2020 Best of the Best Awards

EVEN IN 2020, we managed to put virtually every new gun, bow, rod, reel, knife, broadhead, and more through its paces. Some were very good. A few were truly outstanding. And the 20 products featured here were in a class entirely by themselves. While most gear items are offered with the mundane goals of meeting a need and separating you from your money, these are meant to raise the bar—to set new standards of form and function. That deserves recognition. And it’s what makes each an F&S Best of the Best Award winner.

Mathews VXR 28

Mathews bows with the Cross Centric Cam System have been so good that they’ve won or finished runner-up in every F&S flagship bow test since 2016. The VXR 28 was the smoothest-drawing, quietest, most vibration-free bow in our 2020 test. That it was also one of the fastest, at 326.7 fps IBO, made it the runaway winner. It’s packed with user-friendly features, too, like a new mod system that lets you adjust peak draw weight without touching the limbs. —Will Brantley

$1,099 • MATHEWSINC.COM

Daiwa Kage LT

With a butter-smooth drag, flex-free body, and silky retrieve, this $200 spinning reel performs like it costs three or four times that. The LT stands for Light and Tough, and this reel is both, featuring a high-density Zaion body that’s 20 percent