Drew Nielsen

Anthem Archery

Decorah, Iowa

The one that immediately comes to mind is the ACU Archery S.O.S. stabilizing system. It’s totally different from anything the industry has previously seen in stabilizer systems. It consists of four wires. One side is softer than the other, so the way that you turn it can stabilize your movement using the weight suspended from the wires. Some shooters experience more vertical pin movement, while others might experience more lateral instability. Orienting the wires a certain way can target and stabilize those specific types of movements. 

It’s tough to say how many of them we’ll sell, especially because only about 10 percent of our customers are dedicated target archers who buy target-specific equipment rather than just using hunting bows to shoot in the winter. Things were busier with target archery during COVID, but honestly, we’ve seen interest and participation slide back a little bit here recently. I think that applies to bowhunting, too. Our pre-season months weren’t quite as busy as in past years.  

I can’t think of anything else that is totally new or different on the target side of things. Technology has advanced so far in the last 20 years that for manufacturers to milk out a 10 percent increase in technology annually is unrealistic. Everything is so refined now. Look at the micro-adjustments on Axcel sight bars and all of the modularity available for sight scopes. Look at the tuning features on bows, the let-off adjustability, and 1/4-inch draw-length adjustments. Man, everything is just so dialed in and easy to work with.

The scores in competitive archery are a direct reflection of the technology we have. In the last 10 years, the scores have stayed up at the top, and it’s merely fractions that divide the top archers.

Elliot Heath

Hunters Edge Archery

Green Bay, Wisconsin

That’s a tough one. As far as bows go, the Mathews Title and Elite Victra are pretty popular. I’m not familiar with any accessories that were jaw-breaking for 2025. That being said, I do like that a lot of hunting accessories are becoming more technically advanced to essentially mirror target products. Several years ago, sights like the UV Slider would have been phenomenal target sights, but now they’re marketed as hunting sights, and I’m seeing a lot of crossover where hunters are spending more money on technical accessories so they can use their bowhunting setups during target season.

There are a handful of target archers in our area who don’t bowhunt at all, but a large share of them do bowhunt. We’re seeing a trend of those bowhunters buying a longer hunting bow, such as a Mathews Lift X 33, and rigging it with more technical accessories so they don’t have to buy a special target bow, but can still compete with shooters who have the decked-out target bows. 

Circling back to the original question, there isn’t one new target-specific product that I can say I sold 12 of this year. It’s a customer here and there buying different things. The Stan Clicker release generated a little bit of buzz, but only a few shooters bought them. It’s not like we sold three dozen of them. Manufacturers are making minor changes to make things just a little bit better, but there’s nothing I can think of that was over the top and everybody had to have. The target category is virtually level right now. I feel like it either plateaued or customers already have what they want and are just making subtle changes at this point.

         

Eddie Astorga

Arizona Archery Club

Phoenix, Arizona

We’re pretty excited about the new Elite Victra with the new tuning on the yoke system. Because it’s the newest target bow on the market (Author’s note: This input was provided in early September), we expect it to be the bow that a lot of target shooters will gravitate towards. The ability to adjust cam timing without putting the bow in a press is a huge benefit, especially for people who don’t live very close to a pro shop.

When new technology like this comes out that puts tuning within the consumer’s hands, some shops get a little bit scared. They’re worried that the customer will stop coming in to get help with tuning. I don’t see it that way. They trust us and will come back and support us, and we’ll support them.

On another note, the new AI technology in the Delta McKenzie and BIGshot Targets is really cool. And we don’t really do a lot of NASP stuff, but we do have customers come in who attend NASP shoots, and I’ve seen videos of the new Genesis Competition Arrow Rest. It seems like a great upgrade from the old one.

I feel that there currently isn’t a big need for technological development in target archery. We have great bows, great arrows and great accessories. More so, we need to get the message out there and expose target archery to new people. I’m a big proponent of target archery, and I want to see it grow. I often try to educate bowhunters to understand that they can shoot better in the field if they shoot their bows year-round.