Love-hate – sums up my feelings towards the recent products from the Hoyt stable, if I am perfectly honest. Truthfully, my feelings have been somewhat geared towards hate in the spectrum I mentioned above. It has been a long while since I either purchased a Hoyt bow or more importantly used one on game and as my main bow of choice. I have and always will consider them to be of high quality and in particular very durable bows. It just seems that since about the time Mathews and Bowtech were developing parallel limb bows (Switchback, Switchback ST, Tribute), when other companies such as Elite and PSE were developing speed bows (GT500 and the PSE Dream Season) and with the innovative nature of the Bowtech with the center pivot design, Hoyt’s new designs and upgrades were good, yet, they simply did not catch my eye.
So it was with much skepticism that I approached the 2009 Alphamax, both for a hunting bow and for purposes of this review. To my surprise, if there is such a thing as love at first sight with a bow, I think I may have found it…
The specs of the Alphamax 32 (version we tested and shot, also available in 35 version) are as follows:
IBO Speed(fps): 321
Axle to Axle: 32”
Mass Weight: 3.9 lbs.
Weight Range #: 40 – 80 lbs.
Wheel: XTR Cam & 1/2
Brace Height: 7”
Draw Range: 23.4”-30”
At first glimpse, the Alphamax is very pleasing to the eye. Make no mistake about it, the staff at LBK as well as myself, all believe that to truly love a bow, you have to like the way it looks. The Alphamax gets you there - somewhere between a parallel limb bow and the natural shape of the compounds lately, it is a pleasure to look at (not sure I have felt this way with any of the models of the early millennium from Hoyt). And the changes don’t stop there.
The first big change from the Katera of 2008 is that they have taken almost a full pound of weight out of the riser. The appearance of the Tec Riser is consistent with 2008. But, with some very efficient and technological structure changes they have managed to make something look a lot like the older version just lighter. While the weight reduction is a positive for hunting scenarios, a concern with reducing weight in the riser of the bow always is the increased handshock and/or vibration that are generated with the loss of weight. In both our tests of the Alphamax with a bare bow and fully dressed with optional accessories we noted very little vibration or handshock. We were quite impressed by the bows overall balance, another symptom of changes to a stable riser design. A bare bow balanced perfectly in the staff hands when shot at the practice range with nothing other than a QAD rest and string loop.
The second change everyone seems to notice is the new ZT (Zero Tolerance) Lock Pocket that locks the dual limbs to the riser in a tight structure. In plain English, this allows a larger area of contact with the limbs and the riser and more importantly more distance from the limb bolt to the center of the limb pivot greatly from past designs. The result of this is decreased vibration and decreased weight in the bow. It also slightly, thought not enough for us to scream bloody murder, resembles the center pivot design of Bowtech from the past two years. The technology is clearly different, but for the lay person (and we never claim to be experts) the “Y” shaped riser ends get you there and conjures memories. I can only say that whatever the technology, the design looks great.
Hoyt uses the XTS Limb system in the 2009 Alphamax 32 which is new and part of the release of the 
Alphamax line of bows. Each limb (dual set on each side) is made of a laminated five layer material that is stated by Hoyt to be able to survive a minimum of 1000 dry fires with 80 lbs. and a 30 inch draw. Not too shabby and clearly durable enough to get us hunters where we need to be.
Also new is the XTR Cam system introduced on the Alphamax 32 specifically for its use. The XTR is a modular-adjustable cam system in which the bottom and top cams differ greatly. Both cams are slaved together to fire at the exactly the same time, but the design allows for a more consistent harder hitting fire maximizing power from the limb torque. The bearing system in the cams comes sealed to avoid any rain, mud or dirt that inevitably comes from the type of elements we encounter as hunters. There are two cam sizes used on the XTR, the XR2 and XR3. XR2 cams are designed for draw lengths from 26 to 27.5 inches (in half inch increments) while the XR3 covers lengths from 28 to 30 inches (in half inch increments). The XR2 and XR3 require separate string and cable length, so be careful when purchasing one for resale later on… as the XR2 cannot be adjusted past the 27.5 inch mark and vice versa.
The Alphamax is offered at draw weights from 40 to 80 lbs. and in draw lengths from 26 to 30 inches. The hunting bows are available in four basic colors: Realtree APG HD, Black-Out, Realtree APG HD/Black-Out Riser (my color scheme of choice) and the new Bone Collector edition Black-Out Limbs with Bone Collector Graphics/Realtree APG HD riser (Carl’s color scheme of choice). Target models come available in various powder coated models anodized finishes.
The staff at LBK Outdoors relies heavily on our opinion of the "huntability” of a bow without getting too bogged down in performance. Still, with the technological improvements of the archery world over the last few years, we all want that perfect blend of speed, forgiveness and looks. Our tests of Alphamax proved all three to be in line with the most technologically advanced equipment in the industry. The 7” brace height allows Hoyt to achieve the 320+ (we chronoed an IBO of slightly higher) while maintaining a forgiving vibration free bow. Hoyt has advertised this combination in the Alphamax as the “perfect hunting bow” - while we are not sure that is exactly the case, we agree with them. LBK has adopted the Alphamax 32 as one of the bows of choice for the 2009 hunting season. It looks, feels and handles the way we think a hunting bow should. While I mentioned that I have been somewhat love or hate with the Hoyt products recently (still love my 1992 Super Slam FastFlite), we commend Hoyt for the changes made and the 2009 Alphamax. I am very excited to get out into the woods with my new Alphamax, and Turkey seems to approaching ever too slowly because of this.
Shoot one for yourself to prove it out.
Mike
LBK Outdoors Pro Staff
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