New Covert Crossbows – What’s Different?
OutdoorHub 09.13.11
Crossbow hunting has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past few years, and I don’t think anyone can deny that the sport is here to stay. There are more opportunities than ever, and an increasing list of states are providing special seasons or allowing crossbows to be used during traditional archery seasons. Crossbow hunting is here to stay, and after participating in the sport for the last two years, I have to say that I think it is incredibly fun.
I also like the fact that crossbow hunting brings youth into “bowhunting” at an age before they can competently use a vertical bow to harvest animals. It also will extend the hunting lifetime of older hunters who may not be able to draw a vertical bow as they become elderly. I have seen this with my two young sons as well as my father after he had heart surgery.
So enough about the virtues of crossbows in general! I own an original Carbon Express Covert 3.5 crossbow that the company came out with a few years ago. It is a great bow, my kids have racked up a ton of deer and turkeys with it, and my dad and I have also both killed turkeys with it. I couldn’t imagine it getting much better until I learned about the new CX I and 2 crossbows that are CX’s second generation.
How are these crossbows better and why should I pick them over anything else out there I asked, so I went straight to the source to find out, and I talked to Carbon Express COO John Biafore about it. He began with, “BioSync Technology is the biggest attribute of these new crossbows that set them apart. What that technology is all about is Body-Bow- Bolt. We want the bow to fit the body, and then the bolt to work at maximum efficiency with the bow for a perfect fit all the way around. That way when someone hunts with our crossbow, he doesn’t have to be thinking about the crossbow, bolt or our equipment; he can simply concentrate on the hunt, and that’s how it should be.”
Biafore explained, “Our original Coverts were great, but we wanted them more comfortable. So we took a lot of weight out and improved the balance of the crossbow. Most of this came out of the front end of the crossbow, but it made it much more comfortable. It no longer feels like you are dragging around a log with you to a treestand or blind.”
Carbon Express now has a premium line of crossbow bolts available in their now famous Maxima line. There is a Maxima Hunter and a Kevlar coated maxima Hunter KV. What sets these bolts apart are that they have Dual Spine Weight Forward Technology just like the Maxima line of arrows, and they are properly spined for the CX crossbows. The Dual Spine Weight Forward means that the dynamic and static spine of the bolt has been considered, so this means the front end of the bolt flexes more giving forgiveness, while the back end is stiffer and recovers quicker. This is what makes an arrow or bolt perform to its maximum, and these are the most technologically sound bolts that can be bought. In short, the bolts and the crossbows being matched up will simply perform better.
So we now see what BioSync is all about. The bow is comfortable, and it shoots great. What else is so good about the CX line I asked? Biafore answered, “We really feel that not only are these great crossbows from a technical and performance standpoint, they are also the best value on the market. The CX 1 crossbow package comes in at $499 and the CS 2 at $599. The difference is the CX 1 is a 330fps bow and the CX 2 is 360 fps. These packages both include the crossbow, a 4×32 illuminated scope, a quiver, rail lube as well as three Maxima Hunter bolts. It is a package that is ready to sight in and take to the field. Also, with these bolts, we haven’t tried to bump our speeds up, our bolts perform at our published fps speeds.”
When speaking on price, John expounded, “Carbon Express is entrenched as a high quality arrow company, but that doesn’t automatically transfer over to the new crossbow market. We know we make a great product, but we also know we have to earn the consumer’s crossbow business, so making a great valued package is what we decided was the best route to begin earning that business. We absolutely want to be best in class both in performance and price.”
My last question was besides being a great shooting crossbow that sells at an incredibly fair price, what other things might a potential buyer want to consider in the CX line? Biafore said, “The package obviously offers a lot, but also consider that we cut no corners to get to that price. The crossbows are made with anodized aluminum flight rail, proven carbon infused limbs and premium strings and cables. There is an anti-dryfire mechanism that is very important for safety.”
After the fun my family and I have had over the past two years crossbow hunting, even though our Covert 3.5 is still incredibly accurate, I am going to have to consider one of the new CX 2’s. I have two close friends who bought them recently, and they are fantastic all the way around. After talking with Biafore and understanding more about BioSync, I am really leaning toward the upgrade. If you are in the market for a crossbow, you owe it to yourself to check the newest CX’s from Carbon Express.
By Tim Herald
