Bowtech Extreme Compound Bow

The Bowtech Extreme is worth understanding on its own terms: a single-cam hunting bow, fast for its generation at 325-333 fps IBO, whose VFT name points to a limb technology for a smoother shot rather than to any cam or let-off spec. Across its life - the 2001-2002 Extreme Solo, the short-draw variant, and the 2003-2004 Extreme VFT that carried a $649 launch MSRP - the story stayed the same: speed and simplicity, an idler-wheel single cam that tunes at the factory and holds it, with 65-80% let-off and modular draw length to fit the shooter. In my experience that combination is exactly why so many Extremes are still in service as backups and loaners two decades later; there is very little on them to fail and very little to fiddle with. The honest limitations are minor and fixable - a touch of residual hand shock a stabilizer erases, and camo that can wear with hard use. This is an excellent bow for the hunter who values flat-shooting speed and low-maintenance single-cam simplicity, particularly inside 40 yards from a treestand. Buyers who rank a silent, forgiving shot above outright speed should also look at the Mathews Switchback, and those who want the widest draw-weight range and a hybrid-cam feel should look at the Hoyt Trykon... read full review