Bow Review 2007 - Whisper Creek Stealth LX By Jason Balazs
Nov 14, 2007 - 1:50:08 PM
All of the 2007 model bows will be using the same rest, shooting the same arrow, through the same chronograph at same distance. The rest that I used are Quicktune 800's from New Archery Products. These rests proved to set up quickly and painlessly. For setting the bows up, I used an R.S. Bowvise and levels along with the Easy Eye Center Laser. I have mentioned this before; I would be lost with out the R. S. Bowvise and laser from easy eye.
For the arrow, I will be shooting a 365.5-grain, Vforce HV500 carbon arrow from Victory Archery cut to 28" on my Apple Archery arrow cut-off saw. All of the bows that I am shooting are set at 70lbs with a 29" draw. I was able to ensure that all of the bows were set to the exact measurements and poundage by using my Apple Super Pro Bow press outfitted with the new Bow Tuning/Drawing tool. This thing is awesome because it allows you to measure and set the draw length on every bow. Along with the Bow tuning/Drawing tool, I will be using the new Parallel Limb bow adapter for the bow press. This minimizes potential damage to expensive bows, while saving valuable setup time.
THE STEALTH LX
RISER AND GRIP:
First let me start by saying, this has to be the shortest axle-to-axle bow I have ever shot. It is only 25 5/8 inches long, but has a generous brace height of 8 inches. This brace height allows for a little more forgiveness when shooting. The riser on the Whisper Creek Archery Stealth LX is Machined 6061-T6 Aerospace Alloy and it is called the Whisper I Riser. There are multiple cutouts of different sizes that reduce the overall weight to 3.5 lbs of bow. The pockets of the riser are totally different than any other bow on the market. They are called the 3Pivot Pocket System and each limb has its own type of suspension system. This system is covered by a sound dampening material and reduces the overall vibration and sound that comes off the bow. The grip is a solid one-piece grip that is made from the same sound vibration dampening material and is very comfortable in your hands.
LIMBS AND CAMS:
The Limbs are almost parallel which makes them hold more power and reduce the overall shock of the release. This in combination with the overall technology that Whisper creek has put into their bows, makes the stealth LX silent and vibration free. The cams on the Stealth LX are free floating thanks to the hyper suspension axle system that they have patented. This only allows the cam to go one certain way and reduces the torque that is on the bow and makes it impossible to have wheel lean. The Whisper Creek line of bows also comes with something called ABS, or Automatic Brake System. This revolutionary concept stops recoil dead in its track by breaking cam oscillation. This not only makes the bow super quiet, but increases your accuracy as well.
TESTING:
Like all the other bows in the review, the first test I conducted was the grip test. I drew the Stealth LX 10 times and would always grip the bow a little different each time. This way, I was not just utilizing my grip in the testing. The results I was looking for were if there was any torque on the bowstring. Since this is the shortest bow I have ever shot, I was concerned that there would be major torque due to me drawing farther than the bow is long. This however was not the case. The grip on the Stealth LX adjusts to your hand and stays centered no matter what draw you have. The technology that has gone into this bow is amazing. The limbs stay center and the free-floating cams do not allow for any torque no matter which way you are pulling the string.
Next, I wanted to test the draw of the bow at 70 lbs, so like all the others I drew the bow 10 times. The bows initial pull is solid and as you reach the valley it tapers off. One thing about it, you feel totally in control of the draw and there is a solid wall for greater accuracy.
For testing the speed I shot through my Chronograph from Competition electronics 10 times. The average speed of all ten shots was 284fps. There was zero hand shock or vibration upon release. With having that much power stored in such a little bow, you would think it would want to jump out of your hand. Obviously, the folks at Whisper creek have thought well ahead and ensured that they took care of the problem before it became one.
CONCLUSION:
Like I stated before, this little bow had to be the shortest axle-to-axle bow I have ever shot. The only one that was close was the Mathews Ultra light and that was 33". Of course that was over 12 years ago and technology has come a long way since then. The Stealth LX would make a great bow for anyone. I know that with its short axle-to-axle, whisper quiet shot, lightweight, and easy draw, it would make a great bow to carry around the mountains chasing elk. Even though it looks like a kids bow, this thing is packed with super power and ready to take any big game animal that you could think of. I am truly impressed with the overall performance of the Stealth LX and would recommend it to any archer.
