October 28, 2010
By Jon E. Silks
By Jon E. Silks
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While bowhunting in their home state of California, with its rugged and remote country, TNT's founders came up with a bow design they believed would be ideal for the rigors their hunting adventures presented.
With a mission to create the most comfortable, portable and user-friendly bows in the world, they set out in early 2007 and traveled around looking for feedback from bowhunters. Pleased with the response, they formed TNT Archery and introduced the Revolution. The super short axle-to-axle length, easy draw, highly adjustable cam, comfortable two-piece wood grip and parallel limbs all contribute to fulfilling the TNT mission.
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Maneuverability
The Revolution's aluminum riser measures a mere 15€‰1„2 inches from end to end and has a reflex geometry. Coupled with parallel limbs, the short riser contributes to an axle-to-axle length of only 22 inches. This miniature stature allows for many advantages, such as shooting from a ground blind, wheelchair, while on your knees or even while sitting flat on the ground with your legs out in front of you. Basically, it comes close to the same vertical maneuverability of a crossbow.
From sitting in a chair with high arms to sitting flat on the ground to firing a few shots on my knees from a Double Bull blind, I tested the TNT Revolution for shootability in tight situations. It proved to be ideal in all of these situations. Sitting flat on the ground, I could actually aim slightly downward! Those who use a bow-based quiver will have to switch to an independent model, as it doesn't make sense to compromise the portable qualities of a 22-inch bow with 28-30-inch arrows.
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Comfort
Comfort can be measured in many ways when it comes to your choice in a bowhunting rig. My decision usually comes down to the grip's feel in my hand, overall balance of the bow at full draw, smoothness of the draw cycle and shock/vibration levels at the shot.
With part of their mission being to make the most comfortable bow on the planet, TNT set out to hit high marks in all these areas. The smooth draw cycle is taken care of with TNT's 2-Layer Comfort Cam. Built to offer draw length adjustments based on draw stop position, this eccentric system has a unique draw cycle that lingers on the back end for a wide range of draw lengths with basically the same characteristics -- ideal for bowfishing.
The Revolution's two-piece wood grip blends well with the handle for comfort, though I would like to see a little more material removed under the shelf for thumb clearance.
At the shot, there is only a small "bump" in the grip, together with short-lived vibration.
The vibration manifests itself in string noise, which I was able to reduce with several string silencers. At times, comfort qualities shine more brightly the further you are from camp. With its small stature and super light 3.25 pound mass weight, the Revolution could be your best friend by the time you hit the five-mile mark.
No Press, No Problem
If you were to find yourself in the field with a cut string, all you need is a wrench and spare string and you're back in business. With 2€‰3„4-inch limb bolts, you can completely relax the string for full field maintenance. This feature, coupled with the low mass weight, makes the Revolution a serious choice for wilderness hunters.
In summary, the Revolution is well-suited for numerous bowhunting situations. A new bow for a youngster in your life, predator hunting, bowfishing and tight quarters treestand hunting are just a few that come to mind.
Editor's Note: Our standardized High Grade testing includes the use of the same equipment and test methods. All bows are tested with a draw length of 29 inches and a draw weight of 65 pounds. Speed tests are conducted with two different arrow weights -- 375 grains and 425 grains. For more detailed information on the testing parameters, go to www.bowhuntingmag.com and click on "Bow Testing Parameters."
