October 28, 2010
By Jon E. Silks
By Jon E. Silks
Hoyt is one of the oldest and most respected bow manufacturers in the industry. They have achieved longevity through perseverance and a philosophy of constant improvement in an effort to meet the demands of a loyal following of customers. The flagship of Hoyt's 2008 line is the Katera.
Basics
Hoyt's new Katera is built on their popular reflexed TEC riser platform, which has gained a solid reputation among archers. In this design a thin strut loops back behind the shooter's bow hand and creates an effective riser depth of approximately 4.25 inches at its widest point. The TEC riser performs like a shock absorber, dampening vibration through the truss rather than through the grip. An overall reflexed riser design increases the power stroke, which in turn increases arrow speed. Power stroke is the distance the string moves from its "at rest" position to the end of the cycle at full draw. TEC risers provide stability through the reduction of flex, twist and recoil--all performance robbing variables. Hoyt advertises that the TEC riser design greatly minimizes poor arrow flight characteristics and effectively lengthens the life of the product.
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Also featured on the new Katera is Hoyt's patented 3„4-inch Split Limb technology. This technology provides an effective overall width approaching 2.25 inches, which is wider than the typical solid limb designs on the market. The result is a limb set that provides increased lateral and torsional stability along with a decrease in overall weight. Split limbs eliminate the vulnerable stress points found on traditional style limbs at the limb bolt and V-grooves. Set at a parallel angle the Katera's XT Pro Series limbs are constructed of Hoyt's proprietary 5 Layer Lamination process and pre-stressed into a contoured shape. Engineered with Uniform Stress Distribution (USD) the XT limbs start out in their pre-stressed, contoured shape and then as a load is applied and increased the limbs become straighter. Hoyt's goal for this design is a limb that harnesses more energy and produces more speed with reduced stress. Limbs are available in 10-pound increments from 40 to 80 pounds.
| SPECIFICATIONS |
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| MANUFACTURER: | Hoyt |
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| MODEL: | Katera |
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| DRAW WEIGHTS: | 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80# peak |
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| DRAW LENGTHS: | 24 to 30 inches |
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| RISER: | TEC design--CNS machined aluminum -- reflex |
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| LIMBS: | XT500 3/4-inch Split Limbs |
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| String: | Fuse Custom |
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| Cable: | Fuse Custom |
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| MASS WEIGHT: | 4.5 pounds |
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| LETOFF: | Adjustable 65- or 80-percent |
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| GRIP: | Two-piece laminated wood |
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| BRACE HEIGHT: | 6 inches |
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| AXLE-TO-AXLE LENGTH: | 33 inches |
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| FINISH: | Realtree apg HD |
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| ADVERTISED IBO SPEED: | 330 fps |
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| MSRP: | $849.00 |
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| COMMENTS: | Hoyt's worked hard to gain speed and retain quiet, smooth performance. It shows in the Katera. |
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The Z3 Cam & 1/2 eccentric system designed specifically for Hoyt's top 2008 rigs is the muscle behind the Katera's notable 330 fps advertised IBO speed. This is the fastest bow that Hoyt has ever put on pro shop bow racks. Cams are available in draw lengths that range from 24 to 30 inches and each set of cams can be adjusted for either 65- or 75-percent letoff. The real magic of this system is that it can produce great speeds with an exceptionally smooth draw.
Several features and accessories work together to make the Katera quiet and easy on the shooter's hand upon release. The parallel limbs move in equal and opposite directions when the bow is fired, effectively canceling out the leftover energy that would normally cause vibration and noise. Hoyt's new Dual RizerShox System consists of two independent units compressed into strategically placed cutouts on the riser. RizerShox are made of Limbsaver's Navcom material. Also fighting noise and vibration is Hoyt's improved AlphaShox limb dampeners, StringShox and the patent pending StealthShot String Suppression System, which tames after-shot string movement.
Testing
The Katera was set up with a single brass nocking point and shoot-through style arrow rest. Draw weight was set to 70 pounds and the draw length measured 30 inches. Tests were performed to acquire speed, kinetic energy, stored energy, efficiency and draw cycle data. Speed tests include the use of a properly spined 350-grain arrow and two chronographs set in series. A portable shooting machine and a bow drawing device are used for testing results.
Editor's Note: Petersen's Bowhunting standardized testing includes the use of the same test equipment and test methods for all bows tested starting in 2008.
