# 1989 Gear Review



## Joel C (Nov 23, 2005)

doegirl said:


> Found this surfing on the Web. Thought it may interest some. Written by Chuck Adams. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3197/is_n2_v34/ai_7423597/pg_1



1989 ARCHERY PRODUCT REVIEW

Deciding what products to stock for summer and fall can be an ordeal for archery dealers. Never before has there been such a wide array of gear aimed at pleasing America's 2.4 million bowhunters. Simply deciding which bows are best can boggle your mind. There are several hundred models from which to choose in 1989, ranging from traditional hardwood recurves to basic round-wheel compounds and complex overdraw cambows. When you add bow accessories, arrows, arrowheads, string-release aids, rangefinders, protective cases, and specialized bowhunting gear to your spring wholesale shopping list, the sorting-out procedure makes a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle look like a snap!

It would be impossible to describe and evaluate every new archery item in a good-sized book, let alone this article.

However, here are some general guidelines to follow when stocking your archery shelves in 1989. Most of the products described can readily be ordered from well-stocked distributors like Jim Dougherty Archery, O. H. Mullen Archery, Kinsey's Archery Products, Pape's Archery, and Archery Center International.

Bows

The trend in bows is presently toward models that produce very fast arrow flight. We saw this manufacturing fad take hold in 1988, with most major bowmakers offering short-coupled, largewheel compounds that generate a bit more arrow speed. Overdraw arrow-rest attachments were popular last year, and we saw the first "cableless cable" bows with lighter, faster synthetic cable systems and bowstrings. Strangely enough, this trend went hand-in-hand with higher-letoff wheels and cams, which makes shooting easier but somewhat slows a bow down. Many bows sold this year exhibit these basic 1988 characteristics.

You should definitely stock a mix of bows to accommodate both traditional and speed-oriented tastes. The most sensible hunting bows, from an accuracy and dependability point of view, are still moderate-speed models with round wheels or mildly oval cams, conventional arrow rest setups, and a fairly long axle-to-axle length of 46 or 48 inches. Hoyt, Golden Eagle, PSE, Pro-Line, Darton, and others all sell such products, and these work great for the average tree-stand-sitting bowhunter who never takes shots past 30 or 40 yards. Souped-up compounds are okay for longer-distance shooting at critters like pronghorns, open-country deer, caribou, and mountain sheep, but tend not to be as accurate, quiet, or dependable in average hands.

There is currently a mild resurgence in the popularity of recurve bows and longbows for hunting. Martin, Hoyt, Browning, Bear, and several other companies offer fine "stick bows" at affordable prices, and a few hanging in your store might sell along with your primary stock of wheel-and-cable models. Bear in mind, however, that tastes in bows tend to be quite regional. If you happen to operate a store where overdraw cam-bows are all the rage, you might end up dusting off those stick bows when winter of 1990 rolls around.

Bow Accessories

Bowsights are standard on most modern hunting bows. Nationwide, the majority sold are still sturdy multiple-pin models like the Browning Rack-And-Pinion, Hoyt Pro Hunter, PSE Mongoose 105, Martin Deerslayer, and Satellite Hunting Sight. However, an increasing number of bowhunters prefer a sturdy crosswire model like the Fine-Line Hunter or PSE Mongoose 107. You should offer both styles to satisfy every taste.

Bow quivers become better designed each and every year. Hoyt's Pro Bow Quiver is a fine example--a sturdy, two-piece offering which attaches in seconds to the quiver brackets on all Hoyt Pro Vantage, Spectra, Pro Series, and Gamegetter hunting bows. PSE's excellent Uni-System quiver setup is especially practical because bowsight and quiver are one integral, easily mounted unit. This saves time and prevents vibration noise during a shot. Fine-Line's new Hunter adjustable bow quiver is another top choice, featuring adjustable length to compactly accommodate any arrow length from 24 to 36 inches. This particular quiver's unique nock bar secures arrows at the rear end to completely hush fletching rattle during a shot. Many other sturdy bow quivers are also available through manufactures and distributors.

One trend in quivers worth mentioning is a return to non-bow arrow transport systems. The Cat Quiver backpack quiver is selling very well these days, and my own all-leather Adams Arrow Holster hip quiver is currently in high demand. Most archers who want such quivers are especially nitpicky about accuracy, preferring the sweet balance and easy tunability of a bow without paraphernalia attached. A few hip quivers and back quivers in your store should move well in 1989.

Bow stabilizers can be solid sellers if you point out their obvious pluses to customers. Well-designed models like the Easton Gamegetter II, Saunders Torque Tamer, and Golden Eagle Hunting Stabilizer improve accuracy by reducing bow torque or twist during a shot. These also reduce bow noise by absorbing excess shooting vibration.


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## Bow_Rep (Sep 14, 2006)

Funny that there was no mention of the Spoiler from Pearson in his round-up (likely one of the biggest sellers in '88) nor was there any mention of XI and High Country. Those vendors mabe some pretty big moves the prior year.


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