American Whitetail Target Gear Review: The Bowhunter

Like many of you, shooting by bow is not just a seasonal activity... I target shoot all year long, including during hunting season. Target shooting (practicing in general) is one key to being a successful bow hunter, and that's why I feel it's important to have a target that helps you become better. The target I will tell you about today is The Bowhunter which I purchased from American Whitetail Inc. You can check out all of their products online at ArcheryTargets.com

The Bowhunter is one of their "CompCube," or compression cube, targets. What makes these targets different from any other is that the CompCube series combines a foam shell with a ballistic inner "Compression Core" that actually repairs itself as it is shot from different directions.

Design - I will admit, the idea of the "Self repairing" target was a concept I didn't really understand or grasp when I heard about it. I watched a few videos of their targets on their website and learned a little more about it, which helped me understand what was really going on inside. I have shot this target now for three months and there is still no sign of wear. The pictures have not faded from sitting out in the sun. I know it is a little premature to start talking about this target not showing signs of wear, but when you consider the fact that this company has a 3 Year Guarantee against pass-throughs, I am thinking it will be quite a while before I start seeing my arrows penetrating the target any further than what they do now.  This is a very big plus for me because I spend most of my time shooting in my back yard which is surrounded by our nice vinyl fence. I can only imagine how happy my wife would be if an arrow passed through my target and into her fence... I have the confidence of setting my target right next to the fence and don't have to worry about the arrow sticking through the other side.

Another factor I like about this target's design is that it has removable target faces that are held on by small brad nails.  I won't lie, at first I was a little cautious about this and didn't think it was constructed very well, but after shooting it for a few months, I've realized that this does not effect any of the functionality or durability of the target.  I do like the idea of changing out the target face/picture once the original one starts to show signs of wear.  I have had no problem with the target face coming off or the brad nails coming out.  The nails are just on the top and bottom of the target to hold on the target face so you don't have to worry about your arrow hitting a nail while shooting... (unless you miss what you are aiming at and hit the very top or bottom of your target--but then you have other things to worry about).

Looks - After talking about the design of the target faces, I want to talk specifically about the graphics of this target! One major reason I like this target is because of the graphics that I get to shoot at.  Taking it right off their website, "The Tough Target faces are printed on exceptionally durable reinforced poly material with extreme High Definition Graphics."  In my opinion, this target is the closes thing to shooting a 3D target as you can get without spending the price for a 3D target.  This is a huge plus for me because I get bored shooting at a block with dots every single day and its hard to picture myself shooting at a deer when I keep shooting at a square target.  At the same time I don't have the money to purchase a nice 3D target, nor do I have the space to store one.  The American Whitetail targets solve these problems for me by providing a simple target with amazing graphics that gives me the realistic feel I want for half of the price.  The target faces come in multiple options such as Elk, Deer (mule deer and whitetail), Turkey, Black bear, Grizzly, Caribou, Antelope, Wolf, Mountain Lion, and more.  Not to mention, there are multiple options for most of these categories as well! 

EASY arrow pull - The last thing I will mention before I wrap things up is the easy arrow pull of this target.  I have shot lots of different targets including Morrel, Block, Rhinehart, and others which are all good targets.  One thing I don't like about some of the other targets I've shot at is that it is difficult to remove the arrow from the target.  The Bowhunter, as well as all of the other targets from American Whitetail, claim to be a very easy arrow pull target.  I wanted to test this from the very first time I pulled the target out of the box, so I recorded my very first shot at this target with my phone and here is that video.

I even had my 2 year old daughter and my 3 year old nephew help me out and pull my arrows out of the target for me while practicing one night!  There aren't many targets that have a 3 year guarantee against pass throughs that can also have a two year old girl pull out the arrow from my PSE Revenge with a 70 lb draw weight...

I've shot this target consistently for about 3 months now, and it performs the same as it did the first time I shot it.  The Bowhunter measures in at 20"x20"x20" which is a good size for me.  The target sells for $79.95 on their website, which includes free shipping, that is quite a good price considering the guarantee against pass-throughs.  The target states that it is rated to stop arrows from compound bows as well crossbows which shoot a lot faster than your standard bow and arrows.  I took a few shots with my Barrnet Razor and The Bowhunter stopped the crossbow arrows consistently no matter how many times I shot it.  I attempted to shoot my new crossbow at my dad's older block target, and with how short the arrows were, I was burying the arrows past the fletchings. :/

I know one of the hardest parts to review on a target is the longevity and durability of the target over time.  With that said, I can only speak of what I've experienced so far. Even then, I would venture to say that this target has performed better at stopping my arrows, creating exciting realistic images to shoot at, and by far the easiest arrow pull I've ever experienced from any similar target.  The Bowhunter is not American Whitetail's top end target.  American Whitetail designs targets built with the same self-repairing center which can also be interchangeable with a broad-head center insert or the field point center.  This would allow you to have not only the four face target for field points but as well as a fifth option for shooting boad-heads... I encourage you all to look into American Whitetail Targets if you are in the market for a new (or just another) target.  With all of their different target options I feel confident that you'll find what you need.  I recommend this target to any archer at any level as a great backyard target! 

Fish Logo

Alright I have been extremely busy lately with work and other things and feel I have really neglected the blog.  For your information I am working on finishing up 3 different reviews for a few different products that I think a lot of you will be interested in so please keep in touch and keep following. 

In the mean time, I wanted to share with you all that I have worked out the details and have incorporated an additional logo to offer as an option with my hat sales.  This new logo will not replace my original one but rather be an additional one which will give some variety to the outdoor activities you want to represent with your Idaho Pursuit hats.  So here it is.... The Idaho Pursuit logo with the added fish/steelhead!  

Seems how I am a fisherman as much as I am a hunter I feel this logo will accurately represent my blog and everything Idaho Pursuit stands for! Please let me know what you think about the additional logo! Any feedback is welcome even if it's not positive.  Thanks again for the support!

Review: Hawke Sapphire ED 10x42

This week Hawke Optics released a new logo, tag line, and other facelifts for their company and website.  With all of this hype I thought it would be a good time to finish up and post my review of one of their products.  

For the past year I have used numerous Hawke Optics' products and I can't speak high enough about the customer service and the quality of gear I have used.  From their rifle scopes to their spotting scopes they make sure that every product and feature they offer their customer is of the highest quality at an affordable price, especially compared to their competitors. 

The products I'll share with you on this post is the Hawke Sapphire ED 10x42 binoculars.  These binoculars are listed at $479 on their website and are offered in either green or black.  I have used these binoculars now for about a year and have "put them through the ringer" sort a say.  I have used them on my back country elk hunts, my desert deer hunts, in my tree stand, all of my scouting trips, and I have even used them on random trips with my family for recreation.  I pack these things every where I go including indoor archery shoots.  While packing them everywhere and using them as much as I have, I feel like I have gained a pretty good idea of their functionality and durability that I want to share with you.

At 1.6 pounds (25.7 ounces) these binos are great for packing around no matter what adventure you are on.  They are light and compact enough to make them very convenient to have on back country without sacrificing magnification or clarity.  To give you an idea of the specifications, here is the info provided on Hawke's website about these binoculars:
 Key Features:

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• Power:  10×
• Objective Diameter: 42mm
• Lens Coating: Fully Multi-Coated (FMC)
• Field of View: m @1000m / yds @1000yds: 113m / 339yds
• Close Focus: 2m / 6.6ft
• Eye relief: 15mm / 0.6″
• Height: 137mm / 5.4″
• Weight: 730g / 25.7oz
• Waterproof, fog proof and Nitrogen purged.(tested 1.5m for 3mins)
• ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) glass for maximum clarity
• Dielectric Prism Coating
• BAK4 Prism
• Fully Multi-Coated Lenses
• Lightweight Magnesium Alloy Body
• Quick Ratio Focus Wheel
• Twist-up Eyecups with Position Stops

Additional Features:
• Stay-on Lens Covers
• Water Repellent Objective Lens Coating
• Leather Carry Case & Padded Neck Strap
• Hawke® Worldwide warranty

Check out their site to see the specifications and overview in much more detail.

Now I will get into my take on the binoculars and share with you what I like about them.  The first thing I like about these binoculars is their size and weight.  Out of all of the different binoculars I have used, I have come to realize that no matter how awesome a pair may be, if they are too big, too heavy, or too bulky then they aren't right for the conditions I am using them for.  The Hawke Sapphire binos built with the hunter in mind being 5.4" (length) inches by 4.3" (width) inches and only 1.6 pounds yet jam packed with high quality glass and amazing features.

The second thing I like about them is durability... I will admit I have dropped them (in the field and down my stairs at my house), drug them through the dirt while belly crawling toward an animal, used them in the rain/snow, and even left them in my vehicle on the floor for my daughter to step on. I don't think these situations are all what Hawke had in mind when they made their binoculars, but I can testify that they work just as well after my abuse as they did right out of the box.  I will state that I did have one of the stay on lens covers come off during a stalk on an animal so just be sure to have the lens covers secure when/if you plan on crawling through the brush.

The third thing I will touch on is the quality and clarity of these binoculars.  I have used quite a few different optics from Bushnell, Tasco, to Minox, and have borrowed even borrowed some Vortex and Swarovski optics from other hunters during archery shoots.  My take on it is that optics do what they say they will do... no matter what brand you have or what style you like, they all magnify an object and help you see what you are looking at.  What is important to me is that I get the best quality of product for what I pay.  The last thing I want to do is pay 100 dollars for something that performs like a 5 dollar pair of binoculars my 3 year old daughter would use no matter what name is on it or how cool it looks. Vise-verse, I wouldn't pay 100 bucks for a pair optics that perform like a 100 dollar pair of binoculars when I could pay 80 bucks for a pair that does does as well if not better.  With all of my random analogies put aside, I choose the Sapphire ED 10X42 because they are worth every bit of what they cost and then some.  The construction put into these binoculars makes them the set of binoculars you will use year after year to give you the clearest look at the animal you decide to pursue.

I can keep writing a few things I like about these binoculars such as the light weight rubber coated magnesium alloy chassis, the science behind the ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) glass for maximum clarity which I doubt I could even get close to explaining, but instead I just encourage you to check out Hawke Optics to see what I'm talking about.  If you have binoculars that you are happy with, or a company you will always go back to, then I'm happy for you.  All I am saying is that if you haven't checked this company, or this product, out then you are missing out.  As I stated earlier, this company stands behind their products and takes care of their customers.  Use their dealer locator on their website to find a dealer where you can check them out.  If you are any where in my area I would be more than happy to take you out and let you use my Hawke Optics for a day, and I can guarantee you'll be impressed!

The Sapphire ED 10x42 Binoculars and their leather carrying case