This Bow Has Put Me At The Top Of The Food Chain
2020 PSE Carbon Air Stealth Mach 1
This bow has put me at the top of the food chain.
Written By: Stephen Miller, BowhuntingAZ
*Angels playing harmonious sounds*
Ok, maybe that’s a bit over the top... and I hope my satirical humor comes across these black and white letters spilling across your screen. But now that I’ve had this bow for a little while, that’s exactly how I feel every time I go and pick it up to shoot or hunt.
60 Yard shot during a spot and stalk axis deer hunt. The 2020 PSE Carbon Air Stealth Mach 1 clearly prevails.
I remember the day when I went and visited my local pro shop, Arizona Archery Club. Their demo rooms were like nothing I had ever seen before. Being able to test every single bow in the 2020 lineup, completely customized to my poundage and my draw length made for a whole new experience. The decision making process was extremely difficult and I’ll even admit that I went in with a bias of leaning towards PSE already. But I swore to myself that I would keep my mind open to all options. My entry bow was a 2018 PSE Drive X with which I had already harvested 3 big game animals in 6 months. But I knew I had been growing rapidly as an archer and I wanted to step into a “big boy rig” if you will. Through the process of elimination, I whittled the selection down to the 2020 PSE Carbon Air Stealth Mach 1 or the 2020 Bowtech Revolt X. After another round of slinging arrows downrange, there was no doubt in my mind that the Mach 1 stood out beyond the Bowtech.
*To see the steps I took in the elimination process check out this article*
“6 Things to compare when buying a new bow”
My first time testing out the 2020 PSE Mach 1
There are no words to express how extremely pleased I am with this bow! It’s a HUGE step up (OBVIOUSLY) from my 2018 PSE Drive X. The release on this bow is SO smooth. My favorite feature to date is the deep valley that the bow hosts. Put this in combo with the 80-90% let off and I feel like I can hold this bow at full draw for a long, long time. In the past, I’ve had that big game animal up close and moving in closer only to play a waiting game with no presented shot. Your arms begin to fatigue and you can feel the shakes starting to worsen as you mentally try to focus and push through it. But the burn in your muscles begins to overwhelm you. Not the case with the Mach 1. This bow has put me at the top of the food chain.
Obviously, you have to have some sort of foundation as an archer to perform properly for your chosen equipment. But, this bow definitely amplifies the skill set of the shooter behind it. Not only is the archer's skill set important but having a quality pro shop tuning your bow is equally paramount. Having the shooter and the bow in sync is so important. One of the factors that I’ve noticed has disappeared in the upgrade from my Drive X is the vibration. Feeling vibration in your bow can really mess with the archer mentally. It gives an “out of control sense” as the bow rattles in your palm. Whether it is the carbon riser or just the engineering behind the Mach 1, I’ve noticed that the vibration is non-existent.
Sending a few downrange before your hunt is ALWAYS a wise choice!
The Evolve cam system is unrivaled. It almost feels as if the bow is giving an invitation to be utilized by the hunter, which is a phenomenal feeling. There’s simply nothing more empowering than knowing that your bow is literally begging to be drawn back, and with ease! In my perception, this enables me as an archer to practice more often and more frequently, which in turn, makes me deadlier. Having hunted with this bow already I can tell you that I’m anxiously waiting for my next foray in the woods. Even as I’m sitting here typing this article I’m literally chomping at the bit to get and get into God’s creation in hopes of having an opportunity to use this setup. There’s no doubt in my mind that Pete Shepley and the creative minds over at the PSE factory hit a home run with the flagship bow, the 2020 PSE Carbon Air Stealth Mach 1. If this flagship bow is any sort of inclination as to the type of models PSE will be releasing in the future, I cannot wait to see where archery technology ventures next!
Check out our latest video “Ranchero”. In this film BowhuntingAZ hunts the Lazy CK Ranch just southwest of San Antonio, Texas. Give the film a look and enjoy!