Editors' review
Before getting started, the Hpyerforce is a great combination of the best technology Hoyt has to offer for 2018. Shooters are going to be disappointed in Hoyt eliminating two of the three aluminum riser options from the lineup altogether, and that decision seems to be a poor one at first glance. However, the 32-inch axel-to-axel Hyperforce is being reviewed in this article, not the decision for Hoyt to cut their lineup. With that being said, the Hyperforce is not just another model year newer with the majority of the same technology being carried over to the new year. The Hyperforce gets the new ZT Hyper Cam System with a newly designed split cable system, an option for 80 or 85% let off, and 330 feet per second. Hoyt reconfigured the grip placement, beefed up the limbs and pockets, redesigned the cable containment system, and added some highly sought after finish options to the mix for 2018. The Hyperforce gets a full makeover, and carries the Hoyt name proudly into the 2018 lineup.
Finish
Hoyt has added a great deal of highly sought after finish options for the 2018 model year, and it is greatly appreciated by everyone on the market for a bow. It was not long ago when Hoy was only offered with one camo pattern, so to see them take what the customer wants and partner with other companies to make that happen speaks volumes to the Hoyt team. For hunting, shooters can choose all black or buckskin if they are interested in a solid color. For camo options, Gore Optifade Subalpine, Kuiu Verde 2.0, Realtree Edge, or Under Armour Ridge Reaper Barren are the main patterns. From there, Hoyt has four custom hunting options. The Bone Collector editions include an all black version, or a Realtree Edge Riser with black limbs. This custom edition features unique decals and lime green accent colors. Brand new, and highly received for 2018 is the Cameron Hanes special edition bows. Shooters can get this version in all black, or an Under Armour Ridge Reaper Barren riser with black limbs. The Cameron Hanes edition also features special graphics including "Be the Ultimate Predator" written on the bottom limb. Cameron Hanes has an insane number of followers on social media, and represents the bowhunting community as positively as anyone ever has. He is a diehard Hoyt shooter, and the tribute to him through a custom finish is a great move for Hoyt.Hoyt does their target colors a bit differently with a flat black riser and colored limb options. The limb colors available are black, blue, green, orange, purple, red, and white. Shooters have responded well to this style of target bow, and it looks pretty cool in person with the limbs colored.
Riser
The riser gets a redesign as well for the 2018 Hyperforce. For starters, the grip is placed lower on the riser than in previous years. With the bow being perfectly balanced at the grip, Hoyt engineers beefed up the bottom of the riser by making the limb pocket wider and a little heavier. This makes up for the extra weight above the grip area, and it allows shooters to benefit from the lower grip position while keeping everything as balanced as possible. The bare bow weight of is right at 4.3-pounds for the 32-inch Hyperforce, which is still pretty lightweight even though it is over the 4-pound benchmark.With the new Zero Torque Hyper cams, discussed later on, the cable containment system experiences a change for 2018 as well. It is hard to consider this change an upgrade because it is a less sophisticated system than the previous containment system, but the roller guard no longer flexes. In the past, the roller guard containment system flexed toward the arrow as the string made its way to full draw. With the split cable and added cam tracks, the need for the guard to be flexible is no longer present. This system now has less moving parts, and should translate into a more efficient system.The string stop system is pretty much the same as previous years, and the stabilizer mounting bushing out the front continues to be off set just a bit to account for accessories mounted on the other side of the bow. Hoyt also has a rear mounting stabilizer bushing for shooters wanting some additional counter weight, a side bar, or a back bar. The options for adding stabilizers are limitless with this configuration and allow shooters to personalize how they want their rigs to feel on target and after the shot.
Grip
The grip is positioned lower on the riser than the physical center of the riser, which is new for Hoyt in 2018. Hoyt claims this helps the bow point on target better, while having a better down range feel. Common sense will indicate if a bow has more riser above the grip than below it, the bow should feel top heavy in the shooters hand. This is not the case on the Hyperforce because the engineers thought of adding some weight to the bottom of the riser in order to offset the added riser on the top end. Hoyt engineers created an asymmetrical wider pocket and limb stance on the bottom cam adding weight to give the rig a perfectly balanced feel. This gives shooters the ability to benefit from the lower grip position Hoyt wants along with maintaining the balanced in hand feel shooters have grown to demand.Aside from the grip placement, the grip itself got an upgrade as well. 2018 brings the X-Act grip to the market, which slims down the previous grip shape and feel. The X-Act grip is a one-piece construction grip similar to previous years, with the ability to add custom side plates if desired. The grip is the product of the Hoyt target archery and hunting pro staffers collaboration in creating what feels and functions the best. The designed angle, depth, and width of the grip fits the widest range of shooters to give them the best, most repeatable grip offered through Hoyt. Although the grip may feel better, it is a little disappointing they are no longer wood from the factory. Instead, the grip is a composite material, which does not have as high end of a look as the wooden grip did.
Limbs
The new Quad Flex split limbs featured on the Hyperforce are a bit different as well giving the bow the widest limb stance seen on a designed hunting bow from the Hoyt camp ever. With this comes a wider limb pocket stance as well with designed zero tolerance for limb spacing throughout the entire draw cycle. The beefed up Bi-Ax pocket system and 3/4-inch limbs help accommodate the added functionality of the Zero Torque Hyper Cam System. Hoyt offers a total of six limb configurations options, with maximum draw weights of 40, 50, 60, 65, 70, and 80-pounds. Each limb configuration adjusts below its maximum draw weight rating by a total of ten-pounds to give 50-pounds of adjustment throughout the lowest to highest weight ranges.
Eccentric System
The Zero Torque (ZT) Hyper Cam System is a fully redesigned cam for the 2018 lineup with some major tweaks in engineering from what Hoyt has released in previous years. Hoyt remains consistent with the three separate base cams. The number one cam has a draw length range of 24.5-28-inches, the number two cam is 27-30-inches, and the number three cam is 29-31-inches. Like in past years, if given the choice regarding performance, it is a bit better to shoot the longest setting on the cam versus the smallest setting on the longer draw system. The modular system is new for 2018 as well, which makes changing the draw length easier than ever before without the use of a bow press. The ZT Hyper Cam System maintains some pretty good speed numbers with an IBO rating of 330 feet per second, combined with the highest let off Hoyt has produced at 80 and 85%.From an engineering perspective, the ZT Hyper cams have a total of four tracks to accommodate their new patent pending Split Cable System. This makes the flexible cable system unnecessary because it creates a more balanced side-to-side load than the previous cam system. Instead of correcting cable-inducing torque placed on the riser, the redesigned cams do this right at the source of the cables. The cables on the bottom cam are split going from the standard one cable to two cables for balancing the side load on the bottom cam. This creates a new string splitter system on the bottom of the cables giving a new look on the Hoyt bows when compared to previous models.
Draw Cycle/Shootability
Shooters will notice the tremendous balance the new riser design offers grabbing the bow right off the shelf. Although 4.3-pounds is a bit heavier than the old standard of a 4-pound bare bow weight, the balance offsets the feeling of it maybe being heavy. 0.3-pounds does not seem like a huge difference, and it really should not be. The added weight is well dispersed, and helps steady the bow while aiming. The new cams are responsible for creating what many argue is the best valley Hoyt has ever produced. This means the back third of the draw cycle is arguably the best feeling Hoyt has ever produced. Combine this with the highest let off cam system with 80 or 85%, and shooters will experience a shot experience like no other Hoyt before it. After the shot, the aluminum riser has some felt vibration if shooters are paying attention to noticing it, but it is in no way bad, and more than likely correctable with the appropriate accessories added for stabilization and vibration reduction. The Hyperforce feels impressive, and if first impressions mean anything, shooters are going to be thrilled with how the bow feels after a pro shop test shoot.
Usage Scenarios
The 2018 Hyperforce, measuring in at a 32-inch axel-to-axel measurement will be most comfortable as a hunting bow. Although some shooters will use this rig on the local 3D courses with buddies, the primary usage in mind when creating the Hyperforce was hunting.
Summary
The Hyperforce is great! The bow shoots well, offers everything shooters want in a 2018 hunting bow, and features Hoyt advancements in technology that are improvements on previous model designs. It is disappointing to see Hoyt seemingly moving away from aluminum risers with the 2018 model year. In the past, Hoyt created the same number of carbon and aluminum riser bows, but for 2018 the company decided to make three version of the carbon riser, and only one with an aluminum riser. This will force diehard Hoyt fans into spending more money to get the carbon model of their choice, or to look for a different brand altogether. The Hyperforce is a great piece of machinery, and the ZT Hyper cam, combined with the rest of the technology advancements for 2018 are pretty outstanding for those wanting a 32-inch axel-to-axel bow. For those wanting a turbo, or the longer axel to axel model offered in past years, being forced to spend an additional $500, or switch brands is a really tough pill to swallow. Hoyt produced an excellent bow with the Hyperforce, but its appeal has been reduced by only offering one version for the entire market.
