Hoyt Carbon Element Review
from $375
Pros
- Extremely quiet bow with virtually no hand shock or vibration
- Very lightweight yet well balanced and strong
- Has a smooth draw cycle and a very firm back wall
- Easily adjustable draw length - modules can be changed without using a bow press
- One of the best shooting hunting bows in 2011
Cons
- Not the cheapest bow out there
Video
content from YouTube
Editors' review
The new 2011 Carbon Element is the second bow engineered with Hoyt's hollow tube carbon technology. This is exactly the same technology used by Hoyt on the ever popular Carbon Matrix (Plus).
Riser
Equipped with a carbon riser, the new Carbon Element is a very lightweight yet perfectly balanced bow with a fantastic performance. The hollow carbon tube riser is very different to typical aluminum risers in terms of both look and feel. This high-tech design delivers great performance without vibration and noise. In addition, even a bare Carbon Element is dead in the hand as noted by many experts and shooters. With this design, the overall bow mass weight is only 3.6 lbs meaning you can put the extra weight anywhere you like to achieve better balance.Silent riser shelf
In 2011 Hoyt engineers came up with the Silent Riser Shelf designed to isolate the arrow from contacting the riser and make the bow quieter. This design helps to reduce the noise significantly. According to the Hoyt design team this engineering solution also helps to reduce the noise created by drop away rests. The silent riser shelf is just one of the components of the impressive silencing package the Carbon Element is equipped with.Grip
The Carbon Element comes with a one piece narrow handle. This factory grip is pretty torqueless, as confirmed by many archers who shot this bow. While the 180 Pro Fit grip is considered by many archers to be very comfortable and functional, some shooters prefer putting side plates on it. Obviously, this is a matter of personal preference. The good news is you can remove the stock grip and replace it with a different type if you don't like it for some reason.Limbs
The new XTS Pro Arc limbs are built utilizing the same advanced five layer lamination technology that has been successfully used for manufacturing a number of great quality Hoyt rigs in the past. Experts agree the XTS Arc limbs are among the most reliable and strongest limbs on the market. Not only this design is very reliable, but it also provides for high performance by storing a lot of energy, increasing speeds, and reducing vibration. Overall, this system helps to make the Carbon Element a great shooting bow capable of generating impressive speeds with virtually no hand shock or vibration.Eccentric system
The Carbon Element is equipped with the new Hoyt's Fuel Cam system capable of generating ATA speeds of up to 323 fps (Hoyt decided to stick to ATA speeds in 2011). While some shooters say the speeds are not very impressive, those guys who are not crazy about fast bows say the bow is fast enough for hunting. While the new Fuel cam system feels very similar to the last year's XTR & 1/2 performance system, it has been improved slightly: the new cam is outfitted with a larger draw stop peg helping to deliver a more solid back wall.The Fuel cam system on the Carbon Element comes with 3 different cams covering a wide draw length range of 24.5 to 30 inches as shown in the below table. Each cam comes with a set of interchangeable modules used for adjusting the draw length in half inch increments without using a bow press. The let-off on the Fuel cam is approximately 75%.Draw length ranges for Hoyt Carbon Element Fuel cams| Cam | Draw lengths |
| Fuel cam #1 | 24.5" - 26" |
| Fuel cam #2 | 26" - 28" |
| Fuel cam #3 | 28" - 30" |
Draw cycle / Shootability
The majority of experts and shooters describe the Carbon Element as a very smooth, perfectly balanced, and extremely quiet bow with a very firm back wall. We were overwhelmed with the amount of highly positive feedback about this bow indicating its shootability characteristics are awesome from draw to release. Without a doubt, the Carbon Element is one of the best shooting bows in 2011.Quietness/Vibration
The carbon riser technology has been proven to be very effective in terms of delivering quiet shots without vibration. That is why the Carbon Element is reported to be as quiet as the Carbon Matrix that was released in 2010. Those archers who had a chance to shot the new Carbon Element confirm it has virtually no hand shock or kick whatsoever. They also note this rig is extremely quiet on the shot. The carbon riser technology, along with a high quality design make the Carbon Element one of the quietest bows out there as acknowledged by many experts and shooters.Let's have a closer look at the silencing package the bow comes with. While both carbon riser and XTS ARC Pro limbs significantly reduce noise and vibration, the bow comes with a few extra components that help to make this bow completely quiet:- enhanced string stop is made from a softer rubber and helps to reduce noise while being much more durable.
- new silent riser shelf isolates the arrow and the riser and further contributes to eliminating the unwanted noise.
- offset stabilizer mount makes the Carbon Element a perfectly balanced bow by mounting a stabilizer to the other side of the riser to offset the weight of the accessories.
More affordable than Hoyt Matrix
Interestingly, while the Carbon Element is designed with the same technologies as the ever popular Hoyt Carbon Matrix, it is not as expensive. The MSRP for the former is approximately $400 less. This will make it much more affordable for many shooters who are not happy with the price tag of the Carbon Matrix.Hoyt Carbon Element vs. Hoyt Carbon Matrix (Plus)
| Bow | Hoyt Carbon Element | Hoyt Carbon Matrix |
| Version | 2013 G3 | 2013 (G3 cam) |
| Picture |  |  |
| Brace Height | 6.75 " | 6.75 " |
| AtA Length | 31.5 " | 35 " |
| Draw Length | 24.5 " - 30 " | 25.5 " - 31 " |
| Draw Weight | 30 lbs - 80 lbs | 30 lbs - 80 lbs |
| IBO Speed | 332 fps | 327 fps |
| Weight | 3.6 lbs | 3.8 lbs |
| Let-Off | 75% | 75% |
| Where to buy Best prices online | ||
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While both bows look very similar there are some important differences to note. To begin with, while the Carbon Matrix can be used for both hunting and 3D shooting, the Carbon Element is better suited for hunting due to its shorter axle to axle length (32" compared to 35" on the Matrix) and lighter mass weight. Also, the Carbon Matrix is a bit slower than the Element (318 fps vs. 323 fps) and is more expensive.One reason why you could choose the Hoyt Carbon Matrix over the Element is the draw length range. Designed with very similar high quality technologies, the Carbon Matrix is a longer AtA bow (35") and has a better draw range for longer shooters (2011 Carbon Matrix Plus comes with an option for long draw length shooters - it's adjustable up to 32.5"). On the other hand, if you are looking for a top quality hunting rig that has it all and is not super expensive, the Carbon Element will be a great choice.
Hoyt Carbon Element vs. CRX 32, Alphamax 32, and Maxxis 31
| Bow | Hoyt Carbon Element | Hoyt CRX 32 | Hoyt Maxxis 31 | Hoyt Alphamax 32 |
| Version | 2013 G3 | 2012 | 2011 (XTR Cam) | 2010 (XTR Cam) |
| Picture | |  |  |  |
| Brace Height | 6.75 " | 7 " | 7 " | 7 " |
| AtA Length | 31.5 " | 32 " | 31 " | 32 " |
| Draw Length | 24.5 " - 30 " | 24.5 " - 30 " | 26 " - 30 " | 26 " - 30 " |
| Draw Weight | 30 lbs - 80 lbs | 40 lbs - 80 lbs | 40 lbs - 80 lbs | 40 lbs - 80 lbs |
| IBO Speed | 332 fps | 323 fps | 323 fps | 321 fps |
| Weight | 3.6 lbs | 3.95 lbs | 3.9 lbs | 3.9 lbs |
| Let-Off | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% |
| Where to buy Best prices online |
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If you are on budget and want to get a great hunting rig, consider other Hoyt hunting bows such as Hoyt CRX 32, Hoyt Maxxis 31, or Hoyt Alphamax 32. While none of these bows comes with the carbon riser technology, they are all very good shooters and have similar specs. On the other hand, if money is not an issue, getting the Element is a great idea because it's a better shooting bow with a higher quality design.