Hoyt SuperHawk Review

Editors' review

The SuperHawk is the bow for a hunter who wanted a genuine Hoyt but trusted a solid laminated limb over anything fancier. Launched in 2009 as one half of Hoyt's new Hawk Series - the mid-priced hunting line the brand built to reach bowhunters who could not stretch to a flagship - it paired the traditional XT 500 laminated limb with Hoyt's brand-new M4 Cam & 1/2 on a light aluminum chassis. Its sibling, the PowerHawk, took the same platform in a composite split-limb direction; the SuperHawk went the classic route, and that single choice sets its whole character. The headline is not raw velocity - 306 fps IBO (the industry-standard chronograph rating measured at 30-inch draw, 70 pounds, and a 350-grain arrow) is honest mid-pack for its day - but a forgiving 7.5-inch brace, a compact 31-inch frame, and the settled, no-drama feel of a solid-limb bow. It runs a 75% let-off, a light 4.1-pound mass, and a 25.5-to-30.5-inch draw range that fits most adult hunters. Fifteen years on, it is a used-rack find rather than a showroom bow, which is exactly why an honest spec picture matters before you buy one. This is a review of what that bow actually is, what it does well, and who it still fits.

Finish

Hoyt dressed the SuperHawk in the hunting-camo language of its era. The 2009 line offered Realtree APG HD and a solid Black Out on the hunting side, and the SuperHawk was one of only two compounds Hoyt opened to Custom Paint Colors on the target-color side that year, so a period buyer could order it in a personalized finish rather than off-the-rack camo. The camo is a durable dip finish typical of 2009 rather than the cured cerakote-style coatings on modern bows, so a well-used example will show handling wear at the shelf and grip - normal for a bow of this age and not a sign of a bad example. Realtree APG HD breaks up well in hardwoods and early-season cover, while the Black Out reads clean and quiet for a shooter who does not want a pattern. For a buyer chasing a specific look on the used market, the standard APG HD and Black Out finishes are the common finds; a custom-painted target example is the rarer turn-up.

Riser

The SuperHawk is built on a machined-aluminum riser from Hoyt's mid-priced Hawk Series, stiff enough to hold a full-size shooting geometry while keeping the bow to just 4.1 pounds. It is a value chassis rather than the flagship TEC LITE riser Hoyt reserved for the AlphaMax that year, and that is exactly the point: Hoyt hardware and geometry at a price that undercut the premium line. The layout is conventional for the period - a Berger-hole rest mount and a standard cable guard rather than any of the integrated rest-and-cable systems Hoyt would adopt years later - which is a genuine plus for a used buyer, since any drop-away or whisker-biscuit rest of the last two decades bolts straight on with no adapter. At 31 inches axle-to-axle (the tip-to-tip length that governs how a bow balances and maneuvers) it sits on the compact side of a full hunting bow, which keeps it easy to steer in tight cover while still giving the shot a stable platform. It is a straightforward, serviceable riser that asks nothing unusual of the shooter or the shop.

Grip

The SuperHawk wears Hoyt's 180 Pro-Fit Grip, the same modular grip Hoyt fitted across the Hawk Series and its higher bows of the era. It is a mid-profile grip - not the razor-thin blade Hoyt would later favor, nor a fat target grip - that fills the hand enough to encourage a repeatable, low-torque hold, and drawing the bow it settles into the palm cleanly rather than steering the shot. Because it is a Pro-Fit system, the side panels can be swapped or removed to change the width and throat feel, so a shooter who finds it a touch full can slim it down or run the bare riser directly. A period owner comparing it against an older bow put it plainly - it is shaped right for the hand - and that is the read that holds up: a comfortable, no-drama grip. Many owners simply add a stick-on rubber grip for cold-weather warmth, which the flat back accepts cleanly.

Limbs

The SuperHawk runs XT 500 laminated limbs rather than the composite split limbs Hoyt put on the PowerHawk, and that choice is the whole story of this bow. These are solid laminated limbs - the traditional Hoyt limb build layered up from composite laminations - and they carry a long, uneventful reliability record across the brand's lineup, which is the quiet appeal of buying one used: a laminated limb that has held tune for fifteen years is unlikely to surprise you now. The draw-weight menu covers 40-70 lb in overlapping peak ranges, adjusted the usual way by turning the limb bolts within a range; moving between ranges is a limb or module change best done at a shop. A solid laminated limb of this design does not fold as parallel to the riser as a modern split-limb rig, so it does not cancel recoil the way a parallel split limb does - but it is simple, sturdy, and honest, and it stores enough energy to put the SuperHawk at 306 fps IBO, competitive footing against the mid-priced field of its day. For a hunter who values a limb design with a track record over the latest geometry, the laminated build is a feature, not a compromise.

Eccentric System

At the heart of the SuperHawk is Hoyt's M4 Cam & 1/2, a hybrid cam-and-a-half system - a single power cam slaved to a control cam for single-cam smoothness with better nock travel - that Hoyt engineered specifically for the 2009 Hawk Series. It is tuned for a manageable draw rather than an aggressive speed profile, which is why the IBO speed lands at 306 fps: honest mid-pack for a 2009 hunting bow, a step below the 323-331 fps PSE Bow Madness, just under the 310-318 fps Diamond Black Ice, and traded knowingly for draw comfort. Let-off is 75% - the share of peak weight the cam sheds at full draw, so a 70-pound setup holds roughly 17 to 18 pounds - a hunting-friendly figure that keeps you anchored without straining on a long sit. The standout of the M4 is its adjustment method: draw length is set by rotating the module with no module removal required, in half-inch increments, so a shop can move a shooter across the fit window without swapping parts or re-serving a string. That range spans 25.5 to 30.5 inches, wide enough to fit most adult hunters off one bow. The system tunes forgivingly with a Berger-hole rest and a standard press and holds timing well once set. For its slot in the market it is a sensible, smooth-leaning cam that prioritizes shootability over a chase up the fps chart.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

The Cam & 1/2 layout gives the SuperHawk a rounded draw that builds to peak and eases into the valley - the relaxed pocket at full draw where holding weight is lowest - without the sharp front-end spike of a speed cam. Drawing it, the standout is how undramatic the cycle is: it comes back in a smooth arc and settles onto a back wall (the firm stop at the end of the draw) that is defined but not brutally rigid, which suits a hunter who wants to anchor and settle rather than fight the bow. Where this bow earns a newer shooter's trust is the 7.5-inch brace height (the gap from the string at rest to the grip throat, and the single biggest lever on how forgiving a bow feels) - it is the most generous brace in its class, and the extra margin quietly covers a slightly imperfect release the way a shorter-brace speed bow will not. Being a solid laminated-limb bow, it does not cancel post-shot movement the way a parallel split-limb rig does, so a shooter stepping off a modern damped flagship will feel a touch more life in the hand; on its own terms, though, the shot is calm and predictable, and the settled feel is what makes it easy to shoot well. At 4.1 pounds bare it is light to pack yet steady to hold at the compact 31-inch length, hanging on aim rather than feeling twitchy. None of this makes it a target-line tack-driver, but as a get-it-done hunting bow it is genuinely easy to shoot.

Usage Scenarios

The SuperHawk is a whitetail and hog bow first. Its 306 fps IBO and hunting let-off are built for treestand and ground-blind ranges out to 30-40 yards, where a forgiving brace and a quiet, settled shot matter more than an extra 20 fps. Picture a hunter who finds a clean used example in late summer, has a shop build fresh strings and set the draw over a weekend, sights it in at the range on a Tuesday, and is settled into a stand by the opener - the platform is simple enough to make that timeline realistic. The compact 31-inch length is a real advantage from a cramped box blind or a tight lane in thick cover, where a longer bow catches on the walls. Its 25.5-to-30.5-inch draw range fits most adult hunters directly, and the 40-70 lb weight span reaches from a lighter-framed shooter to a full-power setup. It also makes a sensible, inexpensive backup to a modern flagship, since the standard rest mount takes accessories you likely already own. Where it runs out of room is the long-range speed game - a shooter reaching for flat 60-yard pins or Western elk setups will want more velocity than 306 fps offers. For deer woods and hog country at practical bow ranges, it is right at home.

Versions

The SuperHawk was a single-model, single-year bow: Hoyt built it for 2009 only, then replaced it in the 2010 Hawk Series with the faster laminated-limb TurboHawk. There were no package tiers or draw-weight sub-models - one configuration, offered in Realtree APG HD and Black Out on the hunting side with Custom Paint Colors available on the target side. Every SuperHawk carries the same 306 fps IBO, 31-inch ATA, 7.5-inch brace, 4.1-pound mass, XT 500 laminated limbs, M4 Cam & 1/2, 75% let-off, and 180 Pro-Fit grip. Hoyt positioned it in the mid-priced hunting market without a headline flagship price; on today's used market it trades as a value buy. Buyers cross-shopping the family should note the sibling PowerHawk, which shared the 2009 line but used composite ZR 12 split limbs on a 32-inch frame for a quieter, lower-recoil shot at a slightly lower 303 fps - the same bow philosophy taken in the opposite limb direction.

Hoyt SuperHawk vs PSE Bow Madness, Diamond Black Ice

Bow	Hoyt SuperHawk	PSE Bow Madness	Diamond Black Ice
Version	2009	2011	2010 FLX
Picture
Brace Height	7.5 "	7 "	7.25 "
AtA Length	31 "	32 "	31.75 "
Draw Length	25.5 " - 30.5 "	25 " - 30 "	25 " - 30 "
Draw Weight	40 lbs - 70 lbs	40 lbs - 70 lbs	40 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	306 fps	323 fps - 331 fps	310 fps - 318 fps
Weight	4.1 lbs	3.85 lbs	3.8 lbs
Let-Off	75%	75%	65% - 80%
Where to buy Best prices online	$100 to $400 Compare prices	$200 to $650 Compare prices	$250 Compare prices
	compare more bows

In the mid-priced hunting class of its era the SuperHawk cross-shopped directly against the PSE Bow Madness and the Diamond Black Ice, and the three line up closely on the fundamentals: all sit within about an inch of each other axle-to-axle, all cover a roughly 25-30 inch draw, and all run to 70 pounds of draw weight. The separation is in character. The PSE Bow Madness is the speed pick of the group at 323-331 fps IBO with a tighter 7-inch brace and a more aggressive cam that trades a little draw comfort for a flatter trajectory - the choice for a shooter who wants the most velocity in the tier. The Diamond Black Ice splits the difference, with a 7.25-inch brace, 310-318 fps, and Diamond's wide 65-80% let-off adjustability that lets a buyer dial holding weight to taste - the pick for maximum tuning flexibility and a bit more speed than the Hoyt. The SuperHawk's own case is forgiveness and honesty: its 7.5-inch brace is the most generous of the three, its compact 31-inch frame is the easiest to maneuver in tight cover, and its solid XT 500 laminated limbs bring a proven, low-fuss build and the Hoyt name - it gives up a few fps but is the most shooter-friendly platform of the set. The decision comes down to priorities: the PSE Bow Madness for outright speed, the Diamond Black Ice for adjustability and let-off range, and the SuperHawk for the most forgiving brace and a traditional Hoyt laminated-limb build in a value hunting bow.

Summary

The Hoyt SuperHawk was Hoyt's mid-priced answer for the bowhunter who wanted the brand's engineering in a traditional laminated-limb bow, and judged on that brief it delivers. You get a compact, easy-handling 31-inch hunting bow at a light 4.1 pounds, the most forgiving brace in its class at 7.5 inches, a smooth-leaning M4 Cam & 1/2 at 306 fps IBO and 75% let-off, and the quiet appeal of a proven XT 500 laminated limb that has a fifteen-year track record behind it now. Drawing one, what stands out is how undramatic it is - a rounded cycle, a settled wall, and a brace that quietly forgives a rushed shot - which is exactly what makes a bow like this easy to shoot well in the field. Because it left production after a single 2009 season, today's buyer is shopping the used rack and should budget for fresh strings and cables, but the underlying hardware is sound Hoyt engineering that has aged gracefully. It is an excellent value hunting bow for the whitetail and hog hunter who prizes a forgiving, no-drama shot and a compact frame over chasing the speed chart. Buyers who want the most velocity in this class should look at the PSE Bow Madness, and those who want the widest tuning and let-off adjustability should look at the Diamond Black Ice.