Friday 19 March 2021

Maximal Archery Gear What to look for in a good bow quiver for hunting




MAXIMAL ARCHERY GEAR
BOW QUIVER, MODEL "EDGE"

Maximal Archery is part of the "archersgear" organisation.


Or what to look for in a good bow quiver
 by BushCampingTools*



I got this quiver because I know from previous experience it is not necessary to spend mega bucks (one can spend over 200USD!) on a hunting quiver in order to have an effective hunt. 


What one wants is a quiver which can carry broadheads safely and is also safely secured to the riser and will not accidentally come loose should it be banged on a tree branch etc whilst crawling through the undergrowth. My first bow quiver met these criteria, however it suffered from a really "el cheapo" QR (quick release) mechanism of plastic against plastic instead of (like in this bow quiver) plastic against metal. The combination of plastic against plastic (unless one of those plastics is PTFE, is that they will have a tendency to "bind" to one another). That was, I guess a minor point because as I said it met the safety aspects which, in reality are the most important, to avoid any chance of an accident.

The Maximal Gear EDGE bow quiver is well made, light weight and provides good coverage of the business end of your arrows. The rubber grippers also appear to be made from just the right stickiness and hardness (flexibility, also more accurately known as "SHORE HARDNESS) in order to securely hold one's arrows and continue to do so for many years to come and not suffer from perishing due to interactions with chemicals or Ozone. Actually, that was another reason why my first quiver didn't last more than 2 seasons because the rubber gripper was very small in thickness and it succumbed to UV and or Ozone and hardened over time, hence it was not capable of properly gripping the shafts after a couple of years continual usage.



The EDGE bow quiver (model number PKJ-M-TP715-BLK), the "BLK" means the black version, as it also comes in a camouflage coloration (just the business end of it though); is a well- thought out bow quiver that is easily mounted via a quick release system that stays attached to the riser.



The Edge bow quiver from Maximal Archery accepts 5 arrows of either carbon or Aluminium shafts. The first thing I noted was the rubber compound of the grippers. It is very good. In fact it appears much better than the rubber compound and elasticity of  a bow quiver which comes with an expensive BEAR hunting compound (model SPECIES LD package).



The main shaft gripper is also made from the same rubber compound. This gripper can be moved up and down the main frame (the frame is made from carbon fibre tubes). The shaft gripper is held in place by friction (presumably from the rubber on the carbon shafts). This gripper also has a metal frame partially surrounding the gripper as shown above and below.




The main frame of the Maximal Archery EDGE bow quiver is made from Carbon Fibre tubing. These tubes offer good rigidity, which is important for safety.



The main attachment point for the quiver to the riser is via a die cast metal quick release plate. This plate could also be moved if desired by loosening an Allen bolt as indicated above. On that point, the quiver is supplied with 2 Allen keys, a set of Allen bolts (socket heads) of various lengths, some spacers (to move the quiver further out away from the riser and a spare riser plate. Not too shabby eh?!





Quality Allen bolt fixtures secure the end gripper on this Bow quiver.


Now here (above and below) is a very cool feature, the inclusion of a carry loop at the business end of the quiver. This allows one to easily carry the quiver loaded with arrows via this nylon cordage loop. One can put there own paracord loop here or any other color they desire if that's what turns them on!





Now to the business end of a bow quiver. I say this because the end (the hood) which encloses one's broadheads needs to be rigid and basically unbreakable in construction for maximal and obvious safety reasons. The inner "lining" also needs to be of such material which will not blunt the broadhead and also at the same time prevent any rattle and aid to help keep the arrows secure at all times prior to removal.




Side view of mounted quick release (QR) plate on riser ( you can see the two cylindrical standoffs I used-optional, this depends upon how much space one has underneath the sight bracket).


Top view of the QR plate on the bow riser.
The QR plate is mounted onto the sight bracket mounting holes. (also see below).


To fit the quiver, place it onto the QR platte (by engaging the "v" shaped metal notch on the quiver) on the riser and simply move the rubber gripper in an arc motion (shown closest to my hand) towards the bow riser and it will lock in place, felt and heard by an audible click.



Quiver in place ready for arrows!

To remove the quiver, press down hard against the flexible thumb lever and the quiver can be easily unlocked.




OK so there you have it, a bow quiver suitable for hunting and the target range that won't cost you the earth but has all of the necessary features I believe to safely carry your hunting arrows.

Finally, as mentioned earlier on, the quiver is also available in a camouflage coloration but the camouflage is only on the arrow head covering, the rest of the quiver is still black and for the added cost, there is, I believe little benefit from this small amount of camouflaging. 



You can also see this product here:


https://archersgear.com/products.php?page=2&brand=maximal



About the author's bow hunting experience:


BCT has over a decade of serious bowhunting experience in serious Australian wilderness (hunting from small game to wild pigs) without the use of: glass and baiting, hides and or dogs, using the traditional stalking and field craft techniques, on foot.

Tuesday 9 March 2021

Bush crafting with the Giant Mamba?

Tactical Bushcraft???? Why not?

Why not? One can "bushcraft" with just about any knife if you know what you are doing and what the knife is capable of. Don't let any tell you otherwise because it is BS. The Giant Mamba can handle the pace make no mistake about it. Clean lines, super strong blade, rapid drawing scabbard action. 




Chose the handle and scabbard option color scheme for the job at hand.
My only beef is why carry the milling of the fuller into the grip region? Makes no sense to me and the amount it would lighten the knife is of no  consequence.

BCT