest. The Apache Capture employs super-quick operation along with 360-degree sound dampening, which means whisperquiet operation. The Apache does not require any wrenches or other tools to make adjustments, just set it and forget it. Laser graduations make fine-tuning in the field a snap. Rugged all-metal construction is built for any weather conditions, rain or shine. This is truly a quality capture drop-away rest. Athens Archery, in 2010, holds nothing back with the introduction of their Omega Elite containment drop-away arrow rest. Archers will have to see this rest to believe it because upon first seeing it you will swear it is a total-containment rest. The secret is that upon release the three supporting containment fingers disappear like magic. With partial contact until the arrow is halfway out of the bow this rest offers plenty of downrange support for the rapidly leaving arrow. With 100-percent true encapsulation, vane clearance and aluminum construction this uniquely designed rest boasts excellent performance in harsh wet and cold conditions. The MidAtlantic Tri-Van Multi-Adjust Pro arrow rest has an innovative design that holds an archer’s arrow securely with three small contact points, resembling tiny toothbrushes, at any angle through the full draw cycle. Upon releasing the arrow, the support arms vanish from the path, resulting in perfect friction-free flight. Tri-Van’s Vanishing Arm Technology allows for faster arrow speeds and total arrow capture even during let down. With no frictional resistance and complete fletching clearance, this is another rest that will give a bowhunter complete confidence in the field. Ripcord Arrow Rests are advanced, accurate and easy-to-use containment dropaway rests. In 2010 they went back to the drawing board and reemerged with the Ripcord CodeRed, a surefire hit. Not only does this new rest bring all the performance
that bowhunters have grown to love in the original Ripcord, but its new and quite revolutionary DropDead internal brake system eliminates bounce-back and maximizes forgiveness. The new CodeRed falls away extremely fast, and the new red over-molding means no more moleskin. Ripcord’s new CodeRed arrow rest is quiet, accurate and super easy to tune. Unlike other rests that drop away because of inertia or vibration, the Quality Archery Designs Ultra-Rest HD Bone Collector relies on the velocity of the forward movement, via the timing cord attached to the bow’s downward buss cable, to initiate the launcher to drop. Velocity Drop-Away Technology (VDT) integrated into this rest assures that the Ultra-Rest remains in the cocked position even on a slow letdown and will only drop away if the bow is fired. Whether stalking, drawing or during a slow letdown, the Ultra-Rest is working full time to totally support and capture your arrow. Another great feature is the newly patented cam/brake feature called Lock-Down
Inside Archery 63 May 2010
QAD Ultra-Rest HD Bone Collector
PSE Archery Phantom Drop Away
Vital Gear KazAWAY
Schaffer Archery Products Opposition Arrow Rest
Technology (LD), which eliminates arrow rest bounce-back for total fletching clearance. With the Ultra-Rest cocked in the capture position via the thumb wheel, you are assured total bow-shelf clearance when drawing or letting down. PSE Archery, primarily known for its lightning-fast bows, also makes high-end accessories to keep up with their reputation. This year PSE’s Phantom Drop-Away is the finest containment drop-away rest they have ever produced. The Phantom Drop-Away features a full-capture platform for the arrow and a rubberized ring around the rest, and falls out of the way for complete arrow clearance. Vital Gear offers the KazAWAY, the only shaft-clamping drop-away on the market, which secures your arrow at rest and full draw for every shot. With an internal extension spring, which is said to be the fastest spring available, this is the perfect rest for today’s speed-demon bows. One of the newest complete-clearance arrow rests is the Opposition Arrow Rest from Schaffer Archery Products. The revolutionary Opposition utilizes cushioned V-blocks that securely hold the arrow when the bow is at rest and is being drawn but then glide laterally out of the way when the shot is
Marketplace
Inside Archery 64 May 2010
made to provide complete fletch clearance. Mounting plates are available to fit Mathews, Hoyt, PSE and other bows.
Best-Selling Arrow Rests
Which arrow rests will sell best in 2010? That’s a tough question to answer as all three styles offer distinct advantages and will appeal to a particular set of customers. Many bowhunters will undoubtedly continue to reach for the simplicity and reassurance of total-containment arrow rests. They work, and work well. Newer models and versions will surely attract lots of attention. A whole group of archers wouldn’t now consider anything but a drop-away arrow rest on their bow. They embrace the additional complication and revel in the nifty way that drop-aways deliver complete fletch clearance. Another, growing segment of archery consumers is now flocking to containment dropaway arrow rests. This newest style of arrow rests seems to offer the best of both worlds— excellent arrow containment and drop-awaydelivered complete fletch clearance. You better have all three styles of arrow rests in stock right now because the market has not yet swung decidedly one way or the other. Maybe that’s what’s in the future.
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Marketplace
Regional Sales Manager
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TRUGLO, Inc., a leading manufacturer of archery and firearm accessories, is looking for a Regional Sales Manager in North/ Central and Northeast states. The Regional Sales Manager will be responsible for managing sales and customer relations for TRUGLO, APEX GEAR, FIRSTSTRING & TRUGLO Watch Company brand product lines working directly for the manufacturer. The position is responsible for increasing sales, maintaining current business and building a positive company to customer relationship. Salary based on level of experience.
Contact: jobs@truglo.com TRUGLO, Inc. 710 Presidential Drive • Richardson, TX 75081
www.truglo.com
Inside Archery 65 May 2010
The successful candidate will meet the following requirements: • 8 to 10 years experience as a Regional Sales Manager in the Archery and/or Firearms industry. • Experience within the Northeast area preferred but not required. • Proven track record of effectively managing outside sales reps. • Must be a team player. • Ability to work unsupervised. • Positive attitude with external as well as internal customers. • Excellent communications skills both written and verbal. • Proficient computer skills. • Must be able to travel 75% of the time in the territory and attend industry trade shows. Established in 1993, the TRUGLO brand is recognized for innovative product designs and includes archery/firearm accessories for hunting, target shooting and law enforcement. TRUGLO products are distributed worldwide.
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Solutions by Greg Staggs
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onsultative Selling • It was an innocent enough question, actually. The kind to be expected when someone doesn’t really know what your profession entails. Honestly, I’d have asked it myself had I not known better. It was the third day of the 2010 Archery Trade Association’s annual Trade Show in Columbus, Ohio. I, along with about 30 other people in our booth, had been talking virtually nonstop the two previous days explaining the various features and benefits of the new year’s model we were showing off. Somewhere around the sixth hour of the day, my voice started to go. I was walking around with a bottle of water in my hand constantly, and I was eating throat lozenges like they were candy. It wasn’t helping. “I thought you did this for a living?” my friend Jeff asked when we both had a brief respite between dealers. He’d just asked me how I was doing, and I had managed to whisper something to the effect that I was about to lose my voice. I seriously wondered what he was talking about for the briefest of seconds. “Oh,” I replied. “You mean sales.” I trailed off, the realization of why he would say that slowly dawning on me. It’s a common misconception, one that even my own parents have. How in the world could their little boy, an only child— but more importantly, an introvert—make such a good living in sales of all things? Most people don’t understand what sales is, or should be. There are too many B-grade movies about used car salesmen, too many stereotypes permeating our culture. And most undoubtedly, too many personal experiences have transpired to back up the notion that sales is talking someone into buying something. Unfortunately, too many archery shop owners and their employees don’t have any better ideas of the role of a salesperson. Shop owners can’t afford to bring in expensive sales consultants or send their employees to high-priced sales training. As a result, they end up mirroring their own experiences, which usually leads to one of two extremes. A customer walks in the front door, the shop employee asks nonchalantly, “How ya doin’ today?” and then doesn’t pay any more attention as the person browses the product selection. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the over-zealous shop owner who knows he needs to move product and is determined to capitalize on every single opportunity that walks through that front door.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to capitalize on every opportunity; I can assure you when I leave my beautiful wife and two awesome boys every morning, I want to make the day as productive as possible. Otherwise, I may as well stay home. What we want to focus on is progressing through every opportunity correctly so that we can capitalize on those opportunities that are real. Let’s examine three areas of effective selling that differentiate successful salespeople and position them in a highly favorable light with their customers as opposed to the rest of the field. High-performing salespeople honor three timehonored principles: • They focus on the customer • They earn the right to advance • They persuade through involvement A good salesperson makes the customer—rather than the actual sale—the focal point of the buying process. Too often a salesperson gets the slightest hint of interest and proceeds to unload on the customer all the features, advantages and benefits of a particular product. Professional salespeople call this “FAB barfing.” The salesperson’s focus is clearly on their own sales agenda, not on the customer’s buying process. Salespeople who know what they’re doing earn the right to advance. They understand that a customer’s mild interest in a solution is not sufficient reason for the salesperson to “pitch” the product or attempt to close the sale. Tailor your sales process to the customer’s needs and interests. Listen to the customer’s situation and address each concern before attempting to move on in the sales cycle. In short, be a problem solver, not a peddler. Principle number three is the most important, and it’s what I’ve made a living off of for the better part of two decades in the fast-paced world of Fortune 500 companies. Good salespeople involve the customer in the sales process. Getting your customer to open up and giving him or her a choice is at least as important as giving information. The only way you’ll succeed at that is by learning how to ask good questions. That’s why I didn’t understand Jeff ’s question at the ATA Show earlier this year when he assumed I talked for a living. In all actuality, I try not to talk much at all. What I do try to do is to ask a lot of questions and then let the customer talk a lot. In next month’s column, we’ll explore the kinds of questions that can help you in a sales cycle.
Inside Archery 66 May 2010
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