Hoyt has been a front-runner in the archery world for many years offering bow after bow that competes well with the best the industry has to offer. Their TEC riser is arguably one of the most recognizable and their versions of the hybrid cam system have received high praise for a silky smooth draw cycle.

Leading the way for Hoyt in 2009 is the new AlphaMax 32. This rig features the modular XTR Cam & 1/2 eccentric system, ZT Lock Pocket System, 5-Layer Laminated Split XTS limbs, which reach a parallel position at full draw, and the all-new TEC LITE riser. Other notables on the AlphaMax 32 include a stainless steel stabilizer insert, StealthShot String Suppression System, silencing package and a one-piece wood grip.

Basics
The AlphaMax 32 tips the scales at only 3.9 pounds thanks in large part to a slimmer TEC LITE riser. One of my only criticisms of the Hoyt line in recent years has been their relatively high mass weight--this new riser wipes out that criticism completely. By design the TEC riser acts as a shock absorber sending vibration through the strut, which loops behind the shooter's hand, rather than through the grip.

To construct the lighter TEC riser an aluminum base piece is machined into an open format with chamfers, grooves and multiple large cutouts that reduce mass weight. Each end of the riser flares out to create a platform for the new ZT Lock limb pocket system. Designed to enhance speed, the riser is reflexed a full two inches. In addition, Hoyt's one-piece full wood laminated grip is designed to increase accuracy through a comfortable and consistent shooter-to-bow interface.

At each end of the riser is Hoyt's unique pivoting ZT Lock pocket System. While many limb pockets include a fully enclosed pocket design that surrounds the limb ends the ZT pockets use minimal aluminum material to get the job done. The ZT machined aluminum pockets cradle and capture each individual split limb while a tab on the end of the riser, complete with a black anodized insert, provides consistent spacing between the limbs. A system that utilizes a pivoting pocket rather than a pivoting limb is generally considered to be more consistent and precise and therefore superior.

For 2009 versatility and adjustability were introduced into their popular eccentrics with an all-new modular draw length system. Modules are interchangeable without the use of a bow press and offer draw lengths from 26 to 30 inches in one half-inch increments. The XTR generates approximately 75-percent letoff.

While testing, minimal "kick" and nearly nonexistent vibration was noted at the shot. One of the biggest contributors to this success is the parallel position Hoyt's XTS limbs achieve at full draw. The 12-inch XTS limbs are made with Hoyt's proprietary five-layer fiberglass lamination process and are engineered with Uniform Stress Distribution (USD).

SPECIFICATIONS MANUFACTURER: Hoyt USA www.hoyt.com MODEL: AlphaMax 32 DRAW WEIGHTS: 50-, 60-, 70-, and 80-pound peak DRAW LENGTHS: 26 to 30 inches in one half-inch increments modular RISER: TEC LITE reflexed LIMBS: XTS fiberglass, split, Laminated STRING: FUSE Custom MASS WEIGHT: 3.9 Pounds LETOFF: Approximately 75-percent GRIP: One-piece laminated hardwood BRACE HEIGHT: 7 inches AXLE-TO-AXLE LENGTH: 32 inches FINISH: Realtree APG, Black Out or Target Finish ADVERTISED IBO SPEED: 321 fps PRICE: Too Low to Advertise!!! COMMENTS: Hoyt begins a new era with the AlphaMax 32 as it produces their trademark performance characteristic in a lighter 3.9-pound