ATA Trade Show
2012 ATA Trade Show

It was 2:00 am on Wednesday when Jenn and I got in the truck and began the 8.5 hour drive to Columbus, OH for the 2012 ATA Trade Show.
As an archery gear junkie, the ATA Trade Show is an event I look forward to all year long. All the major manufacturers have booths set up and several unveil new products for the first time. Although it’s a dealer show and not open to the public, there are several members of the media in attendance to get the inside scoop on what’s new in the archery industry.
We arrived at the Greater Columbus Convention Center just in time for Nikon’s 5th Annual Monarch Awards. All of Nikon’s television partners were at the luncheon including Lee and Tiffany Lakosky from The Crush, Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo from Archer’s Choice, Pat Reeve and Nicole Jones from Driven TV and the Keefer brothers from Dropped in Alaska, just to name a few.
Archer’s Choice with Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo took home the ID Tech Award for this year’s “how -to” video. Pat Reeve and Nicole Jones of Driven TV won the PROSTAFF Award for their commitment to using Nikon optics. Last but not least, the winner of Nikon’s most prestigious award is Tim Herald and James Brion of Nosler’s Magnum TV.
Following the Monarch Awards, we made our way to the showroom floor and began our tour of the showroom floor starting with the QAD booth and ending our day at the Sitka booth where they unveiled some new products and previewed a trailer for an upcoming project that everyone at the booth was excited for.
This week I’ll be posting photos and write ups on some of the best looking new products for 2012. There’s a lot to be excited for!
ATA Trade Show
NAP Introduces the Killzone 2-blade Broadhead

One of the newest additions to New Archery Products’ (NAP) family of broadheads is the Killzone. The Killzone is a rear-deploying 2-blade broadhead with a 2″ cutting diameter. New technology allows both blades to open and work together in unison for increased reliability. Another advantage of this design is that it allows the broadhead to gain maximum penetration while avoiding any single blade deployment or deflection upon impact or during penetration of the cavity.
ATA Trade Show
Muzzy Introduces New DX-3 Broadhead

I’m really excited about Easton’s new Injexion arrows with the smallest diameter of any hunting arrow on the market (just .236 compared to .294 for a standard diameter carbon arrow). The smaller diameter arrow shaft allows for increased penetration and decreased wind drift. The smaller diameter arrow, however, required Easton to develop the Deep Six insert.



The Muzzy DX-3, coupled with the Easton Deep Six System, produces less wind drag than other larger broadhead-arrow combinations, resulting in increased accuracy and deeper penetration. When the same amount of energy is concentrated in the smaller Deep Six/DX-3 package, the result is devastating. The DX-3 also fits Easton’s Axis and Full Metal Jacket with Deep Six inserts. The Muzzy DX-3 has an MSRP of $29.95.
I’m really looking forward to shooting the new DX-3 and comparing the penetration against a MX-3 on a standard shaft. I have a feeling there will be a very noticeable difference in penetration. Now I just need get my hands on some Easton Injexion shafts!
ATA Trade Show
2012 Bowtech Insanity CPX and CPXL released at the ATA Trade Show

Following on tradition, Bowtech once again unveiled it’s new flagship bow at this years ATA Trade Show in Columbus, Ohio.

Advertisements with the phrase “Contain the Insane” were showing up everywhere and fueled anticipation for the unveiling of Bowtech’s latest creation. At 9:00 am on January 10th it happened – the Bowtech Insanity was unveiled to an enthusiastic crowd on the showroom floor at the ATA Trade Show.

The Insanity comes in two versions, a 32″ model shooting 355 feet per second and a 35″ model shooting 340 feet per second.

Featured on the Insanity bows is Center Pivot Extreme Technology, which resists shooter induced torque for greater forgiveness and accuracy. The OverDrive Binary Cam System to eliminate cam lean issues and provide exceptional tuning to produce cleaner arrow flight for greater accuracy.

HardCore limbs boost efficiency for more speed without a harsh draw. On typical limbs, most of the bow’s energy is stored near the outside of the limb, while the core stores minimal energy and serves as little more than a spacer.
HardCore Limbs put the core to work, storing energy not only near the surfaces, but also inside the limb. By sharing the workload, stress is reduced, producing exceptional durability. The carbon core is also significantly lighter than other limb materials available today, which produces a tighter physical response for increased energy efficiency, less noise, and less vibration.

The FLX-Guard greatly reduces cable guard torque to produce better arrow flight and easier tuning for greater accuracy. As the archer draws back, the cable guard flexes inward absorbing the cable guard torque that would normally be transferred to the riser. This also reduces lateral nock travel which increases the tuneability, forgiveness and accuracy of the bow.

The Carbon Rod String Stop is made of carbon, an extremely strong material with vibration-dampening properties. It is positioned directly in line with the stabilizer to effectively transfer vibration from the string to the stabilizer. This optimizes bow balance and dissipates noise and vibration efficiently.
Both bows come standard in Mossy Oak Treestand. Alternative finishes include Mossy Oak Infinity, GORE Optifade Forest or Open Country, Realtree APG HD and BlackOps. Target colors AnoRock Onyx and Inferno area also available. All finished except Mossy Oak Treestand include black limbs.
The insanity CPXL has a longer axle-to-axle length for added stability and forgiveness, which makes it the perfect fit for archers with a draw length up to 32″. The Insanity CPX will have a suggested retail price of $999 and the CPXL will retail for $1,049.

I had a chance to shoot the Bowtech Insanity side by side with last year’s Invasion at the Bowtech shooting lane. Shooting the Insanity was exciting as the bow really put some heat behind the arrows as it sent them down range.

One thing that stood out to me when drawing the bow was the short valley. Upon releasing the arrow I felt a lingering vibration throughout the bow. However, this was a bare bow so some vibration is to be expected and a hunting rig outfitted with a stabilizer and other accessories should significantly decrease if not completely eliminate any vibration.

Another notable mention was the overall balance of the Insanity. When shooting last year’s Invasion, the bow slightly kicked back after the shot. The new design of the Bowtech Insanity makes the bow extremely well balanced and the Insanity remained steady even after the shot.
Overall, I think Bowtech did a good job with the Insanity and there were noticeable improvements over the Invasion, specifically in the overall balance of the bow. The bow was fast, the grip was slim and the bow was easy to keep on target. The valley was short, however, and I did have one draw where I let up a little while at full draw and the bow pulled me forward.
If you have a chance, take a trip to your local Bowtech dealer and shoot the Insanity to see what it’s all about.


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