Hamskea Epsilon Arrow Rest Review
The new Epsilon Arrow Rest from Hamskea Archery Solutions is the next generation of drop-away arrow rests.
The hand that guides the arrow towards its mark: the arrow rest. Hamskea Archery Solutions are experts in this field. With a promising track record behind them coming from other rests like the Hybrid Hunter Pro and Trinity Hunter Pro, it was exciting hearing about a new rest coming down the pipeline.
Their new Epsilon looks about perfect on paper, but only time in the field would shed light on if it could live up to the Hamskea name.
In short: While the price on the Epsilon is nothing to sneeze at, the performance and reliability this rest provides are well worth the green, and sure to handle anything a hardcore bowhunter can throw its way.
Hamskea Epsilon Arrow Rest Review
Overview
The Hamskea Epsilon is a drop-away arrow rest designed with center shot optimization in mind across a wide range of platforms. Overall, it makes for a tighter fit to the bow because the rest is mounted in line with the riser, not on the side like most rests.
The mounts offered are a Mount Riser Interface Bracket, Mathews Approved Bracket, or a Universal L-Bracket. All of these operate off of the Hamskea C.O.R. Mount Technology. We’ll look at this further down below.
This rest can be configured for top limb, bottom limb, or cable-driven activation and is available in left and right-hand models. All Epsilons have a new launcher with a curved design and sound dampening system as well as three stainless steel ball bearings which translates into a more stable platform all around.
In addition to that, the solid aluminum/steel construction makes for a very durable rest that is ready for the toughest of hunts. And if you wanted to take this rest out of the field and into the target archery scene, no worries. Hamskea offers a target conversion kit.
Features
C.O.R. Mount Technology
Center Shot – The perfect alignment of the arrow rests in relation to the nocking point on your bowstring. This is 13/16″ from a nocked arrow on an arrow rest to the riser. Center shot is a fantastic starting point for getting a bow tuned.
This is the big cheese of the new Epsilon. C.O.R. stands for “Centershot Optimized Rest.” With the C.O.R. Mount Technology, the Epsilon can not only be mounted across a wide range of bows but, with this new system, will naturally be mounted in Center Shot (13/16″) when applied right.
It also offers a much more streamlined fit behind the riser. This essentially eliminates quiver interference with the rest. All of this makes for a more balanced system overall simply because the arrow rest is in line with the riser and the quiver will be brought in tighter to the riser.
Over-Molded Containment Bracket
Having a containment bracket is huge. It assures that your arrow isn’t going to potentially just fall off of the riser, causing not only a hiccup in a stalk or sit, but a lot of unneeded noise.
The Epsilon has a fully contained bracket that is actually molded to mitigate the noise of an arrow bumping it. And on that note, arrows are easily loaded through a small slot in the bracket. It’s also customizable. Both top and side containment are removable. Have it your way.
Micro Tune
Micro adjustment is an absolute game changer when it comes to tuning. The Epsilon has both windage and elevation micro-adjustment screws.
And each of those has a positive lockdown screw to ensure that your rest stays where you want it. Each click makes 3,000th of an inch of adjustment. A little goes a long way when tuning, and the Epsilon is all about that.
Custom Engraving
Lastly, this isn’t functional, but it is unique, so I’ll gonna mention it. Hamskea will actually allow you to get a custom engraving on your rest. Put your name or even a few small words that help you get your head right in the heat of the moment. A custom engraving will set you back an extra $20.
My Experience
I’ve been using Hamskea rests now for years, and the two things that have always stood out about them to me are their durable construction and reliability. Needless to say, I had pretty high expectations of the Epsilon given my past experiences with Hamskea.
As I thought, the first thing I noticed was the weight. While the Epsilon is more lightweight than the popular Trinity Hunter Pro (5.5 ounces) and Hybrid Hunter Pro (5.2 ounces), it still comes in at a hefty 5.1 ounces. In my opinion, this speaks volumes for the quality of materials these rests are made of. They’re built like tanks.
Set up and tuning was a breeze with the Epsilon, especially with the new mounting system they’ve created. My arrow was shooting a bullet hole through a paper in minutes, thanks to the Center Shot features of the rest.
I did notice a slight break-in period for the cord on the rest. Once mine was set up, and after shooting for a morning, I had to readjust the cord tension in order for the launcher to sit flat on my arrow shelf. This is easily done via a small screw on a cord clamp tensioner.
Since set up, I’ve had the Epsilon on numerous backcountry hunts in country that I’d call far from forgiving. I’ve also encountered all manner of weather with this rest attached to my bow. As worrisome as it can be bringing archery equipment into those environments, the Epsilon handled them great and without hiccup.
What’s Wrong?
The Epsilon is a bomber rest with awesome functionality and durability. That comes at a price, though, and it’s one that’s a bit steep. A brand-new Epsilon is going to set you back $250. And if you add on an engraving, you’ll be sitting at $270. When compared to prices of other rests on the market, the step to the Epsilon is a rather big one.
Something else I noticed was the new mounting system. Take this for what it is, as it may have been a user error, but the mount on my rest actually came loose on me after shooting for a day. And in order to get to the mount on the bow, you’ve got to take the rest off of the mount.
I retightened, and all was good. That happened about 8 months ago as I write this, and I haven’t had a repeat incident.
Final Thoughts
When the dust settles, the Hamskea Epsilon arrow rest is a phenomenal option for any serious bowhunter that doesn’t mind ponying up the extra dough. This is a piece of gear I think you’ll be seeing a whole lot more of in the coming years.
From its stout construction and exceptional machinery down to the fact that the dang thing just flat-out works, it screams reliability. Reliability adds to your confidence, and confidence fills archery tags.
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