Bowtech Launches twenty fifth Anniversary Honor Bow

Bowtech is celebrating 25 years with a bow that raises eyebrows. The brand has created the Honor, an incredible limited-edition bow, and it has a great cause in its crosshairs.

I had the chance to check out the Honor in person at The Rally in Cave City this year. As an arrow-flinging tool, it’s a fine piece of engineering prowess. As the brand doesn’t build it in my (small) size, I didn’t have the chance to shoot it. But I did inspect the bow first-hand and watched its setup and performance. It’s impressive. More on this later.

More importantly, Bowtech will donate some of the proceeds from each Honor bow to support the Folds of Honor. This nonprofit organization provides educational scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled U.S. military service members and first responders. 

I’ve had the honor of spending time over the past few years with the organization’s president, Col. Nick Nichols (Ret). I can tell you firsthand that this is an organization filled with passionate people that I’m personally proud to support.

So, what do I think about this $4,000 all-inclusive bow package? Let’s dig in.

In short: Bowtech’s Honor bow is sure to raise some eyebrows with its price tag. But aside from the impressive benefit to a worthy cause, the all-inclusive package is certainly not far off the price mark. This impressive bow has everything you need (and some cool extras you don’t) to hit the woods.

Let’s start with the specs.

The Honor Bow: Priced to Kill

Before we dive too deep, the elephant in the room needs to be addressed. With a price tag of $4,000, I can already hear the internet trolls gathering their pitchforks. So, let’s face this one head-on.

Yes, this is a really expensive bow. But it’s also not just a bow. When you look at everything included, the price isn’t far off what you’d end up paying if you bought all the individual pieces. It has a limited-edition pelican case, an awesome display stand, and every accessory needed for a complete bow build. This is a complete package of top-tier bow and accessories.

It includes:

• Bowtech CenterMass Quiver
• Ripcord Ratchet Limb Driven Rest
• CenterMass Dual Trac Sight
• Two CenterMass stabilizers
• Pelican Air bow case
• Custom-made display by BowTree
• Premium custom strings and cables by GAS Bowstrings
• Commemorative Folds of Honor x Bowtech challenge coin

That said, it’s also not just another bow. The Honor is a limited-edition bow, and the proceeds will support an incredible cause. So, when we look at price, there’s no apples-to-apples comparison.

Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way.

Honor Bow: First Impressions

After being invited to be one of the first to get this bow in my hand, I have an admission to make. I have never and will never shoot the Honor bow. Why? Well, it comes down to the fact that I physically cannot shoot it. Even at its minimum weights and lengths, my stature doesn’t lend itself to shooting your standard bow. Unless I grow a few inches and hit the gym with some serious dedication, it just isn’t in the cards for me.

How Light Is Too Light?

I did spend a lot of time with it in hand. At sub-4 pounds, the bow is substantially lighter than I’m used to toting around the woods. I spent considerable time making mock, three-finger, pre-draw shots, and the lightweight nature of the bow was certainly noticeable.

However, some people really might not like that light of a bow. I’ve been on a years-long venture to try to cut weight from my kit, and I’m finding that I’m one of those archers who prefer some weight.

For me, and many other bowhunters, that back wall doesn’t feel quite as formidable without some heft in the room. I love that I end up with less bow arm fatigue, but don’t love how I get some wander in my sight.

Getting It Dialed

From being bare-boned one hour to hammering stars at 71 yards the next, I watched Col. Nichols get the first bow dialed with the help of the Bowtech team. It’s hard to describe bows these days in a way that makes them stand out from the crowd. With the bow technology advancing as it has, to be blunt, pretty much everyone is making a great bow.

What the Honor bow has that truly sets it apart are some cool details on top of the expected top-notch performance.

It’s All in the Details

From a distance, the Honor bow might just look like a deep slate gray. Once you look closer, you see that the muted topo cerakote is just flat awesome. The riser has details paying homage to the 25th anniversary, including landmarks important to the Oregon-based brand. Just above the arrow rest, you’ll find the Bowtech facility itself etched into the riser.

I’d normally say something like this would be too much, but the detailing was done perfectly in this case.

Availability

There will only be 250 Honor bows made, the first of which has already gone directly to Folds of Honor. I assume that even with the price tag, the bow will sell out quickly.

Is the Bowtech Honor Worth the Hype?

The Honor bow is a legacy piece that sends a helluva good arrow. The cause it supports, the entire package being included, the performance, and the incredible detailing make this bow worth talking up the hype. I don’t think it’s a bow that hits marks above and beyond what other top-tier brands produce.

That isn’t the goal here. What Bowtech has done is create a beautiful, lightweight compound bow that makes a statement and supports a cause. It’s undoubtedly capable of making the shots needed in the woods and the backyard.

If you have the expendable cash and want to get your hands on a piece of Bowtech history, this is how to do it. The average hunter looking for the next field bow probably should look elsewhere — and that’s okay. It has limited availability for a reason.

Further, if you’d like to learn more about ways you can support Folds of Honor without forking over quite so many Benjamins, it’s a very worthy cause.