PSE Sicario 35 Review

Editors' review

The Sicario 35 is the bow PSE built for the shooter who looked at the 357 fps Sicario and decided it was a little too much bow. Same carbon DNA, same new FDS cam - Force Distribution System - but stretched onto a 35-inch axle-to-axle frame with a taller 5.875-inch brace height, and the personality changes completely. Where the standard Sicario is a short, fast, demanding speed bow, the 35 trades roughly 20 fps for the things that actually put arrows in the middle: a longer sight radius, a flatter string angle, a calmer hold, and a draw cycle that several owners call substantially smoother than its sibling. It is still light - 3.9 pounds on the same Dead Frequency Carbon riser - and still quick, with a 336 IBO speed rating (IBO being the industry chronograph standard measured at a fixed 30-inch, 70-pound, 350-grain setup). The draw length now reaches 31.5 inches, opening the platform to the taller, long-draw hunters the 30-inch 33-inch model left out. Launched for 2026 at $2,099, it slots a hundred dollars above the standard Sicario and aims at a different hunter entirely: the one who wants carbon-light weight and real speed but refuses to give up forgiveness to get them.

Finish

The Sicario 35 carries the same seven-finish range as the rest of the carbon line: solid Black, Charcoal, Clay Brown, and Olive Green for shooters who prefer a clean monochrome riser, and Kuiu Verde, Mossy Oak Bottomland, and Kryptek Skyfall for full concealment in the field. The coating is a textured matte paint rather than a glossy dip, chosen for grip and durability - it gives the bare carbon grip section traction and reads as hard-wearing, at the cost of showing fine scratches a little more readily than a slick finish. On a 35-inch riser the solid colors emphasize the bow's long, lean lines especially well, and the black makes the carbon construction the visual centerpiece. For a long-axle hunting bow, seven options spanning solid and camo patterns is a generous spread that covers everything from a Western open-country setup to an Eastern hardwood treestand.

Riser

The 35's riser is the same Dead Frequency Carbon construction as the standard Sicario - carbon wrapped around a foam core in a one-piece monocoque structure - just longer. That building method is why a 35-inch axle-to-axle bow still weighs only 3.9 pounds, where aluminum long-axle hunters routinely run well over four. The extra length does real work for the shooter: a 35-inch riser balances more steadily on aim than a short bow and resists the small hand movements that open groups at distance. The carbon also kills vibration at its source, which is a large part of why the bow shoots quiet. Cables route through a CGM cable guard and attach to recessed posts on the cams, keeping axle load consistent so the riser tracks straight to full draw - and on the longer geometry that stability is even more pronounced than on the 33. PSE also widened the limb pockets and integrated its Full Draw Stability system here, which shooters credit with making the bow noticeably less torquey and more settled at full draw than the brand's older long-axle hunters. Accessory mounting is modern: a Picatinny rail built into the riser for the sight and a QAD Integrate dovetail for the rest.

Grip

The grip is the bare carbon riser section, given form and traction by the textured finish, running narrow through the throat and angled to seat the hand low and repeatable. It is identical in character to the standard Sicario's grip, which is to say it indexes naturally to the same spot shot after shot and resists torque when the hand stays relaxed. On the 35 that low-torque grip pairs with the longer riser to noticeably calm the hold - owners consistently report no induced hand torque drawing the bow, and the longer axle length makes the whole platform feel easier to settle than a short carbon bow. The taller brace height adds a practical grip-side benefit hunters will appreciate: more clearance between the string and the forearm, which meaningfully cuts the risk of an arm slap when you are bundled in heavy cold-weather layers. It is the same grip the carbon line has earned a following for, working in a longer chassis that flatters it.

Limbs

The Sicario 35 runs split limbs in Limb Vise pockets, the widened-pocket design that anchors the limb base for alignment and feeds the bow's full-draw stability. Draw weight comes in 50, 60, 70, and 80-pound peak options, and on the longer, more aimable 35-inch frame the 80-pound ceiling makes particular sense for the Western hunter wanting maximum kinetic energy on big-bodied game at extended range. Like its sibling the limbs adjust across roughly five turns of the bolts to step down into the next weight band without a press. The carbon-riser PSE limb-and-pocket design carries a long durability track record, and each bow ships drawn and weight-checked by name at the factory. Paired with the FDS cam on the longer riser, the limbs store energy efficiently enough to deliver a 336 IBO without the harsh, heavily preloaded short-limb geometry a pure speed bow demands - part of why the 35 draws as civilly as it does for a bow still firmly in the fast category.

Eccentric System

The FDS cam - Force Distribution System - is the same new-for-2026 eccentric that defines the standard Sicario, and on the longer 35-inch riser it shows its best side. PSE positions the cam as adding roughly 10 fps over the prior carbon-bow cam while smoothing the draw, and shooters describe its character as a blend of the brand's earlier Evolve and E2 cams - faster than the E2, but with a gentler draw curve. It rolls over without a pronounced hump and settles into a firm back wall with no dump, running oversized 5/8-inch bearings and a redesigned, larger draw stop for solid wall contact. Let-off is adjustable across 75 to 85 percent (let-off being how much the peak weight drops at full draw): the 85 percent setting gives the lightest, most forgiving hold for long treestand sits, while a lower setting tightens the valley slightly for shooters who want a touch more to pull against. The 35's headline is forgiveness rather than raw velocity, but the speed is real - independent chronograph sessions logged 285.2 fps at 80 percent and 286.4 fps at 85 percent with a 435-grain arrow at 70 pounds, against a 336 IBO. Draw length now spans 26 to 31.5 inches in half-inch increments, and the EZ.220 snap-spacer system fine-tunes cam lean in 0.020-inch steps, though that adjustment needs a press and the separately sold spacer kit.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

This is where the Sicario 35 separates itself from its sibling. Drawing it back to back with the 33-inch Sicario, I found the 35 substantially smoother - the longer axle-to-axle spreads the same FDS cam's force over a gentler curve, so the slight stack and small hump you feel rolling into the standard Sicario's wall largely disappear. The result is a draw that builds cleanly, rolls over without drama, and lets down easily, with the back wall staying firm and defined. In my experience long-axle bows almost always shoot easier than short ones, and the 35 is a textbook case: the flatter string angle settles the pin, and the bow simply asks less of your form to hold steady. The shot is quiet and low on feedback for a carbon bow, dead enough in the hand that there is little buzz to speak of. The one honest note is a slight post-shot jump - the bow has enough energy that it wants to kick forward out of the hand a touch, the kind of thing a modest front stabilizer tames completely, and worth planning for since most hunters will run a stabilizer anyway. The let-off choice shapes the hold: at 85 percent the valley is forgiving enough to camp on a target through a long sit, which is exactly what a treestand hunter wants. It is, in plain terms, the easier and more forgiving of the two Sicarios to shoot well.

Usage Scenarios

The Sicario 35 is built for the hunter who values a steady hold and a forgiving platform over the last few feet per second. Picture the Western spot-and-stalk hunter holding a pin on a mule deer across a canyon - the long 35-inch riser and flat string angle settle the shot, and at 3.9 pounds the carbon rig never wore out the arm on the climb in. It fits the treestand whitetail hunter who sits for hours and wants the lightest holding weight available, where the 85 percent let-off lets the bow hang on target without fatigue and the taller brace keeps the string clear of a heavy jacket sleeve. It particularly serves the long-draw shooter the standard Sicario excludes: with draw length reaching 31.5 inches, the taller archer who tops out the 33-inch model's 30-inch limit finally has a fast carbon bow that fits. It is a capable 3D and field option for someone who wants speed with manners, the longer axle aiding the aim on a target face. About the only thing it asks honesty on is the pure short-range, tight-quarters ground-blind hunter, who may prefer the more compact 33-inch Sicario - the 35's length is a benefit in the open and a mild liability in a cramped blind.

Sicario 35 vs Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-5 Ultra, PSE EVO NXT 33

Bow	PSE Sicario 35	Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-5 Ultra	PSE EVO NXT 33
Version	2026	2021	2020
Picture
Brace Height	5.875 "	7 "	7 "
AtA Length	35 "	34 "	33 "
Draw Length	26 " - 31.5 "	27 " - 32 "	26.5 " - 32 "
Draw Weight	40 lbs - 80 lbs	30 lbs - 80 lbs	40 lbs - 80 lbs
IBO Speed	336 fps	334 fps	314 fps - 322 fps
Weight	3.9 lbs	4.6 lbs	4.5 lbs
Let-Off	75% - 85%	80% or 85%	80% - 90%
Where to buy Best prices online	Not available now. Please check later.	$700 to $1399.99 Compare prices	$100 to $800 Compare prices
	compare more bows

The Sicario 35's natural cross-shop is the Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-5 Ultra, the carbon long-axle forgiveness flagship from the brand that defined the category. They are remarkably close on speed - 336 IBO for the PSE against 334 for the Hoyt - but the Sicario 35 is dramatically lighter at 3.9 pounds to the RX-5 Ultra's 4.6, while the Hoyt counters with a taller 7-inch brace and a 34-inch axle-to-axle that make it one of the most forgiving carbon hunters ever built. A buyer who wants the absolute steadiest hold leans Hoyt; one who wants nearly the same forgiveness in a markedly lighter, faster-feeling package leans PSE. The PSE EVO NXT 33 represents the brand's own prior long-draw flagship lineage and shows what the Sicario 35 modernizes: the EVO NXT 33 is a 33-inch, 7-inch-brace bow with a forgiving hold but a slower 314-322 IBO, a heavier 4.5-pound aluminum riser, and a much lower $1,099 launch price. Stepping up to the Sicario 35 buys carbon weight savings, the new FDS cam's speed and smoothness, and the longer 35-inch frame - at roughly double the EVO NXT's cost. The decision comes down to priorities: the Sicario 35 for the hunter who wants light carbon weight with real speed and forgiveness, the Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-5 Ultra for the shooter who prizes the steadiest possible hold above all, and the PSE EVO NXT 33 for the value-minded buyer content with a heavier, slower, but very forgiving rig.

Summary

The 2026 PSE Sicario 35 is the forgiving half of the Sicario story - the bow that takes the carbon line's light weight and new FDS cam and wraps them in a longer, calmer, more aimable package. At $2,099 launch MSRP it sits a hundred dollars above the standard Sicario, and the premium buys a meaningfully easier bow to shoot well: a draw that is substantially smoother than its short-brace sibling, a flatter string angle, a more forgiving 85 percent hold for long sits, and a draw length that finally reaches the 31.5-inch mark long-draw hunters need. It gives up only about 18 to 20 fps of real-world speed to the 33 - still landing at 285 to 286 fps with a hunting-weight arrow - and keeps the same featherweight 3.9-pound carbon chassis and quiet, low-feedback shot. What stays with me is how much more relaxed it feels to aim than a bow this fast has any right to. An excellent bow for the Western and treestand hunter who wants carbon-light weight, real speed, and a forgiving hold, and the right Sicario for taller, long-draw shooters. Buyers chasing maximum velocity in the most compact frame should look at the shorter, faster Sicario, while those who want the steadiest possible hold should also consider the Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-5 Ultra.