Hoyt Prevail 40 Compound Bow

The Hoyt Prevail 40 is a flagship target bow that asks one honest question of its buyer: do you want the smoothest draw on the line, or the firmest wall and a touch more speed? From 2017 through 2019 it stayed remarkably consistent - a 40.25-inch axle-to-axle, 5-pound platform on the TEC Shoot-Thru riser, XT2000 limbs, and the 4-angle modular grip - and it let the archer answer that question with the cam, X3 at 312 fps IBO for the smooth draw or SVX at 317 fps for the firm wall. Real-world the X3 measured 282 fps with a 350-grain arrow at 60 pounds and a 29-inch draw, the slowest of its test group but with the most generous brace height of that group by a wide margin - a deliberate trade of speed for the forgiveness a competitor lives on. What I keep coming back to is what owners say about it on the line: a draw so smooth it doesn't feel like 60 pounds, the favorite grip of an entire season's worth of target bows, a tune that snaps to bullet holes in a few arrows and holds, and a bow that beat a long-standing personal best the first scoring round out. At roughly $1,700 set up it sat at flagship target pricing, putting the shoot-through riser, the modular grip, and a true two-cam target platform in the hands of a serious competitor. An excellent bow for the freestyle, field, and 3D archer who wants a long, dead-stable platform and a choice of cam personality, and is particularly strong on the indoor spot, the field course, and a 3D twelve-ring at distance. Buyers who prioritize a higher let-off and Elite's draw should also look at the Elite Echelon 39, and those who want a shorter, lighter, faster freestyle frame should look at the Bowtech Specialist... read full review