Hoyt Faktor 34 Review

Editors' review

The Faktor 34 is the longest non-target bow offered by Hoyt with an axel-to-axel measurement of 34-inches. With a 7-inch brace height, smooth drawing Z5 cams, and 330 feet per second, the Faktor 34 is a great bow for hunters and serious 3D shooters alike. Not many bows are capable of truly being a multipurpose rig, but this is one of them. Although shooters may not see a huge difference on paper between the Carbon Spyder 34 of 2014 and the Faktor 34, the difference is felt on the draw of the new bow. The draw is arguably the most noteworthy switch between the two, and the Z5 cams are sure to win over many people.

Finish

Hoyt prides themselves in making bows able to withstand extreme conditions and the finish for the 2014 lineup is done well. The bow is properly covered and the finish feels sturdy. There is a slight rough textured feeling giving shooters a sense of durability many finishes do not offer. Along with this, Hoyt is not short on the number of choices offered for colors or camo patterns either.For high anodized color options on the Faktor, Hoyt offers blue fusion, red fusion, green, orange, purple, cobalt blue, and jet black. Custom color and powdercoat options include red, pearl white, and pink. Regardless of shooters personal preference and style, the Hoyt Faktor 34 has more than enough choices to make sure everyone has something to meet their needs.Hoyt also recognizes the Faktor 34 is a great hunting bow and has a variety of patterns available with hunting in mind. Realtree camo has been used on Hoyt bows for a long time, and this year is not different. Realtree Xtra, Max1, Snow, and Pink are all available. All black is also an option, which sports carbon fiber look alike limbs. Hoyt also has three custom camo packages with different limb graphics and accent colors. The Bone Collector, Vixcen, and American Heritage options bring a nice flair allowing a variety of combinations for riser and limb finishes.

Riser

The Tec Lite Aluminum riser on the Hoyt Faktor 34 is a great piece of craftsmanship. The machined aluminum is diesigned to maximize strength, reduce mass weight, and help eliminate torque from the roller guard and cables being drawn. The Tec Lite risers always offer a unique look very characteristic of Hoyt bows.The Silent shelf is an integrated part of the arrow shelf as well. Many shooters choose to modify this area by adding some type of dampening material. Hoyt does this straight from the factory placing rubber around the arrow shelf where an arrow could potentially make contact with the riser. This will help keep noise down if contact is made, and may be used to keep drop away rests from making noise hitting the shelf. The Stealth Shot string stop system really does a nice job stopping the strings and keeping noise and vibration to a minimum as well. Along with this, Hoyt has introduced Shock Rod Technology to eliminate more noise and vibration. These rubber dampeners are located around the limb pockets and can be color customized if shooters desire the look.Hoyt bows have a very balanced feel thanks to the Perfect Balance offset front stabilizer mounting bushing. This bushing is slightly offset to the side of the bow opposite of the mounted accessories like the rest, quiver, and sight. Not only can shooters and weight to the front of the bow, they can also balance the right to left tilt of their rig as well.

Grip

The Pro Fit grip may be one of the most comfortable grips on the market. However, if shooters do not like the wooden one-piece factory grip, they have the option to swap it for side plates, a rubber 180 grip, or simply removing the grip and shooting off the riser. All these options offer a little different feel, but each of them are repeatable and encourage proper hand placement and good shooting form. It is nice for Hoyt to offer slightly different feels to accommodate all shooters though. Hoyt understands the bow grip is a personal preference, and offering several options from the factory is a well thought out idea.

Limbs

The Parallel Split Limb technology used for the Hoyt Faktor 34 are a multilayered laminated system, which adds additional support to high stress areas. Hoyt limbs are claimed to withstand 1,000 dry fires. The split limbs are strong and durable to match the Hoyt mission statement insuring the bow will last a long time under normal shooting conditions. The limbs are adjustable in ten-pound increments, which are available in maximum draw weights of 40, 50, 60, 65, 70, and 80. No matter what shooters preference is for draw weight, chances are it is in the 50-pound range offered for 2014.The Pro Lock limb pockets are another great technology used on the Faktor 34 for 2014. These pockets secure the limbs to the riser in six places forcing the limbs to stay in place with near zero tolerances. They are also hardly noticeable when looking at the bow. The Air Shox dampening system is a fantastic design for keeping noise and vibration to a minimum after the shot. Like other rubber dampeners on the Hoyt Faktor 34, the colors are completely customizable as well. The limb dampeners work differently than others. Instead on being in constant contact with the limbs, the Air Shox actually remain stationary. They contact the limbs at brace, and when the bow is drawn, the limbs are drawn away from the dampeners. After the shot the limbs return to brace where they contact the Air Shox again and vibration is reduced.

Eccentric System

The Z5 cam is another cam and a half system offered. As an improvement to the RKT cams in almost every way, Hoyt has found a design that maximizes the output while minimizing the effort to produce it. With ATA speeds up to 330 FPS for the Faktor 34 model and 340 FPS for the long draw version, the bow is plenty fast, especially for how smooth it draws. The cams are module adjustments inside the specific cam numbers. The number one cam is available between 25-26.5, the number two cam is for draw lengths within the 27-29 range, and the number three cam is for 29-31-inch adjustments. Module adjustments are available in half-inch increments for all of these cam systems. The long draw version of the Faktor 34 features a draw length range of 31.5-32-inches.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

The Faktor 34 is a fantastic bow from the draw through the shot. It is a tack driver for sure. The Z5 cams draw smooth from start to finish ending at a fairly solid back wall. The valley is decently generous, and is an improvement over the 2013 RKT cams. The speed generated is not the fastest available, but it is a decent 330 feet per second and can be achieved straight out of the box. With the longer axel-to-axel measurement, the Faktor holds on target very well. It is effortless for the pin to float on target. The shootability of the Faktor 34 is nothing short of fantastic. The bow truly does everything well.

Usage Scenarios

The Hoyt Faktor 34 is a fantastic multipurpose bow. It has great specifications for hunting and 3D shooting and will be a wonderful option for either situation. With all the finish options Hoyt offers available on the Faktor 34, it is obvious Hoyt recognizes their job well done on creating a bow that can be used for anything.

Hoyt Faktor 34 vs. Hoyt Spyder 34

Bow	Hoyt Faktor 34	Hoyt Spyder 34
Version	2014	2013
Picture
Brace Height	6.75 "	6.75 "
AtA Length	34 "	34 "
Draw Length	25 " - 31 "	25.5 " - 31 "
Draw Weight	30 lbs - 80 lbs	30 lbs - 80 lbs
IBO Speed	330 fps	330 fps
Weight	4.0 lbs	4.0 lbs
Let-Off	75%	80%
Where to buy Best prices online	$500 to $525 Compare prices	$620 Compare prices
	compare more bows

Hoyt Faktor 34 and Hoyt Spyder 34 are basically identical in specifications on paper. However, the difference is felt when the bows are shot side by side with each other. The Z5 cams are an improvement for most folks in every way while providing the same performance. For many making the decision between the two bows, the Faktor will be a winner. Those shooters already owning the Spyder 34 from last year may not feel the differences between the two warrant purchasing a new bow. However, those not pulling the trigger last year may have a better reason to do so this year.

Summary

The bottom line for choosing a bow always comes down to each individual shooter. However, the Faktor 34 is going to be a winner for many interested in a longer axel-to-axel bow with the ability to be used as a multipurpose shooter. Shooters will need a high quality stabilizer to tone the hand shock down a bit as it is noticeable without accessories added to the bow. However, most shooters are already doing this anyways, and after the stabilizer has been added, the shock is virtually a non-issue. The price tag is a bit steep for many shooters, but for a high-end bow with this many technologies, it is comparable to the price for other manufacturers flagship offerings. The Faktor 34 is worthy of a test shot for anyone wanting a top of the line bow that has the ability to do it all.