Editors' review
The Spyder Turbo takes what shooters love about the 34-inch Spyder and adds even more speed. The shortened brace height when compared to the Spyder 34 is well worth it for many shooters offering a speed up to 340 feet per second. The Turbo is well balanced and holds great on target. Shooters interested in a new hunting bow that goes against the trend of short axel to axel rigs should give the turbo a test shot.
Finish
Hoyt bows always look great and are finished very well. The bow is free from flaws or blemishes, and there are tons of color options available to match each shooters personal style. Those wanting a camo pattern for their hunting bow have the option of Realtree Xtra, Realtree Max-1, Realtree Snow, and Realtree Pink. These patterns are available in a half and half combination as well for those wanting a mixture of black and camo. Aside from camo options, Hoyt has several target colors they offer on the Turbo as well. Target colors include, fusion, red fusion, green, orange, cobalt blue, and jet-black. Hoyt also offers the Bone collector and Vixcen patterns as well. With all these finish choices; shooters of all styles and personal preferences will have a choice that truly matches their needs.
Riser
The Hoyt riser featured on the Spyder Turbo incorporates several really great technologies to make the best shooting experience possible. The TEC Lite riser has designed riser cutouts placed to maintain strength while cutting down on the overall mass of the bow. It also adds strength where it is needed to most for improved stability and minimal riser flex leading to improved accuracy. The Inline Roller Cable Guard places the rollers inline with each other to reduce torque caused while drawing the bow. Not only is this easier on the strings, but it also helps with tuning the bow and arrow flight. The Perfect Balance Stabilization System offsets the front mounting stabilizer with the other accessories to not only balance the weight out front as well as the weight left to right. This is a great concept and works very well. Another neat addition to the riser of the Spyder Turbo is the Silent Shelf. Hoyt realizes many shooters add a dampening material to the riser shelf, and they add the rubber from the factory. This is a really great addition that helps reduce noise and vibration from drop away rests contacting the shelf.
Grip
Hoyt grips have a wonderful feel and places the shooters hand in a repeatable position. The Pro-fit Custom grip comes in a few different styles to give shooters an even more tailored feel. Hoyt is shipping the Turbo with the wooden grip, but the rubber 180 grip is also available for those that want it instead. The grip is a wonderful size that fits very comfortably in the shooters hand. The wooden 180 grips have a variety of color options available to match the look of each rig, while the rubber ones have different emblems available as well. Overall, this grip is great and allows the shooter to be comfortable every time the bow is drawn.
Limbs
Hoyt bows are equipped with split limb technology. The multilayer laminate limbs offer superior strength and reliability. Hoyt offers a wide range of draw weight options as well. Hoyt follows the industry standard 10-pound increments with maximum weight of 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80-pounds. The XTS Pro ARC limbs are extremely aggressive looking while at full draw and need to be highly reliable to be shot in the condition they perform in. Hoyt made sure to design the limbs with superior strength adding support where it is needed the most.
Eccentric System
The Cam and a half RKT cam powers the Spyder Turbo to achievable IBO speeds up to 340 feet per second. The cams work completely in sync with each other to make tuning an easier process while producing power and speed. The ergo draw design puts the bulk of the weight where the body is best equipped to handle it. Where the body is less capable of heavy draw weight, the draw force curve is more forgiving.The Spyder Turbo offers draw lengths from 24.5 to 30-inches in half-inch increments. The RKT cams are module specific, but the whole range is divided into three cams with modules for the draw lengths. The number 3 cam includes modules for 28-30 inches. The number 2 cam has a draw length from 26-28 inches with modules in half-inch increments. The number 1 cam offers draw lengths of 24.5-26 inches.
Draw Cycle/Shootability
The RKT cams ergo draw has a wonderful feel and shoots great. The transitions are hardly noticeable and despite the 340 feet per second, there is no noticeable hump in the draw at all. The back wall feels solid and the bow holds steady on the target. The grip is great, and it fits very well in the shooters hand making it simple to repeat every time the bow is picked up. The valley does feel a little short, and will take some getting used to, especially if shooters are coming form a bow with a larger valley. After some practice, this is no longer noticeable, but there may be a slight adjustment period to get used to. After the shot, the bow has minimal hand shock and is relatively quiet. Shooters are sure to love the feel of the bow and how it feels. The 34-inch axel-to-axel measurement is somewhat uncharacteristic of Hoyt, being an inch shorter than their standard offerings, but it offers everything their typical 35-inch option does. Overall, the Hoyt Spyder Turbo is built on a wonderful platform with tons of useful technologies with increased speed. Those shooters demanding performance and speed will be drawn to the Turbo.
Silencing Package
Hoyt is utilizing a new dampening system called the Air Shox system. This dampener sits on the split limbs at rest, but as the bow is drawn and the limbs move toward each other, the dampener remains stationary. After the arrow is released, the limbs return to contact the dampening system. Although this is a new design, it does seem to work very well. The air shox system is color customizable to match the different pro fit handgrips as well. Shooters not comfortable using this system have the option to remove the Air Shox system and add their own dampener if they wish.
Usage Scenarios
The Spyder platform is designed as a hunting bow. Serious target archers may have better options available to them. With that being said, Hoyt offers this bow in target colors for those wanting a multi purpose rig. The specs of the Turbo seem to be a cross between a target bow and a hunting rig. The great news is those interested in a hunting bow that will do equally well on the range have it available.
Summary
Despite being designed as a hunting bow, the Spyder Turbo makes a great multipurpose rig for those wanting a bow that can handle all shooting situations. With an overall weight of 4 pounds and an axel-to-axel measurement of 34-inches, the Turbo is easy to pack in on long walks to the stand. Powered by the smooth drawing RKT cams and achievable speeds of 340 feet per second, the Turbo shoots like a dream and has plenty of technologies to back up its design. Shooters already owning the Vector Turbo from last year may not have much need for an upgrade, but those in the market for a new bow capable of being used in a variety of situations should give the Turbo a shot.
