Hoyt Ventum 30 Compound Bow

The Hoyt Ventum 30, launched at $1,199 for 2021, is the bow that quietly argues you do not need carbon to get the carbon-flagship feel. Built on the same all-new HBX binary cam, In-Line accessory system, XACT grip, and hunting finishes as the carbon REDWRX Carbon RX-5, it trades the hollow-carbon riser for a beefed-up aluminum one and two-tenths of a pound - and gives up surprisingly little for the saving. The HBX cam delivers the firm, defined back wall earlier Hoyts lacked, a 342 fps IBO rating that lands at real hunting-arrow speeds in the 265-to-286 fps band for 430-to-455 grain shafts, and a selectable 80/85% let-off you change with one screw. The detail owners keep circling back to is the one that defies expectation: shot against its own carbon twin, the aluminum Ventum settled at least as dead in the hand, and more than one shooter preferred it. The honest trade-offs are real but small - a touch more mass than the carbon bow, and an aluminum riser that goes cold faster on a late-season sit, both easy to live with. An excellent bow for the serious hunter who wants flagship engineering and a forgiving, quiet hold without paying the carbon premium. Buyers who want that same engine with cold-weather warmth and the lightest possible mass should look at the REDWRX Carbon RX-5, while those who prize Mathews silence in a more compact frame should also consider the Mathews VXR 28... read full review