Archery Pro LB1 with S.A.T. Hybrid Cams

However, not everyone likes a short bow, especially individuals like myself and others who have longer draw lengths.

It is a common industry fact that longer axle-to-axle bows with longer brace heights are generally more forgiving and easier to shoot. Hunting situations often require shooting with less than ideal shooting form, so I personally gravitate to bow models with forgiving shooting characteristics.

Archery Pro, also known as Newberry, has answered the call with the new LB1 bow model. The LB1 sports a generous 37.5-inch axle-to-axle length and a forgiving 8-inch brace height.

Archery Pro agreed to let me test drive the LB1 and here’s what I found:

S.A.T. Twin Hybrid Cams

The LB1 is a hand-built bow, equipped with the Archery Pro version of the popular hybrid cam systems, such as the Darton CPS and Hoyt Cam & ½. Longer draw length shooters have a range of draw from 28.5 inches on up to 31.5 inches with the S.A.T. cams. 

Archers with shorter draws need not to worry; other draw modules are available. 

The draw modules – one on each cam – are designed for 70-percent let-off, which won’t rob you of valuable stored potential energy like higher let-offs, yet still provides a solid wall and a comfortable holding weight. 

The draw modules were easy to adjust with a single Allen wrench without a bow press. That’s right, no bow press. Most other bows require a bow press in order to fully adjust the entire range of draw lengths. The Newberry LB1 however is designed with longer limb bolts than other bows. The limbs don’t have much pre-bend and with the long limb bolts, you can safely let out the bolts until the string and cable go limp. No more lugging around a pocket bow press on those far away wilderness-hunting excursions! 

The 8-inch brace height provides a very forgiving shot and the power stroke still provides for rather fast arrow speed. You can still have your cake and eat it too with this bow. 

Holding the 14-inch solid Carbon Tough limbs at bay is an attractive custom-made two-color Brownell Ultra-Cam low creep harness and string. This type of string material resists fraying and builds a very nice round string thanks to the thin diameter of each strand. The LB1 also features a no-fuss riser-mount solid carbon cable guard with a Teflon cable slide.

Aesthetically speaking, my favorite part of the bow is the riser. The solid machined aluminum riser is slim with contoured beveled edges and has a full 6-inch sight window. The oval shaped cutouts make the bow very attractive and reduce overall weight. 

There are two different solid hardwood grip options, both of which have a very narrow throat to reduce grip torque. The grip that came with the test bow was comfortable and promoted a consistent hand placement shot after shot.

Like other Archery Pro bow models, the component tolerances are out of this world. Most noticeably was how tight the limbs fit into the limb pockets. Very tight! Also, with the limb bolts bottomed out, the tiller measurements were perfectly equal.

The proof is in the pudding or in this case, the shooting range. It matters little how many features a bow has if it doesn’t pack a sweet shot. Also, is the bow accurate? Is the bow forgiving? How noisy is the bow? Is there excessive hand shock associated with the shot? Does the bow feel balanced and is it easy to aim. What about arrow speed? 

Noticeable speed is the last thing on my list for wanted features. I’ve shot a few bows that burned fire through the chronograph but struggled to shoot 5-inch groups at 35 yards on the shooting range. As you’ll soon find out, this bow has plenty of arrow zip.

Let’s address accuracy first: I’m not a competitive shooter, but I rank myself well above average when it comes to experience. After only two days of getting comfortable with the LB1, I was consistently shooting 3-inch groups with five arrows at 35-yards at level ground. Keep in mind this is with standard hunting sights and no fancy tournament stabilizers. For a hunting bow set up with such a short break-in period, I was personally elated.

I did notice some noise associated with the shot, but a set of Limb Savers accessories installed on both limbs and the cable guard had the shot noise down to a mere whisper. Hand shock was non-existent due in part to the bow’s laid-back limb geometry (higher riser-to-limb angle). 

I personally shoot with an open-hand grip and really enjoyed how the bow gently jumps slightly forward on the shot verses kicking upwards like some single-cam bows. It was very easy to follow through with the shot and observe the arrow striking the exact spot I aimed at on the target. 

In short, the LB1 has a lot to offer archers who are looking for a quality bow that is easy to shoot. Packed with plenty of arrow speed and level nock travel, this is a sweet shooting bow. 

ED NOTE: Indeed it is!

*Notes on the speed: Test bow was set at 60 pounds of draw weight. Test was conducted using the IBO standard of 5 grains of arrow weight per 1 pound of draw weight. The string was loaded with a typical hunting set-up of a loop and kisser button. That said, the LB1 is a very quick bow when rigged for hunting.

Specs on the LB1

• Axle to axle: 37.5 inches
• Brace height: 8 inches
• Let-off: 70 percent
• Draw length: 25 – 32 inches by module
• Draw weight: 50, 60 and 70 pounds max
• String and cable: Ultra-Cam
• Finish: Skyline Apparition Excel (double dipped)
• Limbs: 14-inch Carbon Tough
• Bonus: Comes with a hard bow case

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