Verdict: New Mathews Heli-M Bow is a Show Stopper

Early last month, Mathews announced its 2012 flagship bow, the Heli-m (as in the lightweight noble gas used to loft balloons). The Heli-m bow is touted as the apex of more than 20 years of Mathews engineering — “delivering the smoothest, quietest, most technologically advanced lightweight bow ever offered.”

This week, Mathews hosted its annual dealer show at Chula Vista resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. It unveiled the Heli-m bow in person to more than 400 archery dealers and the media. D&DH‘s managing editor, Jacob Edson was on hand to shoot and review the bow.

The Heli-m features the new advanced GeoGrid riser, Harmonic Stabilizer Lite and a lightweight Reverse Assist Roller Guard which produces a super-efficient bow that weighs just 3.5 pounds. It also packs two decades’ worth of single-cam advancements into the all-new Heli-m Cam which produces speeds up to 332 feet per second with a 7-inch brace height.

The light weight is an obvious advantage, explained Mathews’ Joel Maxfield. “So many hunters are working harder to get to their game,” Maxfield said. “And, even if you like a little bit heavier bow, this allows you to add weight where you want. It’s best to add it away from the grip. For example, you can use the heavier brass inserts in the dampers.”

For me though, the draw was the real eye opener. Matt McPherson did what I thought would be nearly impossible. He again improved on his single-cam design, creating an ultra-smooth draw that still produces amazing speed.

Judging by the number of orders from archery dealers, the bow is creating a major buzz. Mathews says orders are already outpacing the record-setting pace of the Z7.

Look for this one in archery shops soon. It’s sure to be a hit. And check back soon for more reports from the show, where several archery accessory manufacturers debuted new products that are also sure to create a buzz.