Best 5 Bowhunting Products at the ATA Show in Indianapolis, 2018
Victory Archery’s New Xtortion Arrows
Victory Archery’s new Xtortion arrow meshes 304 stainless steel with high-modulus carbon fiber to create what Victory calls a “whisper quiet, small diameter arrow, with extreme kinetic energy for unparalleled impact force.”
Its 304 stainless steel yields higher strength, better durability and greater longevity than other arrows on the market. It’s offered in three spines of 300, 350 and 400. The 300-spine arrow weighs in at 12.9 grains per inch; the 350 and 400 spine arrows weigh 11.8 grains per inch. All have an inner diameter of .204 inches and an outer diameter of .275 inches. The Xtorion is available in two shaft straitnesses—.003” and .006”. This arrow is the strongest and most dependable we could find—anywhere—and it’s as useful to whitetail hunters as it is to those who pursue dangerous game. Cost: $179/dozen—Calvin Fuller
Mystery Ranch’s Pop-Up 28 Expandable Daypack
Mystery Ranch is offering a great new pack design for 2018 and it’s something I see myself using in northern Idaho and Montana this year. The Pop-Up 18 and the Pop-Up 28 feature a unique “Overload Shelf” on a small daypack design. The Pop-Up 28 weighs 4.8 pounds, has a volume of 28 liters, and is perfect for the minimalist hunter. The frame folds down via a heavy-duty 7075 aluminum pole system. This offers a decreased profile, which is super valuable when hiking through brush or timber. This innovative frame system offers the weight and mobility of a daypack, but can easily transform into a heavy-duty meat hauler when needed. The frame system also allows ambitious hunters to place all their spike-camp gear in a dry bag and carry it with the overload shelf. Once the gear is removed from the pack and a camp is established, the overload shelf can be compacted and a hunter can travel light with the Pop Up 28, using it as a daypack. This pack is available in two sizes, 18 or 28, and retails for $299. After spending 10-plus years hunting elk in the Rocky Mountain backcountry, I can honestly say it would be hard to find a more versatile daypack than the Pop-Up 28. —Calvin Fuller
Garmin Xero Auto-Ranging Bow Sight
Note: Garmin’s Xero is not legal in all states so you’ll need to check local regulations before purchasing. Cost: $799 to $999 —Paul Considine
The Garmin Xero is easily one of the most innovative products at ATA 2018. This sight serves, at once, as a rangefinder and a bow sight and works out to a distance of 100 yards on game and 300 yards on reflective targets. Your shot is aided by an LED pin that is only visible to the hunter. Just place the pin on the kill zone and let it fly. In addition, the Xero’s Laser Locate technology estimates an arrow’s point of impact and transfers that information to a compatible Garmin device. This allows a hunter to quickly locate their arrow, which aids in locating blood, and tracking and recovery of an animal.
I’m always concerned with new technology and how dependable it may be in the field, but this new sight is a game-changer. It reduces movement by eliminating the need for a rangefinder, and it assists with a more efficient stalk, shot, and recovery.
Rocky Mountain Hunting’s Wapiti Whacker Grunt Tube and Diaphragm Elk Calls
When hunters talk about elk calls it’s hard not to bring up Rockie Jacobsen and Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls. Jacobsen is a pioneer and legend in the elk-calling world and his new Wapiti Whacker professional series grunt tube, which we tested at the show, makes novice and veteran elk callers want one. Not only does it sound great, but it proved itself in the short time it’s been on the market; in fall 2017 Jacobsen sent 24 pro-staffers into the elk woods with this call and 21 of them killed elk. The three who didn’t? Jacobsen said, “They would have killed elk, but they weren’t as good of shots.”
The Wapiti Whacker is specifically designed to be a versatile elk-calling machine. Being an archery elk hunter myself, I love that I can have one elk tube, and a variety of calls, to make all the sounds needed to lure in a bull. These sounds range from a high-pitch screaming challenge, all the way to close-up finishing calls. It costs $39.99 and is a must for serious elk hunters. —Drew Steinberger
Mathews Triax Bow
Mathews just introduced its new Triax bow for 2018, promoting it with the tag, “Stealth is Lethal.” This bow is 28 inches from axle-to-axle, offers a six-inch brace height, has an IBO rating of 343 fps, and weighs 4.4 pounds. The short axle-to-axle length makes the Triax bow perfect for packing in and hiking through brush. You can easily strap this to a backpack and it won’t grab every limb while you’re hiking through a forest. It’s also perfect for hunting from a tree-stand or ground blind. The Triax also features Mathews’ Crosscentric Cam, which provides an archer with an unbelievably smooth draw and shot. We put this bow to the test in Indianapolis and compared it to the Halon 32, which Mathews released last year. The Triax came out on top of the Halon (which we also consider to be a great bow) and is one of our top picks at the 2018 ATA show in Indianapolis. Cost: $1,099. —Calvin Fuller
Sitka’s Mountain Hauler 6200 Backpack
The Mountain Hauler backpack stood out to me because I grew up hunting the high country for deer, elk and mountain goat. And the issue always was this—how far was I willing to go for an animal, knowing that I’d have to pack out the meat, hide and head if I got one? Too often I couldn’t go as far as I wanted, and when I did I paid severely for my enthusiasm. “Really,” you might ask, wondering if I’m a dedicated hunter. And my reply is this: “You never forget packing out a mountain goat that you shot on the other side of the mountain.”
That’s why Sitka’s Mountain Hauler 6200 backpack caught my eyes. It offers 6,200 cubic inches of capacity, hauls 150-pound loads with a stiff, 6061 aluminum frame, comes in two adjustable sizes—medium and large—and would make life at least endurable if I were to shoot another animal a long way from the truck.
John Barklow, Sitka’s big game product manager, says this pack stands out in the load-hauling arena and was first conceived when Barklow asked himself these questions: Why am I always hauling out game with some other company’s pack. And, if Sitka is committed to the big-game category, why don’t we have a pack?
After five years of research, development and testing—on super demanding hunts for brown bear, moose and elk among others—he’s got one.
Barklow said that, first and foremost, this is a load-hauling pack, “ideal for carrying out deer and elk.” He says it’s also a great tool for multi-day and even week-long hunts in the backcountry where hunters need a lot of gear. He believes the Mountain Hauler separates itself from other load-hauling packs because all the load-bearing components—the yoke, the waist belt, the internal meat sling, and even antler straps (yes, antler straps)—are tied to the frame. A tight connection between a heavy load and the frame offers the best load transfer to the user and makes the Mountain Hauler a very stable pack.
The Mountain Hauler is built to last a lifetime, and offers all the cinches and ergonomic considerations you’d expect from Sitka, including three densities of foam in the suspension. It will be available in two cammo patterns, Sub Alpine and Open Country. The only problem with the Mountain Hauler is that I can’t tell you the cost of one, and I can’t assure when they’ll be available for purchase, other than to say that will be sometime in 2018. Sitka will release details on pricing and specific availability sometime soon.