2018 ATA Show Highlights
The Best of the 2018 ATA Show
The ATA show is the annual archery trade show usually held back east. Its one of our favorite events where we get to see our friends in the industry, talk to potential vendors and check out all the new gear. We've picked out our favorite gear highlights of the 2018 show and given you some quick thoughts on each. At the end we'll let you know our favorite!
Garmin Xero A1
WOW! Truly the talk of the 2018 ATA show, the Garmin Xero A1i is a game changer. The new Garmin sports a built in angle compensating rangefinder triggered with the push of a button on your riser. The pins are set by reflecting led lights from the side to an angled pane of glass in your sight housing. Both cool, but what makes this sight unique is not the two technologies, but how they work together. First you put the pin on the target, then push the range button. The range and angle show up in displays above the sight housing. Then the sight places a pin on the screen at the exact yardage you need for the shot. Brilliant! Oh wait, it's snowing? Or is the fog not allowing the rangefinder to work? Thats ok, you can have the sight show your fixed "pins". Want to change your arrow? That's OK too. You can setup multiple arrows and switch between them with the push of a button.
If you know Garmin then you also know that they love to integrate with other Garmin products. In the case of the Xero A1i, you can send ranged waypoints to your watch! How is this useful? Imagine that you have shot an animal and it runs down the hill and crashes into brush pile. Simply use the Xero A1i to range the correct brush pile and send that waypoint to your watch. Did I already say brilliant?
Worried about weight? Don't be. It's only 14oz.
I’m not going to get into the ethical or legal questions (it's up to the hunter to know the laws in their own state), but i do want to educate our customers on the sight and let them make their own decisions.
What ever your opinion, you can not deny that this is a huge leap in sight technology. If this is on your list, save your pennies. The A1 will cost you $799 and does just the basics, the A1i with all the features is $999. Both are shipping from S&S Archery in early March. We are taking pre-orders and will ship out in the order they are received.
Nikon Monarch 3000 Rangefinder with OIS
This is one of those products that seems so obvious that you have to wonder what took them so long to get this on the market?? I’m sure you are all familiar with OIS or "optical image stabilization" right? Its that magic that some cameras have that steadies the shot so you can take a picture that isn't blurry.
With the Nikon Monarch 3000, the OIS stabilizes the image so you can get a perfect range, even if it's up to 3000 yards out! At $419 it's a great price for a 3000 yard rangefinder, add optic stabilization and its a bargain! Look for these on sandsarchery.com very soon!
Spot Hogg
The new 2018 Fast Eddie and Fast Eddie XL are both built much stronger. This is primarily to address the extra weight of the 7 pin MRT head, but all Fast Eddies will benefit.
There is also a new “positive stop” that will allow you to stop the yardage dial at a specified distance. Perfect for that "no look" yardage or backup if your sight tape happens to come up missing. This will retro fit any Fast Eddie Sight.
The Double Pin pointer is now shipping with the Double Pin versions of the Tommy Hogg and the Hogg Father. It will also be sold as a kit to fit older models. You can pick one up here!
And a new Bowa strap on the Wise Guy. This is an awesome strap! The Bowa comes in black or a new Cam Hanes model. The adjustment has micro click that allows for a perfect fit. The clicks do seem a bit noisy, however most hunters will simply leave the strap on their wrist. And the Bowa strap is so comfortable, that won't be a problem!
RipCord Max
The Ripcord Max is my new favorite rest. I have been a fan of Ripcord for quite a few years now, simply based on performance and reliability. With the cable actuated Ripcord Max you can cock the rest into position after you nock an arrow. The slim launcher and full containment mean that you don't have to keep a finger on your arrow or worry about it bouncing around during your stalk. The Max also has a new ball bearing drive system that means it will function in any condition. Snow, rain, and freezing temps will not get in the way of this rest.
The Ripcord Drive is a limb driven rest that ads the reliability of a ball bearing drive system like that found on the Max, but ads the ability to run from top or bottom limb, and has an adjustable angle launcher. What more could you ask for from a limb driven rest.
Black Gold Assault
The Black Gold Assault builds on the already wildly popular Ascent Verdict by adding micro click gang adjustment and micro 1st axis adjustability. Why is micro click gang adjustment important? How many times have you been at the range and loosened the clamp on the housing only to have it drop down to the bottom? You have no idea where it was, and now you are starting over! With micro click adjustment you can loosen the clamp and the sight housing stays in place. Click wheels move the housing so you can make purposeful measurable changes.
The micro first axis is a first on any hunting sight. Loosen up the screws to leven your sight to, then use the micro adjust screw to position the sight so that it’s perfectly even with the riser. When you tighten the screws, the micro adjust screw will keep the sight in position. Brilliant!