Mission Buckmasters

To enlarge this image of the Mission Buckmaster, please click here.

A simple statement on the front page of the Mission Archery website offers insight into the company's goal: Mission offers four models that give you a lot of bow for your money. The Mission line is designed to equip their customers with a bow that performs through technology and features while at the same time providing a reasonable price tag.

Seated at the head of the table in the Mission line is the all-new Buckmasters bow. Mission has loaded their newest creation with features including Cable-X Silencers, String Cushion suppression system, a fully machined riser, perimeter weighted single cam, roller guard, walnut grip and Advantage Max-4 camo finish.

Basics
Mission is proud to offer only bows that are built on 100-percent fully machined aircraft grade aluminum risers. Fully machined aluminum has long been regarded as an indication of quality and strength in riser manufacturing. In practical terms it allows Mission to control every little detail of the riser's final form precisely and consistently resulting in a solid base for the remainder of the bow to be built on. It is the core of the bow.

SPECIFICATIONS
MANUFACTURER:	Mission Archery; (608) 269-2728; www.missionarchery.com
MODEL:	Buckmasters
ECCENTRIC SYSTEM:	Perimeter weighted Buckmasters Cam
DRAW WEIGHTS:	40-,50-,60- and 70-pound peak
DRAW LENGTHS:	25 to 30 inches with half sizes available--non modular
RISER:	100-percent machined aluminum reflex
LIMBS:	Parallel solid limb
STRING:	Zebra Hybrid, 87.75 inches
CABLE:	Zebra Hybrid, 33.375 inches
MASS WEIGHT:	4.25 pounds
LETOFF:	80-percent
GRIP:	One-piece contoured Walnut
BRACE HEIGHT:	7.5 inches
AXLE-TO-AXLE LENGTH:	31 inches
FINISH:	Advantage Max-4
ADVERTISED IBO SPEED:	316 fps
SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE:	$699
COMMENTS:	A smooth easy draw followed by a pleasant shot with notable speed

The Buckmasters riser is also reflexed in that the pivoting point of the limb pockets sit out in front of the throat of the grip--further away from the shooter. This translates into an increased power stroke (the distance the archer actually pulls the string from its rest position to full draw) and arrow speed. An important component on any bow is the grip. The Buckmasters has a contoured one-piece Walnut wood grip with a relatively narrow throat. I found the grip to be comfortable at full draw and more importantly it positioned my hand consistently from one shot to the next. This is, of course, vital to accurate shooting.

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Our need for speed has apparently surfaced again in recent years as manufacturers have pushed towards faster and faster bows. This renewed zeal for speed closely follows an era in bow making that focused heavily on reduced shock and noise. This cycle benefits us in that we are now seeing blistering speeds without the once typical gun-like shot noise and jackhammer simulating recoil of yesteryear's speed bows. Mission brings the speed with their perimeter weighted Buckmasters' single cam that delivers advertised IBO ratings reaching 316 fps with a forgiving 7.5-inch brace height. Non-modular draw lengths are offered from 25 to 30 inches with half sizes ranging from 25.5 to 29.5 inches. The Buckmasters Cam has an 80-percent letoff.

As mentioned above we expect our speed to be accompanied by a quiet and shock free shooting experience. To this end Mission outfits the Buckmasters bow with an abundance of shock and recoil reducing accessories and technologies including parallel limbs, a perimeter weight in the cam, Cable-X Silencers, and String Cushions mounted to the limb tips. My expectations were exceeded when shooting the Buckmasters. Where I expected a bow in this class to display an average amount of shock the Buckmasters registered almost none.

Attention to detail in the little things makes a good product better. Mission uses a metal stabilizer-mounting insert where they could have simply drilled and tapped the aluminum riser. They went with a machined 6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum cable roller guard rather than a standard rod and cable slide. Zebra Hybrid Bowstrings used on the Buckmasters are top-end performers and the grip has a great looking laser engraved Buckmasters logo on one side and Mission name on the other. The Buckmasters logo is also set into the roller guard. All of these features together complete the 31-inch axle-to-axle Buckmasters bow--a bow that may be the most underrated in the industry.

SPEED/ARROW VELOCITY*	KINETIC ENERGY**	STORED ENERGY***	EFFICIENCY****	DRAW CYCLE
309 fps	74.22 foot-pounds	89.86 foot-pounds	82.6 percent	Gentle climb with smooth transitions to and from peak.
*Test result **Product of speed and arrow weight ***Energy supplied to and held by the system ****K.E. divided by S.E.

Editor's Note: Petersen's Bowhunting standardized testing includes the use of the same equipment and test methods. For more detailed information on the testing parameters please click here.