Hoyt Helix Review

Editors' review

Hoyt focuses a lot of marketing on their carbon riser hunting bows, and rightfully so given the love of carbon risers and the benefits they offer shooters. However, not everyone likes the giant price tag that comes with a carbon riser bow, or even prefer the added mass an aluminum bow offers. For those shooters, the Helix is a really nice offering with every benefit of the RX-3 series minus the carbon riser. The Helix gets the same new grip, new cams, new riser design, and wide limbs with zero tolerance pockets to keep everything working flawlessly. The Helix has a compact size with a 30.5-inch axel-to-axel measurement, and is a bowhunter's dream bow in terms of how smoothly it draws for the down range speed and accuracy produced. With an MSRP of $1199 the Helix is a bit expensive for an aluminum hunting bow, but it does have all the bells and whistles it should have to be competitive in the 2019 hunting bow market, which is stacked with phenomenal shooting bows. For those wanting the latest Hoyt technology, without the price tag of the carbon model, the Helix is a true winner.

Finish

Hoyt bows are finished very well leaving the final product one of the best looking on the market. The Helix can be rigged up with a large number of hunting and target options allowing shooters the ability to have a great looking bow in a variety of different finishes. For hunting colors, Hoyt offers Realtree Edge, Under Armour Ridge Reaper Barren, Gore Elevated II and Subalpine, and Kuiu Verde 2.0. Shooters can also go with the new Stone color or the Blackout option if they are interested in a solid color for hunting purposes. On the target side of things, Hoyt uses a black riser with color dipped limbs. Limb colors are available in green, blue, red, orange, white, and purple. In addition to these options, shooters can also choose from the Bone Collector or Cameron Hanes Ultimate Predator Special edition rigs.

Riser

The Helix is a compact hunting bow with a riser made of aluminum. Although the axle-to-axle measurement is only 30.5-inches, the shape of the riser is more deflexed than most would imagine given the shorter nature of the bow, which helps it feel like a longer axle-to-axle bow. The Helix also has a 6-inch brace height, which is perhaps a little shorter than some would like to see, but ultimately it helps produce speeds up to 342 feet per second.Hoyt spent a great deal of research and development time and money to make the Helix more quiet and shock free than any other hunting bow they have ever produced. In doing so, they have implemented a Shock pods system, which mounts to the bottom of the riser near the limb pocket area. The Shock Pods are a dampening system taking the leftover noise and vibration away from the riser and ultimately from being felt by the shooter's grip hand. When combined with the newly designed Stealthshot dampener, the Helix becomes exactly what engineers set out to create - a silent, dead in hand shooter.Hoyt engineers also have a couple other selling points added to the Helix riser. The ZT Pro cam system is one that allows for optimal nock travel. So much so that the cable containment system no longer places a great deal of torque on the riser, and the system no longer needs to be flexible. The roller guards simply guide the cables through the wheels, but they do not need to flex or move to keep things where they need to be. The upper end of the riser also has a bit of a cage design as well, which adds some necessary strength to the riser where it needs it the most. Last but not least, the Helix riser adds a rear mounted stabilizer bushing as well, which is off-set to match the front facing bushing. Shooters wanting to add a back bar now have greater ability to do so.

Grip

The all-new X-Act grip makes its debut to the Hoyt lineup with the Helix and REDWRK series bows. This grip takes on a new shape and size being thinner and flatter than Hoyt has offered in the past, which is a welcomed addition for many shooters given the trend in the archery world to go this direction. The composite one-piece grip is comfortable to hold, and feels great at full draw as well. The flatter grip makes it a little easier to shooters to repeat their hand placement, which is sure to increase accuracy. Some early reviews have claimed the older wooden grip to be more comfortable to hold, but the flat back is easier to repeat.

Limbs

The split limb technology continues to get the nod for Hoyt engineers. These limbs can withstand any normal shooting conditions, and given the research and development of 1500 dry fires and a million draw cycles at 80-pounds and 30-inches of draw should give shooters a great deal of confidence. Hoyt also offers the most limb configurations of any flagship bow with maximum draw weights of 80, 70, 65, 60, 50, and 40-pounds. The split limbs also come with a dampener straight from the factory, with the option of changing out the color from the factory installed black if desired. Hoyt also rethought the limb pockets to give them an even more secure fit to the riser.

Eccentric System

The ZT Pro cams are the newest hunting cam system from the Hoyt camp, and Hoyt claims it is the smoothest drawing, highest performance cam they have created. The Helix riser design gives the bow a 6-inch brace height, which flings arrows up to 342 feet per second. Although there are faster hunting bows on the market, the Helix is a great mix of smooth drawing and hard hitting. The ZT Pro sticks with the split cable system creating a more balanced side load on the cam during the draw cycle. This eliminates cam lean, and the need for a flexible cable containment system. Less nock travel side to side will surely result in better accuracy as well, and the non-moving cable system allows for less to fail on a hunt of a lifetime. Hoyt has two base cams for the Helix with a modular draw length adjustment for easy changes within the draw length range. The first cam adjusts from 25-28 inches, and the second cam ranges from 27-30-inches. The new cams also get the most let off of any Hoyt cam produced as well. In an archery world where high let-offs seem to be king, Hoyt's new ZT Pro cam joins in with the other offerings.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

The Helix is a compact hunting bow, and has the characteristics to live up to the name. The new ZT Pro cam system is a great one, and Hoyt claims it is their smoothest drawing, fastest shooting cam system ever produced. The cams seem to hold weight pretty deep into the draw cycle, but the valley is smooth, and the back wall has a familiar Hoyt feel with just a little bit of sponge. After the shot, shooters get a true sense of the magic of the Helix as the arrow zips towards the target while the sound and vibration are very minimal. For a short axle-to-axle bow, shooters will be shocked at how well it holds on target. The 4.3-pound barebow weight seems a bit heavy on paper, but it does not feel that way in hand and actually may help with keeping the bow quiet and vibration free.

Usage Scenarios

The Helix is an unapologetic hunting bow. It will still perform well for the weekend warriors looking to hone their accuracy, but the Helix's main purpose will be as a hunting bow.

Hoyt Helix vs. Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-3

Bow	Hoyt Helix	Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-3
Version	2019	2019
Picture
Brace Height	6 "	6 "
AtA Length	30.5 "	30.5 "
Draw Length	25 " - 30 "	25 " - 30 "
Draw Weight	30 lbs - 80 lbs	30 lbs - 80 lbs
IBO Speed	342 fps	342 fps
Weight	4.3 lbs	3.9 lbs
Let-Off	80% - 85%	80% - 85%
Where to buy Best prices online	$900 to $1300 Compare prices	$849.99 to $1499.99 Compare prices
	compare more bows

These bows are virtually identical in real life specifications and will appeal to the same potential buyers. The largest difference, which is a pretty significant difference, is the makeup of the riser. The Helix has the newly designed aluminum riser and the Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-3 has the newly designed carbon riser. The aluminum riser comes with a $500 cheaper price tag, which many will appreciate. The overall weight of the aluminum riser is a bit heavier as well tipping the scales at 4.3-pounds versus 3.9-pounds. The different risers will have a different feel to some shooters, but most shooters are going to make their final decision based on price. Those able to afford the carbon will more than likely go that route whereas those with a smaller budget will more than likely choose the aluminum model.

Summary

The Helix is a non-apologetic hunting bow. Everything from the compact design, the overall performance, and the feel of the Helix is done to create the meanest hunting bow Hoyt can produce with an aluminum riser. The new grip is easy to shoot, and the lateral movement options to get the best tune possible truly shows how dedicated Hoyt is in producing the best shooting hunting rig they can. The cams are smooth, and easy to draw, and the feeling after the shot is one of the deadest feels from a Hoyt hunting bow, possibly ever. The 4.3-pounds barebow weight may be slightly on the heavy side on paper for such a compact model, but in hand it balances perfectly and feels solid holding on target. The MSRP of $1199 is a premium price for an aluminum risered hunting bow, but with all the updates from the previous model year, many shooters will have no problem paying the extra price to have what may consider the best hunting bow from Hoyt in recent years. For those wanting the latest and greatest technology from an industry leader in the hunting world, the Helix has a great deal to offer potential customers.