For 2010 New Archery Products (NAP) introduced a new drop-away rest, the Apache. The Apache is an inexpensive rest with a simple action that is mainly aimed at hunters who want a durable, dependable rest that won’t break the bank. How did NAP pull this off and were they successful? Could the many features be pulled off at a reasonable price?
Models, Availability and Price of the NAP Apache
At the time of this review the Apache is only available in a right hand version with black finish. The rest is widely available and it appears most shops and online stores are offering the Apache. The MSRP is $59.99, and it pretty much sells for this everywhere. Bass Pro Shops stocks the Apache and it can be purchased here:
New Archery Products Apache Drop-Away Arrow Rest.
Structure and Operation of the Apache Rest
There are all sorts of different drop away rests from the simple to the complex, the expensive to the cheap. The Apache falls into the simple style and is inexpensive though does not have a cheap feel. All of the structural components are metal, including the full containment arms that prevent the arrow from falling off of the rest. Noise is minimized through a generous pad around the containment arms and a black moleskin-like material that lines the launcher arm.
Like many drop-away rests, the Apache is actuated by a cord that is tied to the downward moving cable. As the bow is drawn, the cord pulls the launcher arm into an upward position. There is a flat section on the launcher arm assembly that hits a pin and prevents the rest from rising any further (see yellow arrows in the image.) This ensures that the launcher arm stops in the same position every time. As the arm rises, a coiled spring is tensioned within the rest body and at the release of the bow, the spring unwinds and pulls the launcher arm out of the path of the arrow.
Setup, Tuning and Shooting the Apache
Setup of the Apache was fairly simple. There is one main bolt and a set screw to secure the rest to the bow, along with an optional, fitted plastic plate that goes between the rest and the bow if the rest needs to sit further from the riser. I installed the plated not because I needed the rest moved to the right of the riser, but because it provided a nice way to mount the rest onto the bow without the metal part of the rest touching the camouflage of the bow, thus preventing any chipping the might occur to the finish.
Once installed, it was a simple matter to serve the cord to the cable and set the proper length. The instructions that come with the rest are easy to understand and follow. Setting the length of the cord was a matter of loosening the cord set screw, pulling the cord tight while the bow was at rest, drawing the bow back and allowing the cord to pull through the the rest, letting down and tightening the cord set screw. I only had to try this once and it set the cord length perfectly and I have not touched it since.
Tuning the Apache uses the rest’s finest feature: tool-less adjustment! Vertical and horizontal adjustment of the rest is accomplished by loosening the appropriate knob and sliding the rest. There are laser cut marks to help with gauging the position of the rest and how much it is moved. Once the knob is loosened, the rest slides freely along either the horizontal or vertical dovetail so it is important to note the starting position of the rest before moving it, otherwise the rest slides freely and it can be easy to over-adjust. Perhaps in the future a micro-adjust version will be made available.
For this review the rest was installed on a Bowtech Destroyer 350. This bow has been very easy to tune with every other rest I have put on it and the Apache was no exception. A few arrows through paper and about a dozen shots with bare shafts had everything lined up and ready to go. Because the arrow has to be brought straight in from the top into the narrow channel, it took me awhile to get used to loading the arrow. Of course this is the very feature that fully contains the arrow, so there is a little give and take. One pleasant surprise is that I was unable to detect any noise coming from the rest. The way the launcher lines up with the body of the rest and the added padding resulted in virtually no noise from the rest.
This video shows an overview of the Apache rest along with a couple of shots with the rest:
Conclusion and Final Thoughts on the Apache
For the features that the Apache offers, it is a very capable rest at an excellent price point. Setup and tuning are quick and easy mostly thanks to the tool-less adjustment. The full containment is great for those that are looking to use this rest in hunting conditions where the arrow could get knocked off, though it does add significant weight to the rest as a whole. Overall the Apache offers great bang-for-the-buck.
What I liked about the Apache
- Easy setup
- Solid mechanism with little to go wrong
- Tool-less adjustment!
What I didn’t like about the Apache
- Right hand only, sorry lefties!
- Heavier than average for a rest
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
The most important aspects of an accurate rest are missing in this rest.
First, it’s an overdraw, very unforgiving, especially when using fixed blade broadheads.
Second it has a rigid launcher blade, also unforgiving.
Who care how cheap it is, it’s not a good rest, especially for the beginners who buy inexpensive equipment.
Greg, I appreciate your comments but must respectfully disagree to some degree. Many people (myself included) find that have the point of rest of the arrow just in front of the wrist can enhance accuracy. Having the point of contact too far in front can be just as bad as having it too far back. I have also found that rigid launcher blades are basically inconsequential in drop-away rests on a properly tuned bow. This is not to say this rest is for everyone, no rest is perfect for every person and that’s why there is a variety available. I strongly encourage people to try different equipment and find what suits them best. In the case of the Apache, I have found it to be an excellent rest and has been very accurate, even shooting my fixed blade Montecs and Hellrazors. To each their own!
Michael, thanks for the careful reply, but I also have to respectfully disagree. Most hunting bows today have a slim, low angle, grip designed for a “low Wrist grip”. With a low wrist grip the pivot point is on the surface of the grip, well forward of the wrist. This grip has become popular because your wrist can’t twist and if you grip the bow right, there is no twisting. You can still torque the bow, but it does not occur at the wrist, it happens at the interface of the palm and the grip surface. So….. an over draw type rest will exaggerate any flaws in that grip.
The disadvantage of a low wrist grip is it moves the “Grip” center well below the center of the bow. When this happens you need to raise the nock point to compensate for it. This puts downward pressure on the arrow rest at the release. If that downward force meets a rigid rest there is bounce back. With field tips, no big deal, but with fixed blade broadheads it plays hell for tuning.
Both lead to a unforgiving, hard to tune rest, not good for anyone, especially a beginner who is weak on form.
Sometimes we un-learn the old school lessons. Look at any (low wrist style) target rest, its a flexible blade that holds the arrow right on the berger hole, it’s no accident. (High wrist target rests do look like an over draw because that’s where the pivot happens for that grip.)
Oh, get a life.
what are those things on your arrows??
Those are FOBs (Fletching Only Better) and replace the standard fletching that you would normally use. You can read more about them here: http://archeryreport.com/2009/10/fletching-review-speed-drop/ or drop by their homepage at http://www.starrflight.com
i ve had this rest on my Mathews Drenalin for a little over a year now and i really like it . Yeah it s cheap (almost half the price of comparable models) but it works great . Havent missed a deer yet , havent lost on arrow while at the range either . After install only took about 20 mins then it was ready to roll !