Hoyt COMPOUND-2003 User Manual

Compound Bow

Owner ’s Manual

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Hoyt USA family!

As a member of an elite team, you will be
pleased to know that you have purchased the
finest crafted, most dependable bow on the
market. Only the finest components go into
every Hoyt USAbow along with over 70 years of
experience in bow technology and manufactur­ing. With some basic maintenance your new
bow should provide you with years of pleasure
and dependable service.

543 North Neil Armstrong Road

Salt Lake City, Utah 84116-2887

[phone] Phone

[phone] Fax

www.hoytusa.com

1

BOW OWNER’S PERSONAL RECORD

Fill in the following Personal Bow Record for
your later reference.
Bow Serial Number

Hoyt USA Bow Model

Purchased From

Purchase Date

Draw Length “ Draw Weight #

Bowstring Length “ Cables Length “

Control Cable Length “

Important Note:

Save your sales receipt. That receipt is your proof of
date-of-purchase. Proof of date-of-purchase will be
required should your bow ever need warranty serv­ice. The following space has been reserved for you to

staple or tape your sales receipt for safe and conven­ient keeping.

IMPORTANT!

Staple or tape your sales receipt

here for safekeeping.

2

COMPOUND BOW TERMINOLOGY

Limbs

Limb Pocket

Limb Weight
Adjustment Bolt

Sight Window

Grip

Stabilizer Bushing
Limb Weight

Adjustment Bolt

Limb Pocket

Limbs

Cam

Weight Locking Screw

Riser

Weight Locking Screw

Axle

Yoke

Control
Cable

Buss Cable

Bow String

Cable Guard Bar

Cable Guard
Glide

Buss Cable

Control
Cable

Cam

Axle

3

WARNING!

YOU’RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ARCHERY SAFETY

Please read the following safety information.
Disregarding these rules may cause serious injury to
yourself or property.

1. NEVER “DRY FIRE” YOUR BOW. Dry fire means
to draw and release the bowstring without an arrow.
Firing a bow without an arrow to absorb the energy
can cause severe damage to your bow and possible
injury to the shooter or others nearby. Let-down the
bow slowly and carefully from any drawn position ­be prepared for a possible violent letdown.

2. NEVER EXPOSE YOUR BOW TO EXTREME
HEAT OR PROLONGED EXTREME DAMP.

Excessive heat, such as that experienced on a sunny
day inside a closed vehicle, could cause limb failure.
Prolonged storage in a hot dry attic or damp base­ment could also be damaging. Store the bow prop­erly when it is not in use.

3. CAREFULLY INSPECT YOUR BOW BEFORE
EACH USE. Carefully note the condition of the bow-

string, limbs and riser before you shoot. Frayed bow­strings should be replaced. Damaged or suspect
limbs should be reported to your local dealer for
inspection or replacement.

4

4. BE SURE OF YOUR BACKSTOP. Make sure that
the backstop you use is large enough to catch a stray
arrow and that it is thick enough that the arrow can­not completely penetrate it. Make sure that it is posi­tioned in a safe direction away from dwellings and
other people.

5. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET. Make sure that
there are no persons, livestock, buildings or other
objects behind or near your target. Be absolutely
sure of your target in low light conditions.

6. INSPECT ALL ARROWS. Before shooting,
inspect your arrows for defects. Discard cracked or
dented shafts. Replace damaged or loose fletching
and nocks.

7. ALWAYS BE SAFE. Never shoot straight up. Be
careful around strings and cables when using broad­heads. Cutting strings and cables can cause serious
damage to your bow and possible injury to you or
others. Do not draw the bow beyond its maximum
draw length. Never point or aim a drawn bow at
another person. Children must be supervised by an
adult.

8. READ AND HEED ALL WARNINGS. Hoyt USA
cannot be held responsible for injuries suffered or
caused by misuse, unsafe or improper arrow and
bow combinations. Hoyt USA cannot be held
responsible for injuries sustained when using an
altered or modified Hoyt USA bow.

5

WARNING

This bow is a deadly weapon.

Always abide by all safety advisements.

Children must be supervised by an adult.

COMPOUND BOW MAINTENANCE

Your bow is a mechanical device and as such, is sub­ject to wear and need of periodic inspection, adjust­ment and service. Hoyt USA recommends that you
take your bow to a Hoyt authorized pro shop at least
once a year for a yearly professional maintenance and
inspection. Areas to be inspected are axles, spacers,
lubrication of axle bushings (Hoyt Cam & 1/2 bows
do not require axle bushing lubrication), e-clips,
strings, cables, limbs and riser.

The following information provides helpful instruc­tion on the proper care and maintenance of your new
Hoyt bow. Keep this manual as a handy guide for
future reference.

STRINGS AND CABLES

Apply a light coat of bowstring wax to your bow’s
cables and string on a regular basis. Hoyt USA sug­gests once every two weeks during peak use. Use a
high quality bowstring wax available at your local
Hoyt Pro Shop. This will keep your bow’s strings and
cables in good condition. To assure best results
replace D-75 string and cables when wear is evident
or every two years under normal use conditions.

6

Insist that Hoyt USA string and cables be used on
your bow. Beware of lesser quality string and cables
as they may alter the performance of your bow or
cause damage to it.

ECCENTRIC LUBRICATION

For conventional bearings or bushings, a light spot
lubrication of the axles where they pass through the
eccentric should be done on a regular basis (1,500 ­2,000 shots). In adverse hunting conditions where
dirt, dust or moisture are encountered, lubrication
may be done on a daily basis. Hoyt USArecommends
you use a silicone or Teflon based lubrication or any
other quality grease available at your local Hoyt USA
Pro Shop. It is not recommended that you use
“Penetrating Oils” such as WD-40, EZ-#7, Fast Break,
etc.

Note: Cam & 1/2 bows feature sealed ball bearings
and should not be lubricated. If your cams do not
turn freely, it may be time to replace the bearings.

BOW PRESS USE
Never allow your bow to be put into a bow press

unless it is operated by a knowledgeable bow techni­cian. Hoyt USA recommends that all necessary
adjustments requiring the use of a bow press be done
by an authorized Hoyt Pro Shop.

7

fig 1 (An Example of a Double Pull Bow Press)

Always use a double bow press like that shown
in figure 1 when working on your bow.

Never use a single pull bow press. (See fig 2)

fig 2 (An Example of a Single Pull Bow Press)

8

Before putting your bow in a bow press, loosen
both the top and bottom weight adjustment bolts
5 to 7 turns from maximum weight (when limb
bolts are fastened all the way down). When put­ting your bow in the press, never put pressure
on the riser! Always position the rollers at the
base of the limbs (where the limbs enter the limb
pockets). (See fig 3)

fig 3

COMPOUND BOW SETUP

REST SELECTION

There are two basic types of arrow rests “Shoot
Through” and “Shoot Around” (See fig 4) Shoot
through rests are designed for release shooters
as arrows shot using a release bend vertically.

9

Shoot around rests are designed for finger shoot­ers as arrows shot by fingers bend horizontally.
Hoyt USA recommends that you seek the advice
of a qualified Pro Shop for the proper rest selec­tion for your style of shooting.

fig 4

Shoot Through Shoot Around

NOCK SET INSTALLATION

A nock point is a reference on the string that
marks the exact location for you to nock your
arrow. The arrow’s nock is positioned under the
nock set. To install the nock set at the proper
position begin by slipping the nock set on the
string. Then, using your rest as a reference, posi­tion the nock set just above level. Afinger shoot­er should initially position the nock set at
approximately 3/8” above level. The release
shooter should position the nock set at a 90
degree angle with the string and adjust height as
needed. (See fig 5) Once the nock set is at the
desired location use a special set of nocking pli-

10

ers to crimp the nock set into place. NEVER
shoot a bow without a nock set or with a nock set
that has not been properly crimped. For proper
installation Hoyt USA recommends that this be
done by a qualified Pro Shop.

Nocking Point
Height

fig 5

CABLE GUARD INSTALLATION

All aluminum Hoyt USAbows are designed with
a built in cable guard bar attachment. Before
mounting the cable guard bar, you must remove
the rubberbands used only for shipping purpos­es. To insert the cable guard bar, simply slide the
bar through the two mounting holes on the riser
making sure that the bar is pushed completely
through and flush with the end of the front

Screws

Flush w/Front of Riser

fig 6

11

mounting hole. After the bar has been inserted
fasten with the 1/4-20 x 1/2” set screws provid­ed. (See fig 6)

Hoyt USA ’s magnesium bows are designed with
a high mount style cable guard bar that is
mounted directly to the side of the riser by two
10-24 screws. (See fig 7) Prior to mounting the
cable guard bar, you must remove the rubber­bands used only for shipping purposes.

Warning! On
some shorter
axle to axle
models,

10-24 SHCS
Screws

adjustable cable
guard bars can
be off-set too
much causing
the cable to

fig 7

track off the

cam. This can
cause damage to the bow or personal injury. To
prevent this from happening, NEVER SET THE
BAR AT THE THREE O’ CLOCK POSITION.

CABLE GUARD GLIDE INSTALLATION

To prevent your bow’s cables from rubbing
against each other, Hoyt USA uses a specially
designed cable glide that has off-set cable slots.

12

To correctly install the glide on all Hoyt bows,

fig 8

Control
Cable

first place the glide on the
cable guard bar (See fig 8).
Next, push the control cable
into the shorter front slot.
Then, push the buss cable into
the longer rear slot.

CAUTION: Do not pull bow
back without proper installa-

Buss
Cable

tion of cable guard bar and
glide.

TILLER ADJUSTMENT

Tiller is the difference in distance between the
upper limb to the string and lower limb to the
string measured from the base of the limbs
(where the limb and riser meet) at a 90 degree
angle to the string. (See fig 9)

The main function of tiller is to allow the archer to
more easily and comfortably aim during the draw
and release of the shot. Most bows will shoot best
near even tiller which means the distance from
the string to the limb is the same on top and bot­tom. Tiller adjustments are made by adjusting
either limb weight adjustment bolt. (See draw
weight adjustment section pg. 15). Example: If
you have too much tiller on the bottom limb,
decrease the weight on the top limb or increase

13

the weight on the bottom. Hoyt USA recom­mends that you initially set tiller equal top and
bottom.

Tiller

Tiller

fig. 9

CENTERSHOT

Centershot is the alignment of the arrow in the
power path of the string. This is accomplished
by moving the arrow rest left or right. Release
shooters should line the arrow up with or just
slightly outside of the power path of the string.
(See fig 10) Finger shooters should position the
arrow so that the tip is just to the outside of the
power path of the string. (See fig 10)

14

Centershot is critical to how accurate a bow will
perform. These are initial centershot settings, for
proper alignment Hoyt USA recommends this
be done by a qualified Pro Shop.

Powerpath

Rest

Powerpath

Rest

fig 10

Release Setting Fingers Setting

FLETCH CLEARANCE

Fletch clearance is the ability of your vanes or fletch­ings to pass cleanly by or through your arrow rest
without impacting the rest so severely that the arrow’s
flight path is disrupted. It is necessary that you have
adequate vane clearance to achieve proper arrow
flight. (See fig 11)

fig. 11

Incorrect Correct

15

COMPOUND BOW ADJUSTMENT

DRAW WEIGHT ADJUSTMENT

W eight adjustments can easily be made by turning the
weight adjustment bolt clockwise to increase weight
or counter clockwise to decrease weight. Note: Always

turn the top and bottom adjust­ment bolts in equal amounts.
Some Hoyt USAmodel bows are
equipped with a Dual Locking

Pocket Locking Screw

fig 12

loosen the Pocket Locking screws located on both sides
of the pocket. (See fig 12) When adjustments are com­pleted, re-tighten the Pocket Locking screws.

DRAW LENGTH ADJUSTMENT (INNER-CAM
ADJUSTABLE MODULES)

Many Hoyt bows utilize the patented inner-cam
adjustable module for draw length adjustment. The
inner-cam can generally be adjusted without the aid
of a bow press.

CAM & 1/2 DRAW LENGTH ADJUSTMENT
TOP CAM: To adjust the draw length on Hoyt’s

patented Cam & 1/2 (inner-cam) model bows, use a
standard allen key to loosen the fastening screw and
to remove the draw length screw. (see fig 13) Rotating
the inner-cam in the (+) direction will lengthen the
draw. Rotating the inner-cam in the (-) direction will
shorten the draw. Each lettered position will provide

Pocket System. Before draw
weight adjustments are made on
these models you must first

16

Fastening
Screw

Module Positioning Indicator

Draw
Length
Screw

Performance
Marks

fig 13

approximately
l/2” longer/
shorter draw
than the previous
setting. Once the
inner-cam is in
the desired loca­tion, reinstall and
tighten the draw
length screw first
and then the fas­tening screw.

Module Positioning

Indicator

Performance
Marks

Control
Cable
Peg

BOTTOM
CAM: Remove

the draw length
screw, rotate
module to the
same letter

ed
position as the
top module,

Stealth
Draw Dampener

Draw
Length
Screw

fig 14

and replace.
(see fig 14).

Note: You must
make the same
adjustments to

the top and the bottom inner-cams or the bow cannot
be properly tuned.

W ARNING: Never remove the stainless steel control
cable peg unless the string is relaxed in a bow press.

17

OPTIMIZING CAM & 1/2 PERFORMANCE

In order to verify optimum performance of your
Cam & 1/2 bow you should examine the cam's
built-in performance marks. When viewing the
module side of the top

cam, the control cable
should lie somewhere between the performance
marks (see fig13). When viewing the module side
of the bottom

cam, the buss cable should lie some­where between the performance marks as shown.
(see fig 14) It is not necessary to have the cable
exactly centered between the marks. Draw length
adjustment will not affect the performance marks.
Your new bow was shipped from our factory in the
optimum position. If either of your cables lie out­side the performance marks we recommend you
take your bow to your nearest Hoyt dealer for
adjustments.

OPTIMIZING SPIRAL CAM & 1/2 PERFORMANCE

To assure opti­mum perform­ance of bows fea­turing Hoyt’s
Spiral Cam &

Buss Cable

Performance
Marks

Control
Cable

Bowstring

1/2, you should
examine the
cams’ built-in

Limb

performance
marks. On both
the top and bot­tom cam, the
limb should lie

STRING

SIDE

fig 15

somewhere in

18

between the marks. (see fig 15) It is not necessary to
have the limb exactly centered between the marks.
Your new bow was shipped from our factory in the
optimum position. If your limb lies outside the per­formance marks we recommend you take your bow
to your Hoyt Pro Shop for adjustments.

The let-off of your Spiral Cam & 1/2 bow can be
adjusted using a standard allen key. The AMO
let-off values of the Spiral Cam & 1/2 vary from
55% to 65%. You will notice the four draw-stop
holes on the bottom cam numbered 1 through 4.
(see fig 16) For 55% let-off, the draw-stop peg

Draw Stop in Highest Let-off Position

should be placed in
hole #4. Simply
remove the draw­stop peg from its
original position,
place it in the
desired position,
and tighten. Each
Hoyt Spiral Cam &
1/2 bow was

CABLE

SIDE

fig 16

shipped in the 65%
let-off (draw stop
peg position #1).

Note: changing the draw-stop position to manipu­late let-off will alter draw length by approximately
1/8” for each draw-stop hole; draw length will be
shortened when changing to a lower let-off position
and lengthened in higher let-off positions.

19

PAPER TUNING

To paper tune your bow have on hand one fletched
arrow, a sheet of paper, a picture frame type rack
approximately 24” x 24”, and a target mat. Attach the
paper to the frame and position the frame at about
shoulder height. Place the target mat about 6 feet direct­ly behind the paper to stop the arrows. Standing 4 to 6
feet from the frame, shoot a fletched arrow through the
center of the paper with the arrow at shoulder height
(parallel to the floor). Observe how the paper is torn.

This tear indicates good arrow flight. The
point and the fletching have entered the
same hole.

This tear indicates a low nocking point.
To correct, raise your nocking point
1/16” at a time and repeat the procedure
until the low vertical tear is eliminated.

This tear indicates a high nocking point,
clearance problem, or a very weak arrow
if you are using a release aid. To correct,

lower the nocking point 1/16” at a time
until the high tear is eliminated. If your nocking point
is below 90 degrees and the high tear is still present,
reset the nocking point 1/8 - 3/16” above 90 degrees
and reduce spring tension in the rest until the tear
improves.

20

This tear indicates a stiff arrow reac­tion for right-handed archers using
finger release. Left-handed archers
will have an opposite pattern. It gen-

erally indicates that the arrow rest
position is too far to the right or that there is possible
vane contact on the inside launcher rest.

This tear indicates a weak arrow

reaction or clearance problem for

right-handed finger release archers.

Left-handed finger release archers

will have the opposite pattern. For
right-handed compound archers using mechanical
releases, the left tear usually indicates the arrow rest is
too far to the left, a weak arrow reaction and/or clear­ance problem.

TUNING WITH BROADHEADS

Most archers discover that they must make slight tun­ing adjustments when switching from practice points
to broadheads (even at the same weight). Broadheads
create a dramatic aerodynamic change in arrow flight.
For this reason, slight adjustments may need to be
made in nocking point height, rest position or bow
weight to achieve desired broadhead flight. Always
test shoot broadheads before hunting. Even expand­able broadheads may require different sight settings
than field points.

Hoyt USA recommends working closely with your
local Pro Shop when tuning your bow to ensure best
results.

21

HOYT USA COMPOUND BOW WARRANTY

All Hoyt USA compound bows are warranted against
defects in materials or workmanship to the original
owner on all risers, limbs, limb pockets, and eccentrics
for the life of the product.

ACCESSORIES

All Hoyt USA sights (excluding sight pins), arrow rests,
and bow quivers (excluding hood foam and arrow grip­per) are warranted 100% for the life of the product to the
original owner. Hoyt USA must perform warranty
work.

You must have the following items in order to obtain
warranty work:

1. A dated proof of purchase (sales receipt).

2. Products must be purchased through a Hoyt USA
authorized dealer (no exceptions!)

3. All compound bows must have a serial number.

Hoyt USA, at its discretion, voids all warranty claims
either expressed or implied including but not limited to
evidence of abuse, modification to original design, use
of attachments or accessories that cause excessive stress.

Hoyt USA reserves the right to make substitutions on
warranty coverage at Hoyt USA’s discr etion for any r ea­son. Warranty is subject to available parts.

OBTAINING WARRANTY SERVICE

T o obtain warranty service, you should r eturn to the Pro
Shop where you purchased your Hoyt USA bow. The

dealer can help to determine if Hoyt USA factory service

22

is required or if the repair can be completed by the Pro
Shop. If the bow must be returned to the factory, the
bow owner is responsible for the return freight to Hoyt
USA. Hoyt USA, in turn, will pay for the same return
freight of the repaired product.

Before any bow is returned a Return Authorization
number must be obtained through an authorized Hoyt
USA Pro Shop. Bows returned to the factory without a
Return Authorization number will be sent back. Do not
send accessories with bow unless otherwise instructed
to.

Write the RA number on the outside of the shipping
box and send the Hoyt USA bow requiring factory serv-

ice to:

Hoyt USA

543 N. Neil Armstrong Road

Salt Lake City, UT 84116

There are no other warranties expressed or implied that
extend beyond those written here. No agent, employee
or representative of Hoyt USA or its dealers has the
authority to bind Hoyt USA to any agreement not here­in stated. Buyer agrees that the sole and exclusive reme­dies for breach on any warranty concerning Hoyt USA
bows shall be repair or replacement of defective parts.
Hoyt USAshall not be liable for injury or property other
than the bows themselves. Hoyt USA reserves the right
to replace defective parts according to availability with
compatible replacement parts.

23

NOTES

24

543 North Neil Armstrong Road

Salt Lake City, UT 84116

www.hoytusa.com