2003 Deer Hunt - Equipment Evaluation

BowTech Pro 40
by Robert Hoague

I am admittedly lacking in aptitude for understanding the workings of all things with mechanical parts. Consequently this evaluation will be quite different than most equipment reviews. That said, it doesn't mean that I don't know what I like and dislike about bows. I've shot bows since I was 8 years old and have owned a bunch over the years. 

First, I want a bow that, above all, is quiet to draw and shoot.  I want my arrows to shoot where I aim, time after time. Speed is not that important to me. Any modern bow will chunk an arrow down range fast enough. I shoot heavier arrows than most bowhunters and those super fast speeds will probably never be possible with a 500 grain arrow. Lastly, if a bow requires a bunch of tinkering to set it up or needs adjusting regularly, it's not the bow for me.

So when I received the BowTech Pro 40 in August, just before I left for the August Bear hunt in Ontario I took the bow to Peacock Archery to have Roger Peacock set it up for me. He set it on 64 pounds and checked and set what was needed of the all the things that only bow mechanics know about. Then I drew the bow.

One problem! 

The draw length on the bow I received was too long, my mistake because they sent me what I requested, I keep forgetting that the string loop makes my bow's draw length shorter. BowTech rushed a module for my bow and we replaced the one in the bow's bottom cam. Eureka, the draw length was now ok, nothing to it. 

The BowTech module system is definitely a good feature for archery retailers. Any BowTech bow with the module system can be set to the complete range of adult draw lengths simply by changing modules. And you don't need a bow press to change it. You just take the old one out and insert the new module. Simple.

I shoot Easton 2216 Super Slams that are 31 cut to inches long with a broadhead that is either 100 or 125 grains. From that you can tell that my arrows weigh more, in some cases a lot more, than the majority of modern archers. This bow is faster than any bow I have owned.   

Silent or Quiet?
Allow me to say something about about the difference in the words "silent" and "quiet." Over the years I've been told by lots of bowhunters that their bow "doesn't make any noise" when they shoot it. "It is silent," they say. When I heard them shoot -- sure, their bow was very quiet -- but it was not silent. There was a low degree of noise. To me, their bow is "quiet" rather than "silent", because there was an audible sound when they shot.   

Silent To Draw
This bow is dead silent to draw. That is a mega plus for this bowhunter. I've shot bows that were pretty quiet, but. there has always been some detectable, even if faint, noise. But not this bow, it is completely silent to draw. 

The bow comes with star looking noise dampener things on the bowstring and cables and I notice dampeners on the limbs also. Apparently these gizmos suck up noise as the bow is drawn. 

Quiet To Shoot
This is the quietest bow I have ever shot. Nice!

Powerful: It Hits them like a ton of bricks.
I've shot a big black bear, several adult wild hogs, a gobbler and a deer with this bow. It hit them hard and put them down quick. 

Arrow Trajectory.
Normally I can hit accurately from 5 out to 20 yards with my top pin. On this bow I'm in the game at 27 yards. Again, nice!

Accuracy
The arrows fly consistently accurate.  
Recap:
Silent to draw. The quietest bow I've ever shot. Accurate, arrow after arrow. A great hunting bow.