Bowtech Vital Impact Compound Bow

The Bowtech Vital Impact is best understood for what it was: a genuine Bowtech single-cam Tomkat, fully accessorized and sold as a Sportsman's Warehouse exclusive for about $429, aimed at the first-time hunter who wanted a name-brand rig without the flagship price. Its strengths are its completeness, its single-cam simplicity, its forgiving 8 5/8-inch brace, and 50-60 and 60-70 pound builds that reach a real hunting draw weight - with a modest but honest 272 fps measured with a heavy hunting arrow. Its limits are the ones a value single cam of the era always had: a bit of hand shock and noise that a stabilizer and dampeners largely tame. What I keep coming back to years later is what this bow represents - a real Bowtech in the hands of someone shooting their first season, on a rig forgiving enough to learn on. An excellent first hunting bow for the budget-minded new archer who wants a complete, ready-to-shoot Bowtech and does not need flagship speed or silence. Buyers who want the widest family-share adjustment range should also look at the Diamond Razor Edge, and those wanting a slightly faster value hunting single cam at the same 70-pound ceiling should look at the PSE Stinger... read full review