Mathews Lift 29.5 Compound Bow

The Mathews Lift 29.5 is the bow that launched Mathews' lightweight sub-$1,500 do-everything platform, and it earns the spot by doing something aluminum bows were not supposed to do: come in at 3.99 pounds while shooting a genuine 329 to 330 fps with a 350-grain arrow at 30 inches and 70 pounds, and staying one of the quietest bows on the market at a measured 95 decibels. At a $1,329 launch MSRP it undercuts the carbon rigs it out-weighs, and the SwitchWeight-X cam covers 55 to 80 pounds and a 24.5-to-30-inch draw without a press, so it fits a wide range of hunters from short-draw shooters up to full 80-pound setups. The draw is stiff-but-smooth into a firm wall and a short valley that keeps you honest, and the shot is snappy and dead in the hand, with only the faintest liveliness on the short chassis that a little rear weight settles. The honest asterisk is limb durability: a portion of early 2024 units, mostly on the 80-pound mod, cracked RPD limbs, and Mathews answered with an indefinite, transferable pass-down warranty that replaces the full limb set even on used bows in about a week and reports the issue resolved on current production - so a quick limb check on any used purchase is the whole of the buyer's homework. In my experience it is the kind of bow you stop fighting after a session and simply trust to be light, quiet, and fast on a long day afield. An excellent bow for the all-day mobile hunter and the short-draw shooter who wants a true flagship in the lightest package, and particularly strong strapped to a pack in steep country. Buyers who want a longer, steadier hold for mixed hunting and 3D should look at the Mathews Lift 33, and those chasing maximum speed and lock-in tuning should weigh the Bowtech SR350... read full review