Editors' review
Obsession has a well rounded 2019 product line offering a bow for almost every single shooter on the market. No matter what type of rig shooters are interested in, Obsession has a bow to fit the need. The 2019 Obsession HB33 is a perfect bow for shooters with some growing left to do, or someone interested in getting into the sport of archery without wanting to spend a small fortune as a start up without knowing if they will like the sport. The HB33 has a fantastic entry level price of $599, but nothing aside from the price is entry level about this bow. The axle-to-axle measurement is 33 1/4-inches, which is stable enough for beginners to get comfortable with while still being maneuverable enough in tight situations to not be bulky or in the way. The aluminum riser bow tips the scales at only 3.8-pounds, and the speed rating of 348 feet per second is flat out cooking considering the easy draw force curve and high let off of 85%. Obsession offers a massive amount of customization on the HB33 as well allowing shooters a ton of finish options to have a truly personalized rig not offered with other companies. The negatives with the HB33 are all personal preference based. Some shooters do not like high let off bow, and they may not like the 85% Hybrid RZ Cam. Other shooters do not like a rock solid back wall, which the HB33 will give. Aside from that, this bow is a real winner, and although it is geared towards archers still growing, or those new to the sport, the HB33 will win over a lot of shooters willing to give this bow a shot. It may be one of the best deals in archery for a price of only $599.
Finish
Obsession is unmatched in their finish options available straight from the factory. It is truly amazing how many options Obsession gives buyers, and it is refreshing to see how much emphasis is placed on the buyer in terms of personal preference. Although the number of options is a bit smaller on the HB33 when compared to other Obsession models, it is still more options than other brands have for their flagship bows. Obsession allows HB33 shooters to choose their riser color, limb color, and string color and they can be mixed and matched to the shooters own personal taste. The choices for the limbs and riser include: Black, Veil Whitetail, Veil Cervidae, Veil Tac Black, Realtree Edge, Realtree AP Snow, Realtree Timber, Mossy Oak Break-up Country, Mossy Oak Mountain Country, Mossy Oak Original Bottomland, Kryptek Highlander, Kryptek Typhon, Stars and Stripes, Predator 3D Deception, and Moonshine Muddy Girl. From there, shooters get to pick which color of factory bowstrings to choose, which are all made by America's Best Bowstrings. The color options available include: Camo, Flo Yellow, Flo Green, Flo Orange, Flo Red, Flo Purple, Black, Royal Blue, and Red, white, and blue. Not only are the options amazing, the end product is absolutely spectacular as well. The finished product looks amazing, and gives shooters a truly customized look they are not able to get with other companies.
Riser
The riser on the HB33 looks a bit different than the rest of the Obsession lineup. The riser is not as thick for starters, and has a smaller stance than some other bows in the Obsession catalog. The same FX riser technology is used throughout the entire lineup; however, the execution of the technology looks a bit different when applied on the HB33. The idea behind the FX design is to give shooters the most stable platform possible by being as strong and least susceptible to riser torque as possible without making the bow feel like a boat anchor. Obsession definitely came through creating a 33 1/4-inch axle-to-axle rig weighing only 3.8-pounds.The cable containment system is a more traditional slide system, which is a bit different in function when compared to some of Obsession's other models. With that said, it is well thought out and should not be a reason to look at another bow based on a different cable slide. The back of the riser has a stabilizer bushing for a rear mounted stabilizer, in addition to the standard one off the front of the riser. Obsession also chose to incorporate a string stop system off the back of the riser also.
Grip
The HB33 grip is integrated directly into the design of the riser during the machining process. Obsession opted for the torqueless grip on the HB33, and it is very well made. The side plates do very little in adding to the feel of the grip, but the wooden inserts make the bow feel a little more premium. The torqueless grip is also a bit thinner feeling than some of the other models, which will help with those at the lower end of the draw length ranges with potentially smaller hands. The custom grip feel and look is yet another thing Obsession has done to the benefit of their shooters. Leaving the grip shape and design to the experts is another great decision made by Obsession to make this bow as shootable and comfortable as possible.
Limbs
Obsession is offering the HB33 in peak draw weights of 40, 50, 60, 65, and 70-pounds. The limbs are a split limb configuration like the rest of the lineup for 2019, which will help with cam lean and providing the Hybrid system with a solid platform to anchor on to. It would be nice for the draw weight range of the limbs to be a bit larger in each peak weight. For a bow offered as a nice rig to grow with shooters, it would be great for a wider draw weight range on each limb, instead of offering the more standard adult peak weight increments. A shooter starting out at 40-pounds, may quickly outgrow the draw weight for the HB33, which was purchased to get shooters through a few years with the same rig.The limb pockets are well thought out to match the rest of the engineering. The FX pockets, to fit on the FX riser are created as a 3-piece system to hold the limbs and riser together with the absolute tightest tolerances possible. Aside from securely fastening the riser and limb together, the FX pockets are designed to keep the potential torque caused by the cams being drawn as low as possible also.
Eccentric System
The HB33 is equipped with the Hybrid RZ Cam system, which includes a rotating module to get shooters through the entire draw length range of the bow. Other Obsession models have a different module for each draw length. Obsession's decision to offer a rotating module aligns well with their mission of the HB33 to be a bow capable of growing with its shooters. The cams are capable of half-inch adjustments from 26-30-inches. The limbs stop aided cam provides a rock solid wall at 85% let off, which some shooters have issues with based on their personal preference. However, the impressive speed rating of 348 feet per second is something very easy to get on board will considering how easily the bow draws during the entire cycle.
Draw Cycle/Shootability
The HB33 offers a huge amount of draw length adjustment using the same cam system, so it is a bit tough to say exactly how the draw force curve is going to feel for each of the nine configurations. However, the cams are going to provide impressive speed for the effort on the shooters end in reaching full draw. The two potential downsides of the HB33 are related to the high 85% let off and the absolute rock solid back wall. In saying these are potential negatives, it is also important to recognize these are also potential positives for the HB33 cam system all strictly based on individual shooter preference. There is a polarizing argument on high let off bows at the moment in the archery world with so many rigs coming to market with 80% all the way up to 90% let off, and it is all based on what shooters feel works for them. For what it is worth, the 85% feels really great on the HB33 when combined with the rock solid wall. There is a little give to the limb stops because of the rubber lined stopper, but for most it is going to have a solid feel. After the shot, the arrow zips toward the target, and the bow simply stays on target without much noise or vibration to speak of at all.
Usage Scenarios
Obsession is marketing this rig as a bow that will easily grow with its shooters, at a price point that is appealing to new customers in the sport of archery. However, aside from the $599 price tag, there is very little entry level about the HB33. Sure, it will make a great growing shooter bow, and it will do a phenomenal job of giving shooters an entry level option of a high end bow to begin their journey as an archer. However, those fitting the draw length range of the HB33 owe it to themselves to give this hunting bow an honest consideration.
Summary
The 2019 Obsession HB33 is a bow for growing archers, or those wanting to get started in the world of compound archery. The entry level price of only $599 is an absolute screaming deal for any archer fitting within the 26-30-inch draw length range, even if they are done growing and no longer new to the sport. Obsession offers more customization than any brand on the market in regards to allowing shooters to choose their own finish and color schemes. Being able to mix and match 15 different patterns and nine different string colors is a neat experience and gives shooters a great deal of ownership choosing exactly what their new rig is going to look like. It would be nice for the limbs to have a little more adjustment within each max weight configuration to make it easier to grow with shooters. Other than that, the largest negative for some with the high let off, solid back wall is very likely to be a huge positive for just as many shooters. The Obsession HB33 is a fantastic bow, at an even better price. Anyone on the market for a new hunting bow owes it to themselves to check out an HB33. They may be the best high end bow for the cheapest price for all of 2019.
