Mathews MQ1 Compound Bow

The Mathews MQ1 is the smooth, forgiving single-cam hunter that defined an era, and time has been kind to what it set out to do. Built from 1998 through 2002 with unchanged specs, it pairs a long 37-inch axle-to-axle and a tall 7.5-inch brace with a 3.75-pound carry weight and a StraightLine MaxCam that rates 308 fps IBO, moderate speed traded on purpose for a bow that holds still and stays in tune. Its 70 and 80-percent let-off options and slim, low-torque grip round out a shot that owners remember as the smoothest and calmest of its day. What stays with me about a bow like this is how little it asks of the shooter: no cam timing to chase, no short-brace twitch to fight, just a steady pin and a settled release. It is an excellent used-market choice for the whitetail hunter who walks in far and sits long, and for the developing archer who wants a forgiving platform to build form on, particularly strong as a dependable, tune-and-forget treestand and 3D rig. Buyers who want a compact, forgiving value single-cam should also look at the PSE Nova, and those chasing near-identical speed in a shorter frame should also look at the PSE Spyder... read full review