Immediately when you pick up the new Alpha Max the reduction in mass weight makes the bow feel light and nimble in your hands.  The weight savings comes from the newly designed Tec Lite riser and ZT Lock pocket system, which are both radical design changes from previous models. The bow comes standard with the Pro Fit custom grip that settles nicely into your hand, something  necessary for a consistent shot. Another design change includes the new XTS limbs. At 5/8” wide, they narrow the bow and contribute to the overall weight reduction.  Last but by no means least is the all new XTR cam & ½ that is now draw length adjustable from 26-30” on the Alpha Max 32 and 27-31” in the Alpha Max 35.  

Enough on the technical aspects, how does it shoot? The draw builds smoothly to the break, and the break over is as smooth as I have felt out of the Cam & ½. For those of you that like a solid wall after the break, the XTR cam &1/2 is as solid as it gets. The hold at full draw is very comfortable, and the solid wall provides a good feel for the anchor with just the right amount of back tension. The shot itself is smooth with very little jump in the bow. There is some hand shock noticeable with a bare riser, but the addition of a Fuse Carbon Connexion Hunter 6.5” stabilizer took all of the jump and shock out of the shot and made the Alpha Max a joy to shoot.  The IBO speed published for the bow is 321 fps, which is slightly lower than last year’s Katera (330fps). We shot the Alpha Max 32 @ 70 lbs and 29-inches of draw length, which is closer to what most of us will shoot. We used a 385 grain Beman Hunter (400 spine, 100 grain tip) and recorded a consistent 295 fps which gives us an approximate 74.41 ft-lbs of kinetic energy and ample speed to shoot a 7-pin sight.