Mathews Conquest Triumph Review
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Editors' review
The Mathews Conquest Triumph is another great addition to the lineup of competition shooters that Mathews has. Released in 2010, it is most likely that people will start picking this bow up to take to the range. With all the new additions to this Conquest Triumph it sounds like a hunting bow but has the shootability of a target bow. Meaning it is one quiet bow that doesn't sound like a banjo but it has all the aspects needed to shoot tight groups at some pretty respectable distances. With its smooth draw, fast shots and very forgiving frame it is destined to become a top contender.
Riser
The Conquest Triumph's riser looks like the Mathews Z7 but quite a bit longer. With this riser there is a 7" brace height and a 39" axle to axle which creates a very forgiving bow. It uses a grid lock pattern which not only makes it a stronger and lighter riser than the Conquest 4, but it looks pretty cool as well. The riser is outfitted with the Harmonic Damping System like most Mathews bows these days but the dampeners are located very close to the limb pockets. This is a system that will soak up most of the residual shock from the shot as soon as it leaves the limbs.Limbs and Limb Pockets
The Triumph uses a more parallel limb design than any of its brothers from Mathews. This design aids in reducing recoil by balancing the stress put on the limbs. With this system the riser will be longer but it is very solid. With the V-Lock limb pockets you will see that there is a zero-tolerance fit; by being V-shaped the limb is guided down into the pocket snugly which creates a very accurate and consistent bow. The early 2010 models had some issues with using a plastic cup in the internal workings of the limb pocket that was failing and causing inconsistencies. However, Mathews quickly remedied the problem and the later models have virtually no limb pocket issues. If you would happen to find a Triumph with the old style Mathews will most likely replace them or replace them at a discounted rate.Grip
In 2010 Mathews slimmed up the grip on the Triumph with the SlimFit walnut grip. However, with this grip some hand torque can still be an issue. Overall it is fairly slim though which will reduce most hand torque while staying very comfortable. A lot of shooters will appreciate the walnut grip because of its ability to protect your hand against the cold weather and it won't be likely to get slippery when the weather gets hot and your hands get sweaty. However, in 2011 Mathews went with the Focus grip which is very slim and next to no contour. This grip is very comparable to having the integral grip but instead of your hand touching the metal of the riser it will be up against the composite material of the Focus grip.Eccentric System
The eccentric system of the Mathews Conquest Triumph is a smooth and fast system capable of getting arrows to fly at up to 325fps. It uses another type of Mathews Solo Cam technology along with a ball bearing idler wheel. This bow had its own cam created; the Triumph Cam. This is another perimeter weighted cam that is more efficient, forgiving and accurate. All while having a rock solid back wall and low amounts of recoil. There is also a hole in the cam that you can look through to aid in getting the cam in sync. If it is in sync and you look through the hole the cam is in time and if the cable isn't visible then it is out of time. It's that simple.The down side to the Triumph cam however is that they are extremely specific; you have to order the draw length between 26 and 32 inches, including half sizes, as well as what let-off of 65% or 80%. In order to change any of this it requires purchasing another cam. The Triumph also draws about 1/2" long with the 80% let off cam so make sure to take that into consideration before making any final decisions.Also Mathews put the Zebra Barracuda strings on the Triumph which is always a great addition to any Mathews bow. They are put through a pre-stretch so there is no creeping or peep rotation during the initial set up of this bow. Also for a bit of info; the Zebra strings have won more trophies in the last 10 years than any other bow available on the market today.Draw Cycle/Shootability
The Mathews Conquest Triumph is one of the smoothest drawing competition bows that they have in their arsenal. There seems to be no hump in the draw which is common on a lot of single cam bows. Once you get the string back on this bow you will find out about the very solid wall, not at all spongy. Even though the bow has a very smooth draw some shooters have a little bit of trouble with a short valley. If you choose the 65% let off cam that is where the small valley will most likely be noticed but if you pull through until release it is a shooter. On top of the smooth draw this bow makes practically no noise because of all the steps that Mathews took to reduce the amount of vibration.Stand out features
There is one thing that really sets this bow apart from its competition and that's vibration dampening. There are a lot of features on this bow that make this happen. Most of which have been brought up previously but it's nice to lump them all together to make things easy.- Dead End string stop - reduces the amount of vibration and practically eliminates noise after release. It also stops the string from possibly hitting your forearm which is a really nice added bonus
- Harmonic Damping System - another aid in reducing residual vibration
- String Suppressors - stops most string vibration at the cam and idler wheel
- The Parallel Limb design - This alone cuts down on a lot of vibration cause by traditional limbs fighting against one another during the draw cycle and then on through the shot.
A competition bow at heart
The Conquest Triumph with its generous axle to axle and the brace height being as forgiving as it needs to be; this bow is destine to walk its way up to the top of some podiums. However, this bow is definitely fast enough and quiet enough and even light enough, at 4.6lbs, to make a good hunting bow; but it would be a little on the long side to squeeze into a groundblind or drag up into a tree stand. The Triumph was formed out of its older brother the Conquest 4, but it's picked up a few things for a little bit of improvement.Conquest Triumph vs. Conquest 4
Bow | Mathews Conquest Triumph | Mathews Conquest 4 |
Version | 2011 | 2019 (MaxCam) |
Picture | ||
Brace Height | 7 " | 7 " |
AtA Length | 39 " | 40.625 " |
Draw Length | 26 " - 32 " | 28 " - 32 " |
Draw Weight | 40 lbs - 70 lbs | 30 lbs - 70 lbs |
IBO Speed | 325 fps | 310 fps |
Weight | 4.6 lbs | 4.4 lbs |
Let-Off | 65% or 80% | 80% or 65% |
Where to buy Best prices online |
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It looks like Mathews wanted to up the competition within its own company with the creation of the Triumph. The Mathews Conquest 4 is one of the bows that the Triumph is going to have to go up against, it's one of the most winning bows ever; so there are some pretty big shoes to fill. When you first look at these two bows they don't look like they are related at all, but once you get down to comparing apples to apples they have a lot of similarities. While both of the Conquests are long axle to axle and identical brace height the Triumph has the look of a hunting bow and the speed to match. The question on most people's minds will be; is the Triumph worth $400 more than the Conquest 4. That is a question that can only really be answered by shooting each and getting a feel. However, the jump in price is justified, partially, due to the machining of the riser alone. The grid and the length alone would be a cause for a raise in costs to Mathews.