My Hunting "Toys" AKA Guns and Bows - Bowtech Guardian

Today I deviate from my gun collection to showcase my bow, a 2008 Bowtech Guardian.  I knew whenever I first shot this bow that I would have one; it has a smooth draw cycle, felt good and fit me well, is dead-in-hand and is extremely quiet.  I have my 50-60# limbs maxed out, giving me a draw weight of around 62#, which is plenty enough to zip my arrows through the rib cage of an unsuspecting whitetail.

My bow is decked out in Realtree APG and has the inVelvet finish, which is supposed to protect against dings in the bow's aluminum riser and limbs as well as keep things quiet if you hit the riser against, say, your stand, while a P&Y 8-pt is standing right below you.  I will note that while it does help to dampen noise in a dull "thud" fashion, the camo portion of finish is rubbing off in certain areas, especially around the grip (but not the inVelvet itself). 

This bow is a family member, along with the General and Commander, of Bowtech's 2007 and 2008 top of the line, binary cam bows that feature Center Pivot technology.  I won't go into the specifics of what this means as far as performance as you can follow the link to see all about it and decide for yourself, but I will say that this bow is considered by many (from what I have read online in both articles and forums) to be one of the finest shooting bows ever produced and I have to say I agree. (Why do you think I chose it over the Matthews DXT and Fred Bear Truth when it came time to make a decision on what to spend my hard-earned money on?) 

The bow may not be a speed demon, its birth certificate has an IBO speed of only 308 fps at 60 pounds, but I am able to produce enough arrow speed and kinetic energy to use expandable broadheads.  As for what accessories I have on the Guardian and what I shoot, I'll just post up a list of my set-up below:

• Rest - NAP Apache (This is a fall-away style that offers containment; I've also used a full containment rest in the form of the Carolina Archery Products Whisker Biscuit and had no complaints with it, except for a doe busting me for noise as I drew back on her, but that's a story for another day)
• Quiver - Kwikee Kwiver (I don't shoot with a quiver on my bow, so this old faithful goes on the bow to carry my arrows in the woods and is then hung up on my bow holder once I get settled in the tree)
• Stabilizer - 7" Octane Stabilizer (It matches my bow, helps take out any other vibrations from a shot that my Sims Limbsavers don't and provides enough weight up front to give me a little bit of a steadier hold while aiming; plus it's in Realtree APG and matches my bow.)
• Sight - Apex Gear Atomic Single-Pin (I wanted simple and cheap and went with the Apex Gear sight.  I have it sighted in 2 inches high at 10 yards and can pretty much shoot from point blank to 30 yards without having to do much guess work.  I will be upgrading to a 3 pin sight or maybe one with 2 "fixed" pins and one floating pin this season however.)
• String - Factory Original (It's time for a new one though, so I'll do some shopping this summer before the season to pick up a good one that won't break the bank.  Just as a note, I only have a string loop, kisser button and some string leeches on my string, no peep for me!)
• Arrows - Victory and Easton (I still have my Easton Gamegetter aluminums but switched to Victory V1 carbons last year.  I was able to get my hands on a brand-new dozen of them with wraps and Blazer vanes for pretty cheap and have been very impressed, definitely a cheaper way to pick up some speed instead of buying a new bow!)
• Broadheads - Grim Reaper Razortips and Magnus Snuffers (I made the switch to expandables last year as well and love my Grim Reapers.  I also like the toughness of my 3-blade Snuffers and decided to keep them around in case I felt the need to shoot fixed blades.  I have quite a few other broadheads, but these two models, both 125 grains, are my go-to ones.

While I haven't been lucky enough to close the deal with archery equipment just yet (5 years and counting), I have killed enough foam and targets to know that I made the right choice when it came to choosing my bow.  Just remember though, what works for me might not work for you, so get out there and shoot as many different makes and models in your price range that you can.  You'll find the one that fits you, and maybe, if you go the used route, it will end up being a Bowtech Guardian like mine.

-C.B.