Mathews Phase4 29 Review

Editors' review

Mathews built its reputation on quiet, and the Phase4 29 is the year Mathews decided the already-whisper-quiet V3X still had noise worth chasing. The answer sits in the limbs: instead of four split limbs, this bow carries eight, each pair separated by a thin strip of vibration-dampening rubber that stops energy before it ever reaches the riser. The result is a compact 29-inch hunting flagship - axle-to-axle, the distance between the two cam axles - that shoots with almost no hand shock and a shot signature muted enough to barely register. It is the shorter, faster half of the 2023 Phase4 platform, built for the hunter who lives in tight quarters and values silence over raw axle length. If you already know the V3X 29, this is its quieter cousin on the same footprint. What follows is what that limb redesign actually buys you on the shooting line.

Finish

Mathews offered the Phase4 29 in a set of solid and camo options that stay understated rather than flashy. Solids covered black, granite, and an ambush green that suits early-season timber; camo buyers could choose Realtree Edge, First Lite Specter, and Optifade in both Elevated II and Subalpine patterns. The finish is Mathews' standard hardcoat over the machined aluminum riser, which wears well against treestand rails and pack buckles. None of the finishes carried a price premium - you pick the pattern that hides you in your terrain, not the one that fits your budget. The limbs and riser are color-matched across the options, and the anodized hardware keeps a consistent look. For a hunting bow that spends its life getting scuffed, the coating is a sensible, durable choice rather than a showpiece.

Riser

The Phase4 29 riser is machined aluminum and, apart from the new stabilizer mount, carries over the geometry that made the V3X so stable. Its defining feature is Bridge-Lock integration: the stabilizer slides directly into a channel in the riser rather than threading onto a bushing, the same idea Mathews first used for its Bridge-Lock sight system. In my experience that connection feels meaningfully more solid than a traditional stabilizer bolt - there is far more contact with the riser, and the weight sits where you want it without flexing. The riser also keeps the integrated dovetail for the wrist sling and the Silent Connect system for a metal-free bow rope, so nothing rattles on the climb up. A harmonic damper mounted ahead of the lower limb pocket mops up whatever residual buzz the limbs pass along. It is a clean, streamlined chassis where the sight, stabilizer, and quiver all tuck close to the riser.

Grip

The Phase4 29 ships with Mathews' Engage grip, a rubber-coated piece with a lightly textured back and rounded edges. Its best trait is cold-weather comfort - the rubber never turns into the cold slab of bare metal that a late-season sit can make of an aluminum grip. The profile is a moderate, low-torque shape that most shooters settle into naturally. It is also the most personal part of this bow: some owners love it, and some find the rounded surface fights their hand position. The fix is simple - the grip pops off and Mathews sells flat side plates that let your palm ride directly on the finished riser for a flatter, more repeatable feel. Aftermarket grips fit as well. Whichever you choose, the hand position stays consistent shot to shot.

Limbs

The limbs are the whole story of the Phase4. Mathews took the traditional split-limb layout - two limbs per pocket - and split each again, so the bow carries eight individual limbs, four top and four bottom, with a thin layer of vibration-dampening rubber sandwiched between each pair. Mathews calls the system Resistance Phase Damping, and its purpose is to stop vibration and noise at the limbs, where the energy starts, before it can travel into the riser. The limbs sit in Mathews' proven pockets and store energy for a 340 fps IBO rating - IBO being the industry-standard speed measured at 30 inches, 70 pounds, and a 350-grain arrow. Draw weight is set by the SwitchWeight module, not the limb bolts alone, so a single set of limbs covers the full 60-to-75-pound range. It is a genuinely new limb design on an otherwise familiar chassis, and it is the reason this bow shoots quieter than the one it replaced.

Eccentric System

The Phase4 29 runs Mathews' Crosscentric cam with the SwitchWeight module system, unchanged from the V3X and all the better for it. The module sets three things at once - peak draw weight (60, 65, 70, or 75 pounds), draw length across the 25.5-to-30-inch range, and let-off at either 80 or 85 percent - so a shop stocks one bow and configures it to the shooter. Let-off is the share of peak weight that drops away at full draw; at 85 percent you hold only a fraction of the peak, which steadies a long wait on an animal. On the chronograph the 29 posts real hunting numbers rather than marketing figures: at 70 pounds and a 29-inch draw it reads 296 fps with a 443-grain arrow and 284 fps with a heavier 477-grain shaft. Those are the speeds you actually hunt with, and they land within a few feet per second of Mathews' faster 2024 Lift on the same setup. The centered roller guard balances the load across both cams, which keeps nock travel clean and, as I found, makes the bow genuinely easy to tune - center-shot and a bullet hole came without a fight. It is a fast, honest cam that trades none of Mathews' signature draw feel for its speed.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

Drawing the Phase4 29 is a familiar Mathews experience: a consistent pull through the whole stroke, no aggressive spike, and a clean roll into the valley. The back wall - the hard stop at full draw - is firm with just a touch of give, enough to lean into without feeling like it is fighting you. There is a small jump forward off the wall if you let the string creep, so it rewards staying engaged, which is exactly what you want on a hunting shot. But the story is the shot itself. Where the V3X was already one of the quietest bows on the rack, the Phase4 is noticeably quieter and deader in the hand - the eight-limb RPD system does what Mathews claims, and the residual buzz that used to reach the grip is largely gone. In my experience that stillness changes how you shoot: with almost nothing coming back through the hand, it is easier to stay relaxed at full draw and let the shot break clean. Heavier arrows quiet it further still, soaking up energy that would otherwise turn into sound. It is a bow that finishes the shot before you expect it to.

Usage Scenarios

The Phase4 29 is built for the hunter who spends the season in tight cover. Picture an eastern whitetail sitter tucked into a treestand at first light - the 29-inch axle-to-axle length swings clean between branches, holds steady on a lane, and the muted shot gives a close deer nothing to jump. It is equally at home in a ground blind, where a compact bow that clears the shooting window matters more than raw speed. The 25.5-to-30-inch draw range and 60-to-75-pound spread cover most adult hunters, and the 85 percent let-off makes a long, still wait manageable. Western hunters who backpack in will appreciate a 4.48-pound bow that carries easily and shoots quietly on a spot-and-stalk. It has enough speed for whitetail, mule deer, and antelope at ethical ranges; a hunter chasing elk at the far end of their comfort zone would simply pick the heavier arrow it already handles well. This is a do-everything hunting bow that leans toward maneuverability and silence.

Mathews Phase4 29 vs Hoyt Ventum Pro 30, Bowtech SR350

Bow	Mathews Phase4 29	Hoyt Ventum Pro 30	Bowtech SR350
Version	2024	2022	2023
Picture
Brace Height	6 "	6 "	6 "
AtA Length	29 "	30 "	33 "
Draw Length	25.5 " - 30 "	25 " - 30 "	25 " - 30 "
Draw Weight	50 lbs - 75 lbs	40 lbs - 80 lbs	40 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	340 fps	342 fps	350 fps
Weight	4.48 lbs	4.45 lbs	4.4 lbs
Let-Off	80% or 85%	80% or 85%	85 / 87%
Where to buy Best prices online	$349.98 to $3200 Compare prices	$999.99 to $1000 Compare prices	$600 to $2250 Compare prices
	compare more bows

At its 2023 flagship tier the Phase4 29 cross-shops most naturally against the Hoyt Ventum Pro 30 and the Bowtech SR350, two hunting bows in the same size and price class. The Hoyt Ventum Pro 30 matches the Phase4's 6-inch brace height and compact axle length and answers with Hoyt's own damping and a carbon-forward feel, but nothing on the market matches the dead-in-the-hand silence of the eight-limb RPD system - that is the Phase4's clearest edge. The Bowtech SR350 comes at speed from the other direction: a longer 33-inch axle-to-axle and a 350 fps IBO make it the velocity choice, with Bowtech's DeadLock tuning as its signature, though it gives up the Phase4's short-quarters handling. All three tune easily and hunt hard, so the decision comes down to priorities: pick the Phase4 29 if a silent shot and a compact frame lead your list, the Hoyt Ventum Pro 30 if you want Hoyt's carbon-era feel at the same size, and the Bowtech SR350 if outright arrow speed matters most. Mathews' own longer sibling, the Phase4 33, covers taller draws and steadier target holds for buyers who want more axle. The 29 is the one you choose when the woods are close and the deer are quiet.

Summary

The Phase4 29 launched at $1,199 as the more accessible, compact half of Mathews' 2023 flagship line - the everyman's flagship, $100 under its longer sibling. What that money buys is the quietest, deadest-in-hand shot Mathews had built to that point, wrapped in a maneuverable 29-inch frame that reads 296 fps with a 443-grain hunting arrow at 70 pounds. The eight-limb Resistance Phase Damping system is the real advance here: it does not chase speed headlines, it chases silence, and it delivers. Add the SwitchWeight module's one-bow-fits-all adjustability, Bridge-Lock stabilizer integration, and a draw cycle that stays true to Mathews' smooth signature, and you have a hunting bow that does almost everything well. In my experience the stillness at the shot is what stays with you - it changes how relaxed you can be at full draw. It is an excellent bow for the treestand and ground-blind hunter who prizes a silent shot and a compact frame, and it is particularly strong in tight cover where handling beats horsepower. Buyers who want more axle length and a steadier target-style hold should also look at the Mathews Phase4 33; those chasing outright speed should look at the Bowtech SR350.