The WNS (Winners) Explore DX is the latest iteration of the classic beginner bow formerly known as the SF Axiom Plus L (later rebranded to WNS Axiom) by Win and Win. They are virtually identical. And that is a good thing. WNS is the sister brand of Win and Win, the largest Korean Archery brand. WNS bows make up the Entry to Intermediate lines of Win and Win
The Explore DX is a cast aluminum ILF riser rated to be able to handle a maximum draw weight of 40lbs. Being an ILF bow, it can be paired with any set of ILF limbs. It comes in 23- and 25-inch variants. Both variants have painted finishes with quite a few colors available.
It is one of the least expensive ILF bows you can buy. That doesn’t mean however that it is short on features. In fact, it comes with all the standard ILF bow features. The Explore DX has the standard 5/16 mounts for top and bottom dampers and the main front stabilizer mount.
The limb pockets use opposing set screws for lateral limb adjustments. It uses collet style limb bolts like most Win and Win bows. The bow has the standard front and back Burger holes to mount a plunger and a bolt on arrow rests. Standard mounts for a clickers and sights are present as well. Being an ILF bow, the Explore DX can be setup for various styles of archery including barebow and Olympic Recurve. For the price, you can sure do a lot with this bow.
Another plus to this bow is that it features the standard Win and Win mid wrist grip which a lot of Archers love. It is comfortable and specially for beginners, it promotes good grip position. The throat of the grip is comfortably thick although I prefer slightly slimmer ones. I think the grip on the Explore is one of its best features. It feels worlds better than a lot of the grips on other entry level bows. A lot of which costs more than the Explore DX.
The Explore DX is not the lightest entry level ILF bow. This can be a negative to really young archers, but I think it’s a plus. Because of its weight, it feels steadier at full draw. I also think it’s a good thing for beginners to get used to this kind of weight, especially young archers. It will help them build their strength up faster.
The WNS Explore DX has probably one of the most recognizable profiles of all the entry level ILF bows. I’m not the biggest fan of how it looks but paired with black limbs, and the Explore starts to have a classy, timeless look that a lot of archers will love. What I don’t like about the aesthetics of the bow though is the paint finish. The paint job isn’t awful by any means, but I have seen better from bow at similar price points. I haven’t seen any huge paint flaws or bubbles. The only way I can describe the finish is from the perspective of a Gunpla Builder (Gundam Model Kits). It’s as though the spray nozzle was too close when paint was applied. I guess I expected more from Win and Win even for their entry level bows.
How does it feel shooting this bow? In one word… CHILL. Because of its weight, the Explore feels calm during the shot. No crazy vibrations here. It does not feel mushy at all unlike a lot of the cheaper bolt on bows with metal risers. Much like other bows in this class, The Explore does not feel aggressive at all in the shot. You won’t feel it wanting to jump out of your hand after releasing the string. This may not be what most competitive shooters want but I think it’s just right for beginners. It might feel jarring for beginners to shoot an aggressive feeling bow right away. I can remember how shocking it first felt for me when I switched from using more conventional Carbon Foam limbs to the all carbon Uukhas I use now. It took me a while to get used to the feeling. Shooting the Explore, you will feel that it’s not aggressive but it’s not sloppy either. Just Chill.
Another thing I do not like about this bow is how far out pivot point on the limb pockets are. The pivot point also has a slight angle on it. This greatly limits how much tiller adjustment you have available to you. This pivot point limits the angle of the limbs in the pocket so much that using conventional limbs, you only have about 4 turns to play with. This limits how much you can adjust the bow’s poundage and may also limit tuning options.
For many, the WNS Explore is the gateway to ILF Recurve bows. It has been immensely popular among beginners and for good reason. It has all the features of an ILF bow at such a great price point. It performs adequately and is stable to shoot. As long as you stay within the 40 lbs draw weight limit, you can set it up however you like. It is a great introduction to modern recurve archery.
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