These grips were probably my most anticipated addition to my bow this season. I’m currently shooting a 2017 Hoyt Pro Defiant which I refuse to trade in for a newer model. With new bows being released every year it’s easy to feel a lot of pressure to “upgrade”. Personally I am still in love with the look of the Pro Defiant’s aggressive riser design and the consistent and smooth draw cycle of the DFX cams. So rather than pick up a new model I supped up my Pro Defiant with 80# limbs, new strings and cables, and some bad ass side plates from Rattler Custom Grips to match.
I ordered my grips in G10 material with KOTA engraved logo. Resting in your hand at full draw the Rattler Grips provide just enough feedback to let you know exactly where your hands is resting without being intrusive or causing you to applying undo pressure to your riser. The finish of these plates feels identical to older model Hoyt wood grips so expect the same level of friction. I never had any issues with the level of grip on any Hoyt and feel the same about these Rattler Grips.
The proprietor of Rattler Grips “Handsome Rob” does a fantastic job of shaping these grips. They are noticeably thinner than the aftermarket side plates Hoyt offers. When screwed onto the riser the plates offer a pretty similar profile as the new x-act grips offered on Hoyt’s 2018/2019 models. The obvious different being these side plates leave the back of the riser exposed while the x-act grip is a full over-molded grip. Personally I prefer side plates to over-molded grips. My draw length sits between 28 and 28 1/2” and by eliminating the material that normally sits behind the riser and your hand I am able to set my Hoyt at 28” which feels just perfect for me. The exposed riser also provides an additional reference point facilitating a more consistent grip position in my hand. To give just a bit more friction for those hot, humid, sweaty days I added a small strip of Lizard Skinz baseball grip which I cut to the length of my grips and applied to the back of my riser. From there I screwed my Rattler Side plates over the top to secure this strip of grip tape. To give credit where it is due I first got this idea from Josh Bowmar, who goes even further with his grip setup. For your reference I included Bowmar’s video below.
So that’s my complete grip setup. I’ve have these plates installed for a few weeks now and have fired hundreds of shots with them installed. No wear to speak of and the engraving still looks fresh.
You can check out Rattler Grips at the website below and shoot Handsome Rob an email at rob@rattlergrips.com.
The rubber material I used for the back of my grip was actually baseball bat grip made by Lizard Skins. I purchased mine from Dick’s Sporting Goods but you can find other grip options and colors on their website: