Mathews Switchback Review

I bought this bow in 2007 as a result of my limbs, splitting on my previous bow two days before the opener. I said what the heck and splurged on the most expensive bow I could buy, because I finally landed a full-time decent job. I must say, I really dumbed into a good one here. The night I took it home, I hung it on my dad’s wood pile to admire. That night we heard a loud crash in the garage and there was my bow underneath all that wood. Other than a bent cam, everything was as it should be. I replaced the cam and now 15 years later it is still shooting like a dream. I have shot the new models and they are great, but I cannot justify splurging again for something with more speed. No deer has ever jumped my shot, and there were plenty of opportunities for them to do so.

Last year on a Colorado elk hunt, my brother’s bow string broke, and I let him use my Switchback. He nailed a big bull elk on a frontal that went out the rear. It’s an amazing bow and probably will be my last one until my shoulder goes and I have to resort to a crossbow.

If I was a young lad, looking to get into hunting archery, and was looking for a cheaper bow, you can’t go wrong with this one. Although this old model might be for resale cheap, you certainly are not getting a cheap bow.

Mine is set up with an older trophy ridge fall away rest and a newer trophy ridge five pin sight. I like to use heavy arrows with mine for hunting elk out west. It seems the 500 grain arrows shoot better for me and really put a pounding on those big NWPA whitetails. I can shoot accurately out to 50 but typically never shoot past 30 yards at a game animal.

I have shot Mathews bows since 1996, when I first owned a FeatherMax. My bow shop was the first Mathews agent in South Africa in the later 90's. Granted, I havent shot all of the Mathews bows but I have certainly found the model that I'm very comfortable with and trust. Why would one look for more? This is my 2nd Switchback XT. My brother inherited my 1st and still shoots that bow as well after all of these years. I've probably shot 100 plus game animals with my Switchbacks alone. The bow has never failed me in performance or reliability. I've been the bows liability. The Switchback, and especially the XT model, simply remains a timeless, top class bow.

Well needless to say I am completely happy with my Switchback even if it did take me 11 years to get mine at least mine didn't come with the $800 price tag like my buddies, but hey I missed out on 11 year's of shooting one of the best bows ever made. Oh yeah! The only reason I probably wasn't in the dog house too back in 2007 with my two friends was because they were both right handed, And I am a lefty the dealer that day sold the last and only Switchback he had that year 30 min, before I walked into his shop! Lol!

I have shot every new bow Mathews has released since the switchback. I also currently own 4 Mathews bows. I hunt year round in many different places and have shot many other bows. Hands down with 70lb limbs and 27.5 draw length cranked up to 68 lbs I have yet to find any reason to get rid of this bow. When I pack for a trip I always pack the Switchback for my back up bow. I shoot it hunting and during indoor league as well as 3d season.

I have been a bow hunter since 1976 to date. I used to shoot with a different compound bow and thought it couldn't be beat because my old bow fit me good. Until I stopped at my local Archery dealer. I shot the Mathews Switchback and it was love at first shot.

I've owned bows of one brand or another since the early 80's. The Switchback is BY FAR the best bow I've owned. I'm writing this review in 2017 about a 10 years old product in a market with constant innovation. That says a lot about the quality since I have no intention of replacing it.

I bought this bow as my first bow to get into bow hunting. It has taken 4 deer & 2 turkey. It's a smooth shooter. Hits hard & dead in the hand. I dressed mine with all the best high end accessories & couldn't be happier! I own a 2014 CST as a backup & for hunting in below freezing temperatures. But my Switchback that I named "Bowcephus" will always be my primary bow.

I was looking for a new bow and tried the Z7 and Helium. Great bows. Then a friend at work was selling his XT. I tried it and fell in love. GREAT BOW! Shoots just as good (if not better) than other new Mathews on the market today. I have owned many other bows but this will the last one I buy for a long time.