I stopped by the local Bowtech shop the other day to get my hands on the new Guardian. Unfortunately, they didn’t get it in yet. However, they did get in an Allegiance and Tribute. They also had the new Hoyt’s, including the Vetrix. Here’s my take.

Allegiance
I’m somewhat biased toward this bow as I currently shoot an 05 and its treated me well. However, Bowtech outdid themselves with improvements in the past two years. The new riser is awesome. Very nice machine work. The weight difference between my 05 and the 07 is very noticeable in my opinion.
I shot about 10 arrows through the bow and was very impressed. Even with its much lighter frame and no stabilizer, it held very nicely. Also, the new grip is a much needed improvement. While the previous grips were nice, I prefer the slender grips that I came to love on the Hoyt’s I owned. This bow feels very much like the Hoyt grip. The shot yielded very little vibration. A few sims accessories and a stabilizer should take of that nicely. And, of course, this bow scorches an arrow to the target. Overall, unless the Guardian blows me away, I’ll probably be shooting an 07 Allegiance this coming year.

Tribute
My Tribute comments are going to be short and sweet. This bow is very much like the Allegiance in my opinion. There might have been a touch less vibration, but both were so close, I don’t think I could make a statement leaning toward one or the other in this department. To me, the difference is AtoA only. I like the mid length of the Allegiance better. Both draw cycles seemed to be very similar in feel as well.

Fit and finish of the two bows I shot was excellent. I honestly think the finish is much better than what my 05 Allegiance was when I bought it.

Hoyt Vetrix

The Vetrix really surprised me. PAHardwoods did a mini review of this bow and my thoughts pretty much mirror his. Very quiet and very little vibration. The thing that stood out the most to me was the stability of the bow. It held extremely well at full draw. Better than the Allegiance and Tribute in my opinion. This is most likely due to riser design and added weight. The new string suppressor is nice. Unlike the aftermarket STS, theirs has a groove the string slides into at the shot. I think this might make a big difference. It didn’t have that “slapping” sound I’ve heard with the STS. Also, its custom made for this bow and looks sharp and integrated. The only real gripe I had was sheer weight. It’s a little on the heavy side. The riser seemed more “chunky” than I remember on the Hoyt’s I’ve owned. But comparing this bow to the Trykon, there is no contest in my opinion. It’s a huge leap for Hoyt. The draw cycle is better as well. The Trykon was pretty harsh from initial pull to the stop with a pretty good “hump” midway through. The Vetrix is much smoother with only slight “hump” before easing to the stops. I think they’ve got a winner this year and should sell a pile of them.

Overall, I really liked all three and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any of them. However, I really liked that Allegiance. The diet they put it on combined with the new grip makes this bow incredible. bow. It held extremely well at full