Hoyt Pro Defiant Turbo Review

Editors' review

The Hoyt Pro Defiant Turbo is a great shooting speed bow, which comes in at an axel-to-axel measurement of 33-inches, sitting right between the Pro Defiant 31 and the Pro Defiant 34 models. The DFX Turbo cam in combination with the limbs and riser also help increase the string angle and feel being engineered in a way that increases the axel to axel measurement after the bow is drawn making it feel like a longer axel to axel model. The Turbo cam with a 6-inch brace height gives an IBO speed rating of 350 feet per second, which is a nice combination of shootable and fast. However, none of this is different from the 2016 Defiant Turbo, which could be disappointing for some shooters wanting a new Hoyt after buying one in 2016. Most shooters will agree the new riser is pretty sweet looking, but probably not nice enough to justify another bow purchase based solely on the looks alone. The new target color configuration is pretty nice too, and offers something different than in the past with the colors on the limbs, wooden grip, and strings instead of the riser, but again, that may not justify buying a new bow if shooters already have a Defiant Turbo in the stable. The bottom line is that the Pro Defiant Turbo looks as great as it shoots, but the lack of performance or technology changes may be disappointing to the Hoyt fanboys wanting something to justify an upgrade from last year.

Finish

For 2017, Hoyt does come with a few new finish options. For starters, the hunting bows have the option to get the brand new buckskin riser, which can come with any of the hunting line limbs. For camo pattern offerings, the 2017 Pro Defiant Turbos are offered in Realtree Xtra, Realtree Max-1, and Under Armour Ridge Reaper. Shooters can also choose all black, with carbon fiber look alike limbs, or pair the black riser with the cam limbs. For a more limited edition model, shooters can also opt for the Bone Collector model with the logo and neon green accent colors. Each of these bows will be offered for the $1099 base MSRP price point. For shooters wanting a Pro Defiant Turbo as a target bow, or just want something different, they will have to pay the MSRP of $1249. The Hoyt target finishes are different than before, and are available in blue, green, orange, purple, red, and white. The colors are no longer added to the riser. For 2017, the colors noted are for the limbs, grip, and strings with an all black riser. It seems like this is a pretty steep premium color price to pay for someone wanting their Turbo in target colors, but it does look sharp, and is different than anything offered by Hoyt in the recent past. For further customization, shooters are free to add accent colors black, blue, green, orange, pink, purple, red, or yellow to help the bow stand out even more. These colors swap out the rubber dampeners, typically black out of the Hoyt box straight from the factory, and can be updated during the ordering process or afterwards. Overall, shooters have a lot of options with Hoyt and how their bows will look. The end decision will come down to what shooters really want their rig to look like out of the box, but the options offered provide some freedom and flexibility allowing shooters to get a more personalized look.

Riser

The riser is the only major change on the Pro Defiant Turbo over the original 2016 Defiant. There is not much change in regards to the function and technology utilized in the aluminum riser other than the design. With that being said, there still is a great deal of engineering utilized throughout to keep the Pro Defiant Turbo in great shooting shape. For starters, the Pro Defiant Turbo carries over the offset riser technology, which places the mounting hardware for the stabilizers off the vertical centerline of the bow. This allows shooters to offset the weight of the sight, quiver, arrows, and rest mounted on the other side of the bow. Also down at the bottom end of the riser is a tunnel to help add strength to the overall riser platform. This tunnel is a bit larger than the 2016's. The next carry over from the original Defiant is the Zero Torque Roller Guard System. As the string is drawn, the cables add massive amounts of pressure and torque on the slide system and ultimately the riser. This moving roller system helps cut down on torque by flexing in towards the arrow as the bow is drawn. After the arrow is shot, the roller guard returns back to its resting position and moves quickly enough to keep any contact issues with fletching non-existent.

Grip

The Hoyt grip remains unchanged from the 2016 models. The Profit custom grip installed on the bow is a one-piece wooden grip, which fits great in the hand and feels nice. There are a few color options for the standard wood stain, and each color option can come with a matching stained grip as well. For shooters wanting a more thin style of grip, the custom Hoyt side plates are offered as well. This makes the grip thinner, with less shape than the installed one-piece offered from the factory. Shooters also have the ability to remove the grip, and shoot straight off the riser, or add tape to give it the best feel for them. In the aftermarket world, shooters are able to have custom side plates of all sorts of materials created, and some torqueless grips are available as well. The grips are the only things shooters have constant contact with, so it is nice to see Hoyt offering a few options right from the factory to accommodate different personal preferences amongst shooters in the archery world.

Limbs

The multilayer UltraFlex limbs used for Hoyt are in a split limb configuration of pressed laminate. Each set of limbs are the exact same deflection, and many times have exactly matching camo since they are produced and dipped together. Hoyt offers the draw weights on the Turbo model in ten-pound increments with maximum draw weights of 40, 50, 60, 65, and 70-pounds. These limbs in combination with the DFX cam system allows for the string angle to be roughly 3-inches longer than the actual axel to axel of the bow would suggest, which should lead to a more comfortable shooting position. The Pro-Lock Pocket System is pretty slick too. It attempts to keep everything close and in tolerance as possible regarding where the limbs and riser connect. These locking points are designed to keep everything in place and solid without the worry of pocket shifts or limbs moving around whether in a case or in extreme hunting situations. To extend the durability of the Pro Defiant Turbo, the engineers put the Hoyt through the paces with a 1,000 dry fires test set at 80-pounds and a 30-inch draw cycle. Any equipment able to withstand that should be trusted to shoot a properly outfitted arrow in normal conditions.

Eccentric System

The DFX Turbo cam is a cam and a half system based on the DFX cam system introduced in 2016. The Turbo cams improves speed by roughly ten feet per second over the standard DFX cam system, with an inch shorter brace height making up for another ten feet per second for a total of 20 feet per second improvement over the other DFX bows offered in the Pro Defiant series. The DFX Turbo cam remains unchanged from the 2016 models, although utilized on the 2017 Pro Defiant bows. The draw weights offered range from 24-30-inches in half-inch increments with an adjustable module system no longer requiring shooters to have the correct module. This makes it easier on shooters to adjust, and dealers no longer need to stock modules for each draw length. The cams are still offered in three unique cam systems, allowing the bow to have more performance optimization and less weight on the cam system itself. The base cams will be adjustable within each draw length range by rotating the modules. The number one cam features draw lengths ranging from 24-26-inches, the number two cam system is 26-28 inches, and the number three cam is 28-30 inches. The IBO speed rating for the Pro Defiant Turbo is 350 feet per second. The DFX Turbo cam has a string stop system, which is standard from the factory. Shooters wanting a more solid back wall have the ability to install one limb stop, included with all DFX cam bows, as a way to create a more solid feel on the back end. The feel of the string stops will be similar to how Hoyts have felt in the past. However, shooters wanting to firm that up will love the addition on the limb stop system to have a more solid pull into the back end.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

Hoyt has offered a Turbo model for a few years. Early on, the Turbo model bows featured the same cam system as the rest of the lineup, and they had an inch shorter brace height to get 10 feet per second more speed. Hoyt has boosted this speed rating by offering a Turbo cam system, which adds another ten feet per second. This cam system produces more speed, and the trade off happens to be a more aggressive draw cycle. The DFX Turbo cams have a bit more build up than the DFX systems from the start of the draw cycle. The Turbo cam is a bit stiff up front, and continues that way to the valley as the let off starts to factor in. There are no humps into the valley, or dumps into the let off like speed bows in the past featured. The back wall is how shooters prefer it to be in regards to how it feels pulling into the back wall. For shooters wanting a little more sponge, the back wall aided by the cable stops will be perfect. For shooters wanting no give at all, the limb stop may be the best option available to them. Either way, having the option is a great advantage. After the shot, the Pro Defiant Turbo has some vibration, but nothing significant. Stabilizers and bolted on accessories will do the trick in making sure that is kept at a minimum as well. Hoyt engineers spent a great deal of effort designing a cam system, which works with the limbs to create a better string angle at full draw. Plainly stated, the longer they can make the bow feel, without actually making the axel to axel measurement longer, the better posture shooters should have, which should translate into a better shooting, more accurate bow. The DFX Turbo cam allows the string to come off at a higher point on the cam system, which increases the string angle to feel more like an axel to axel measurement of a bow about three inches longer. Although a 33-inch bow like the Pro Defiant Turbo is pretty much right in the middle of hunting bows offered on the market today, it will have the string angle of a 36-inch axel to axel model based on how the string is at full draw. This puts the peep sight closer to the shooters eye, and also allows them to have a more upright head position to create better shooting form. This is noticed firsthand shooting the bow, and it does make everything feel a bit more confortable.

Usage Scenarios

The Pro Defiant Turbo is a great hunting bow, and will be seen at 3D shoots all summer long. Shooters with shorter draw lengths, or those wanting the most speed and energy a bow can produce will be drawn towards the high performance of the DFX Turbo cams. The Turbo model will be most comfortable in the woods for 2017, but shooters will find a great deal of success on the 3D ranges as well. For those paper punchers, there may be a better option offered when compared to the Pro Defiant Turbo based on specifications and ease of shooting.

Pro Defiant Turbo vs. Defiant Turbo

Bow	Hoyt Pro Defiant Turbo	Hoyt Defiant Turbo
Version	2017	2016
Picture
Brace Height	6 "	6 "
AtA Length	33 "	33 "
Draw Length	24 " - 30 "	24 " - 30 "
Draw Weight	30 lbs - 70 lbs	30 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	350 fps	350 fps
Weight	4.4 lbs	4.2 lbs
Let-Off	75%	75%
Where to buy Best prices online	Not available now. Please check later.	$950 to $1200 Compare prices
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Hoyt Pro Defiant Turbo and Hoyt Defiant Turbo are virtually identical in regards to specifications and technology with the riser configuration being the main difference. The Pro Defiant will more than likely not be enough of an upgrade to justify the added cost of a new bow for many shooters. However, those shooters wanting a fresh look, or the newly introduced target finish configurations may have the reason they need to pull the trigger on a new Pro Defiant Turbo. Shooters wanting a boost in performance or different specifications for the 2017 Pro Defiant Turbo will be disappointed in virtually the same bow being released for 2017 though.

Summary

With bow technology as advanced as it is, shooters have become more and more eager each year to see what companies are going to release to help them justify a new bow purchase to stay current with the latest and greatest technologies on the market. The 2016 Hoyt Pro Defiant Turbo was great in regards to the limbs and DFX Turbo cam system working with each other to create a very solid user experience. Shooters hoping Hoyt expanded on that for 2017 may be a little disappointed to see the Pro Defiant Turbo just get a new riser and some additional finish options. However, the Defiant platform and the DFX cam system are all great technologies and form a really nice shooting bow in all areas. The DFX Turbo cam is still flinging arrows at an achievable 350 feet per second, with a 6-inch brace height, with and axel to axel measurement that feels more like a target bow than a 33-inch axel to axel bow. Shooters wanting a great performance bow produced by one of archery's giant companies will have just that with the Pro Defiant Turbo. Those wanting a completely reengineered bow with completely new technology and specifications may be disappointed. For shooters more interested in how a bow shoots and feels in the hand, the Pro Defiant Turbo will be a nice choice.