| |
 |
| |
| PSE X-FORCE HF . |
| |
By Joe Bell
Publicado en Bow & Arrow num. 42 -2
Here’s a bow that delivers extreme speed in an easy-to-shoot package.
A couple of years ago 1 went to visit PSE’s factory in Tucson, Arizona. 1 met with founder and owner Pete Shepley. He and bis crew of engineers were just working out the kinks on a new bow they were calling the Mach-X and, from the look on bis face, he just couldn’t wait to see how the rnasses would respond to bis cornpany’s creation this time.
While talking, he showed me a prototype. In a nutshell, the bow boasted the shortest, extreme-parallel limbs I’d ever seen; they were less than 10 inches long. Its riser looked like something off a long, forgiving target bow—more or less straight from top to bottom, not swept back like the risers on today’s compact bows.
Pete went on about how vibration dampers were placed in strategic lo— cations throughout the bow, including the limb tips and cable bar. There were 11 in all. The grip was perhaps the slimmest thing 1 had ever seen, but it seemed very comfortable in my hand, and it would surely be torquefree. It was ah part of the company’s new X-Bow technology something Pete seemed to be awfully proud ab out.
Months later, as the Mach-X hit the market, a storm of talk broke out
about the bow’s “out-of-the-box” features. And, shortly thereafter, raye reports started to trickle in about the bow’s awesome shooting characteristics, particularly noting its accuracy and shot silence. In truth, it was matching its advertising hype and then sorne.
Perhaps PSE was already predicting this and wanted ro capitalize on the momentum generated by the Mach-X, because a short time later (at mid year), they launched yet another revolutionary design—this time, however, the latest X-Bow would be dubbed “the fastest bow ever produced! Ah in a smooth and forgiving package.” I’ve heard the “fastest” claim rnany times before, but to say fast and smooth and forgiving at the same time is a little contradictory. But is it? In the case of PSE’s X-Force, 1 must say, it is not.
X-ING OUT VIBRATION
Excessive vibration, shot recoil, and bowstring oscillation are perhaps the biggest obstacles to overcorne in a radically fast bow design. Minimize these elements and the bow becomes inherently more user-friendly and shootable.
The X-Force successfuhly does this by using unique himb technology. At the bow’s firing, much of the vibration is generated by the limbs’ rnovement, which is why PSE has put an enormous amount of time and money to researching out new limb designs, ones that would be quieter, and more efficient.
The solution, PSE engineers found, was to take the concept of parallellimb design one step further by creating limbs that allowed for more downward limb-tip bend, thus creating a past parallel-lirnb system, ah without mounting the lirnb’s butts and lirnb pockets at an extreme angle. With more extreme limbs, a stronger reflexed riser is necessary, which can have a negative effect on shooting forgiveness, according to sorne engineers.
This is the key to the X-Force’s smoothness and easy-shooting
character. At the shot, the X-Force’s limbs spring upward frorn the force, but alrnost immediately each lirnb is stabilized to a dead stop due to the strong resistance caused by the opposing limb tip. So the shooter feels nothing more than a slight report as the arrow leaves the bow. It’s sort of like shooting a magnum big-game rifle without ah the noise and recoil.
Also, since the limb motion is cancehled out so quickly, the bowstring’s movernent is dampened rapidly as wehl, particularly as the arrow leaves the string. With ordinary speed bows, “string slap” against the arm is a huge concern, since the shortened brace height brings your forearrn more in une with the bowstring’s path. The more the bowstring oscihlates after the shot, the more likely strip slap is to occur. However, since the X-Force’s bowstring vibrates very little, the likelihood of string slap is greatly minimized, ifnot ehiminated. This is why the X-Force is so comfortable to shoot, despite a short 6-inch brace height.
POWERFUL CAM SYSTEM
The HF Cam (for Hybrid Fast) has a lot to do with the bow’s power. PSE designers put all they knew about maximum energy storage and a manageable draw-force curve into this system. The X-Force’s initial draw cycle is smooth, then seems to load up about mid-way through the cycle. It’s a little aggressive, but to give you a bow that shoots 350-fps IBO, that’s what’s needed. After shooting the bow somewhat, 1 didn’t find the draw cycle intimidating or anything.
The system is totally adjustable, with available draw-length modules in one-inch increments, and additional plus or minus 3/8-inch draw adj ustments can be made via string posts on the cam. Letoff is changeable from 60 or 70 percent, simply by altering the position of the draw stop. Personally, 1 preferred shooting the bow set at 70 percent.
GREAT GRIP
One of my favorite attributes of the X-Force is its grip. It’s extremely narrow and torque-free, and accentuates consistent hand placement. 1 do wish the bow had a slighter, more flared-out arrow shelf, however. With my bow hand in its naturally relaxed position, my index finger seems to “roll over” into the arrow’s passageway. 1 know this because 1 felt the arrow’s vanes hit my finger several times. 1 eventually began wrapping my finger around the handie more, which ehiminated the problem entirely. Adjusting the arrow-rest arm a bit higher would ahso remedy this.
Overail, the X-Force brings to you seriously new technolog This bow’s performance is outstanding; it’s quiet, accurate and super-fast. Best of all, it’s smooth. In terms of a speed bow, it seems to break every rule in the book.
BOTTOM LINE
PSE has hit a home run with the X-Force. Shoot it and you’lI be amazed.
Model: X-Force HF
Manufacturer: Precision Shooting Equipment, 2727
Fairview Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705; (520) 884-9065;
www.pse-archery.com.
Peak Draw weights: 50 to 80 pounds
Draw lengths: 26to 30 loches
AxIe-to-axle length: 33 loches
Limbs: 12-inch, X-Force Split Limbs
Riser: machined aluminum
Grip: narrow 8.E.S.T. grip
Eccentrics: Hybrid cams
Brace Height: 6 loches
Mass Weight: 4.1 pounds
Advertised IBO speed: 350 fps
Suggested Retail: $849
Color: Mossy Oak New Break-Up True Speed: 288 fps, 27 1/2-inch draw, 65 pounds, string loop, no silencers, Easton Super Slim 400 w/1 00-grain point, Blazer vanes, total arrow weight:
380 grains.
.
• Bow is outfitted with eíght differentVibracheck
dampeners.
• HF Cam System maximízes energy storage and
arrow speed.
• Unique 8.E.S.T. grip increases bow’s forgiveness
and accuracy.
• PSE’s innovative past-parallel 11mb design
produces an exceptionally quiet, Iow-recoil shot. ;1
|
|
|
|
|
