Border Archery Covert Hunter Review

Border Archery of Scotland has been known to push the performance limits of the recurve with incredible limb design and use of advanced materials.  The result of years of R&D culminates in the latest Hex-series limb out of Scotland - the Hex-7.  The Covert Hunter is a recurve utilizing the newest limb offering in a compact, smooth drawing bow.  I feel quite privileged to be among the first in the upper American Midwest to own one of these recurves and will do my best to provide as objective of a review as I can.

The complete kit out of the box from Border.  The StikTamers and Limbsavers are my add-ons.

- Riser -

The Covert Hunter I ordered has a 19" riser with short limbs, giving me a 60" AMO recurve drawing 45#@27".  The riser is made of a Shedua center strip with Indian Rosewood back and belly strips, separated with carbon laminations.  The carbon lams are accented with a thin strip of red resin lamination between the wood and the carbon.  The belly side of the limb pockets as well as the pockets themselves are capped with a thin lamination of what appears to be Shedua.  The laminations make for a very attractive riser that gives me a nice, dark, subdued color, but has a little bit of artistic flair that is both functional and beautiful.  I requested a medium grip for my riser and what a wonderful medium grip it is!  The palm swell area feels nice and supportive, but not obstructive to my hand.  My thumb fits passively in the thumb rest and fingers curl gently around the back of the grip, which appears to have been thinned out to provide as torque-free a grip as possible.  The grip throat is slim and comfortable and no bothersome pressure points are felt through the draw.

I think the riser is very attractive with the mix of woods and carbon

Berger hole and AMO bushings added at my request by Border

The limb pockets are open and feature a threaded bushing and an indexing pin.  The pocket is lined with a thin self-adhesive foam rubber liner to cushion the limb butt and help dampen vibration.  The Covert Hunter is a bolt-down recurve so no tiller adjustments are possible.  My bow came with flat head hex screws, although a thumbscrew option is available.  I preferred the flat head hex screws as I feel they provide smoother, cleaner lines than the two bumps with the thumbscrew option.  I'm the kind who rarely takes down a bow unless I absolutely need a smaller package for traveling or storage so needing a hex wrench is no problem at all.  All together, the complete bow weighs in at 2.4lbs.

The shape of the limb butt and pocket along with index pins make fool-proof assembly

The shelf is well rounded and smooth as is the sight window.  I requested Border to drill and place a Berger bushing at the level of the shelf so that I can use a 5/16" screw as an adjustable side plate.  In this case, I added a round piece of self-adhesive furniture pad to the end of the screw and placed a triangle of soft-sided velcro pad over it.  By turning the screw in or out, I am able to adjust the centershot for optimal arrow flight.  It's a rather simple, but effective way to tune the bow and I much prefer it over having to stick and re-stick pieces of velcro and furniture pad onto the sight window until I found the desired thickness.  

Nice curved radius of the shelf means minimal arrow contact

I also had Border add AMO sight/quiver bushings so that I could use a riser mounted quiver.  I have a cheapo 5-arrow quiver that I found at the Bargain Cave at Cabela's for about $10 that mounts to AMO bushings.  It is lightweight and is easy on/off so I figured it would be a waste not to put it to use next hunting season.  

- Limbs -

Never have I seen such a wickedly recurved set of limbs than on these Hex-7s.  Unstrung, they curve over so much that they can easily hang on a tree branch.  When braced, the limb tips still have a wicked curve and can likely hang off the same branch with similar ease.  My limbs feature Border's Hyperflex cores which are supposedly lighter than the standard wood cores and are good for a 1-2 FPS speed boost as well as being unaffected by ambient weather.  The Hex-7 is a glass-less limb, meaning there is no fiberglass in the construction which results in a lighter and faster limbs.  Indeed, the limbs are noticeably feather weight when I first took them out of the padded velcro covers.  My scale puts them at 164g each.  That is very light!

Unbraced profile of the Hex-7 limbs (top) compared to TradTech Extreme BF limbs (bottom)

Braced profiles of both bows showing the big recurves of the Hex-7 limbs.  (My little Maltese is checking out the bows)

Carbon seems to be the main ingredient in these limbs and the matte finish showcases the woven carbon fiber beauty with a subtle black "Covert Hunter" lettering.  I understand Border has a special carbon layup they use to impart a very high degree of torsional stability that is required for such a deeply recurved design.  As evidenced by the "grip-and-twist" test, the Hex-7 limbs do resist twisting very well both in the unbraced and braced positions.  

I did my best to capture the lettering in the sunlight without excessive glare

Most bolt-down bows use a flat-on-flat pocket to limb butt margin while Border breaks from that and adds a nice artistic touch by using teardrop shaped limb butts.  The wood in the limb butts even match the wood used in the riser for some serious aesthetic bling.  It is almost like the limbs meld into the riser like a one-piece recurve.  The butts and pockets mate up seamlessly and exhibit no wiggle or any play once the limb screw is snugged down.  I surmise the curved shape of the butt and pocket also contribute to this solid joint as there is not other way than the correct orientation to join the two together.  The top and bottom limbs are identical save for the bow specs written on the belly side of the lower limb denoting correct orientation.  I suppose that is one way someone could accidentally flip-flop the limbs, but if you are in the know enough to order a Covert Hunter, you don't need someone to tell you which limb is top from bottom.  

Uniquely shaped limb butts and pockets.  Looks good and is functional.

- Tuning -

Having shot a set of Hex-5 limbs in the past, I am well aware of the smoothness of the Hex-series limbs.  I was rather surprised about the increased smoothness of the Hex-7 limbs as I took my first few draws with them.  I hesitate to use the term "let-off" but there really is a feeling of the draw lightening up as one approaches anchor.  With the Hex-5 limbs, such a feeling was present, but less pronounced than with the Hex-7.  The let-off feeling does not kick in like that of a compound bow, but feels like a subtle smoothing out of the draw.  It is rather hard to describe and appreciate until you experience it for yourself.  At any rate, the draw on the Covert Hunter is the smoothest I have ever experienced.  After a few dozen draws with the Covert Hunter, I picked up my RCX17 equipped with Extreme BF limbs and took a few pulls to anchor.  The RCX felt like it was stacking compared to the Border recurve, and I know it does not stack at all until I approach 29" draw.  Such is the difference in the draw profiles of the two bows.  

Border included a nice flemish twist string with the Covert Hunter, but it was a yellow and red color.  I don't usually care too much about string color, but I figured a black string would help the bow live up to its namesake rather than bright yellow and red.  I happened to have an Angel Majesty endless loop string made by Chad at Champion Custom Bowstrings that fit the bow.  Border recommends a brace height range of 6.5-7" and so I decided to split the difference at 6.75" to start.  My first shots were taken at my in-home range of about 10 yards.  The draw was great and easy to get to anchor and hold.  The shot reaction was relatively dead, but I had a bit of noise and an after-shot hum from the limbs.  No matter.  The string lacked any silencers and the limbs didn't have any Limbsavers.  I worked my way to both extremes of the brace height range and ended back where I began at 6.75".  

Drawing 45# at 27", I could tell the bow was throwing my usual arrows with greater authority as bareshafts were showing weak.  I usually start my bow tuning without any limb dampeners or string silencers so I can better assess bow noise and try to tune the brace height for the best sounding shot.  Once I settle on the optimal brace, then I proceed to add string silencers and then limb dampeners if needed.  In keeping with the brown wood colored theme, I went with a pair of Beaver Balls string fur puffs.  They did eliminate string hum, but made it evident the limbs themselves were also giving off a humming noise after the shot.  I then added a pair of the Broadband Limbsavers about 4" past the limb pockets and again, there was a reduction in noise.  I still could hear a bit of humming after the shot, but it was much more subdued than before.  As I have come to understand, a bow is always loudest to the shooter since you are both closest and physically connected to it.  That and the walls of my bedroom likely serve to amplify noise and reflect it back, giving me a false sense of how loud a bow really is.   Since I happened to have a set of StikTamers on hand, I figured why not add those on as well and see how much quieter I can make this thing.  I like StikTamers for their ability to prevent debris from sneaking up under where the string contacts the limb, and how it provides a perch for the bow to rest on a peg and not contact either the limb or the string.  

The Covert Hunter, fully decked out with silencers, dampers, and shooting Gold Tip 3555 arrows

With all dampers installed, further bareshaft tuning showed a reduction in how weak the shafts were compared to fletched.  I often notice that as the added mass to the string and limbs can rob a little speed, but I don't mind in order to have a quiet shooting bow.  I often like to tune my arrows so they end up slightly weak, especially for a hunting bow.  The rationale for that is you may not be able to reach full anchor when drawing on a deer and so, may lose some draw weight when loosing the shot.  A slightly weak arrow would be more forgiving of short-drawing the shot than a stiff arrow.  

- Shooting -

I happened to get the bow a little later than I had hoped as there was a traditional shoot at my local archery club.  I received it one day before the shoot opened so I was a little worried about being able to get it tuned in time.  However, the bow was relatively quick to get set up as I didn't have to worry about tiller adjustments and fiddled with the side plate setting for centershot.  Some of my fellow club members asked that I bring the bow over so they could see it in person, and I could take advantage of the longer distance of the indoor range.  Once my fellow members had gotten their fill of ogling the new toy, I got to flinging some arrows.  The noise issue turned out to be more from the shooting environment as I could hear less of the humming after the shot and everyone else seemed to agree the bow was pretty quiet.  I confirmed that for myself when the bow got passed around and everyone got a chance to give it a try.  From about 10 feet away, the bow makes a dull thump and that's it.  

Everyone remarked on the smoothness of the draw with "let-off" being thrown in occasionally.  One of the guys there had a chronograph so I shot a few arrows past it and averaged in the high 180s.  He noted I was creeping slightly before the loose and that likely cost me some FPS as I hit the mid 190s as soon as I pulled through my anchor and stopped creeping.  

Probably not a recommended way to hang your bow, but the recurves are deep enough to do it!

How many recurves can hang from a tree without a bow hanger?!

I got a chance to give the Covert Hunter a serious first run while at the Rapids Archery Club Annual Traditional Shoot.  The shoot consisted of 3 loops of 20 animal targets with each loop having a different theme: Western, Minnesota, and African animals.  Distances were not marked, but most were within 20 yards give or take with varying amounts of brush and foliage to negotiate.  The day I shot the course was a bit windy with some gusts blowing through randomly.  The super smooth draw definitely helped with being able to hold on target and wait out the gust before loosing the shot.  I know I did not score nearly as well as I would have with a more familiar bow, but I was happy to be able to get outside and do some shooting nonetheless.  I did miss some targets, sending a few arrows over the backs of the foam animals at longer distances.  I surmise that may have been due to the higher arrows speeds I was getting, which altered my point-on distance.  Regardless of how I did, I had a great time at the shoot and really enjoyed shooting the Covert Hunter.  

Additional shooting at home and at a range with known distances revealed the bow was indeed averaging a faster arrow speed (once I got my anchor steady) of 195.8fps shooting a 410gr. arrow.  At the range with known yardage, my point-on distance was pretty much the same at 40 yards, but overall the groups were perhaps a few inches higher, adding a yard or two more.  

- Final Thoughts -

The Covert Hunter is an impressive blend of engineering and art.  The wickedly recurved limbs look wonderful with their handsome matte carbon fiber finish and a subtle smooth transition into the curves of the riser.  My bow came to me after a 3 month waiting period, which was quite reasonable considering the level of demand for this bow.  Sid Sr. at Border was quite helpful when I e-mailed him inquiring about the Covert Hunter and answered my questions thoroughly.  I placed my order with him confident that I would end up with one heck of a bow.  I'm happy to say I was not disappointed in the least.  My photos and blog post do not do this bow justice and it is something best experienced in person.  As of writing this post, I understand there are not too many of these recurves in North America yet, but that will soon change as Border continues to keep up with the demand.  As I understand it, the Hex-7 is currently only available as a bolt-down limb with the ILF version in the works.  I look forward to seeing the ILF version of these limbs and the kinds of high-performance bows people will put together.  Compact size, ultra-smooth draw, cutting edge performance, and truly custom workmanship will ensure that the Covert Hunter will be the bow to beat for years to come.  If this review has piqued your curiosity, then why not head over to www.borderbows.com and check it out for yourself?  

-- 18 month follow-up --

Over the course of 18 months having since taken delivery of the bow, I have had other bows come into my hands and stay, and others come and go.  One thing that remains to happen is to find a recurve that can beat the CH in terms of performance and smoothness of draw.  Since the time of this review, I have loosed thousands more arrows from the bow, being my go-to recurve whenever I reach for one on my way to the range, or just shooting into the bag at my home range.  The CH has also been my constant companion at the local archery club's traditional league held during the winter months.  

One thing I have come to love about the CH is the excellent grip.  Of course, being custom-built, it is hard not to have a grip that you would like, but the CH's grip offers me good medium height wrist support, thumb support, and is slim in the throat to minimize torque.  This and the bolt-down Raptor's grip are easily my two favorite grips among all the bows I own, with the Dryad Epic riser being a very close second.  

I have also learned from other CH owners that the bow is not necessarily a quiet bow, but can be made hunting-quiet.  At first, I thought I was the only one with issues with post-shot humming from the limbs (AKA, tuning fork effect), but it turns out others have reported the same issue.  I surmise the limb construction and design are the main culprits for the noise, but also for the wonderfully smooth draw and impressive speed.  You can't have it all, I guess.  

The Stiktamer dampers are no longer present and have been replaced by the Mountain Mufflers

In my quest to see if I couldn't eliminate the tuning fork effect, I did play around with various limb dampers, string silencers, damper positions, etc. etc. and finally ended up with a very unique string called the Mountain Muffler.  What makes the string unique are the two mufflers positioned specifically near the end loops where the string lifts off the limb.  These wool puffs are designed to muffle the string slap as well as serve as a silencer for any residual limb vibration.  So far, the Mountain Muffler string combined with a set of Broadband Limbsavers seems to have tamed the noise factor the most out of the various combinations I have tried.  The CH really does make only a muffled thump on the shot, but there is still the tuning fork hum, albeit softer and only lasting a second at most.  Not completely silent, but definitely hunting-quiet.  

A close-up view of the muffler and where it contacts the limb.

Another change, although not with my CH, is that Border has released a Hex 7.5 limb that claims even better performance and a smoother draw over the Hex 7.  The limb will be available for the CH bolt-down as well as ILF format.  While it was nice to own the fastest recurve limb to date, I am glad to see the folks at Border are never satisfied with "good enough" and are always pushing the limits.  I am not sure I could justify the cost for the incremental gain in performance, but I freely admit that I am interested in the new limbs and would certainly buy them if I had the extra cash just laying around.  However, I am still very pleased with the overall performance of the CH and it will remain my go-to recurve for years to come.  I can see myself replacing the limbs with newer Hex models over time, but I plan to keep the riser for the long haul.  

Would I have done anything differently in looking back?  Probably not.  If I were to change anything, I think I would have ordered the carbon shields for the riser as an aesthetic upgrade to match the cool carbon fiber weave of the limbs, but other than that, the bow is great as it is.  Being a gear junkie, I enjoy trying and tinkering with new limbs and risers, so it is not unusual to have a bow come and go and only pique my interest for a few weeks to months.  That the CH has remained the one recurve that has maintained my interest for this length of time says a lot about it.