I’ve bowhunted with previous Hoyt carbon bows. And although I’ve put more Hoyt aluminum-riser bows to work than I can recall, I’ve deemed Hoyt’s carbon bows among my annual favorites ever since the venerable manufacturer jumped into this program. The Carbon Defiant discussed here is a Michael Waddell Bone Collector Brotherhood Collector’s Edition, which is a black, crinkle-finished bow with a green/black bowstring, lime-green buss cables, Limb Shox and Shock-Rods, buck-skull logo grip and string stop.
The Carbon Defiant’s riser is centered around three Helical Flex Tune hollow carbon tubes, which maximize structural strength while reducing weight by 53 percent compared to solid tubes. The Carbon Defiant’s riser is built from more than 50 hand-laid parts, all assembled with exacting engineering to create a stiffness-to-weight ratio 11 times higher than comparable aluminum risers. These risers are so durable, that the Carbon Defiant—set at 80 pounds at 30 inches and producing over 104 foot-pounds of energy—also survived 1,500 dry-firing tests.
What sets the Carbon Defiant apart most as a hunting bow is its PerfectBalance Stabilization System and Offset Riser
Technology geometry. They combine to make the Carbon Defiant one of the best-balanced bows you’ll ever handle. The riser has an offset swerve, and the stainless steel stabilizer bushing is offset 0.75 inches outside center-shot (opposite the sight-mounting bracket) to deliver ideal balance.
Hoyt’s DFX Cam & ½ system offers many real-world advantages. First, the DFX is extremely efficient and highly forgiving, which was obvious during my tests. The Hoyt Carbon Defiant proceeded from heaviest to lightest arrows smoothly, with speeds increasing in the nearly linear fashion without a change in speed more than 1 fps in five shots, and most didn’t vary at all. The DFX’s hybrid cam maximizes the string angle at full draw, with the cams swinging out from the limb tips to increase the bow’s overall length when the shooter snugs into anchor.
The Carbon Defiant’s riser and past-parallel limbs also deliver inherent silence. The split limbs hold wedge-fit “radiated” Limb Shox, i.e., limbs anchored by streamlined, pivoting Defiant ProLock Pockets, each with three imbedded Shock-Rod Technology dampeners between limbs and riser. Hoyt’s Silent Shelf Technology, a rubber pad covering the arrow shelf, eliminates game-spooking arrow clicks while using many models of drop-away rests. It promotes consistent nock separation while also taming bowstring twang and eliminating the need for string silencers, which can reduce speeds.
Finally, Hoyt’s Zero Torque Cable Guard System includes a buss-cable roller system on a spring-loaded base that flexes inward at full draw to eliminate lateral torque and further increase accuracy and shooting ease. The Carbon Defiant is easy to tune and highly forgiving. It seems to shoot itself. It took me little time to assemble fist-sized groups out to 40 yards.
To learn more please visit Hoyt Archery’s website.
