Bowtech Assassin Review

I’ve had this bow for a couple of years now. I thought about buying a new one but honestly, I couldn’t ask for more out of a bow.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I bought the Bowtech Assassin brand new for $599. It was between that and the Hoyt Rampage but what sealed the deal for me was that the Bowtech came with everything you need in the box (RAK).

Kind of like buying a PS3 for your kid that already comes with a couple of games. And these aren’t the flimsy, cheap extras you normally get in package deals.

In the box, there’s a bow (duh), sight, rest, quiver, stabilizer, sling, loop, and peep.

What The RAK Kit Includes

-The 4 pin TruGlo Apex sight is very good quality. Much better than the previous sights they’ve used. And it’s 40-50 bucks in the store. So…that’s pretty cool.

-Also, I really like the Octane Hostage XL arrow rest (yes, I’m going to use the whole name. I’m sure they worked really hard coming up with these). Go look up how much this thing costs. $79.99. And you get it for freesies.

A lot of people prefer the whisker biscuits but I’ve had trouble with them stripping the flights on my arrows. And they have a ridiculous name. I still can’t say “whisker biscuit” without snickering.

-The quiver is nothing to scoff at either. It’s a 1 piece 5 arrow

Camo Ultra Lite which is too many words but is still great. It’s light, durable, and releases easily.

-The stabilizer…well, it’s a stabilizer. You know, it stabilizes and such. Good job stabilizer. High five. (You can learn all about what archery stabilizers do and how to set them up here)

-The wrist sling is cool. I expected some plastic/fake leather garbage that would leave a sweaty rash after a day of use but this one is neoprene (some high tech, moisture wicking, quick drying, dishwashing, dragon slaying super material). And neoprene is good.

-The alloy peep… has rounded corners? I can’t think of anything else. It works.

–Dura-FLX String Dampening Components. Who names these things? These seem pretty durable. I think that’s where they got the name from.

-And lastly, the BCY string loop. It’s definitely a loop. Yep, totally loopy. I can say that string loops do increase string life and eliminate nock pinch. Which is more annoying than a family road trip to Wally World.

On the subject of strings, the ones that come with the Assassin are seriously good. I normally have to change the strings on a new compound bow within a couple months. Kind of like the batteries that come with a remote.

So yeah, add some arrows and you’ll be able to start your own Hunger Games in no time.

Review of the BowTech Assassin Compound Bow

Back to the point of this review; the bow.

My first feeling when I picked up the Assassin (I’ve named him Vlad the Impaler) was surprise at how light yet solid it was.

Vlad weighs 3.8 pounds which is like two iPads or half of a baby. Which means my old arms don’t get too tired after a day of bowhunting.

The bow itself is made out of aluminum with carbon fiber and composite fittings. Cupid’s got nothing on this space material.

The draw is kind of hard going back but it locks in at the break point and the wall is solid. I assume they made the draw hard

as a form of child and elderly lady proofing.

The result of that draw is 333 fps. Which is too fast for my old eyes. I’m constantly yelling at my arrows to slow down.

But they’ll drop a buck from across the parking lot faster than you can say “heads up!”.

The Assassin (Vlad) is extremely well balanced. I get no kick at all after release.

I was told this is due to the “InVelvet finish”, another fancy elf magic material.

No clue what it’s made of, I’m pretty sure it isn’t velvet, but it’s soft, durable, and dampens the sound and vibration of a shot. Most importantly, it helps keep my hands warm when it gets cold out.

Oh yeah, all that new fangled material makes the Bowtech super quiet. All you can hear is me yelling at my dadgum arrows/sight which are all bent/off/possessed.

My Assassin is the Mossy Oak Treestand finish but it also comes in “Black Ops” (black with red accents) in case you wanted to channel your inner Batman.

The only problem with the Mossy Oak finish is it is too realistic. I’ve lost it three times already in the woods. So be careful where you set it down.

Did I mention how accurate this thing is? It makes a beginner look like freaking Robin Hood.

Let’s see, what else can I say?

Oh yeah, it is really easy to adjust to your own settings. Whether you’re a weakling with abnormally long arms or a super strong beefcake with slightly shorter than average arms like me.

There’s a flexible eccentric system for changing the draw length which makes the process very uncomplicated. No special tools or taking it in to the shop.

Also, you can choose between the speed or smooth modules. You lose 5 fps with the smooth module but even at 328 fps, the Bowtech is faster than most compound bows out there.

To sum up these ramblings, the Bowtech Assassin is very comfortable, very fast, very quiet, very pretty, and cooks like her mother and is a great deal for the level of bow you get and all the extras. Fletch approves.

-Fletch