APA Archery Bow Comments

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

Wanting to get back into bow hunting...especially elk. Been a few years but I did it very seriously from 1994 till about 2008...(family life changes). My boys are older now and one (coming 13) wants to get into bow hunting as well.

Anyhow does anyone have any comments on ARA bows? Being a Canadian company, I am thinking on supporting them.

I am looking at the Mamba 33XR model.

Thanks in advance .:)

[Mountainaccent]

I’ve seen them shoot great Know lots who use them just can’t get over how ugly they are lol

[DeltaDee]

I bought mine several years ago. Been fantastic.

When I went to buy a bow, I tried all the main brands.. they were all good too.. really 6 of one, half dozen the other.. I couldn't tell the difference between alot of them. Yea slight differences in the draw, and feel but really... Not much I could tell, they all put the arrow right where I put the sight.

In the end Canadian Made was the difference for me. I'm happier spending the money supporting their shop.

[Kylejm]

I have an APA sidewinder 2, now called the mamba air, I love it, its compact easy to shoot, easy to carry and hang and has features that I love like the cam lock, I have changed the strings by myself without a bow press. that's to me is the best feature of APA

[Lefty-Canuck]

APA are a good solid bow, Canadian made. Pretty much the same design just revamped little changes the past 4-5 years.

LC

[calgarychef]

I have an APA sidewinder 2, now called the mamba air, I love it, its compact easy to shoot, easy to carry and hang and has features that I love like the cam lock, I have changed the strings by myself without a bow press. that's to me is the best feature of APA

You can change strings without a press? That’s the number one reason I hate compounds, not field repairable. Do you think you could do it in the field?

[JordyMicheal]

Great bows, amazing features, shoot fantastic.... agree they aren't my favorite looking bow though....

[338Bluff]

You can change strings without a press? That’s the number one reason I hate compounds, not field repairable. Do you think you could do it in the field?

Yep. 100%

[338Bluff]

Great bows, amazing features, shoot fantastic.... agree they aren't my favorite looking bow though....

That's the exact same thing I said when I saw the first Hoyt riser with the bridge almost 20 years ago. I asked if it was some sort of Klingon war axe or something. They still shot good.

[DeadEyeGardner]

With the technology in most of today’s products, compound bows being no exception, most bows will shoot somewhat similar from one manufacturer to the next. Like mentioned above, you can shoot them all and most wont feel any real differences.

Apa customer service is seriously second to none. Their website is full of specs and tech videos. I’ve owned several Apa bows now and I highly recommend going that route- especially since you’d like to support a Canadian company. You won’t be let down, and the high end apa bows come in quite favourably under competitors bows in terms of price.

(For the record, I’m not endorsed by APA, although I’d love to be lol)

[Lefty-Canuck]

Actually APA bows are creeping up in price. When compared to a carbon Hoyt they are less, but so is everything else. Some flagship bows are $1100-1200, APA flag ships are running around $1300-1400+ now. Mamba 35XR is $1599

LC

[DeadEyeGardner]

Actually APA bows are creeping up in price. When compared to a carbon Hoyt they are less, but so is everything else. Some flagship bows are $1100-1200, APA flag ships are running around $1300-1400+ now. Mamba 35XR is $1599

LC

Absolutely, over the last couple years the prices have definitely come up. If you’re ready to spend $1600 on new bow- I don’t think a few hundred will make a difference of opinion. If you’re like me and a lot of others, brand new bows are a dive I haven’t been able to take. I’ve had 5 second hand Apa bows and loved them all. Parts when needed have been readily available and customer service has been awesome. I’m a bang for your buck kinda guy, so a lot of others won’t agree with me on that. But it’s hard to argue that you don’t get your bang for your buck on a 2 year old bow.

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

Thanks for the comments guys. Other bows I consider are from Hoyt and Bowtech but prefer to support CANADIAN.

Guess when I get to Edmonton next month I will stop in at the APA dealer and have a look first hand at the APA bows and see how they feel.

[brendan's dad]

Thanks for the comments guys. Other bows I consider are from Hoyt and Bowtech but prefer to support CANADIAN.

Guess when I get to Edmonton next month I will stop in at the APA dealer and have a look first hand at the APA bows and see how they feel.

Who deals APA in Edmonton?

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

APA website says Wyld Archery is a dealer in Edmonton. Located just east of the Costco on Yellowhead.

Other dealers listed in Alberta are in Whitecourt, RMH, Bonneyville, Lloydminster, Hinton, Wainwright, Calgary

[bezzola]

My sons selling his apa and going back to bowtech

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

My sons selling his apa and going back to bowtech

Kind of a dead end answer...WHY is he??

[shakeyleg02]

Love my APA M7 ..no interest in getting rid of it anytime soon

[Knotter]

Love my m7. Easy to tune and adjust without a press and they are Canadian.

Btw. Isn’t buying a compound bow on aesthetics like buying a torque wrench for its good looks?

[Settle&release]

I have one for sale fully loaded if you are interested

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[Andrew_Arsenault]

I have owned several APA’s over the years. They are extremely easy to work on and have the best customer service in the industry! The 33xr is an absolute pleasure to shoot as well as being forgiving and FAST! I’m ordering one of the 28’s for this up coming season.

[BCROB]

just posted an M7 , minty , maybe 40 arrows through it
too many bows , thinning the herd

[coyotekiller]

I shoot a m34 for hunting and the 38RDS for 3D/Target. Both are great bows. Apa has great customer service and warranty. Not needing a bow press to be worked on is a great feauture

[bezzola]

Who is the APA dealer in Edmonton when my son bought his it was wyld archery is it still them

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

The APA website says Wyde is still a dealer in Edmonton. I plan to make a stop there in late March when I make it to the city for work meeting and catch an Oilers game that we won LOGE seats to at a kids hockey tourney this past winter.

The way the Oilers are playing I may just have to spend more time at the archery shops and skip the game .

[Wrongside]

Love my APA M7 ..no interest in getting rid of it anytime soon

x2

Friend of mine just got one of APA's newer light, compact models and loves it. He shoots it extremely well out to 60 yards.

[Donkey Slayer]

I have owned an APA M34 for a few years now. One thing that sold me was the availability of quick parts and being Canadian.

However, the shop that tunes my bow mentions it was difficult to tune. I think it shots great. A lot better than the shooter.

[Settle&release]

I shot a bunch of critters with one and shot it for 6 years and loved it. But then I got serious and got Hoyt...[emoji23][emoji1018][emoji482]

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[Young-gun]

Absolutely love my M32, switched from a Hoyt spider. Definitely no regrets.


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[350 mag]

APA technology hasn't changed in years....nothing wrong with them just haven't advanced or changed much.

When I had one it didn't make IBO and the D.L measured 3/4 to 1" long.

Check out the classifieds on here.

There are a couple Bowtech Carbon ODs for sale.....save enough on NEW price to pay for some good arrows.....

There isn't an easier tuning bow on the market than the Bowtech OD Binary cam system.

There limb problems have been solved since 2017.

Bowtech has been the ONLY bows I have ever owned that come close to making their IBO claims.....

[Donkey Slayer]

Had my apa the last 7 years. No issues. Gets one or two critters every year.

[Tony the fish]

I have a King cobra in 80 lbs max draw. I am a 32 inch draw and enjoy the fact that they do come a little longer than advertised. I m shooting a 600 grain arrow set up at 300 FPS. The bow can be tricky to tune but once you have it, the bow is quite accurate. The added features is where this bow shines. The handle , hanger fang are extremely useful when hunting. The cam lock can be a life saver if you have a blow out in a remote area. That being said, you better know how to string a bow and tune before you attempt a field string swap. Overall great bow, Canadian product, might not be the ideal choice for the novice archer.


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[350 mag]

When you look at Bowtechs new bows there is NO comparison.

APA is still using dual-cam technology that every bow company had in the 1990s?

Flip disc technology which gives you 2 bows in one with Performance and Comfort modes.

Microtune disc which allows you to lengthen or shorten cables and adjust cam timing without pressing the bow.

[Lefty-Canuck]

When you look at Bowtechs new bows there is NO comparison.

APA is still using dual-cam technology that every bow company had in the 1990s?

Flip disc technology which gives you 2 bows in one with Performance and Comfort modes.

Microtune disc which allows you to lengthen or shorten cables and adjust cam timing without pressing the bow.

The basis of the APA Cam technology is actually OEM’d from Bowtech, similar to the older Black Knight cams long before they came out with the Binary Overdrive cam.

LC

[Scopithorne]

The basis of the APA Cam technology is actually OEM’d from Bowtech, similar to the older Black Knight cams long before they came out with the Binary Overdrive cam.

LC

This is 100 percent not true apa manufactures all cams in house based on their own design. As for dual cams being old technology that is also a misconception there is not a cam that will give you more performance or accuracy than a dual cam. In recent years Matthew's has even reverted to this technology the biggest problem with the dual cam 20 years ago was string technology that is no longer an issue your binary or cam and a half can be out of time but being slaved together can hide alot doesn't mean ur bow is in tune at least a dual cam will show you

[350 mag]

The basis of the APA Cam technology is actually OEM’d from Bowtech, similar to the older Black Knight cams long before they came out with the Binary Overdrive cam.

LC

Pretty sure from when Kevin Strothers worked for Bowtech he has patent on 2 track dual can with stops.

I think Binary OD cams have license from Darton.

Darton( Rex Darlington) probably holds more patents on bow and can designs than any other.

Pretty much binary and Cam 1.5 were based off his designs?

[501s]

I have an APA Viper Nano. I went in last year to buy a Mamba 32, I wanted the speed and the dual cams. Was prepared to buy it until I tested out a Bowtech Realm. Long story short, I left APA and bought the Realm.

The reasons I liked the APA were all the features. The handle, the fang and the cam lock are no joke, they are awesome features. I used them a lot. But the Bowtech was so much smoother. The APA was incredibly “jumpy” compared to the bowtech. On the wall and carrying around, the APA was the winner. When it came to actually shooting, the Bowtech was better in all regards.

[Lefty-Canuck]

This is 100 percent not true apa manufactures all cams in house based on their own design. As for dual cams being old technology that is also a misconception there is not a cam that will give you more performance or accuracy than a dual cam. In recent years Matthew's has even reverted to this technology the biggest problem with the dual cam 20 years ago was string technology that is no longer an issue your binary or cam and a half can be out of time but being slaved together can hide alot doesn't mean ur bow is in tune at least a dual cam will show you

The original design...was Bowtech OEM design, they put their spin on it but that’s where it came from originally period :).

LC

[Scopithorne]

The original design...was Bowtech OEM design, they put their spin on it but that’s where it came from originally period :).

LC
That's like saying anyone who ever produced a single cam OEMd it from Matthew's / Bear

[350 mag]

That's like saying anyone who ever produced a single cam OEMd it from Matthew's / Bear

McPherson invented the weighted single cam and sold the license to Bear.

Many companies borrow/license or sometimes infringe/steal other companies tech.

The point I am trying to make is APA hasn't really brought anything NEW to the table .

Right now the Binary OD Cam is the one of the most advanced designs on the market.

[Lefty-Canuck]

That's like saying anyone who ever produced a single cam OEMd it from Matthew's / Bear

Nope ask Nibal himself which company assisted them when they first started out.

LC

[350 mag]

Bowtech has another industry first gamechanger on the new Reckoning bow. 35 " ATA and 7" b.h. @335 fps.

The new OD binary cam boasts tuning without use of bowpress...Dead Lock Cam drive.

https://bowtecharchery.com/bows/reckoning/

There is a setscrew inside the cam axle that is locked in place by Allen key.

Loosen the lock and easily adjust cam from left/right for micro-adjusting cam alignment without bow press.

https://youtu.be/tgp0nn6f4D0

[Scopithorne]

Nope ask Nibal himself which company assisted them when they first started out.

LC

I'm well aware of the companies history but when you make comments like that it shows how little you truly know about Apa for those who say there haven't been changes or new technology haven't looked very closely at them at all they were the first company to put a limb stop on a true dual cam they make the fastest bow in the world they make it easy to work on your own bow without the need of a press they give you a carry handle a hook to hang it and all these other features . It always has amazed me that a homegrown Canadian company like this can seem to get so much resistance for just being Canadian guys with little product knowledge seem so quick to try and discredit anything that company does it seems to me they are very progressive in alot of aspects

[Lefty-Canuck]

You mistake my comments... I have had 2-3 tours of the facility Nibal
is a great guy I know a ton of their prostaff shooters. APA is a good company. It doesn’t change the fact that when they started out...they had to start from somewhere and they had to start with a bit of help of a few ideas that already existed...how is that a bad thing? The archery industry has a ton of collaboration amongst companies it’s a small world and you can only do so much with the technology available currently without stepping on toes.

LC

[350 mag]

I wish APA nothing but the best and they do make a good product.

When I tried a Mamba MX2 many years ago .

I forget the numbers but it didn't make IBO #s and the draw came in 3/4-1" long.

It was an accurate bow and the the draw stop worked.

It wasn't a horrible bow just an average bow.

[350 mag]

I would like to see a showdown between Lawless and King Cobra.

Both set at 30"...measured on a Draw board.....70 lbs and 350 gr arrow.

I would bet both would fall short of 370 by about 20 fps or more.

In this video ...

70 lbs @30" &350 gr arrow = 346 fps?? For King Cobra

https://youtu.be/mXIHnGVgh64


So they claim 106.4 K.E on website @ 70lb? That equates to 370 fps....

But in actual speed test it's 346?