New Hoyt Charger

Hoyt Charger

When do you upgrade your weapon?

A good rifle and scope combo will last a lifetime, but it seems bows are a little different. the design and technology are constantly improving, So when do you upgrade your weapon if your weapon is a bow and arrow?
After shooting my Hoyt Magnatec for 10 years I decided to upgrade to some of the new technology in the archery world. I got my first Hoyt in 1992 a Superslam supreme.  I settled on this bow because of the long axle to axle for finger shooting.
in 2003 I bought the Magnatec, the Magnetec was the bow I was most successful with in my bow hunting career. Shortly after I got the Magnatec, a revolution of sorts in the design of bows was introduced, Parallel limb design. When parallel limb design came out, it made a lot of sense that the force of the limbs would cancel each other out reducing the recoil and minimizing  a lot of the hand shock. After I test shot some new bows, I realized how much hand shock the Magnatec had.

I sold my Magnatec and came up with some money to upgrade to a new bow. I liked the last 2-hoyts I had, and decided to remain loyal to the brand. Although when I went to the pro shop I did so with an open mind, shooting some other brands, After test shooting I stayed with Hoyt and settled on their price point bow for 2013 the Charger. 

I did not have a lot of cashto spend on a rig, and I needed to upgrade all the components except the sight,  I was limited to either a price-point/entry level bow. or cheaper accessories. My experience with the price point bows has been positive, I have never found the bow to be the limiting factor in my shooting abilities, however the components and accessories can make a real difference. Most of my bad shooting is due to user error, not bow error.

2013 Hoyt Charger

Why I chose the  Hoyt Charger: several reasons;  The Hoyt reputation, the design and technology, the warranty, the value. the weight. and it is a cool looking bow.

The Hoyt Tec riser is a visual trademark of a Hoyt, it is a love/hate design, some claim it looks like a twisted pretzel, from a design viewpoint it makes a stronger truss riser with less weight. if you like Hoyts, the Tec riser is a thing of beauty.

What sold me on the new Charger was the lack of recoil, minimal hand vibration, fast arrow speed. smooth draw cycle and a solid back wall, and a price of $500  The specs are almost identical to their Spyder 30  bow which sports a machined aluminum riser and $800+, vs. the cast riser of the Charger. The Casting of the Charger riser has come a long way from the Superslam Supreme and Magnatec, not that there were problems with those risers, but there was a lot to them: heavy and large diameter. The Charger has clean lines and a smooth arc riser, the grip is slim and feels good. the weight is listed as 3.8# for the bare bow. The only minor complaint with the charger is the arrow shelf design. it is flat and narrow. and it doesn't sport the u-shaped design of Hoyts higher end bows.

I am primarily a treestand hunter for whitetails, but mountain elk hunting is becoming a big factor in my equipment choices, A lightweight bow setup is important, at 3.8# it is on the light side, but it is also a very shootable bow.

I am very satisfied with the bow and the package I put together. if you dream of a new bow, but the price tag is out of reach, the charger is an incredible value of a bow

I will be reviewing the rest, sight, quiver, and release in the near future

Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT

      Now that I am addicted to elk hunting in Colorado, most of my gear purchases are related directly or indirectly to that passion. One of my recent gear purchases was the Mounstainsmith Mountain Shelter LT. what caught my attention on this tarptent shelter was the weight, the area, and the price.

 Mountain shelter LT weighs in at around 2-pounds including the 15-stakes and guylines. On a recent trip with my wife we got a queen size air mattress in and had room for gear at the foot and in the huge vestibule. The retail price is $129.00
compared to similar products, it is a great value.

Full Weather protection with a huge Vestibule

The mountain shelter LT is a 2-person shelter, or a one person and all your backpack/hunting gear. I am not sure I would want to spend a week in the back country sharing this with another dude. there is enough room, but I wanted something I can put my pack, boots and bow inside each night. I also think that condensation could be problematic in some conditions with 2-people.

I don't carry trekking poles while hunting,But this can be set-up this a ridgeline rope, or there are always sticks in the woods that could be cut to length and the end protected with a patch of duct tape. a small folding saw is probably the route I would take and cut poles on site.

The Mountainsmith Mountain shelter LT compared to Eureka Timberlite3 and Eureka Solitaire

The first official use of this tent was for a family camping trip for trout fishing. my wife and I Used the Mountain Shelter and had lots of room, even with saturated ground and cool damp conditions the tent walls were damp to the touch with condensation, but it was not dripping.

Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT with a Kelty Acadia 4-person tent in background.

The next use was on a boy scout camp-out with my son in ground saturated, windy cold conditions. I was the only one sleeping in the tent. The first night was windy with rain sleet and snow. The second night was clear and cold with a temperature of 22 degrees in the morning, and there was light frost on the inside and outside of the tent, however it wasn't excessive, or what I would consider a problem.

There is a lot of room in this tent, But I think condensation may be an issue with 2-men.

I am pleased with this tent, pitching is fast and easy, it is very resistant to the wind
weighs almost nothing and didn't steal too much from my gear funds.
I highly recommend this tent, but I don't think it is for everyone. During the heat of the summer when bugs and spiders are everywhere here in Pennsylvania, I am reluctant to use this tent. high in the mountains of Colorado where bugs are not as numerous I wouldn't hesitate to use it

About Me

I am from Western Pennsylvania, I grew up hunting and fishing with my Dad and brothers. Deer season was one of the most anticipated events of the year, except maybe Christmas when we got hunting related gifts.

When I was in High school in the late '70's, I bought a bow from a kid at school, my brother got one too. we got pretty good shooting the old bear bows. and tried hunting that fall, we didnt get anything, but it started a small fire inside me. After moving to another town graduating high school, going to trade school moving to Virginia and eventually coming back to Pennsylvania I bought another bow. and met a friend who was a hunting freak. We were both on a mission to learn this bowhunting thing. I eventually shot a small buck with my bow. I had mixed emotions since PA only allows 1 buck I wouldn't be rifle hunting this year. Over the course of years the flame of archery hunting has almost become consuming. The bow is my weapon of choice.

In early 2010 I was invited on an Archery elk hunt to Colorado. and a new passion was sparked. In September 2012 I got my first Elk with the bow on my second attempt a mature cow. The process of planning and preparing and eventually harvesting an elk is addictive.

2012 cow elk

married to an awesome woman and we have three kids.

I want to share some of my experiences in the field, with gear and equipment and the animals.


Jimbow