Bowtech Alliance33 (75lbs) – Review
One of the most enjoyable bows of the season!
From the moment I saw the specs on the Alliance33 I had a sneaky suspicion that it was going to become a bow that I would want to own… for the very simple reason: By dimensions, it very closely mimicked one of my all-time favourite shooting bows, the Bowtech Reign7.
I got my wish, and the Alliance is an awesome bow…. But what I didn’t expect is the under the hood surprises that Bowtech sneaked in with this bow…
Instead of going aggressive on the cams to get the maximum speed and chase down the marketing numbers, Bowtech kept the IBO rating in the middle of the range with a very respectable 334fps, however… the draw cycle is so smooth that it becomes really easy to draw and hold much higher draw weights than you would have expected to hold in the past… 70lbs is the new 60lbs!
The other thing is that they shaved off as much weight as they could, which allows you to add weight where you want, or keep it bare for long walk-&-stalk days.
Either way… This bow ended up being exactly what I wanted and a lot I didn’t expect!
After shooting this bow for a few months, this is my feedback and honest opinion about the Bowtech Alliance33:
What’s Under the Hood: The Tech That Matters
DEADLOCK… revisited
The Bowtech DeadLock Cam system has had a make-over. I think it’s slightly less bulky, just a bit lighter, but just as simple to tune as the original! Unlock, adjust, relock… done!
Locking Limb Bolts
I am under the impression that the Alliance has new limbs, as you can order them in 5lbs increments, instead of the older 10lbs between deflections. What hasn’t changed is the ability to lock the Limb Bolts in place if you adjusted them to a perfect draw weight. Limb Bolts creep over time… Not these ones!
GEN2 CenterMass Sight System
Black Gold makes some really nice bow sights. Unfortunately, they seem to be the only company I know of that actually makes CentreMass mountable sights for the Bowtech system. Not that it matters… My HHA NYTRX mounted the traditional way and has been working perfectly with this bow. One day I will get the adapter and see if it is worth it.
IMS Mountable Arrow Rests
The Alliance also sports what has now become more or less standard for bow rest mounting. The dovetail Integrated Mounting System is great but you do lose a bit of torque tune ability unless you opt for a rest like the Hamskea R7. Otherwise, it works as advertised.
GripLock
This is a feature I love about Bowtech. The adjustable grip angle makes it possible to get the perfect amount of pressure on the grip, reducing the inherent accidental hand torque to a minimum. The rubber flap on the bend point needs some love from the design team, but noting a spot of glue doesn’t sort in half a second.
Balance Points
Every person is different, and Bowtech decided to add multiple stabiliser mounting points to the riser. Options is good.
Draw Cycle Options – FlipDisk
A Staple on pretty much any bowtech bow these days is the FlipDisk rotating mod. Not only does it allow for easy draw length adjustment, simply flipping the module over change the aggressiveness of the draw cycle, adding a few more FPS to your arrow.
Limb Legs
The Alliance is one of the first bows with a dedicated Limb Leg mounting point. We have seen them, but at writing of this review, we have not yet been able to get them. Hopefully soon!
Adjustable...? It's a Bowtech!
For as long as I have been doing archery and bowhunting, the Bowtech bows were known for their adjustability. Over the years, they have taken every bow tuning principle and simplified it. Tuning a modern Bowtech is just simple.
A big part of it is that a little bit of thought went into small things, like the location of locking bolts. A standard allen key set can pretty much do everything on the bow. The elegance of the tuning system is in it’s simplicity.
Specs At a Glance
- IBO Speed: 334 fps
(Flip Disk) - Draw Length Range:
27”–32” - Draw Weight Options: 60, 65, 70 or 75 lbs
- Axle-to-Axle: 33”
- Brace Height: 6 1/16″
- Weight: 4.25 lbs (bare) and around 6.9lbs fully loaded
Who It’s For
The Bowtech Alliance33 is pitched at the hunting market. The shorter 30.5″ ATA is about a 1/4lbs lighter and a lovely stalking bow while the 33 ATA provides enough length for up to 32″ Draw Length archers.
Although this bow is definitely a hunting bow, it draws and aims like a target bow…
(And I cannot help but think the design was more than a bit influenced by tournaments like the TAC shoots held in the USA where long shots and long walks is at the order of the day.)
The riser is light and stiff, balances well and the back wall doesn’t have the traditional Bowtech “Hump” before you hit the valley. If you are a hinge shooter, you will also recognise the slightest bit of flex in the back wall, making it perfect for smooth back tension releases.
What was our setup?
Bow:
- 75lbs Bow, set up on the Comfort Module Setting.
- 29” Draw Length
- Ripcord Ratchet IMS rest
- HHA NYTRX 1-pin Sight (Dovetail Mount)
- Conquest Control Freak .500 15″ Front & 10″ Side Bar with 3oz (front) and 4oz (rear)
Arrows:
- Black Eagle Rampage 300 @458gr *
- FOC 16.1% – 125 fieldpoints / Broadheads)
Bohning Bully Fletches and Bohning Alpha Vanes - 279 fps – 78.7 ft-lbs of KE and 0.563 Slug-ft/s
Release:
- TRUBall Fulkrum hinge release
My setup is for a comfortable hunt. I am not going after big game, just plains game. The Comfort setting on the FlipDisk is more than enough for almost anything I can afford to hunt, and the Black Eagle Rampage arrows gives me plenty of speed and Kinetic Energy.
Because this is my “daily driver” I opted for a slightly longer front stab than usual. so instead of my traditional 10&8″ configuration, the 15 and 10″ set has been a dream to shoot with.
* I am known for preferring a heavier arrow. I feel 500-520gr is a sweet spot for momentum and quiet flight. However, with how quiet this bow is and how easily I could draw much higher poundage, I opted for a marginally lighter arrow at around 450-460gr. This setup allowed me a lot more clearance and distance for longer competition shots. As it stands I can clear about 130yds with the Bohning Alpha Vanes
Arrow Performance 29″
Comfort Mod Setting 70lbs:
- 400gr = 295fps (77.3 ft-lbs)
- 450gr = 282fps (79.5 ft-lbs)
- 500gr = 267fps (79.2 ft-lbs)
Arrow Performance 29″
Performance Mod Setting 70lbs:
- 400gr = 307fps (83.7 ft-lbs)
- 450gr = 291fps (84.6 ft-lbs)
- 500gr = 275fps (84.3 ft-lbs)
In the Field
Ok… let’s make this clear: This bow is better than I am and shooting it really makes me look good!
Draw Cycle
3 out of 5 people that try my bow thinks it is around 60lbs and not 70lbs. As mentioned, I have settled on around 60lbs for my hunting bows (Accuracy trumps Speed everyday!) Bowtech, however, decided to make the draw cycle on this bow an absolute pleasure! I have since dropped my Alliance33 to +/_ 70lbs after shooting it on 75lbs for a while.
Along with the Comfort/Performance FlipDisk Module I think this bow can provide ample kinetic energy and penetrating momentum for most archers in most conditions, while keeping absolute comfort.
Forgiveness
And we all know you can’t buy a better score, but seriously… there are some arrows I released that had no business ending up as close to the center of the target as they did!
This bow is easy to shoot. It is light, it is well balanced, it holds on target, it is easy to manipulate, it is easy to adjust. It is not pretentious. It doesn’t shout “Look at Me!” – it just gets the job done…
I have been shooting it pretty much daily for the last few months now and I can honestly say that it gives me joy… every, single, day.
It took a week or two for the factory strings to settle. I usually start with custom strings but I wanted to see what the factory strings will be like. Once they settled, they were fine… I also took some time to get my stabilisers sorted. Every bow is different, and if you take some time to play around and get them just right, it will always benefit you.
I also can’t wait to take this bow hunting because it is probably the quietest bow out of the box I have ever owned (and with a few tweaks from Vince, it is quieter still!). But let’s get back to the real question. How does it shoot?
This bow is amazing! I cannot shoot at the same target spot on 20, 30 or 40yds for fear of damaging my arrows or shooting robin hoods. A typical day will start of with cold shots on 85yds or longer, and we have gone up all the way to 135yds… the maximum distance we can get in on the range. I have no business shooting those kinds of distances, but when a bow is this easy to shoot… why not!?
Final Notes
Bowtech has always made great bows, they have always been very shootable and enjoyable, and many have a cult following, like the Destroyer340, RPM360 or the very recent Virtue80. I can’t imagine what they can bring out next to beat their current line-up, but I do think that like the Reign6 en 7 of a few years ago, The Alliance will end up being one of these bows.
As a hunting bow, it packs a punch, and for the recreational competitions, it shoots close enough to a target bow that you could hold your own, no problem.
So if this is the year in which you are going to replace a bow, shoot the Bowtech Alliance before you make any decisions. I guarantee you it will, at the very least, make you think twice about what you expect from your next bow. And if you think that my words is just marketing talk… The Bowtech Alliance33 is the bow I decided to spend my own money on.
