Mathews No Cam HTX Compound Bow

The Mathews No Cam HTX arrived in 2016 at $999 as the compact, quietly clever answer to the one knock against the No Cam HTR. It reads slower on the spec sheet - 326 fps IBO, a 30-inch frame, a 6 1/8-inch brace - yet on a chronograph it is the faster of the two, picking up 17 fps on the identical arrow and setup thanks to its 29-inch IBO rating and a more front-loaded draw. Everything that made the concept worth buying survived the redesign: the concentric-wheel draw that owners call the smoothest of its year, the straight nock travel, and a bridged-riser shot that dies in the hand with no vibration and almost no sound. At just under four pounds and two inches shorter than the HTR, it is the No Cam for the hunter who values maneuverability and silence over headline speed. What I keep coming back to is that this is the rare successor that fixed its predecessor's weakness without spoiling its strengths. It is an excellent bow for the compact-rig hunter working tight treestands and blinds, particularly strong where a short, quiet, dead-in-hand setup matters more than a flat long-range trajectory - its longer sibling, the No Cam HTR, remains the pick for 30-inch-draw shooters. Buyers who want more outright speed in the same 30-inch class should also look at the Hoyt Nitrum 30, while those prioritizing the finest draw-weight tuning should consider the Elite Impulse 31... read full review