Mathews Halon 32 7 Review

Editors' review

The 2017 Halon 32 comes with three different brace heights to meet the needs of each shooter interested in such a high-end hunting bow. The 7-inch brace height is designed to be the most forgiving of the three, and still shoots an IBO speed up to 335 feet per second. This is not fast by 2017 standards, but when combined with a 7-inch brace height, the Halon 32 7 is a great choice for a lot of hunters not interested in just shooting fast. The Crosscentric cam is carried over from the 2016 Halon along with the dual bridged riser, and wide track split limbs. However, the two-inch extension will be preferable for most shooters create a more user-friendly head position and peep location in relation to the shooter's eye. The downsides for the 7-inch brace model are limited, but some shooters have not enjoyed hauling the 4.73-pound bare bow around with them on longer hikes, and some shooters may have to save a bit longer in order to purchase this premium bow at an MSRP of $1099. In the end, the Halon 32 is exactly what Mathews' shooters were begging for after shooting the shorter 2016 Halon.

Finish

The Halon 32 7-inch model is a sweet looking bow thanks to the flawless dipping process applied by Mathews. Shooters have the option of some carryover favorites from past years, as well as four new additions to the mix for the Halon 32 series bows. The three carryover patterns are all black, stone, and Mathews' own Lost Camo XD. The four new patterns for 2017 are amazing! Shooters can choose camo patterns including Optifade Elevated II, Optifade Open Country, Optifade Sub Alpine, and Ridge Reaper Barren. Not only are these patterns amongst the hottest available in the high-end clothing world, they are also limited on archery equipment. Which means Sitka fanatics and Under Armour camo lovers have limited options of bows with their favorite patterns on them. As with any of the other Mathews patterns, the new additions look wonderful, and will surely be durable enough to withstand any abuse a hunting bow takes being used.

Riser

The Halon 32 riser is jam packed full of features carried over from the 2016 Halon series bows. The 7 lives up to its name with a 7-inch brace height, which is the longest offered in the Halon 32 line. For shooters wanting a forgiving, longer brace height bow, the 7-inch model seems to be what many consider the sweet spot of brace height measurements. Mathews chose to stick with the dual bridged riser design, which substantially increases the strength and stability of the riser near the axel where the giant Crosscentric cam system is mounted to the limbs. The limbs are also a wide track split limbs, which add to the need for the riser to be beefed up a bit as well. With the beefed up dual bridged riser, the overall bare bow weight is fairly heavy weighing in at 4.73-pounds. Keep in mind, accessories will still need to be added to this weight, and that could put the fully rigged bow close to the 7-pound mark depending on which sight and stabilizer systems shooters decide to utilize. That number is not a super large number, but carting that much weight around the mountains all day may not be what some shooters want to do. Granted, those going out West for a mountain hunt should be in fairly good shape, and the pound heavier this rig is over the 4-pound mark really should not make a huge difference. However, it would not be fair to bypass the weight since it is such a heavy bare bow.With the added weight, the Halon 32 does an incredible job absorbing vibrations and deadening any noise caused by the bow being shot. In addition to the bare bow weight, Mathews also incorporates the harmonic stabilizer and harmonic dampeners into the riser design. These can also be customized to specific colors as well to give the bow an even more customized look. In addition to that, the Halon 32 uses the most recent Dead End String stop and a reverse assist roller guard system. The roller system works like a typical system, but the strings are touching the back of the roller instead of being mounted on the front and sliding on the rollers that way. This is not a new technology for Mathews, but one that has been used in the past with good success. Shooters also have the option for mounting a forward facing stabilizer as well as a rear mounted one off the lower end of the riser.

Grip

The flat back grip is the style of choice for Mathews in 2017. The Focus grips and aftermarket torqueless grips many Mathews' shooters utilize on their Mathews bows can be retrofitted to work as well, but out of the box, the Halon 32 will have the flat back style grip. This grip does not do much in regards to looks for the Mathews bows. It is a one-piece rubber grip, which does not necessarily make the bow look cheap, but it does make the Halon 32 less upper class than the former wooden Walnut grips Mathews became known for. In keeping with tradition, there is an insert on each side of the flat back grip with the Mathews' logo clearly displayed, and this can even be wooden to stay with the timeless design. However, the Mathews lineup did look a bit more sophisticated with the wooden grips. In terms of comfort, the flat back grip fits well in the shooters' hand, and promotes proper hand placement. The skinny grip does what it should, and helps with having a repeatable hand placement, it just stinks it does not look as nice as the old Walnut grips used to.

Limbs

The Halon 32 7 stores the Crosscentric cam energy in the wide and short split limb configuration. The limbs are offered in 40, 50, 60, and 70-pound maximum draw weights, and are held on to the riser with a simplistically designed limb pocket, which keeps the limbs securely in place for the whole draw cycle. The limbs do not have any factory-installed dampeners, and honestly they do not seem to do much even when after market ones are installed. The Halon 32 yellow graphics are tastefully done, and clearly indicate the name of the bow without being too loud or over the top. It would be nice for 80-pound limbs to be offered as well for folks wanting to get the most kinetic energy possible, but the Safari is offered as a fully beefed up hunting machine. The offered limbs should be great for most shooters, and the wide range of poundage match what is expected based on industry standards.

Eccentric System

The Crosscentric Cam System is a cross of the No Cam technology and the AVS Monster cams from Mathews in the past. This system offers a modular adjustment in half-inch increments ranging from 27-32-inches with the option of 75% or 85% let off. When combined with the 7-inch brace height, the Halon 32 shoots an impressive 335 feet per second. This speed is not blazing fast like the 5-inch brace model of 350 feet per second, but many shooters will be more comfortable with the longer brace of 7-inches for the sake of forgiveness. The technology behind the Crosscentric system is pretty fantastic by design. The engineers started with the perfectly circular No Cam system, and cut a chunk out of the circle to give a bit more performance. The AVS design allows for the cams to be in perfect sync with each other as the string is on the exact same point of each cam for the entire duration of the draw cycle. The cables are yoked and connected to both sides of the cam to help eliminate added pressure on one side or the other as the bow is drawn. This helps with reducing cam lean in the system as the bow is drawn as well.All of this engineering ends up leading to a true vertical nocking point in the center of the bow, which because of the cam design is maintained the whole draw cycle. The arrow never leaves the plane, which adds to better efficiency and better arrow flight from a mechanical standpoint.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

The Halon 32 7 is a dream shooter. It draws very nice, holds on target great, and is silent and shock free after the shot. Even though the Halon 7 is the slowest in the three bow Halon 32 series, it never feels slow either. The draw cycle starts out smooth, and gradually adds weight until the let off and cable stop back wall is reached. On the back end, the Halon 32 does not feel jumpy and there is a bit of room to relax while settling the pin before releasing the arrow. The bow does feel a little top heavy in the hand at rest, but when holding on target, it balances well and feels great. The 4.73-pound bare bow mark has been noted as a con to the Halon 32. However, it never feels heavy while being shot as one might expect. Overall the Halon 32 7 is a nice feeling bow with a favorable draw cycle and decent performance.

Usage Scenarios

The Halon 32 paired with the 7-inch brace height is a hunting bow first and foremost. This rig is going to be comfortable shooting with buddies on the 3D courses over the summer as well, but it will truly be most comfortable in the woods as a hunting bow. For those wanting to enjoy some paper spot shooting, there are better options on the market. However, shooters could have great success with the Crosscentric cams and longer brace height for that style of shooting as well. It just may not be as long axel-to-axel as other bows designed for spot shooting specifically.

Halon 32 7 vs. Halon 32 6

Bow	Mathews Halon 32 7	Mathews Halon 32 6
Version	2018	2018
Picture
Brace Height	7 "	6 "
AtA Length	32 "	32 "
Draw Length	26.5 " - 32.5 "	25.5 " - 31.5 "
Draw Weight	30 lbs - 70 lbs	30 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	331 fps - 335 fps	340 fps - 343 fps
Weight	4.73 lbs	4.73 lbs
Let-Off	75% & 85%	75% & 85%
Where to buy Best prices online	$1200 Compare prices	$899 to $1000 Compare prices
	compare more bows

Mathews Halon 32 7 and Mathews Halon 32 6 are the same with the exception of the inch difference in brace height, which impacts the speed rating between the two models. The speed difference between the two bows is roughly 8 feet per second from an IBO standpoint, so there are arguments for and against both. Some shooters are simply not comfortable shortening up the brace height below 7-inches. Whereas other shooters are interested in getting the best performance possible and have no issue dipping below the 7-inch mark. Regardless of where each shooter stands, the bow is going to perform very well, and offering the option is a fantastic move by Mathews.

Summary

The Halon 32 with a 7-inch brace height shoots great, feels awesome, and should be a great bow on the 3D course or in the woods. There is not much new about the Halon 32, but the 2-inch extension in the axel-to-axel measurement is a highly anticipated design move for Mathews. Although two-inches does not seem like much, the bow is still considered a more compact hunting bow, and the string angle produced, especially with the large cam system will fit on the shooters face better than the 30-inch model did. The price tag is high at $1099, but it is competitive with other flagship bows on the market for 2017. The new camo options offered by Mathews are amazing, and welcomed additions to the lineup as well. The added weight of the bare bow at 4.73-pounds is heavy, but it does not feel heavy while shooting. The added weight is going to be more noticeable while carrying the bow around, but should actually be beneficial in getting shooters to hold a bit steadier while actually shooting. The Halon 32 series has a bow for every kind of shooter, and the 7-inch model is a great one for those just wanting a forgiving bow and acceptable performance. It is hard to find anything wrong with the Halon 32 7, but the decision to purchase the bow should be made after spending some time shooting it to make sure it feels as great as it looks.